| Genre: | Reality competition |
| Director: | Brian Smith |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 3 |
| Num Episodes: | 23 |
| Runtime: | 42-43 minutes 84-86 minutes [1] |
| Company: | Kinetic Content |
| Channel: | ABC |
The Taste is an American cooking-themed reality competition series on ABC.[2] It aired from January 22, 2013, through January 22, 2015.[3] On May 7, 2015, ABC canceled The Taste after three seasons.[4]
The Taste season begins with blind auditions of both professional and amateur cooks during which four judges, who double as mentors, taste one spoonful of food from each contestant without knowing who cooked it or what all the ingredients were.[3] [5] [6] [7] Each judge decides whether or not they would like the contestant on his or her team by pressing a button (green for yes or red for no); the buttons are hidden from the other judges (although some decisions are revealed to the home audience).[8] [9] The four then meet the contestant and press a button to reveal their votes. If exactly one judge votes yes, that contestant automatically joins that judge's four-member team.[5] [6] If more than one judge votes yes, the contestant chooses among them.[6]
Once the 16 contestants are chosen, each episode consists of team and individual challenges on a weekly theme.[10]
In the team challenge, the contestants work for one hour with coaching from their mentors. Each mentor selects one dish to represent his or her team, which is tasted by a guest judge. The team with the best taste is rewarded with a private session with the guest judge, while the mentor of team who places last in the challenge must eliminate one of their contestants.
In the individual challenge, the contestants work without assistance for one hour. Each episode ends with the mentors tasting all the competitors' dishes without knowing what it is, how it was prepared, who created it, or whom they will be eliminating,[10] awarding a gold star to the dish they liked the most and a red star to the dish they liked the least. The contestant or contestants with the worst bite of food is eliminated from the competition in the first two seasons.[11] [12]
Starting in the third season, the two contestants who receive the highest number of red stars in the individual challenge compete in a 40 minute, sudden-death taste-off. The mentors are not allowed to touch the contestants' food in this challenge. The competitor who has the best bite of food in the taste-off advances to the next stage of the competition, while the other competitor is eliminated.
Other aspects of the team and individual challenges vary by season. See season breakdowns for details.
The judges/mentors are Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Ludo Arogánsgeci, and Marcus Samuelsson.[2] [3] Brian Malarkey served on the panel for the first season. Bourdain and Lawson also serve as executive producers.[2] [3]
Michelin Guide chef David Kinch was a guest judge on episode 4 of season one, titled "Daring Pairings".[13] [14] Chef José Andrés was a guest judge on the season one finale, "The Taste Finale: Triple Threat".[15] [16]
| Season | Episodes | Season premiere | Season finale | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | ||||
| 2 | 8 | ||||
| 3 | 7 | ||||
In the team challenge, the creator of the best dish receives immunity from elimination for that episode.
In the individual challenge, the creators of the worst two (sometimes three) dishes are eliminated from the competition.
Cooks are organized into four "Kitchen" groups, each with a mentor.
| Mentors | Cooks[17] [18] [19] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Bourdain | Ninamarie Bojekian 28, Caterer Franklin Lakes, NJ | Diane DiMeo 45, Chef Consultant Astoria, NY | Uno Immanivong 35, Mortgage Consultant Dallas, TX | Mia Morgenstern 26, Yoga Instructor San Francisco, CA | |
| Nigella Lawson | Renatta Lindsey 32, Program Monitor Houston, TX | Huda Mu'min 31, Caterer Washington, DC | Lauren Scott 23, Administrative Assistant Laurel, MS | Erika Monroe Williams 42, Broadcaster Paradise Valley, AZ | |
| Ludo Lefebvre | Paul Caravelli 31, Executive Chef Libertyville, IL | Shawn Davis 43, Executive Chef Los Angeles, CA | Gregg Drusinsky 31, Culinary Instructor New York, NY | Sarah Schiear 27, Food Blogger Fort Lauderdale, FL | |
| Brian Malarkey | Micah Kasman 31, Design Director San Francisco, CA | Jeff Mahin 28, Executive Chef Marina Del Rey, CA | Adam Pechal 36, Executive Chef Sacramento, CA | Khristianne Uy 30, Private Chef West Hollywood, CA | |
| Cooks | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Episode | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Taste Winner | Lauren | Gregg | Gregg | Gregg | Sarah | Diane Khristianne Sarah | |||
| M | Khristianne | HIGH | HIGH | IN | HIGH | HIGH | WINNER | The Taste Finale: Triple Threat | |
| A | Diane | HIGH | IN | LOW | IN | LOW | RUNNER-UP | The Taste Finale: Triple Threat | |
| L | Sarah | HIGH | LOW | IN | IN | IN | RUNNER-UP | The Taste Finale: Triple Threat | |
| L | Gregg | IN | IN | LOW | LOW | IN | OUT | The Taste Finale: Triple Threat | |
| M | Jeff | IN | IN | HIGH | HIGH | OUT | Seduction | ||
| N | Lauren | LOW | IN | HIGH | LOW | OUT | Seduction | ||
| L | Paul | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | Seduction | ||
| A | Uno | IN | IN | IN | OUT | Nose to Tail | |||
| A | Ninamarie | IN | HIGH | HIGH | OUT | Nose to Tail | |||
| M | Adam | IN | IN | IN | OUT | Nose to Tail | |||
| A | Mia | IN | IN | OUT | The Art of the Sandwich | ||||
| N | Huda | IN | LOW | OUT | The Art of the Sandwich | ||||
| L | Shawn | LOW | OUT | Daring Pairings | |||||
| N | Erika | IN | OUT | Daring Pairings | |||||
| N | Renatta | OUT | Comfort Food | ||||||
| M | Micah | OUT | Comfort Food | ||||||
The cook won The Taste.
The cook was one of the favorites.
The cook was one of the least favorites, but was not eliminated.
The cook was eliminated.
In the team challenge, the mentor of the team which created the worst dish must eliminate a member of his team.
In the individual challenge, the contestant who created the worst dish is eliminated.
Cooks are organized into four "Kitchen" groups, each with a mentor.
| Mentors | Cooks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Bourdain | Brad Martin 44, Executive Chef Moreno Valley, CA Episode 6 (Team) | Shellie Kitchen 41, Food Truck Owner San Francisco, CA Episode 6 (Individual) | Lee Knoeppel 27, Waiter Brooklyn, NY Finale | Dana Micek 39, Private Chef Chicago, IL Episode 5 (Individual) | |
| Nigella Lawson | Reina Bazzi 53, Translator Miami, FL Episode 2 (Team) | Crystal Powell 51, Real Estate Agent Chicago, IL Episode 4 (Team) | Jay Qualls 45, Wedding Cake Designer Murfreesboro, TN Episode 2 (Individual) | Jacquelyn Sowards 36, Private Chef/Caterer Sherman Oaks, CA Episode 5 (Withdrew/Team) | |
| Ludo Lefebvre | Jeff Kawakami 32, Caterer Hollywood, CA Finale (Team) | Cassandra Bodzak 26, Happy Healthy Living Guru New York, NY Episode 4 (Individual) | Louise Leonard 39, Food Stylist Los Angeles, CA (Winner) | Marina Chung 53, Homemaker Duarte, CA Finale | |
| Marcus Samuelsson | Don Pullum 56, Wine Maker Mason, TX Episode 3 (Individual) | Sarah Master 35, Executive Chef Minneapolis, MN Episode 7 (Individual) | Audrey Johns 33, Food Blogger Atascadero, CA Episode 3 (Team) | Shehu Fitzgerald 39, Chef Staten Island, NY Episode 7 (Team) | |
| Cooks | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Episode | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Taste Winner | Jeff | Jeff | Shellie | Louise | Sarah | Marina | Marina | |||
| L | Louise | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | WINNER | The Finale | |
| L | Marina | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | RUNNER-UP | The Finale | |
| A | Lee | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | The Finale | |
| L | Jeff | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | The Finale (Team) | |
| M | Sarah | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | Good With Beer (Individual) | ||
| M | Shehu | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | Good With Beer (Team) | ||
| A | Shellie | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | The Sweetest Thing (Individual) | |||
| A | Brad | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | The Sweetest Thing (Team) | |||
| A | Dana | IN | IN | IN | OUT | Go Green (Individual) | ||||
| N | Jacquelyn | IN | IN | IN | QUIT | Go Green (Team) | ||||
| L | Cassandra | IN | IN | OUT | Street Food (Individual) | |||||
| N | Crystal | IN | IN | OUT | Street Food (Team) | |||||
| M | Don | IN | OUT | Guilty Pleasures (Individual) | ||||||
| M | Audrey | IN | OUT | Guilty Pleasures (Team) | ||||||
| N | Jay | OUT | My Life on a Plate (Individual) | |||||||
| N | Reina | OUT | My Life on a Plate (Team) | |||||||
The cook won The Taste.
The cook quit the competition.
The cook was eliminated in the individual challenge.
The cook was eliminated in the team challenge.
The cook received the indicated number of gold stars.
The cook received the indicated number of red stars.
Season 3 of The Taste premiered on December 4, 2014 with Ludo, Nigella, Marcus, and Anthony as the judges.[20] The first episode received 3.33 million viewers.[21]
| Mentors | Cooks[22] [23] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony Bourdain | Tarik Abdullah 41, DJ/Pop-Up Chef Seattle, WA Eliminated in Episode 6 | Eric LeBlanc 28, Chef Boston, MA | Vanessa Lauren 29, Private Chef Los Angeles, CA Eliminated in Episode 6 | Tom Ramsey 49, Restaurant Owner Jackson, MS Eliminated in Episode 5 | |
| Nigella Lawson | Renee Maynard 33, Stay-at-Home Mom Seattle, WA Eliminated in Episode 1 | Lindsey Becker 28, Private Chef New York, NY Eliminated in Episode 2 | P.K. Newby 44, Nutrition Scientist Boston, MA Eliminated in Episode 4 | Mia Chiarella 26, Executive Chef Wildwood, NJ Eliminated in Episode 3 | |
| Ludo Lefebvre | Dan Brelsford 22, Firefighter Bridgeport, CT Eliminated in Episode 5 | Jen Royle 39, Sports Reporter Boston, MA | Natasha Bernardez 35, Chef/Caterer New York, NY Eliminated in Episode 4 | Benjamin Burke 27, Sous Chef Denver, CO | |
| Marcus Samuelsson | Gabe Kennedy 23, Private Chef Brooklyn, NY | Joe Arvin 43, Corporate Chef Schererville, IN Eliminated in Episode 3 | Jake Gilber 20, Sous Chef Austin, TX Eliminated in Episode 2 | Tristen Epps 26, Hotel Chef Houston, TX | |
Renee Maynard was a contestant on season 18 of The Bachelor, and Joe Arvin was a contestant on season 14 of Big Brother.[22]
| Cooks | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 (Top 4) | 7 (Top 3) | Episode | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Taste Winner | Tristen | Gabe | Dan | Eric | Gabe | Tristen | Gabe | ||||
| M | Gabe | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | WINNER | ||
| L | Benjamin | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | RUNNER-UP | |||
| M | Tristen | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | ||
| A | Eric | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | Surf and Turf (Individual) | ||||
| L | Jen | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | Saints and Sinners (Team) | ||||
| A | Vanessa | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | Bring the Heat (Individual) | |||
| A | Tarik | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | Bring The Heat (Team) | ||||
| A | Tom | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | Latin (Individual) | ||||
| L | Dan | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | Latin (Team) | ||||
| L | Natasha | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | Happy New Year (Individual) | |||||
| N | P.K. | SAFE | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | Happy New Year (Team) | |||||
| M | Joe | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | Happy Holidays (Individual) | ||||||
| N | Mia | SAFE | SAFE | OUT | Happy Holidays (Team) | ||||||
| M | Jake | SAFE | OUT | Under the Sea (Individual) | |||||||
| N | Lindsey | SAFE | OUT | Under the Sea (Team) | |||||||
| N | Renee | OUT | Childhood (Team) | ||||||||
The contestant won the taste-off and was saved from elimination.
The contestant lost the taste-off and was eliminated.
The contestant was eliminated in the team challenge.
The international rights are distributed by Red Arrow International.
| Countries/regions | Title | Host | Network | Top prize | Mentors | Premiere | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Taste[24] | ? | OSN Yahala HD Al-Nahar TV | ? | Alaa Sharbini Aniseh Helou Betni Kaadi Mona Mousily | December 26, 2014 | ||
| The Taste Brasil[25] | none | GNT | R$100,000 | Claude Troisgros (1-) Felipe Bronze (1-) André Mifano (1-5) Helena Rizzo (3-5) Manu Buffara (6-) Manu Ferraz (6-) | 2014 | ||
 China | 味觉大战 | ? | CCTV-2 | ? | Sun Zhaoguo Bowie Tsang Craig Auyeung | November 2013 | |
 Colombia | La Prueba | Guillermo Vives | Caracol Televisión | CO$300,000,000 | Catalina Vélez Leonor Espinosa Juan Manuel Barrientos | November 26, 2014 | |
 Germany | The Taste[26] | Christine Henning (1–7) Angelina Kirsch (8–) | Sat.1 | €100,000 | Frank Rosin (1–) Alexander Herrmann (1–) Léa Linster (1–2) Tim Mälzer (1–3) Cornelia Polletto (3–6) Roland Trettl (4–6) Maria Gross (7) Tim Raue (7–) Alexander Kumptner (8–) | November 13, 2013 | |
| The Taste: Celebrity Special | Christine Henning | ? | Frank Rosin Alexander Herrmann Cornelia Polletto Roland Trettl | September 10, 2017 | |||
| The Taste: Christmas Special | ? | December 12, 2018 | |||||
| Skonis[27] | Andrius Butkus | LNK | 10,000 Lt | Liutauras Čeprackas Romas Zakarevičius Agnė Jagelavičiūtė Kristina Brazauskienė | October 13, 2013 | ||
 Netherlands Belgium (Flanders) | The Taste[28] | ? | RTL4 VTM | ? | Robert Kranenborg Wout Bru Herman den Blijker Gert de Mangeleer | October 29, 2013 | |
 United Kingdom | The Taste[29] | none | Channel 4 | ? | Anthony Bourdain Nigella Lawson Ludo Lefebvre | January 7, 2014 |
Other versions of this program has been aired in Canada (CTV Television Network), Australia (Nine Network) and Indonesia (IBC).