Whether you’re making curry, sipping a turmeric latte, or eating fry bread, Padma Lakshmi wants you to think about the origins and politics of what you consume.
“We should understand the origins of our collective cuisine in this country,” she said, “because if you understand how food evolved in America, you understand how America evolved.”
Lakshmi is the creator, host, and executive producer of Taste the Nation, a Hulu series featuring food made by immigrant, indigenous, and Black communities — and the recent recipient of a James Beard Award. She is also a host and executive producer of Top Chef and a New York Times–best-selling author who has published a memoir, cookbooks, and a children’s book. The former model is also cofounder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America, an Artist Ambassador for immigrants’ rights for the ACLU, and a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme.
Born in India, Lakshmi moved to the United States when she was four, and frequently speaks out about immigrants’ rights.
“I hope that in time of upheaval, and necessary uprising, food can be an example, a positive example of what’s great about immigration and what’s great about inclusivity and diversity and why we need all these different nationalities,” she said. “To be able to offer them a haven and a chance at a better life will give us the ability to renew and refresh our economy and our culture. And we need that.”
