- Hamtramck, Michigan.

It's a two square mile city tucked entirely within the borders of Detroit.

As a former Polish Catholic enclave, and now America's first Muslim majority city, church bells mingle in the air with the Muslim call to prayer.

♪ Allahu... ♪ Bangladeshi Biryani is a firm fixture alongside Detroit-style pizza, so it was only a matter of time before colliding cultures forged a uniquely delicious creation, Bangladeshi fusion pizza, and today, I'll be dining at a spot called Amar Pizza for just that.

Amar Pizza means "my pizza" in Bangla, and its bold declaration of flavors has landed it a place on the New York Times list of 22 best US pizza joints.

I'll also be joined for my meal by an awesome Desi food influencer who my kids, August and Rupali, are totally obsessed with, so you know I had to bring them along too.

This is "Spice Road".

Let's go.

(chill beats) Good?

Good?

Everybody good?

Amar Pizza's owner and operator, Khurshed Ahmed, came from Bangladesh to the U.S.

when he was a small child, and he spent his formative years growing up right here in Hamtramck.

What do you see on this menu that looks different from most of the pizzerias you've been to?

- (Both respond) Aaaa.

- (August) Probably the Naga Pizza.

- [Rupali] The Tandoori Pizza.

- Tandoori Pizza.

How'd you come up with these ideas?

- My mom, whenever she was having a meal, there was a Naga pepper always by her plate, you know?

So I can't really take credit for it, you know?

This is something that I'm standing on the shoulder of giants, you know?

- It's the ancestors?

- Yeah.

- It's the ancestors... - It's the ancestors, but then you took it, and you took this Hamtramck culture, - And I fused it.

- [Rupak] I heard you're gonna teach us about how to make some of these pizzas, is that right?

- Yeah, of course.

We gotta go in the kitchen, right?

- Alright.

Let's do it.

Come on.

Before we jump into pizza-making, here's a tidbit on what makes Bangladeshi cuisine unique.

With the world's largest river delta at its heart, Bangladesh has a strong emphasis on fish with ilish, A.K.A.

hilsa, a type of herring, being the national star.

Dishes, whether they be meat, fish, or poultry base, are all richly spiced, and Khurshed's Dry Fish Pizza is just one example of how he's incredibly married those flavors from his original homeland with the leavened wheat, cheese, and tomato sauce of American pizza.

- This is the square Detroit style deep dish.

- What makes something Detroit style versus not Detroit style?

- The cheese goes all the way to the edge.

Some of your more traditional Detroit style pizzas, they put the sauce on the top - Right.

- instead of underneath the cheese.

- But you're not doing Detroit.

You start with the Detroit style base, but then you add a Bangladeshi fusion on top of this.

- Yes.

- Yeah, yeah.

- You're combining all these Desi flavors, Bangladeshi flavors, with pizza.

How did the community here respond?

- At first, everyone was a little skeptical.

Once you taste it, all your harshest critics, you know?

(Rupak laughs) They had nothing more to say after that.

- Oh, you silenced them with taste!

Shhh.

What was it like when the New York Times came and recognized your awesomeness?

- It was unbelievable.

22 of the best pizzerias in the country?

I believe we're good.

But, you know, it's hard.

- Now you know you're great.

- Haha.

♪ You hold it with one hand, and you throw it to the other.

- Alright.

Whoa.

This is intense!

(upbeat music) Alright, August.

The moment of truth.

Your pizza!

- Wow!

(Rupak laughs) - Beautiful.

Rupali, what do you think?

That's your pizza.

- I love it.

- Love it!

Oh, that crunch!

I don't think I've ever heard a crunch like that!

- Yeah.

- With our pizzas freshly made... - Let's go.

- We're joined by one person I know who loves trying innovative foods.

- Let's make onion rings with a Pakistani twist.

- Bilal Bhatti widely known online as Golden Gully, is a Pakistani-Canadian food creator whose videos on Pakistani cuisine regularly rack up millions of views, attracting food lovers from across the globe, including me and my kids.

This is my daughter, Rupali, my son, August.

- Nice to meet you, too.

- So this town, yeah, it's like Bangladeshi, Yemeni, and the food is just so delicious as a result.

- Mm-hmm.

- Do you have that kind of community where you're from?

- I would say in Toronto, it's super diverse.

We've got a lot of different communities, like, a lot of Arabs, a lot of Bengalis, a lot of Pakistanis... It's like everyone, - Hey, Khurshed, buddy!

- Nice to meet you, brother.

- Nice to meet you too.

- That's a Half Dried Fish Pizza, and that's Ghost Pepper Pizza, Tandoori Pizza, and a Naga Pizza.

- Let me explain a little about these unique pizzas Khurshed has brought out.

The bestseller Naga Pizza balances tender chicken, red onions, and cilantro, with Amar's fiery, yet flavorful, top secret Naga sauce made with the Naga pepper, one of the world's hottest chilies prized in Bangladesh for its bold flavor as much as its heat.

The If You Dare Ghost Pizza, takes the heat from the Naga pizza and kicks it up 10x for all you extra spice lovers.

The Tandoori Pizza incorporates beloved tandoori chicken and sweet and tangy tandoori sauce.

And finally, there's the Dry Fish Pizza that starts with a spicy fish paste sauce that delivers an umami rich intensity.

Then it's topped with cheese, a savory mashup of dried shrimp and roasted garlic, and it's finished with onions and cilantro.

Cheers.

- Mm!

- Mm!

- It's a good spice to it too, right?

- The fish hit me right away on that tongue.

- Bit salty.

It's a bit sweet.

- Kids!

Let's get your thoughts on this.

- Very fishy.

- A really nice crunch a little bit.

- Yep.

Yeah, It's bit crispy.

- I like the thin crust too, because it lets me taste more of the fish.

- Yeah.

Okay.

Lemme try the Naga one.

- Get some Naga... Go for Naga.

- Mm-hmm.

Nice and hot.

- That's super thick, but it doesn't feel heavy, you know?

Everything is evenly balanced.

You got a good cheese amount there.

You got some good toppings.

- The Ghost Pizza.

So I think that's the one for the true spice lovers.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Let's eat!

- [Bilal] It tastes good.

- Spice!

You're getting the spice now, right?

- Not yet.

- No?

If you want the Naga sauce, you can actually dip it in Naga sauce.

- Mm-hmm.

That's a good one there.

- I'm gonna do the same.

- Let's see.

Oh, It's good.

That's way better than a marinara sauce.

- Right?

- Yeah.

- It's a good thing we got the Lassis.

- You need a Lassi.

- I think this is the first time I've had pizza with Lassi.

(Rupak laughs) - I got something here, which you're may be familiar with.

- Aw.

- [Rupali] I made him order it.

- Actually, they turned me onto you 'cause they're like, "Oh, you gotta check out this guy, Bilal."

Bilal is the author of "Beyond Measure: Pakistani Cooking by Feel".

Inspired by his family's traditions, the book moves beyond robotic recipe recitation, and instead shows you how to trust your senses when you cook.

This title, "Beyond Measure".

What do you mean when you say that?

- So I sat down with my mother.

I'm like, "Okay, explain how you make these dishes."

So I open up my laptop.

I'm like, "Okay, let's start with Roti, you know?"

So then she'll be like, "Okay, I use atta, I use flour."

Okay, so how much flour?

And she's like, "What do you mean?

Just like, two or three saucers."

I'm like, what?

What's a saucer?

What do you mean saucer?

She's like, "Yeah, the plate.

The saucers that we use at home."

I'm like, "Okay, this is gonna be harder than it looks now."

I had to find a way to translate that, and I think I did a really good job in it.

- I think I would agree with that.

- Making one of your recipes, it was pretty easy to follow.

- You actually made the chicken karahi, right?

- Yeah.

-Nice, amazing.

- [Rupak] It was so good.

I was the lucky recipient of that chicken karahi.

- I saw the photo.

It looked amazing.

- Oh, it was.

It was amazing.

What is it like being here in like, almost a physical version of the Golden Gully world?

- It feels like home.

Like, as soon as I walked in here and I saw the menu, I'm like, Naga Pizza, Fried Fish Pizza?

That's unique.

You know, like that's some flavor, you know?

- Yeah.

- So it just feels like home.

- Home.

It resonated so much, he said it twice.

Bilal's reflections on Khurshed's Pizza underscore to me the special role food plays in helping us find belonging.

A generation ago, Polish immigrants used pierogis and kielbasa to create their own versions of home here.

Now those dishes are served at Detroit Tiger Games.

Today, Bangladeshis like Khurshed are doing the same, shaping a new sense of home through their bold, flavorful cuisine, which might itself be one day served at the local stadium.

And if you know anything about me, you know my idea of home always has room for dessert.

- How you doing?

How are you?

Welcome to Aladdin.

What can I get for you, sir?

- Listen, a lot of my family is from Bengal, and in Bengal, you know we love mishti doi!

- Yes.

How many need, sir?

(counting in Bengali) - (waiter and Rupak speaking in Bengali) Teen.

Mishti doi, literally sweet yogurt, is, for Bengalis, one of the most cherished desserts.

Milk is slowly boiled down, sweetened, and traditionally left to set overnight in clay pots, which give it a subtle earthiness and depth.

The result is a creamy, tangy, gently caramelized deliciousness.

Mmm.

What do you think?

- Mmm - Really good.

- I'm finishing it faster than I thought.

♪ (all cheering) Of course, no Desi city would be complete without its own cricket league.

We were invited by the chairman of the Michigan Cricket Association USA, Tayefur Rahman, to come watch a match and even get some hands-on lessons after.

When we went back to India, we would play in my grandparents' parking lot, so like small time, but this is a beautiful field.

So this is like, noticeably harder than a baseball, and you catch this bare hand?

There's no gloves?

-Bare hand.

No gloves.

- Let me run you through the rules of cricket.

(record scratch) Actually, that might take all episode.

The main point is that it's played with a bat and a ball on a grassy oval with things called wickets.

And it's one of the fastest growing sports in the US, thanks, in large part, to a booming South Asian community, like the one here in Hamtramck.

How did you grow up playing, when you're in Bangladesh?

- Yeah, I grew up playing.

There was passion because, if, you know, 1997, that's when Bangladesh took a big stride in cricket because we won the ICC trophy.

- What do you think?

Are we ready?

- Yeah, let's go!

Why not?

Let's give it a try, guys.

- I think so.

- Alright, here we go!

- In cricket, you cannot throw, so we can go up, - Just like this.

- Bring our arm around.

- Like that.

No way!

This is really hard!

Get the boy in here.

Yeah!

Look at that!

- Good.

Wow!

- First time.

He's a natural.

Let me try my hand at batting.

Yeah!

Okay.

This is a beautiful bat.

- You're watching the ball and picking up as the ball goes, alright?

- Alright, so we're gonna get out to the pitch?

♪ Oh, man!

- No worries, no worries.

- Go, go, go, go, go!

- Let's go!

Let's go!

- Alright.

Good running.

- Alright, August, you're up!

- That's one run, nice.

Oh, run!

Yeah, yeah!

You gotta take the bat!

Take the bat, take the bat!

Run, run, run, run, run!

Quickly, quickly, quickly!

Oh!

Ah, close, close, close.

- Ah close.

- Oh, go, go, go, go, go!

Yes!

Woo!

How was that?

How'd you like that?

- That was fun.

- (laughs) I'm hungry.

Are you hungry?

- Yeah.

- Alright.

Let's eat!

After working up an appetite reacquainting myself with the beautiful game that is cricket, I'm heading over with a few of the players to a local food truck, which offers up, as the truck's name aptly states, Flavors of Bangladesh.

What do you guys normally order when you're, you know, hungry after a practice or a game?

- I like to order Jhalmuri.

Jhalmuri literally means spicy puffed rice.

It's puffed rice tossed with mustard oil, green chilies, onions, and a squeeze of lime.

It's quick to make, quick to eat, and the beloved street food snack for Bengalis everywhere.

Jhalmuri!

This is my first bite.

Mm.

Mmm!

- How is the food so far?

- Mwah!

I'm like, this... this Jhalmuri, jhal is spicy, muri is puffed rice.

It's like exactly, and then I didn't expect the mustard.

- Mustard oil.

- The mustard oil was a new kick for me.

It's awesome.

You guys are decked out in these beautiful Bangladesh jerseys.

What do you feel like is home?

Is it here?

Is it Sylhet?

Do you miss that place?

- Back home is always gonna be in our heart with good memories and everything, but since we live here, this is our home now.

We get connected, we teach our, you know, kids, you know, about our culture, food, and everything.

- I actually teaching my kids online Bengali class, - Oh wow!

- so they can read and write here.

Though speaking is still a little bit hard for them, but they can read and write here.

- One word answer.

Okay?

One word.

I'm gonna say the word, you all, it's gonna be the same word.

Whatever comes to mind, I want you to say it quick.

I don't want a lot of thought here.

Okay?

Ready?

Hamtramck.

- Food.

- Cricket, - Desi culture.

- Oh, that was two word, man!

- Ah!

(all laugh) - Food, culture, cricket.

Each is more than what it seems.

They're connectors to memory, to family, to the places we call home.

A reminder that home isn't fixed to a single address, but carried in the rituals we share, and maybe in appreciating how each of us understands home, it offers us a way to push past the divisions that threaten to break us apart.

As a Bengali, right?

That's a big part of my heritage.

I felt so welcomed.

So to come here to speak Bangla, to see the Bangla script, and then to, to speak it to people and have them respond with a wide smile, it's everything.

To instantly feel like you're not a stranger.

What more could you ask for?

The more time I spent in Hamtramck, the more I began to feel that Hamtramck is kind of like me.

It's Bengali and American all at once.

(all chant) Cultures that are worlds apart have miraculously joined together within its two miles.

It's a theme I've seen throughout my Midwestern sojourn.

I'm profoundly moved by the people I've met on this journey who've risked so much to build bridges of connection and empathy through their food, especially at a time when being an immigrant can be dangerous.

Someone from a small town in West Bengal made it here and earned a Michelin star for Indian cuisine.

Another survived civil war to share Kottu Roti along the shores of Lake Michigan.

A couple turned their love into delicious appams, a family fused culinary traditions to create Tandoori Pizza, and I feel like that's just the tip of the samosa.

My expedition now turns west back to LA.

Amar Pizza has gotten me on a fusion food kick, and there's a place in my neck of the woods that's been getting rave reviews for its take on Indian Mexican cuisine.

My course is set, and I'll see you down the "Spice Road".

(serene uplifting music) ♪♪