Padma Lakshmi’s new cooking contest is America’s Culinary Cup, a CBS series she created. CBS says 16 elite chefs compete, with Michael Cimarusti and Wylie Dufresne judging their work. The series is listed as streaming on Paramount+; availability can vary by location and change over time.
What is Padma Lakshmi’s new cooking show?
America’s Culinary Cup is a cooking competition created by Padma Lakshmi. CBS describes it as an “ultimate culinary arena” for 16 of the country’s most elite chefs. The network’s official series page lists one season and labels the show “NOW STREAMING.”
How does the competition work?
Chefs, judges, and judging criteria
According to CBS, chefs Michael Cimarusti and Wylie Dufresne evaluate contestants on taste, creativity, presentation, and technique. Their decisions determine who advances and who is eliminated. CBS’s description also says contestants compete to “master” the show’s commandments, but the page does not provide a fuller explanation of those rules.
The advertised prize
The prize is $1 million — CBS, 2026. CBS calls it “the biggest cash prize in culinary history”; that is the network’s promotional description, not an independently verified comparison.
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Where can you watch America’s Culinary Cup?
CBS’s series page links to Paramount+ and currently labels the show “NOW STREAMING.” Check the service’s listing in your territory, since streaming availability can change. CBS lists the first episode as March 4, 2026, and episode 11, “Million-Dollar Menu,” as May 13, 2026.
How is this connected to Top Chef?
A Collider preview listing reproduced by IMDb says Lakshmi left Top Chef after Season 20 in 2023 and describes America’s Culinary Cup as her return to cooking-competition television. The listing does not establish why she left, so no reason should be inferred. The available details also do not support a rules-by-rules comparison between the two shows.
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CBS: America’s Culinary Cup · IMDb listing reproducing Collider’s preview
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