The Unusual Skill Adam Richman Mastered While Filming Man V Food
Some people think of eating for a living as a dream job. What could be better than a gig like Adam Richman's on Man v. Food – where you get to eat some of the best food, in huge quantity, for free, while getting paid for your trouble? Like many things, it's not as easy as it looks, and it has some serious downsides (like coming close to death or never wanting to touch another oyster in your life, per The Daily Mail). But making it seem like a piece of cake is part of the gift, and it's one of the reasons we love watching great athletes compete — whether their opponents are other mere mortals or vast quantities of foodstuffs.
While Richman trained as a sushi chef, much of his cooking skills were acquired either from his mother or, like the rest of us, through trial and error in the kitchen. It's a good thing that he's accustomed to learning on his own because there are some things no culinary education — no matter how comprehensive — could ever hope to give you. Some talents can only come from a magical mix of innate ability and careful cultivation, and sometimes, it's what you don't see that stands out the most (per YouTube). Richman is quite the wizard when it comes to show and tell — particularly, telling without showing.
Now you see it, now you don't
Ever notice how Adam Richman manages to speak on camera without spitting gross particles of food all over the place the whole time he's talking? No? Well, the fact that you didn't notice reveals just how good he is at it (via YouTube).
Richman had to spend an extraordinary amount of time eating and talking at the same time, and since his mother wasn't there at the table telling him to chew first, talk later, he had to get good at it. Really good. But, as he explained to The Chicago Tribune, "No one really teaches you how to eat on camera," so Richman had to learn on the job. What's his trick? Richman (who has clearly given this a lot of thought and reflection) explained, "You need to realize where you articulate. If I hold all my food in the right cheek I can still talk. I can essentially recite the Declaration of Independence as long as I keep my food here [right cheek]. If I move it to my left side I'm absolutely shot."
Clear enough guidance for those who articulate on the left side of their face. The key? Apparently, not turning the other cheek. Those interested in watching a masticator at his craft can check out his latest show, "Adam Eats The 80s" (per History).