Ugly Delicious

This series is more than just another food show; it's a show about what food can mean to people beyond mere sustenance. Hosts David Chang and Peter Meehan dive into the cultural background of many of the foods they cover, how different cultures can influence each other's cuisine, and how each culture's food reflects that culture's place in America. In that way, Ugly Delicious sneakily uses food culture to explore the idea of America as a melting pot -- which is always an important discussion, but feels even more vital and urgent now.

To get as many different perspectives as possible, the show uses a collage format. Chang is the face of the show, but Meehan takes over as host frequently; actors like Aziz Ansari and Gillian Jacobs stop by; and food luminaries like Mark Bittman and Wolfgang Puck make appearances. The show travels from Copenhagen to Mexico to see Chef Rosio Sanchez open a taco restaurant, it drops in on Chang and Meehan making Thanksgiving dinner with Chang's mother, and it fosters a rivalry between New Orleans and Houston over crawfish. With animated interstices and comedy sketches and montages, it sometimes feels like Ugly Delicious is constantly throwing different approaches against the wall to see what sticks. But even if your mileage may vary with each particular segment, the show's ambition is undeniable, and the premise feels incredibly relevant in that it's a uniquely American show that also reaches across cultural barriers.