30 Best Food/Cooking Anime of All Time (Ranked)

Something about anime cuisine makes us drool, and in these best cooking anime, food is a central element in several of its episodes. Again, almost every anime series has that one tantalizing scene in which your favorite character sits down to a delectable dinner, but the ones we added are the best food anime of all time. 

The entire presentation and how the characters make and serve each dish are essential aspects of how Japanese food is shown in anime. Get a taste of these amusing and engaging food and cooking anime episodes ranked from worst to best. Consequently, it may help you satisfy your food and anime desires.

30. Wakako

Wakakozaze is also a culinary journey through Japan. Thus, while watching the series, you’ll be witnessing Japanese cooking, and the distinct customs that come with it is a pleasant experience.

Wakako, who always eats alone after work, teaches viewers about the finer points of eating Japanese bar food and drinks. It is something that isn’t discussed nearly as much in other Anime for all ages. It talks about 26-year-old Murasaki Wakako, who loves going out alone to eat and drink after work. 

Witnessing Japanese cooking and the distinct customs that come with it is a pleasant experience. Consequently, as Wakako goes through internalized rituals, we pick up little morsels about how food is savored in Japan.

29. Cooking with Valkyries

Cooking With Valkyries is a non-canon anime series developed by MiHoYo; it features the Valkyries and other characters cooking and preparing meals. Even though Cooking With Valkyries is not canon, several episodes are based on real-life events.

The show revolves around the Valkyries performing various things, including cooking a delicious lunch for everyone. Also, it talks about the ingredients as well as the process of preparing the meals.

Meanwhile, the sisters converse with one another, reminiscing about their pasts while making the cuisine. Therefore, this act gives newcomers a sense of what their lives were like before the present day.

28. Dream-Colored Patissiere

Fans of pastries will enjoy this series. It includes step-by-step instructions! Avid anime fans are familiar with bishounen romance. In that light, the show’s tasty pastries and gorgeous soundtrack have made it one of the recommended food anime to watch.

Yumeiro Patissiere is not a series with a unique premise; however, it is entertaining, and you will not be disappointed if you watch it. In addition, there is a hint of romance throughout the series, which adds to its charm!

27. Moyashimon 

Of course, some food anime has notions that are outside the box and Moyashimon is one of them. Instead of the usual anime scenario, in which all characters demonstrate how to create or enjoy delectable meals, this movie depicts more.

It discusses how bacteria play an essential role in the production of food. Unfortunately, for many reasons, Moyashimon is an under-appreciated anime.  

However, if you’re looking for something lighthearted and humorous, you’ll be happy once you watch the show. Although it is a little more “real” than the standard, you should give it a try.

26. Cooking Papa

Tochi Ueyama is the author and illustrator of the Japanese manga series Cooking Papa. Cooking Papa is one of the all-time great culinary anime series.

It’s also one of the country’s longest-running manga series. The anime follows a man who is a master chef aside from being an excellent employee.

The trick is that he lets people believe his wife is the chef, even though she isn’t particularly good at it. By doing so, he portrays himself as a good and respectful husband. Furthermore, he doesn’t make it lightly as he also flaunts his cooking skills.

25. Silver Spoon

Silver Spoon is worth viewing for various reasons, including the fact that it uses a realistic style of animation. In addition, it has a lot of comedic touches and has excellent character development, not just for Hachiken-kun but also for his classmates. 

However, the series’ main draw is an exciting and thought-provoking look into the world of agriculture. Silver Spoon’s primary character is Yuugo Hachiken. 

His adventure at an agricultural high school is chronicled in the anime.  Although there are a few violent scenes in the anime, it is done so that anyone of any age may enjoy it. Consequently, it’s a must-watch for agricultural enthusiasts as well.

24. Wakakozake

The food in this drama is a lot of fun to watch. Otherwise, there is absolutely no narrative, which is what makes this show so unique. It is similar to popcorn in that you can eat it whenever you want without feeling guilty about how long it takes. 

You’ll also get a taste of Japanese cooking and eating, as well as Izakaya-style dining popular as bar food. You may not like the performance or the character, but if you adore eating, you will undoubtedly relate to her. Therefore, when you’re watching this show, you’ll be so hungry that you’ll want to go to Japan right now and eat everything!

23. Bartender

The Bartender is, without a doubt, one of the best anime series I’ve ever seen. However, you might be hesitant to watch Bartender because you may think, “How could a narrative about a bartender possibly be good?”. Nevertheless, this is pretty awesome.

The animation is a highlight of the film and it presents the design of the characters as both realistic and stylized. It focuses on making the movements as fluid and as clean as possible.

The way the characters poured the alcohol into the glasses and how the characters made the combinations was a visual feast.

22. Ristorante Paradiso

When you listen to the first song, you’ll agree with me that the music is well-crafted. This is because it went nicely with the anime’s overarching concept of slow-paced slice-of-life. 

The background music complements the scenes perfectly and makes it a lot of fun to see. In addition, this show is worth it because of the backdrop, characters, and delicious food. However, as I already stated, it’s for folks who appreciate calm anime, so whether or not you’ll enjoy it relies entirely on your personal preferences.

21. JK Meshi

JK-Meshi is an anime about three high school students who study for exams, discuss school, and have a good laugh. Nevertheless, all of this leads up to a significant cooking portion at the conclusion.

This may or may not be your preference for anime, but I prefer to base shows on the concept rather than the aesthetic quality. Despite the animation not being too great, it appears to be constructed so that you learn to like cooking. Moreover, you’ll also be learning to combine different types of food to create a neat and healthy meal.

Overall, it’s an excellent movie.

20. Cooking with Valkyries

It’s just a cute little cookery cartoon that helps to take the edge off the central drama. This film has no plot; instead, it depicts valkyries preparing various delicacies while being true to their characters. 

The sound of the food cooking and such is pleasant to hear if such a thing exists. However, this was a technique for me to distract myself from the main story.

About the characters, I have stated, that they remain faithful to their original characters. Also, this was a technique for me to distract myself from the main story, so you should check it out.

19. Bonjour Sweet Love Pâtissier

Sayuri Haruno is a young woman who receives a scholarship to attend the renowned confectionery school Fleurir to pursue a pastry store.

This anime is one of my favorites as it’s like a guilty pleasure, with the kind of suffocating cuteness. It is the type of action you’d expect from an anime called BONJOUR Sweet Love Patisserie. The start should give you a hint about the hilarity: it’s all the guys flying about in space on desserts.

You should check the movie out this weekend.

18. Isekai Shokudou

I enjoyed watching Isekai Shokudou, though it is predictable, slow-paced, and has much fanservice. Additionally, the planet is well-designed and bland, but the other world in the title, a pleasant little eatery, is charming. 

Isekai Shokudou is a unique anime; it’s not the type of show you’d expect to have an epic tale or anything. Instead, it’s simply peaceful, it doesn’t precisely bear the label of Slice of Life, but it feels like it’s designed to be read that way. So, if you’ve come expecting an epic tale or a retelling, you’ve come to the wrong place.

I’m not a massive fan of the characters’ art style; I prefer terrible late-90s art, but the backgrounds are beautiful. Additionally, the character designs appear to be top-notch. Thus, if you’re like me, you know what to do about watching the series or not.

17. Yuru Camp

While it is true that this is primarily a camping series, there are tons of cooking to be found. However, what is incorporated in cooking that can be done when you go out camping?

Yuru Camp is a story about a bunch of girls who bond over camping. However, it also has a high level of food enjoyment.

The majority of the meals are straightforward, but they’re entertaining to watch being prepared. Additionally, this is a series that demonstrates a respect for beautiful nature as well as some delicious meals. So, if you enjoy a fun series with good food and the outdoors, you should check this out.

The stories are all short, yet they give the impression that a lot is going on.

16.  Rokuhoudou Yotsuiro Biyori

Gure, Sui, Tokitaka, and Tsubaki, four bishounen, run Rokuhoudou, a traditional Japanese tea business. 

These four are very different, but they work well together and can run Rokuhoudou, which serves tea and tasty Japanese delicacies to all of its customers.

Each episode tells the narrative of someone who is brought to the cafe and later becomes a regular. If it’s not that, it tells the story of the ragtag group of individuals going off to do something together. Consequently, they do things such as building the menu or selling pastries in a department store. 

15. Isekai Izakaya Nobu (Food from another world)

Another World’s Japanese Cuisine Isn’t an Isekai anime in the classic sense. However, the location is the Nobu restaurant, and the people generally engage in everyday activities, with the occasional political crisis tossed in for good measure. 

This show is quite pleasurable to watch, especially while nibbling, drinking, or eating. In addition, it has the perfect blend of humor, drama, characters, mystery, supernatural, and everything else that Anime needs. 

It’s never dull, and you’ll constantly want to come back for more as the stories revolve around a pub called Nobu, which is located in Kyoto, Japan. However, this pub has a door that leads to a bar on another planet. Consequently, customers seek out its superb Toriaezu Nama ale and cuisine, which attracts people from all over the world.

14.  Muteki Kanban Musume

This is an unconventional anime. Miki Onimaru is a girl who works at her mother’s Chinese food business in the series. At first glance, the series appears to be primarily about cooking, with some fighting thrown in for good measure.

Consequently, there’s a lot more combat than you may think. As a result, there is less emphasis on cooking, but there is plenty of it in the series. To be honest, it’s a strange series, but it does have some charm. However, if you enjoy streams of oddities, give it a shot.

13. Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi

Overall, I enjoyed watching Kakuriyo, whose unusual premise, story, characters, innovative difficulties, and fantastic voice acting serve as its key highlights.

While there were no fist battles, dragons, or cell phones in this Anime, it was full of its brand of magic. Additionally, it delivered so much through fox devils, spices, and even the occasional explosion.

This anime is fantastic, and I strongly advise you to watch it.  Also, the gorgeous soundtrack of Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi transports you to an alternate dimension of ancient Japan. While the music can be a little repetitive at times, it perfectly suits the tone of the show

12. Oishinbo

This is the most enjoyable anime series I’ve ever seen. And I don’t regret spending a single second of my time watching this anime. Oishinbo proves to be an ideal movie, as It exudes positive energy. 

The characters are well-developed with the music and blend very well with the rest of the anime. Surprisingly, from the first episode, I was obsessed with this anime.

 It’s something that more people should know about since it’s fantastic. Therefore, I strongly advise you to watch this anime; you will not be disappointed. 

Oishinbo’s art, as is customary, focuses on the food rather than the characters. Nevertheless, the character designs are a bit dated.

11. Piace: Watashi no Italian

For a change, why not try a new cuisine? Why not Italian, as that’s what the Piace anime is all about?

It’s a short series, but it’s jam-packed with cooking and various Italian meals. It’s a little fast-paced at times, but it has exciting people and does an excellent job of presenting them. 

The plot revolves around heroine Nanase and her development as a waitress in an Italian restaurant. It is completely fascinating to see how they depict her studying and how she ends up producing her meal. Consequently, I’d suggest that you check it out. 

I find this story fascinating, as I adore Italian cuisine, and having an anime dedicated to it is more than I could ask for.

10. Adorable Food Goddess

This anime contains a diverse range of genres. However, cooking is a big part of the series, and the animation team put a lot of effort into it.

While the plot may be a little overbearing, you can still enjoy the delicious food while immersed in the drama. Even if it’s only addressed in passing, I admire how this Anime examines how the producers combine different ingredients. It may be debatable whether the plot and characters are enjoyable.

The cuisine and cooking are excellent, and the music is appropriate. Consequently, this series is an effective cuisine and cookery adventure literally encompassing food with plenty of action.

9. Mister Ajikko

Ajikko Oishi is a culinary genius who, along with his mother, runs a restaurant. However, Murata Genjiro walks into the eating house one day and is taken aback by the delectable taste and deft culinary skills of Youichi’s katsu-don. 

In Japan, this was the first cooking series to be adapted into an anime. Nevertheless, it follows Yoichi, a young culinary genius, as he develops as a chef as competes against various opponents.

There is a lot of emphasis on how the meal is prepared and what makes it so delicious. So, in a sense, this is a true anime classic. But for all intents and purposes, this is a cooking anime. 

Subsequently, Ajikko gets into a spaghetti fight with Marui, the in-house Italian cook. However, Ajikko’s innovative culinary concepts enable him to defeat Marui in the match. Therefore, Youichi begins to vie with other rivals in the race for the best flavors and cuisines from that point forward.

8. Toriko

This series follows Toriko, a gourmet hunter who hunts out the world’s rarest and most delectable items. Also, Toriko’s partner and chef Ko Matsu is featured in the series’ cookery segment. 

In addition to Toriko’s story, the series also depicts Ko Matsu’s development as a chef. It’s unique, inventive, and worth watching if you’re looking for some excellent shounen entertainment with food.

Toriko is currently one of the best series available, and you will see why, if you watch it. It is highly regarded in Japan and is also well-known in the West. The plot is excellent, and the battle sequences are incredible! This anime makes you hungry!

7. Chuuka Ichiban!

It is set in China and depicts the story of Mao, a young boy who aspires to be a great cook like his mother. Given the series’ setting, Chinese cuisine is expected to play a prominent role.

 Additionally, It has a lot of content, although a lot of it is from East Asia. However, one of the things which put this anime at the top of the list is how theatrical the cooking sequences can be.

Yes, the plot is a little cliched, but it’s entertaining seeing them looking for magical cooking gadgets all around China. Essentially, this is a goodie for food enthusiasts. 

You should check it out too this weekend if you wish.

6. Yakitate Japan

The plot follows Azuma and his passion for bread, which drives him to create the best loaves of all time. However, If you think this is surprising, you should watch more anime.

The series has a lot of inventiveness, and it can be a little over the top at times. Notwithstanding, it still feels like it’s based on a true story.

It is intended to be quirky because it is a shounen-style series about bread-making. Also, it’s a little odd, but the way it delves into bread preparation is intriguing.

Now, I understand that a bread-making series may not seem like much. However, this one is a must-watch.

The anime is visually great, and while the plot is a little sloppy in its direction, it stands up nicely between character interactions. It has a simple idea, but I think there are enough exciting parts in it to make it worth seeing.

5. Yumeiro Patissiere

This one is more about baking than cooking, yet it gets the top rank for how well it examines baking. In addition, this story has legs, as it follows Ichigo on his road to becoming a true patissier. A lot of the show’s high points are the way it explores different baking and dessert recipes.

Aside from these subjects, the series’ characters become increasingly weird and appealing as it develops. I must mention how much of a great show it is. Also, without a doubt, this is one of the cutest anime shows I’ve ever seen.

4. Koufuku Graffiti (Gourmet Girl Graffiti)

The entirety of this show revolves around a love of good food and good company. Also, the anime focuses a lot on Machiko’s food preferences and her friends. So relax and enjoy the drooling while they’re at it.

The series is best described as a lighthearted romp that will keep you entertained. I’m sure you understand the concept that ‘food and friends’ are two related subjects. It doesn’t detail the cooking process, but you can enjoy the characters’ bonding.

The main tale follows Machiko, a young girl who discovered her love for cooking. Machiko, after meeting and bonding with her young cousin. Anyway,’ love for cooking is a great driver’ they say.

3. Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan

This series focuses on the overall process of preparing the meal and the time spent together in fellowship. Also, it discusses the notion that food brings people closer together.

This is a relaxing series with a straightforward plot based on the concept of a hearty home supper. You’ll feel all the warm fuzzies just by watching, and you’ll even have a chance to learn some cooking skills in the process.

It is also known as Today’s Menu for the Emiya Family if you’re looking for it in English. However, the subbed version is arguably more enjoyable to watch. Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan features wholesome events, delectable cuisine, and adorable character interactions.

2. Amaama to Inazuma

The best way to characterize this series is by tagging it as heartwarming. This film follows a father and daughter who decide to cook after years of eating store-bought meals. So with the help of a new high school buddy, he sets to work. 

In this anime, the personalities and the work they put in to learn are depicted pleasantly.

As the show progresses, their improvement has a genuine feel to it. Another aspect of this series that I enjoy is how the characters interact with one another. You’ll want to see more of the series because of the way it combines cooking with connecting.

1. Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma

You may hear that Shokugeki no Soma isn’t as good as other fighting anime because the story isn’t as deep; no doubt, this is true.

But give it a break; it’s not intended to be a fighting anime; it is supposed to be a culinary anime,  the very best one. Although it has a simple plot, it’s endearing and keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s rated the number one food war anime.

This anime is for you if you enjoy slice of life, cuisine, and family. Additionally, it’s one of the most family-friendly anime I’ve ever seen. Although this may be the third time I’ve seen it, it never gets old. 

Prepare to weep! It’s a stunning anime. Although many anime fans don’t see the need for balance when choosing what to watch, this is an exception; it’s a complete package.