Proof

For the Season 13 closer, we bring you two stories on the theme of fusion food. We look at a JamAsian specialty--Jamaican Pepper Steak--and ask: How did a dish with Chinese roots become a celebrated Jamaican staple? We then head to Vietnam where MasterChef France winner Khanh-Ly Huynh falls hard for the banh mi. (Dionne Reid wrote the story on Jamaican Pepper Steak, and you can find her recipe for it online and in Cook's Illustrated magazine. Reporter Rebecca Rosman reported on Khanh-Ly Huynh's journey and the history of the banh mi.)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2017, an iconic brand of Argentina's de facto national dessert, the alfajor, was on the brink of disappearing. New management threatened to stop production of El Grandote, or 'The Big One,' but the workers at La Nirva factory refused. Reporter Facundo Iglesia follows the workers' journey as they fight to keep El Grandote--the alfajor of the people--alive.The original version of story, Revolución on the Cookie Factory Floor, was reported by Facundo Iglesia and Sofía Kuan for Narratively.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What did dining out look like in 1906? We put the question to reporter Doug Mack, who dug through the New York Public Library’s “What’s on the Menu” database for answers. Mack encounters items like flaming omelettes, vichy with buttermilk, and calf brains on toast on the menu of one New York-based restaurant chain, Bristol's Dining Rooms. While these dishes may appear bizarre to our modern taste buds, Mack discovers that there may be more to it than meets the eye. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fumiaki Matsuura had just started his job as the toji, or brew master of his family's sake brewery in Ishikawa, Japan, when he noticed a strange smell. A lot was riding on his reputation as the new face of the brewery, but this odor was quickly jeopardizing the business. Will Matsuura get to the bottom of this sake mystery? Story reported by Hannah Kirshner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ESPN's Baxter Holmes was always told: If it weren't for his family's apple pie, he wouldn't be here. The adage takes on a whole new meaning in this heartfelt episode about origins, love, and loss. (This episode is an adaptation of a story reported originally at Esquire.com. You can also read Baxter’s James Beard Award-winning piece about the NBA’s obsession with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at ESPN.com.)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beef noodle soup is Taiwan's national dish, but its existence is surprising, given that eating beef was taboo on the island not too long ago. Today, there's an annual beef noodle contest where chefs from around the nation duke it out to see who makes the best bowl. How did this happen? Reporter and cookbook author Clarissa Wei investigates. (Clarissa’s forthcoming cookbook, Made in Taiwan, is scheduled for release on September 19, 2023.)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if you knew you were quickly losing your sight? That’s something reporter Jason Strother has thought a lot about. In this episode, Jason takes a crash course at the Colorado Center for the Blind to navigate what cooking or grocery shopping might be like while blind. (Jason’s reporting was supported by the 11th Hour Food and Farming Journalism Fellowship at UC Berkeley. This episode was previously called "Cooking School for the Blind.")See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The month of Ramadan is here, and James Beard Award–winning writer Ahmed Ali Akbar is a new dad. He wants to pass down his family's traditions to his newborn daughter, but he wonders: How do you navigate fasting and nourishment and as a sleep-deprived parent? Ahmed talks to experts, nutritionists, and other families as they navigate Ramadan together.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On lucky season 13 of Proof, we travel to Argentina where workers are fighting hard to save their national desert: The alfajor. We follow one reporter’s attempt at improving routines and mealtime during the month of Ramadan. We learn how to grocery shop while blind, and we also hear about one man’s quest to find the truth behind a family legend: Was he really born all because of an apple pie? All that, and so much more on Season 13 of Proof from America’s Test Kitchen.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin gives City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran a behind-the-scenes look at the making of our Proof episode on the World’s Greatest Italian Beef. Catch City Cast Chicago every weekday and wherever you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices