Once part of Mexico, El Paso, Texas defines the region's identity and the complexity of America's political landscape. Padma eats her way through this border city while discovering the origins of one of America's most beloved cuisines.
Quintessentially American foods, like hot dogs and hamburgers, actually originate in Germany; in Milwaukee, Padma meets descendants of early German immigrants who hold onto their heritage by celebrating and reclaiming it.
Padma asks family, friends, and those she admires how they hold onto Indian culture and pass it down to the next generation.
The Gullah Geechee people of South Carolina are fighting to preserve the traditions passed down from their ancestors. Padma catches and cracks crab with friends, all working towards reclaiming their heritage.
Chinese food is one of the most popular cuisines in the United States but the flavours have been simplified over time; in San Francisco, Padma explores how Chinese immigrants and Chinese-Americans are broadening people's understanding of this cuisine.
Padma tastes her way through Los Angeles, sampling one of her favourite cuisines, Persian; the community opens up about the misconceptions some Americans have about Iranians.
Padma Lakshmi
Host
Producer
David Shadrack
Sarina Roma