Why Emeril Lagasse Started Saying 'BAM!'
The Food Network as we know it might not exist today if it wasn't for one magic word: "Bam!" It's the iconic catchphrase of chef, author, and all-around gourmand Emeril Lagasse, who, as the host of "Essence of Emeril" and "Emeril Live," was instrumental in growing the channel from a niche network to a powerhouse with a viewership in the millions. His rise to culinary stardom was astounding, marked by his ascension as the executive chef of Commander's Palace — arguably the most famous restaurant in New Orleans — at only 23 years old. From there, he went on to open his own eponymous restaurant, Emeril's, also located in the city known as "The Big Easy." Lagasse's success gained the attention of culinary icon Julia Child, who in turn gave him his first taste of television with his debut on her PBS program. After that? Well, the cookbooks, the merchandise, the Anthony Bourdain feud — it's all history.
Lagasse's mastery of the kitchen is unquestionable, but it's his big personality that made him a TV natural. His onscreen persona was encapsulated by his exclamations of "Bam!" while hurling seasonings into pans. It's one of the most memorable catchphrases in culinary history, and it had a surprisingly practical origin — one which the chef explained in an episode of Tasting Table's "Shared Tastes" while accompanied by his son and successor.
The 'Bam!' origin story was born out of necessity ... sort of
During their conversation, Emeril and E.J. Lagasse recalled their respective experiences in the restaurant business and the challenges of creating a unique identity in the culinary world. It seemed inevitable that "Bam!" would come into the equation at some point — even though it's an origin story Emeril stated E.J. had heard countless times before.
According to the elder Lagasse, it all began during Emeril's early television days — ones marked, at the time, by a grueling schedule. ("Essence of Emeril," for instance, taped eight half-hour episodes per day.) Unlike "Emeril Live," the show had no audience, just a small production crew. As the hours crawled by and exhaustion wore on, the group would get sleepy, a problem which, Emeril noted, went hand-in-hand with "being a food show and eating all the food." In order to prevent his team from fading and zoning out, Emeril started yelling "Bam!" from time to time, in order to wake up everybody on set.
The catchphrase took on a life of its own once Emeril began taping in front of live audiences. Every iteration of "Bam!" elicited a cheer from the crowd; even the sight of Emeril grabbing a salt shaker could bring applause out of pure anticipation. Compilation videos on YouTube featuring the best of "Bam!" have garnered hundreds of thousands of views. Even E.J. can't escape the word. "I hear that three times a day. [including when I] go to the grocery store," E.J. explained. "I'm like, 'I'm not even the guy.'"
Emeril Lagasse teased E.J. about his own future catchphrase
Though Emeril Lagasse might be a household name, his son E.J. Lagasse is steadily growing his own culinary fan following, thanks to his own culinary training and apprenticeships under the guidance of experts like Le Benardin's Eric Ripert. Even so — and especially as the current chef patron at Emeril's restaurant — comparisons between the two are perhaps all but inevitable, even when it comes to (hypothetical) catchphrases.
Case in point: During their convo, Emeril himself couldn't help but suggest one for E.J. to cook up all his own: "Do you think you're going to have a catchphrase? Maybe like, 'Ka-pow'?"
"I'll leave the catchphrase to you," he chuckled, before lightly (and affectionately) bemoaning about the ubiquity of his father's signature three-letter-word: "It's at the point where if I said, 'Bam,' I'd have to pay you for it." Despite the affectionate quipping and teasing, E.J. then seemingly pivoted to admiration for his father's work and place in pop culture. "I don't think there's any topping that ['Bam!' catchphrase] for me," he told Emeril. "We'll see. I don't plan on it, but yeah, you aced it with that one."