If you want to see the American future, visit Greater Houston, the nation’s most diverse major metropolitan area and home to the South’s biggest city. Since the 1982 collapse of the oil boom, the city’s sprawling and overbuilt subdivisions have attracted newcomers, and their food traditions, from around the world.
Reporter Barry Yeoman spent time with one of those families—and particularly with John Marthand, an immigrant from Hyderabad, India, and his 14-year-old, U.S.-born son, Joshua. The Marthand men bond in the kitchen, often while cooking biryani, a rice dish with origins as international as John’s adopted home.
Learn more:
Houston Public Media interviews on the city’s Indian-American population
Los Angeles Times report on Houston’s diversity
Eater guide to Houston’s Mahatma Gandhi district
Research on the medicinal qualities of saffron and turmeric
Special thanks:
John Biewen – production
Richard Ziglar – narration recording
Leah Binkovitz – tape sync
Music for this episode is by Lee Rosevere, Blue Dot Sessions, and James Beaudreau