Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi: Holiday Edition’ On Hulu, A Festive Spin On The Mouthwatering Food Series

Within the first season of Hulu’s Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, the host loved every part from burritos and pad thai to poke and kebobs. Lakshmi’s easygoing display presence and apparent love of meals have made her the right host for the journey and meals present, which seeks to shine a light-weight on the varied cuisines discovered all through America. It’s now again for a particular seasonal iteration with Style the Nation: Vacation Version.

Opening Shot: Candles are lit on a menorah as prayers are sung.

The Gist: Padma Lakshmi desires to discover who we’re by way of the meals we eat. What precisely is American meals? How did we get to the place we’re at this time? Within the first installment of Style the Nation: Vacation Version, “Comfortable Challah Days”, Lakshmi explores the historical past of Hanukkah and Jewish American delicacies. We hear from a number of Jewish New Yorkers who say they need folks didn’t assume Hanukkah was the Jewish Christmas and that Judaism feels extra cultural than non secular. Lakshmi’s first cease in New York is Russ & Daughters, the well-known appetizing retailer maybe finest recognized for his or her smoked fish and bagels. Lakshmi helps make latkes with the homeowners and learns concerning the historical past of the shop and of this type of meals.

The subsequent cease on her tour is The Pickle Guys, the place Lakshmi tries quite a lot of scrumptious pickled items and hears about why pickling was so vital to Jewish immigrants. Lakshmi additionally visits a historic Jewish household condo, cooks with the minds behind The Gefilteria, a meals enterprise with a aim of sharing Ashkenazi delicacies, and Holocaust survivor Ruth Zimbler, who shares her wealthy life story (and love of Russ & Daughters). We end issues on the house of Deb Perelman (creator of the beloved weblog Smitten Kitchen) and her household, the place Lakshmi and her daughter are invited to have fun Hanukkah (and make a ravishing brisket).

What Exhibits Will It Remind You Of? Style the Nation may recall to mind sequence like No Reservations, Ugly Delicious, Chef’s Table, and Somebody Feed Phil.

Our Take: From Style the Nation: Vacation Version‘s opening moments, it’s apparent that is going to be a pleasant half-hour of tv, your favourite consolation meal in TV kind. Lakshmi is very easy to look at and hearken to, an ideal host for introducing us to numerous cuisines and people. The primary installment of this four-part sequence, “Comfortable Challah Days”, takes us on a charming tour of New York, participating the senses (and taking maintain of our hearts) with every new cease. The opposite episodes within the sequence discover the tales of the Wampanoag nation and the Thanksgiving narrative, Nochebuena and Cuban traditions, and Lunar New 12 months in Koreatown, Los Angeles. It’s a refreshing choice of holidays to hone in on, a welcome shake up from the drained tales about Christmas and Thanksgiving we’re used to seeing on food-based sequence.

What works finest about Style the Nation: Vacation Version is the sequence’ dedication to showcasing completely different takes on a single delicacies, and the acknowledgement that there are numerous sides to a bunch of individuals; we see Hanukkah celebrated with latkes and brisket tacos, stuffed cabbage cooked in conventional Ashkenazi trend. Good docuseries go away you eager to be taught extra, and that’s precisely how I felt by the point “Comfortable Challah Days” had come to an finish; I wished to search for recipes, perceive traditions, and be taught extra historical past. Lakshmi appears to have a deeply curious spirit, and it interprets so splendidly on display. Tasting the nation – and the nation’s holidays – along with her assistance is a very delectable solution to spend an hour or two.

Intercourse and Pores and skin: None.

Parting Shot: The now-completely lit menorah glows from the window.

Sleeper Star: This one goes to Ruth Zimbler, the 93-year-old Holocaust survivor with a deep love of Russ & Daughters and the Statue of Liberty. She discusses the harrowing reminiscence of stained glass crunching underneath her ft after her synagogue was burned to the bottom on Kristallnacht, the worry when she was separated from her mother and father for a yr, and the best way her life modified after they arrived in America. The general public Lakshmi visits on this installment have some sort of culinary background or work within the business, however Zimbler is solely herself, generously sharing her unbelievable life story and charming us within the course of.

Most Pilot-y Line: There aren’t actually any pilot-y traces right here, however loads of endearing little nuggets, like “all roads lead again to the Decrease East Aspect” and “Jewish is a vibe”.

Our Name: STREAM IT. Style the Nation: Vacation Version is a soothing, eye-opening, and sometimes mouth-watering exploration of a handful of cultural traditions that remind us of America’s wealthy culinary variety.

Jade Budowski is a contract author with a knack for ruining punchlines, hogging the mic at karaoke, and thirst-tweeting. Observe her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.

Stream Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi: Holiday Edition on Hulu