Season 2 of Padma Lakshmi’s ‘Taste the Nation’ Is Coming Soon — Take a First Look

Kenn Bivins
Kenn Bivins
Kenn is a certified foodie, dog dad, and one-half of the epic romantic duo dubbed, “The Kenn’s” <3. In his free time, you can find him obsessing over how pancakes bubble as they cook, geeking out about the Maillard reaction and making focaccia from scratch.
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published Mar 3, 2023
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Padma Lakshmi walking NYC in Taste the Nation
Credit: Courtesy of Hulu

In January 2020, I was determined to audition for Master Chef and even went as far as to cook and host my birthday dinner for friends and family. I was obsessed with cooking shows and would binge entire seasons of Iron Chef, Chopped, and — most notably — Top Chef. The show was exhilarating and redefined the way I look at and approach food. Season after season, new chefs emerged to try their hand at the juggernaut of a culinary competition, and while both the chefs and judges often change, the host — Padma Lakshmi — has remained the same since 2006. 

While season 20 of Top Chef (which is set to premiere Thursday, March 9) has undoubtedly kept the Emmy-nominated producer, 19-season host, and New York Times best-selling author busy, she’s gearing fans up for another tasty delivery: the second installment of Hulu’s Taste the Nation. 

Long advocating for food equity and activism, Lakshmi regularly uses her platform to bring awareness to causes that focus on underserved communities. Taste the Nation, at its core, continues the Top Chef alum’s mission of highlighting the diverse and often underrepresented communities that have helped shape American food as we know it today. 

Credit: Courtesy of Hulu

Following the format of its inaugural offering, season two gets a 10-episode treatment and follows the host to various cities around the country as she asks deep and often loaded questions about our nation’s culinary roots. The show’s overarching goal is not only to upend how we define American food and humanize other cultures through our shared interests, but to draw a common thread from one nation to the next. From eating fufu in Houston — which is home to America’s largest Nigerian population — to trying pasteles with ketchup in Puerto Rico, Lakshmi gets her fair share of food and history.

Whether hosting or partnering with KIND to open a “secret” free farmers market, Lakshmi consistently uplifts and amplifies the voices of those who may not share the same access she has. And for fans of the Taste the Nation series, season two will deliver more of that from the star.

Season two of Taste the Nation won’t be available to stream until May 5, but you can catch up on the first season exclusively on Hulu right now. And if you’re looking for more Padma content, you can catch up on the seasons Bravo’s Top Chef while you await season 20 by streaming on Peacock or Hulu with a live tv add-on.

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