Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain is known for pushing boundaries but now he may have gone too far after his criticism of New Mexico's beloved Frito pie dish outraged many residents.
On a recent episode of CNN's "Parts Unknown," Bourdain sampled a New Mexican favorite — a Frito pie from the snack bar at Santa Fe's Five & Dime General Store.
Bourdain described the concoction as a "colostomy pie" consisting of canned Hormel Chili, a "day-glow orange cheese-like substance," and a bag of Fritos chips.
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"Neither the Frito, nor the Frito pie, are indigenous to New Mexico. They were actually Texan," Bourdain said on the episode. "New Mexico, you have many wonderful things, I think. Let Texas have this one.
"In only six minutes I've managed to reach a depth of self-loathing it usually takes a night of drinking to achieve."
Despite his comments about the Frito pie's appearance, Bourdain did say it was "delicious."
But the locals were already fuming.
Mike Collins, store manager at the Five & Dime,
told The Associated Press that he wants Bourdain to know that he uses homemade chili in the Frito pie, not the Hormel canned stuff.
"[Bourdain] admits that 'we got it wrong' about the chili," the chef's spokeswoman, Karen Reynolds, said in a statement. "And we'll try to correct it for future airings."
Bourdain himself also issued a statement about his Frito pie experience.
"Contrary to the impression left by some reports of the show, I, in fact, very much enjoyed my Frito pie in spite of its disturbing weight in the hand," he said. "It may have felt like (expletive) but was shockingly tasty."
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