Francis Lam returns as a judge for 'The Great American Recipe'

Francis Lam has spent the majority of his career in the culinary world.

He has traveled the world, writing about different cultures and cuisine.

Lam returns as a judge for the fourth season of “The Great American Recipe.”

“I just love being part of the show,” Lam says. “The role I get to play is a really fun one. I’ve had the opportunity to judge competitions in the past. This show is very different.”

The season premiere will air at 9 p.m. Friday, July 11, on New Mexico PBS, channel 5.1. A new episode is released each Friday through Aug. 15 at the same time. Episodes will be available to stream on the PBS app.

According to PBS, the series is an upbeat cooking competition that spotlights the incredible variety of tastes and traditions found across the country, as it introduces eight new cooks preparing their most beloved recipes.

Each week, the judges determine who has the winning dish, and the top three compete for a chance to win this year’s competition in the finale.

“What I love about the show is not the fact that at the end of the day we name a winner,” Lam says. “The DNA of the show is that we’re a part of the journey with the cooks. It’s gratifying to help them out. We get every opportunity to know the contestants as they tell us something about their life and how the recipe resonates within their lives.”

Lam comes to the show with decades of experience. He is currently the host of “The Splendid Table” and was a regular judge on Bravo’s hit show, “Top Chef Masters,” for two seasons.

Season four of “The Great American Recipe” was filmed at Green Door Gourmet, a 350-acre farm, on-farm market and agritourism destination in Nashville, Tennessee.

He says being on set was an amazing experience.

“The production runs a pretty tight ship and we show up early in the morning and begin work,” he says. “When it’s time to cook, the chefs are cooking. We do two cooks in a day and the folks really put their heart and soul into it. When we get to the finale, then it gets serious. Remember, with this show, we’re not dealing with professional chefs who are used to cooking for hours. The challenges are real and each chef cranks up the level of ambition.”

Lam says what brought him to the series is the opportunity to share stories.

“What appeals to me as a viewer as well is how it’s really as much about the person behind the food,” he says. “The world feels incredibly hard and it feels like we are pulling farther and farther apart. This is an opportunity to see people coming together. They fall in love with each other even though they are competitors. Everyone is receptive to each story.”

Francis Lam returns as a judge for 'The Great American Recipe'