Michelin stars are highly-coveted ratings that anonymously critique fine dining eateries on the "quality of products, mastery of flavor and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef [...] the value for money, and consistency between the inspectors' visits." However, TV host Padma Lakshmi no longer prefers fancy Michelin-starred restaurants.

If she had to choose from a Michelin-starred restaurant or authentic empanadas from a Bronx bodega, Lakshmi says she "would go to the Bodega, nine days out of 10." A "street food aficionado," Lakshmi feels more comfortable around food she grew up eating when she and her mom "[hunted] for sugar cane in Spanish Harlem, or Chinatown for salted plum."

After judging food on “Top Chef,” Lakshmi now, in her Hulu series "Taste the Nation," explores American cuisine and the immigrants that influenced it. The show — which has 14 episodes and plans for a third season — uncovers the "root and relationship between our food, our humanity and our history" while broadening what being American means.