Asia loves to eat. We’re the continent where the most vibrant and diverse food culture has thrived for thousands of years. And yet strangely, just over six years ago, there was no Asian television channel dedicated to food. Aside from sporadic episodes on local stations and lifestyle cable channels, there wasn’t a 24/7 food network Asia could call its own.

Singaporean Hian Goh pounced on that opportunity and started the Asian Food Channel (AFC). Soon after that, Starhub the cable TV service provider in Singapore began offering more channels with food programmes. And U.S. giant Food Network joined the party last year with Food Network Asia.

But is all this TV attention in Asia on Asia? Will Asia finally have its own Julia Child and Gordon Ramsay? Less glamourisation of the West, and more exposure for the East perhaps?

Well, it’s still quite a cosmopolitan offering on the networks, and that’s what consumers like to see, it seems. Discovery’s TLC, which was one of the earliest channels offering food in its programming mix, says their food programmes perform well especially when the series is helmed by a famous celebrity chef like Jamie Oliver, Anthony Bourdain or Nigella Lawson.

However the networks do recognise that local programming is critical to the mix, as audiences do want content they can relate to.

AFC’s Hian Goh has his eye on Asia. (image courtesy of Asian Food Channel)

“AFC is committed to featuring and promoting more Asian chefs. We are fully producing and filming our first-ever reality television contest – the E&O Search for AFC’s Next Celebrity Chef, and filming our first high-definition version of Tablescapes, featuring Filipino-Chinese chef, Bruce Lim as he travels through the mountainous regions of the Philippines to uncover the local cuisine of the indigenous people,” says Hian Goh, Managing Director for AFC.

Acting general manager for Food Network Asia, Hud Woodle says its head for programming for the channel was recently in Singapore speaking to production companies and sussing out ideas, for more local content to strengthen its programming.

Food Network Asia’s Hud Woodle is exploring our local shores for content to strengthen their current channel. (image courtesy of Food Network Asia)

But it’s not just TV these days.

The Internet is increasingly competing with TV for viewership. Good content tends to find its way to the Internet, legally or otherwise, and it’s hard to get a business model going where so much free content is available. At their very best, the food networks try to use social media to promote their brand and content, but still shy away from offering full videos for online viewing.

Kevin Dickie, Senior Vice-President – Content Group, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific says “Pay TV remains our core business and we do not put out our long form content (full length programmes) on the Internet. Beyond the television experience, we engage our viewers through our website, Facebook fan page  and also through events with our talents.”

Mobile apps like those on the smartphones and tablets are another way the food networks are reaching their audience, and building mindshare.

Iris Wee, StarHub’s vice president of home solutions and content, says, “With Singapore’s high smartphone penetration rate, we thought it was apt to integrate content on our food channels and the FooD.I.Y mobile application to satisfy the appetites of food lovers here, as well as allow chefs, both local and foreign, to reach out to more audiences. Our customers not only enjoy food programmes on StarHub’s food channels such as BBC Lifestyle, Food Network Asia and TLC, but also tap on an extensive database of recipes from popular chefs and TV hosts via FooD.I.Y application, which is available on iPhone and iPad.”

AFC does not have a mobile app at the moment. Hian Goh agrees the media world is getting fragmented, but they will be on whichever platform that becomes mass.

But some good Asian content would also work for local screens. “Good food content still works across all platforms, regardless of whether they are east or west based,” says Ganesh Rajaram, senior vice president, Asia, FremantleMedia Enterprises. This explains the continuing popularity of shows that feature Jamie Oliver, Anthony Bourdain, Martha Stewart, Donna Hay and Annabel Langbein.

Ultimately, what the numerous food networks do is provide audiences in Asia with a bigger window to the world, while showcasing the real Asia to an international audience. And they will be doing so not just on TV, but wherever the audience goes.