A lack of culinary training didn’t stop food and theater writer Ryan McPhee from passing the first 11 of his 15 culinary taste tests, and he’s back to finish the job. He’s immediately caught in a sticky situation and hopes culinary expert Nilou Motamed can help him identify a mysterious Southern syrup. Then Navy vet and recipe tester Renae Wilson learns that there are no simple questions in this competition, and Kanchan Koya, the “Spice Mama,” steps up to the tasting table to impresses host Kal Penn with her food knowledge and her Harvard doctorate in molecular science. But Kanchan’s degree can only take her so far as she gets stumped early on and considers using her Flavor Favors, tapping Nilou and Chef Esther Choi to keep her in the game.
Talented chefs, restaurant critics, cookbook authors and amateur home cooks are vying to win $50,000 in the ultimate test of their taste buds. Competitors showcase their impressive palates in a series of increasingly complex tasting challenges that push their senses and culinary knowledge to the limits.
