In an interview with Salon earlier this year, Donald Glover said that the thesis for his new FX series, Atlanta, was to show people what it feels like to be black in America. “I know that’s kind of impossible,” he admitted, “but…”

As the series reaches its season finale on Tuesday, it’s in that “but” that Atlanta ultimately exists. More than any other television show in recent memory, Glover—the series' creator, writer, and lead actor—has allowed viewers the opportunity to enter the skin of another person without the benefit of lived experience. In just 10 half-hour episodes, the series has often succeeded in crafting what feels like a raw and honest portrayal of what it means to be young and black in 2016, a year when the police killings of unarmed African Americans has continued to dominate the news cycle.

Unlike other FX comedies like Louie and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia—two shows that draw inspiration from their characters’ hometowns—the food and restaurants in Atlanta aren’t used as incidental props and settings. For the show’s protagonist, Earn, going out to eat is the choice between a hot meal and making rent. In Atlanta, the food is both a testament to the city’s rich cultural and culinary history, as well as a statement about how its characters navigate issues of race, status, and class.

As Earn manages his cousin, the rapper Paper Boi, and attempts to prove his worth to the mother of his child, Van, food continues to show up time and time again. From the lemon pepper wet wings at J.R. Crickets, to a series of biting satirical commercials on the “Black American Network,” these are the most memorable food moments from Season 1 of Atlanta.

Episode: 3, "Go for Broke"

Down to his last few dollars, Earn attempts to quietly order a kid's meal at Zesto in the hopes of saving a couple bucks. When the newly appointed day manager explains the kid's meal is exclusively for children under the age of 14, Earn finally loses it. "Look, you don't have to be a kid to get a kid's meal, OK?" he shoots back. "Do you have to be Evander Holyfield​ to get the Champ? Do you have to be a fucking Chubby Decker to get the Chubby Decker?" Finally he retaliates by filling his free water cup with soda. 

Episode: 8, "The Club"

After a wild night at the club—which ends with Paper Boi slapping a promoter with a wad of cash for attempting to shortchange him—Earn and his crew retreat to a nearby Waffle House. A late-night tradition in the Peach State, the crew can be seen laughing over plates of eggs until a news report comes on the T.V., informing them that Paper Boi is now wanted for armed robbery. 

Episode: 3, "Go for Broke"

In an attempt to get in Van's good graces, Earnest agrees to take his on-again, off-again girlfriend out on a date (despite having $96 in his bank account). The couple's server is constantly trying to push more expensive options on Earn—a "Bayou Breeze" cocktail over a glass of wine, a $28 seafood soup, and a market price scallop and lobster meal—and calls him a "hipster" after he orders a can of Miller High Life. Earn finally calls the waitress out for trying to upsell him. 

Episode: 7, "B.A.N."

In one of the more surreal and satirical episodes of Atlanta, Paper Boi appears on a talk show called Montague on the Black American Network​, where he debates the rap community's views on transgender rights with a pundit. In between the segments, a series of commercial parodies play on screen. Though the ad for coconut "Crunch-O's" begins innocently enough—with a wolf dressed as a mummy trying to steal himself a bowl—the cartoon quickly turns into a statement on police violence, with the character getting handcuffed by a burly cop as the children film the arrest on their phones. 

Episode: 6, "Value"

For Donald Glover's directorial debut, he chose to focus Episode 6 almost entirely on Van and her relationship with an old friend, Jayde. While dining at an upscale Thai restaurant, Van and Jayde begin by criticizing each other for their choice in men. Jayde travels the world dating one NBA player after the next, while Van still lets Earn crash at her place when he has enough money. Soon, however, the friends try to out-do one another with their meals, ordering increasingly sophisticated dishes. Jayde snaps an awkward photo of her plate for the 'gram before criticizing Van for asking for chopsticks, utensils that aren't typically used in Thailand. 

Episode: 7, "B.A.N."

Continuing to poke fun at stereotypes, another phony commercial from B.A.N hilariously re-imagines Mickeys Fine Malt Liquor​ as an elegant and sophisticated beverage. A bartender pours the beer in two champagne glasses before a man in a black masquerade mask whisks the flutes to a woman at the other end of the room. "You're drinking it wrong," the company's new slogan reads. 

Episode: 9, "Juneteenth"

In one of the more cringe-worthy episodes of the series, Earn attends a Juneteenth party at the home of Monique Allen, a wealthy acquaintance of Van's. The most uncomfortable moments occur when Monique's white husband, Craig, attempts to prove his knowledge of black culture, performing spoken word poetry for his guests, and showing off his Malcolm X-inspired paintings. At one point Craig asks an incredulous Earn if he'd like a "real" drink, only to pour him a glass of Henny out of a decanter. 

Episode: 7, "B.A.N."

In yet another fake commercial from B.A.N., a man goes to pay for a 99-cent can of Arizona Iced Tea, only to find that the drink costs $1.49. Both the customer and the clerk look horrified, leading the ad to reveal Arizona's ingenious new tagline: "The price is on the can, though." 

Episode: 2, "Streets on Lock"

In the hours following the two-episode premiere of Atlanta earlier this year, the scene inside J.R. Crickets was one of the more talked about sequences from the show. After Paper Boi is released from bookings on bail, the restaurant shows its respect to the rapper by cooking up some special wings, giving him the standard lemon pepper rub, but also dousing the chicken in sauce. "Lemon pepper wet?" Paper Boi asks in disbelief. As he and his right-hand man, Darius, gently open the box, a mystical, gold glow pours out of the package.