EXCLUSIVE: Actor Rupak Ginn and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sami Khan are back with the second season of Spice Road, the Independent Lens series that explores South Asian cuisine, culture, and community in the U.S.

Episode 1 of the new season premiered this week on PBS Food’s Digital Channels. New episodes will debut on Tuesdays for the next six weeks throughout the summer. The initial season of Spice Road helped launch the revamped PBS Food vertical in 2023 “and reflects a new digital focus for the Independent Television Service (ITVS), one of the series producers,” according to a release.

“In the food and travel series, host Rupak Ginn travels across the United States to find the best Indian restaurants in the nation and uncovers the stories behind the food,” notes a description of the series. “Along the way, he encounters immigrants who have built restaurants as diverse and dynamic as South Asia itself. From street food to fine dining, Rupak samples dishes from across the subcontinent while connecting with chefs and celebrity friends.”

Watch the trailer below.

The new season finds Ginn on the road to the Midwest. Among his destinations: Chicago’s Indienne, “one of only four Indian restaurants in the country to earn a Michelin star thanks to visionary Chef Sujan Sarkar. The show also highlights Kerala cuisine at James Beard semi-finalist Thattu and discovers Bangladeshi-inspired pizza at Amar Pizza in Michigan, “which has been ranked one of the 22 best in the country by The New York Times.”

Among the featured guests this season are YouTube star Bilal Bhatti (aka GoldenGully), Omi Vaidya (The Office), Karan Soni, and Roshan Sethi (A Nice Indian Boy).

“As strong believers in public broadcasting, we’re honored to partner with ITVS and the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) to bring more of Spice Road to viewers,” Ginn and Khan said in a statement. “At a time when being an immigrant is dangerous, we’re inspired by the chefs and entrepreneurs in this series who risked so much for their dreams. We hope their creativity and resilience will inspire others.”

“Spice Road beautifully illustrates the power of food to bridge cultures and foster deep community connections,” observed Royd Chung, SVP of programming and production at ITVS. “By continuing to champion digital-first content on YouTube, ITVS and Independent Lens are meeting modern audiences exactly where they are with stories that resonate.”

Ginn is an actor and writer known for the TV series Royal Pains, and features The High Note and A.I. Khan’s credits include St. Louis Superman, the Academy Award-nominated short he co-directed with Smriti Mundhra; Emmy-winning The Last Out, co-directed with Michael Gassert, and the Netflix series Starting 5 with LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant and other NBA stars. He recently wrapped Made for March for Paramount+ and CBS.

Spice Road is a co-production of MIRAFILMS, ITVS, and the Center for Asian American Media. Executive producers for ITVS are Carrie Lozano, Lois Vossen, and Royd Chung, as well as Stephen Gong and Donald Young for CAAM. For ITVS, Pamela Torno is the senior manager Short Form Content, and Susan Cohen is the supervising producer. The series is produced by Khan, Ginn, and Vicky Lee. Directors include Ginn, Lee, Razi Jafri (Hamtramck, USA), and Jaron Henrie-McRea.

“CAAM is thrilled to support Spice Road Season 2 from Director Sami Khan and host Rupak Ginn, the duo bringing an authentic, refreshing and joyful taste of South Asian cuisine,” said Sapana Sakya, CAAM talent development and special projects director. “The themes of this season, South Asian food from America’s heartland, dovetail with CAAM’s vision to broaden the public’s awareness of Asian American experiences from the Midwest, where South Asians have had a considerable impact on community and culture. Spice Road is a show about food, but more importantly, how that reflects the richness of our nation.”

Watch the season 2 trailer here: