tvacute.com: Behind every famous name lies an untold story, and sometimes, history’s most fascinating figures hide in plain sight. With the new French-language series CARÊME on Apple TV+, audiences are invited into a sumptuous world where food is more than survival — it’s power, seduction, and ambition. A young man, a pastry genius, rises from the streets of Paris to dine with kings and change the fate of nations. He is at the center of it all. But how much of what we see in CARÊME is based on real events?
Created by Ian Kelly and Davide Serino, CARÊME isn’t your typical period drama. Directed by Martin Bourboulon (known for “The Three Musketeers” films), the series brings a fresh, modern energy to a historical story. Benjamin Voisin stars as Marie-Antoine Carême, the man often called the world’s first celebrity chef. Alongside him, Lyna Khoudri plays Henriette, his lover, while Jérémie Renier appears as the influential diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord. The show is an eight-part journey into kitchens, palaces, and battlefields where Carême’s culinary genius becomes a weapon as powerful as any sword.
IS CARÊME BASED ON A TRUE STORY?
The answer is yes — but with a creative twist. CARÊME is inspired by real historical events and figures—especially drawn from the biography Cooking for Kings: The Life of Antonin Carême, The First Celebrity Chef by Ian Kelly. But the people who made it didn’t want to make a documentary-style retelling. Instead, they wanted to give Carême’s story a rock-and-roll feel and make his passion and charisma come to life in a way that feels modern and easy to relate to.
Marie-Antoine Carême was a real person who was born in Paris in 1784 and came from a poor family. Carême’s story of how he went from being homeless as a child to becoming a famous chef is based on real events. His family left him during the chaos of the French Revolution. As a child, he started working in kitchens. Because of his amazing skill and creativity, some of the most important people in the world at the time became interested in him. He eventually worked for kings and queens—such as “Napoleon Bonaparte”and “Tsar Alexander I of Russia”. People all over the world knew about his fancy sugar pastries and huge building designs.
Carême’s story moves forward in the show after he “accidentally saves Napoleon’s life.” This made-up event sets the tone for how fun the show is with history. There is no evidence that Carême directly saved Napoleon, but this plot device is used in the show to show how Carême’s skills put him in the political spotlight. But his link to important people like Talleyrand is very real. A very important person in French politics, Talleyrand, was known for using fine dining as a diplomatic tool. Carême’s delicious meals were a big part of these efforts.
Benjamin Voisin, who plays Carême, said that he didn’t know much about the historical figure before he started playing the part. As he got to know Carême, he learned about all the different parts of his life, like how he struggled with who he was, his hopes for greatness, and how he negotiated a political world where food was a secret weapon.
It’s interesting that the production team, which included Pierre-Jean Larroque as costume designer— chose to make Carême more modern. They looked to music stars like Lenny Kravitz and Mick Jagger for ideas on how to capture the young chef’s rebellious and alluring spirit. This is why Carême’s clothes in the show might look a little too daring for the time of Napoleon. This idea was supported by director Martin Bourboulon—who told Variety that he wanted the show to feel ‘sexy’ and ‘dirty’ instead of the overly clean version of history that you usually see in period dramas.
Beyond the visual style, CARÊME also focuses on the personal journey of its lead character. It’s not just about mastering recipes — it’s about ambition, love, politics, and identity. Carême, played with intensity by Voisin, finds himself entangled with Henriette (played by Lyna Khoudri), faces off against the shrewd Talleyrand (Jérémie Renier), and even becomes romantically involved with Joséphine Bonaparte, although the latter is a creative embellishment.
One of the show’s more intriguing aspects is how it presents food itself — not just as sustenance, but as a sensual, political, and emotional force. Director Bourboulon admitted that shooting the elaborate food scenes was a new challenge for him, using intimate close-ups to highlight the textures, colors, and beauty of the dishes. This focus on food as a key narrative element echoes historical truths. During the 19th century, France’s reputation for fine dining grew significantly, and chefs like Carême were at the heart of that cultural revolution.
CARÊME also touches on a fascinating reality: that cuisine was deeply tied to power during the Napoleonic era. Napoleon understood that a good meal could soften a rival and turn the tide of negotiations. Talleyrand famously used opulent feasts as diplomatic tools, and Carême’s creations helped seal political alliances behind the scenes.
Still, while CARÊME captures the spirit and major events of Carême’s life, it does take creative liberties. Some characters are composites, and certain dramatic moments are heightened for storytelling purposes. The show’s priority is to immerse the viewer in Carême’s world — his passions, struggles, and triumphs — rather than stick rigidly to the historical record.
In the end, CARÊME stands as a vivid reimagining of a real historical figure. It shines a light on a man whose impact on gastronomy and diplomacy has been surprisingly overlooked by mainstream history. Thanks to Apple TV+, Marie-Antoine Carême steps out of the shadows and into a vibrant spotlight, inviting a new generation to discover the extraordinary journey of a boy who dared to dream beyond his station — and changed the culinary world forever.
Visit tvacute.com again soon for more CARÊME news, previews, and recaps you won’t want to miss!
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