Padma gets to the heart (and stomach) of Puerto Rico's fight for independence by examining a surprisingly controversial topic: does ketchup belong on the beloved Puerto Rican dish pasteles?

On the heels of America's longest war coming to an end, Padma joins the Afghan American community in DC as they welcome new arrivals over feasts that remind them of the Afghanistan they left behind, and what can be built anew.

Appalachia is reinventing itself through its most beloved resource--food. Padma eats her way through the Mountain South, unearthing the inventive recipes, humble ingredients, and complex history--picking up some banjo along the way.

Padma heads to New York's Brighton Beach and the East Village to learn why the debate over who really created borscht symbolizes a larger fight for Ukrainian identity.

Lakshmi visits the San Francisco Bay Area for local Filipino-American food. She visits Cafe 86, Sarap Shop, and Abacá. Leslie Solorzano shared a recipe for "Sinigang"; and Balikbayans singer, Ruby Ibarra's music strengthens the community.