Proof

By America's Test Kitchen

What's Proof about?

A disappearing food franchise. The story behind how a Vietnamese spring roll ended up on the menu of Senegalese restaurants. We take America's Test Kitchen's inquisitive and relentless approach to telling unexpected, funny, and thought-provoking narratives about food and drink. This is not a recipe show. And this is not a show about celebrity chefs or what they like to eat. Proof plunges into history, culture, science, and the psyche to uncover the hidden backstories that feed your food-obsessed brain. Hosted by Kevin Pang. A production of America's Test Kitchen.

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LAST EPISODE

What Is Fusion Food?

06.01.2023

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 ...

Proof episodes:

06.01.2023 What Is Fusion Food? 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 ...
05.25.2023 Revolution at the Cookie Factory In 2017, an iconic brand of Argentina's de facto national dessert, the alfajor, was on the brink of disappearing. Reporter Facundo Iglesia follows the workers who make El Grandote as they fight to keep the "alfajor of the people" alive.
05.18.2023 What’s On the Menu in 1906? What did dining out look like in 1906? In his search through the New York Public Library’s “What’s on the Menu” database, reporter Doug Mack encounters items like flaming omelettes, vichy with buttermilk, and calf brains on toast. While the ...
05.11.2023 The Road to Good Sake 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 ...
05.04.2023 The Apple Pie that Made Me 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.
04.27.2023 Taiwan’s Unlikely Beef Noodle Soup 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 ...
04.20.2023 Navigating Blindness in the Supermarket 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 ...
04.13.2023 A New Dad's Guide to Ramadan How do you navigate fasting and nourishment as a sleep-deprived parent during the month of Ramadan? James Beard Award–winning writer and new dad Ahmed Ali Akbar reports.
03.23.2023 Season 13 Starts April 13! How do you navigate the grocery shop while blind? Did an apple pie really seal the fate of one man’s existence? What's it like to work at a sake brewery? Find out on Season 13 of Proof from America's Test ...
02.02.2023 Going Deep on Italian Beef on City Cast Chicago Kevin chats with City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran about the making of our episode on Italian Beef.
01.12.2023 The World’s Greatest Italian Beef Inspired by the TV show The Bear, host Kevin Pang attempts to engineer the World’s Greatest Italian Beef sandwich.
12.15.2022 The Amazing Adventures of Poppop’s Bread In Proof's holiday episode: An adventure-filled story about family, war, escape, and a very special bread called vanocka.
12.08.2022 The Proof Intervention of Brian Franklin America's Test Kitchen PR Director Brian Franklin's job? Spread the good word about the delicious food the company creates. There's just one problem: Brian has the palate of a 5-year-old (his words!). On this episode, the producers of Proof stage ...
12.01.2022 Food Accidents A breakfast cereal created by religious leaders. Chicken wings, infidelity, and revenge. In this episode, two foods we know and love born from accidents.
11.17.2022 When Old-Fashioned Candy Was New In this episode, travel writer Doug Mack takes us on a trip into the colorful world of old-timey candies.
11.10.2022 Should I Cook For My Dog? Not satisfied with standard dog food, reporter Varud Gupta wants to know: Should I cook for my dog Luna? He talks to eccentric dog parents, dog chefs, vets, and pet influencers to navigate the dizzying world and history of pet ...
10.27.2022 Season 12 Starts November 10! On the new season of Proof: Meet eccentric dog owners and pet personalities as we investigate whether or not we should cook for our dogs. We search for connection down a rabbit hole of old-fashioned candies. We reveal how an ...
10.13.2022 Best of Proof: Cheater Cheater Chili Eater This week, we bring you a story of a major scandal in 2003 at a Texas chili cook-off where a newcomer won first place.
10.06.2022 Best of Proof: Oyster Mushroom Revolution This week, we tell the story of an unsuspecting fungi and its critical role in Rwanda's growing economy.
09.29.2022 Best of Proof: The Plan to Kill the Chinese Restaurant This week, we bring back a crowd favorite that dives into the story of an organized effort to wipe out Chinese eateries and how these restaurants survived in spite of it.
09.22.2022 Best of Proof: Celery This week, we're spotlighting Proof's very first episode, which takes a deep dive into the former “it” vegetable of the Victorian era: Celery.
09.15.2022 Proof's Guide to Hangovers What's actually going on in our bodies when we experience a hangover? In this last episode of the season, host Kevin Pang takes you through a Bill Nye The Science Guy-esque journey.
09.08.2022 These Are a Few of Our Favorite Meals Bigma's Blackberry Pie. A warming bowl of chicken pho. Diner coffee, and a nostalgic meal at a Chinese restaurant in Japan. On this episode of Proof, the staff bring you stories of their ultimate favorite foods and meals.
09.01.2022 The Food Court is Now in Session Cake cones vs. waffle cones. New York vs. San Francisco for bagels. Why do we have fights about food? Reporter Eliza Rothstein talks to the judges, plaintiffs, and experts that settled some of these food fight scores at the Court ...
08.25.2022 15 Dapper Acres Author M Shelly Conner explores what it means to be a dapperqueer homesteader, as she recounts her move from the city life in Chicago, Illinois to Conway, Arkansas.
08.18.2022 Chicago's Original Fried Chicken Host Kevin Pang takes a trip to the Southside of Chicago to tell the story of Chicago's most famous culinary exports--and it's not about deep-dish pizza or hot dogs.
08.11.2022 Dungeons and Dragons and Deviled Eggs From the Legend of Zelda to Dungeons and Dragons, reporter Sarah Vitak talks to the fan cookbook authors who are transforming pixelated foods into irl dishes you can serve on your plate.
08.04.2022 The Vanishing Ants Leafcutter ants have been a traditional Colombian food for millennia, but they're now vanishing. Reporter Camilo Garzón reports on the future of this ancient food source.
07.28.2022 Strawberry Fields, Forever? Japanese Americans are integral to the California Strawberry origin story. Through three generations of Japanese strawberry farmers, reporter Hannah Kirshner brings us a story of ingenuity and resilience.
07.14.2022 Season 11 Starts on July 28th! Why is a key ingredient behind a beloved Colombian snack disappearing? What's mild sauce got to do with one of Chicago's most famous culinary exports? And why does a Dungeons and Dragons recipe book have almost as many positive reviews ...
06.23.2022 [Bonus] Best of Proof Harklist Let your ears wander on this bonus episode where we bring you some of the best moments from Proof, brought to you by our friends at Hark Audio. Hark editors curate compelling podcast moments and transform them into one-of-a-kind playlists--kind ...
06.16.2022 [Bonus] New Orleans: Anybody’s Gumbo from the Not Lost podcast Here’s a special preview of Not Lost, a new podcast about finding yourself in places you’ve never been from our friends at Pushkin Industries.
06.09.2022 Your Trash? My Treasure For the season finale, we bring you three short stories on the theme: One person's trash is another person's treasure. Proof will be back for Season 11 late July, and in the meantime, we'll post other exciting content in our ...
06.02.2022 The Seeds Worth Saving Reporter Jean Trinh chronicles the lives of three farmers who have made it their mission to plant seeds that sow a sense of home, cultural preservation, and belonging.
05.26.2022 They Know What You'll Eat Next Summer Reporter John Ringer goes behind the scenes at The Kerry Group, a food factory and lab, and traces the history of this group's humble roots as an Irish dairy cooperative to a worldwide ingredients company.
05.19.2022 How to Water a Food Desert Black Americans have deep historical connections and ownership over vegan and plant-based cuisines. In this episode of Proof, writer Gabrielle Lawrence-Cormier reconnects with their family's pre-Great Migration gardening traditions and reclaims their plant-based culinary roots.
05.12.2022 The Pho Must Go On What happens when we need to amend family recipes that have been past down for generations? Is something lost when we make substitutions, or can we iterate and build upon that which is sacred? Reporter Anh Gray dives in.
05.05.2022 You're Invited: A Wine Tasting in Ancient Japan Before there was sake, there might have been wine in ancient Japan. Reporter Hannah Kirshner investigates.
04.28.2022 The Stew that Stirred Things Up Chicken mull is a comfort dish that's a staple of Bear Grass, North Carolina's close-knit community identity. What happens when this humble dish almost tears the community apart? Reporter Allison Salerno reports.
04.21.2022 Get Rich or Die Cracking Black walnuts are probably nature's toughest nut to crack. But one man--television producer and newbie farmer Mike Trinklein--is determined to prove that it's a crop worth farming for.
04.07.2022 Season 10 Starts on April 21st! A lucrative nut scheme. Ancient wine made in Japan. And a team of distillers who make vodka out of...sheet cake?! Proof from America's Test Kitchen returns Thursday, April 21st!
01.06.2022 The Somali Farmer Rises What does it mean to set up a farm--for and by a minority community--in a predominantly white region? Reporter Ashia Aubourg digs in.
12.16.2021 Dumplings in Iowa What does it look like when you uproot yourself from a familiar culinary place to an unknown city? The Moth performer and writer Aaron Pang reports.
12.09.2021 My Father, The YouTube Star This week's episode is a story about family, what happens when immigrants move to a new country, and how Proof host Kevin Pang's father became an unlikely YouTube star.
12.02.2021 So What Do You Feed the Dead? Around the world and throughout history, we’ve celebrated the departed with rituals that involve food. But Zoroastrian priest Marziban Hathiram takes that practice into a whole new level. Author Varud Gupta reports.
11.18.2021 Should I get my Lobster High? Would hotboxing a lobster make it feel less pain before it’s cooked to eat? Science reporter Sarah Vitak considers the lobster and digs deep.
11.11.2021 Will Jewish Delis Survive? Jewish delis are a staple of many American cities and neighborhoods. But even before the COVID-19, Jewish delis were already on the decline. Will they survive? Reporter Rebecca Rosman investigates.
10.28.2021 Season 9 Starts November 11! Jewish delis. Lobsters on cannabis. How host Kevin Pang's dad became an unlikely YouTube cooking star. All of that on Season 9 of Proof from America's Test Kitchen.
10.21.2021 [Bonus] Mystery Recipe Season Four Today we have a special episode from our friends over at Mystery Recipe, a podcast from America's Test Kitchen Kids for young chefs ages 4-10. This episode features Proof host Kevin Pang! If you like Mystery Recipe, you can find ...
09.16.2021 One Man's Fight for Old Bay Seasoning Old Bay Seasoning is sprinkled on seafood, fries, and even used in ice cream. But despite its renowned fame and recognition, very few people actually know the man behind this iconic seasoning and his battle with the spice industry. Reporter ...

Older episodes

Proof

What's Proof about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Proof episodes:

What Is Fusion Food?

Revolution at the Cookie Factory

What’s On the Menu in 1906?

The Road to Good Sake

The Apple Pie that Made Me

Taiwan’s Unlikely Beef Noodle Soup

Navigating Blindness in the Supermarket

A New Dad's Guide to Ramadan

Season 13 Starts April 13!

Going Deep on Italian Beef on City Cast Chicago

The World’s Greatest Italian Beef

The Amazing Adventures of Poppop’s Bread

The Proof Intervention of Brian Franklin

Food Accidents

When Old-Fashioned Candy Was New

Should I Cook For My Dog?

Season 12 Starts November 10!

Best of Proof: Cheater Cheater Chili Eater

Best of Proof: Oyster Mushroom Revolution

Best of Proof: The Plan to Kill the Chinese Restaurant

Best of Proof: Celery

Proof's Guide to Hangovers

These Are a Few of Our Favorite Meals

The Food Court is Now in Session

15 Dapper Acres

Chicago's Original Fried Chicken

Dungeons and Dragons and Deviled Eggs

The Vanishing Ants

Strawberry Fields, Forever?

Season 11 Starts on July 28th!

[Bonus] Best of Proof Harklist

[Bonus] New Orleans: Anybody’s Gumbo from the Not Lost podcast

Your Trash? My Treasure

The Seeds Worth Saving

They Know What You'll Eat Next Summer

How to Water a Food Desert

The Pho Must Go On

You're Invited: A Wine Tasting in Ancient Japan

The Stew that Stirred Things Up

Get Rich or Die Cracking

Season 10 Starts on April 21st!

The Somali Farmer Rises

Dumplings in Iowa

My Father, The YouTube Star

So What Do You Feed the Dead?

Should I get my Lobster High?

Will Jewish Delis Survive?

Season 9 Starts November 11!

[Bonus] Mystery Recipe Season Four

One Man's Fight for Old Bay Seasoning

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