Warning: This article contains spoilers for the final episode of "Top Chef" season 16.

They made it to the end.

Through more than a dozen challenges, Eric Adjepong, Sara Bradley and Kelsey Barnard Clark fought their way to the final episode of "Top Chef" — a show that tested their techniques and flavors as they traveled between the roads and waterways of Kentucky, the stages of Music City and the street stalls of Macau, China.

On Thursday, viewers learned that Barnard Clark of Alabama had earned the coveted title of the country's top chef, with Bradley the runner-up.

But before the final episode aired, we caught up with the last three chefs to talk about how they progressed through the season.

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What made you apply for "Top Chef?"

Eric Adjepong: My wife applied for me. I always had an interest in "Top Chef;" I was a huge fan of the series and the competition. And last year she decided to apply for me.

Sara Bradley: I wanted to be on it when I found out it was in Kentucky. I always thought I would do it, but when I found out I could represent my home state, I jumped at it. I wanted to be the person who did it.

Kelsey Barnard Clark: My general manager applied for me last season. Then I found out I was pregnant. Then they did it again this year.

What was your favorite challenge from the season? Which did you struggle with most?

Eric Adjepong: My favorite challenge this season was the Muhammad Ali challenge. I got to cook fufu for the judges and everyone. It was a big landmark moment for me during the competition. And I think we can all agree the meat challenge was our least favorite out of the bunch.

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Sara Bradley: The meat challenge was the hardest. The time constraints were really tough. We all want to show respect to the animal and to the ingredients, and I think it was hard to get over our own problems with the timing. I loved the mentor challenge where I got to cook soup beans. It's a food that's so approachable but I got to elevate it.

Kelsey Barnard Clark: Same, the meat challenge was my least favorite. But I really liked the Lake Cumberland challenge and the first challenge in China because I got to cook the food I wanted to cook.

What’s the most interesting fact you learned about Kentucky?

Eric Adjepong: Sara always says Kentucky has more shoreline than Florida.

Sara Bradley: They didn't believe me. Then Padma (Lakshmi) walked in the room and said, in case you don't know, Kentucky has more shoreline than Florida. So it's true.

How difficult was it for you to get accustomed to Chinese ingredients?

Kelsey Barnard Clark: We never did.

Sara Bradley: We’ll let you know when we do.

Eric Adjepong: Obviously there's a huge barrier between reading and speaking there. Kelsey says it pretty much all day — it was primal. What does this smell like? What does this taste like? And figure out how to incorporate that into your dish.

Sara Bradley: I think we all adjusted better than a few others. We made it to the final three. It was interesting. It was exactly what you want as a chef. You want to be inspired by the things around you. If you’re not learning, then you’re not improving. I think Kelsey, Eric and I really embraced that. It's one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

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Which chef do you think got cut earlier than they should have?

Kelsey Barnard Clark: Honestly, that's an unfair question. I feel like people would be like, 'She would have won if she didn't get cut.' But they got cut. We didn’t. The point of game is you make it to the end. You could win every challenge then get eliminated. The point is to land on your feet. I don’t believe in the went-home-too-soon thing. They slipped up, that’s what happens.

Sara Bradley: We would have liked to see everyone stay, but that’s not how the game is played. Every person has their place in the competition. Eric has said it before that with the roll of a dice, it could have been a completely different crew sitting here in the car right now. So don't take it for granted, your performance and your abilities.

Who were you more nervous to cook for: Your family members or your mentors?

Sara Bradley: 100 percent my mother. My mom, if I served her matzo balls that were hard in the middle — we call those matzo rocks in my family. I don't know if she ever would have let me live that down. And there was the added pressure of this is what's going to decide who makes it to the final episode.

Eric Adjepong: Because of the stakes itself, cooking for our family members was weighted a lot more. You also want to impress your mentor and do as well as you can. But our family members that were there, they see themselves in us and they can hopefully be more critical.

Kelsey Barnard Clark: The emotions were high in different ways for each of those challenges. Equally challenging.

Several challenges asked you to incorporate your heritage or a memory into your cooking. Was that difficult?

Kelsey Barnard Clark: I felt like that's what I'd been doing. It was kind of hard to narrow it down, but felt like what I was doing all season.

Sara Bradley: The ones I had the biggest problems with or the most trouble with was, like, cook arena food, cook this meat with no story behind it. I think there’s just too much tradition paired with the type of food I like to cook. When I'm asked to cook something on the spot that doesn’t have any meaning, it’s hard for me.

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Bailey Loosemore: 502-582-4646; bloosemore@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @bloosemore. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/baileyl.