Love Food? Can't get enough of History? Then you've come to the right place. Every Tuesday, Max Miller shows you how to make a different historic dish while exploring the history surrounding it.
Where to Watch Tasting History with Max Miller • Season 2025
55 Episodes
Gout - The Disease of Kings
E1
Gout - The Disease of KingsHow people have gotten, treated, and lived with gout throughout history, and an 18th century venison recipe that is laden with gout-inducing ingredients.
Surviving on Tulip Bulbs during World War 2 - Dutch Hunger Winter
E2
Surviving on Tulip Bulbs during World War 2 - Dutch Hunger WinterThe Hunger Winter of the Netherlands at the end of World War II, and a recipe from the famine that includes tulip bulbs.
Cheese Gnocchi from Medieval Italy
E3
Cheese Gnocchi from Medieval ItalyThe history of gnocchi being made from everything from cheese to cake to truffles to potatoes.
The Original Beef Stroganoff of Imperial Russia
E4
The Original Beef Stroganoff of Imperial RussiaThe origins and evolution of beef stroganoff, and a 19th century recipe that I highly recommend.
Surviving a Medieval Winter
E5
Surviving a Medieval WinterHow to survive a medieval winter, and a 14th century recipe for rich and hearty wheat berry porridge.
Feeding Emperor Augustus Caesar - Handmade Roman Cheese
E6
Feeding Emperor Augustus Caesar - Handmade Roman CheeseThe complexity of Augustus, the first Roman emperor, and a two thousand year old recipe for fresh cheese that he might have enjoyed.
Pineapples - The Most Expensive Fruit in History
E7
Pineapples - The Most Expensive Fruit in HistoryThe history of ridiculously expensive pineapples in Europe, and an 18th century recipe for delicious pineapple tarts.
The Original Girl Scout Cookie Recipe from 1922
E8
The Original Girl Scout Cookie Recipe from 1922How Juliette Gordon Low established the Girl Scouts in the US, and the original 1922 recipe for Girl Scout cookies.
War Rationing on the Italian Home Front during WWII
E9
War Rationing on the Italian Home Front during WWIIRationing and food shortages before, during, and after WWII in Italy, and a recipe from a delightfully quirky 1942 cookbook.
The History of Pancit in the Philippines
E10
The History of Pancit in the PhilippinesThe history of pancit and panciterias in the Philippines and an early 20th century recipe.
History's Oldest Dessert - 4,000 Year Old Mersu
E11
History's Oldest Dessert - 4,000 Year Old MersuThe rulers of the ancient Mesopotamian city of Mari, and a recreation of one of their favorite treats inspired by a clay tablet found in the ruins.
The History of Hungarian Goulash
E12
The History of Hungarian GoulashThe history of Hungarian goulash from simple herdsman's stew to paprika-laden soup, and a recipe from the late 1800s.
How To Host An Ancient Roman Dinner
E13
How To Host An Ancient Roman DinnerHow to throw an ancient Roman dinner party, and a 2,000 year old recipe for flamingo, which I’m recreating with duck
Ancient Roman Table Manners & Etiquette
E14
Ancient Roman Table Manners & EtiquetteAcceptable behavior at ancient Roman dinner parties, and a spiral-shaped sweet from 2nd century B.C.E. Rome.
What Medieval Fast Food Restaurants Were Like
E15
What Medieval Fast Food Restaurants Were LikeMedieval fast food, the laws that regulated it, and a 14th century recipe for a fried fruit pastry.
School Cafeteria Sloppy Joe from the 1980s & '90s
E16
School Cafeteria Sloppy Joe from the 1980s & '90sThe history of sloppy joes from fashion to Manwich, and the American school cafeteria recipe from 1988.
Mulligan "Hobo" Stew from the Great Depression
E17
Mulligan "Hobo" Stew from the Great DepressionThe important and distinct hobo culture of the late 19th century and early 20th century, and a 1940 recipe for a hobo staple: mulligan stew
Feeding the Papal Conclave
E18
Feeding the Papal ConclaveThe history of conclaves that lasted years, the food that was served at them, and a recipe for baby back ribs that was served at the conclave of 1549.
The Original Kaiserschmarrn of the Austrian Empire
E19
The Original Kaiserschmarrn of the Austrian EmpireThe possible origin stories of Kaiser Franz Joseph I’s favorite dessert, kaiserschmarrn, and a recipe for it from his lifetime.
The Picnic at the Battle of Bull Run
E20
The Picnic at the Battle of Bull RunThe First Battle of Bull Run and a recreation of what the spectators who picnicked there might have eaten.
Biryani from 16th Century India
E21
Biryani from 16th Century IndiaThe history of biryani including Indian and Mughal influences, and a recipe from the 16th century.
Food in the Trenches of World War One
E22
Food in the Trenches of World War OneBritish cooks and cooking on the Western Front in World War I, and a 1914 army recipe for corned beef and potato pie.
What did Cowboys Eat on the Open Range?
E23
What did Cowboys Eat on the Open Range?The chuck wagons, food, and cooks of the golden age of cowboys and cattle drives, and recipes from 1896 for cowboy staples.
What is Spotted Dick?
E24
What is Spotted Dick?How spotted dick got its giggle-inducing name, its history as an economical dessert, and a recipe from 1854.
How the Rich Ate During the Gilded Age
E25
How the Rich Ate During the Gilded AgeThe extreme extravagance of gilded age feasts, and an 1877 recipe for a Gilded Age gelatin dessert.
Eating aboard a US Submarine during World War 2
E26
Eating aboard a US Submarine during World War 2Eating and cooking on US submarines in World War II, and two recipes from the 1945 Cook Book of the United States Navy
How to Eat Like an Ancient Stoic
E27
How to Eat Like an Ancient StoicThe views on food of major Stoic philosophers of the ancient Mediterranean, and a recipe for lentil soup that they may have enjoyed
Typhoid Mary's Peach Ice Cream
E28
Typhoid Mary's Peach Ice CreamThe sad tale of Typhoid Mary, and a recipe for peach ice cream, one of her specialties that may have contributed to the spread of typhoid fever
The History of SPAM
E29
The History of SPAMThe origins and spread of SPAM, and a recipe from a marketing campaign in 1951.
Feeding the Great Mongol Khan
E30
Feeding the Great Mongol KhanThe food and ceremonious dining of Kublai Khan, and a recipe written for him for invigorating mastic stew with lamb
Did People in the Middle Ages Drink Water?
E31
Did People in the Middle Ages Drink Water?Debunking the myth that people in the Middle Ages didn’t drink water, and a medieval recipe for barley water
The Killer Pigs of the Middle Ages
E32
The Killer Pigs of the Middle AgesThe crimes and punishments of medieval pigs, and a 14th century recipe for marinated roast pork loin.
The “True” Origin of Key Lime Pie: Florida or New York?
E33
The “True” Origin of Key Lime Pie: Florida or New York?The disputed origins of the key lime pie, and one of the first recipes for it with graham cracker crust from 1933.
Eating in Japan During World War 2
E34
Eating in Japan During World War 2The decline of food availability on the home front in World War 2 Japan, and a recipe for mock grilled eel from before things got truly dire.
Dining at Folsom Prison in 1925: Lamb Curry & Beans
E35
Dining at Folsom Prison in 1925: Lamb Curry & BeansThe food and dining in Folsom Prison, and an early 20th century meal from a combination of the military cookbooks they used and a commissary report.
The Deadly Job of a Victorian Baker
E36
The Deadly Job of a Victorian BakerThe hard lives of Victorian bakers, and a recipe for a very interesting ginger loaf (not gingerbread) from 1857.
Austria's Inbred Emperor who Demanded Dumplings - Marillenknödel
E37
Austria's Inbred Emperor who Demanded Dumplings - MarillenknödelThe rule of Ferdinand I of Austria, and a recipe from 1858 for dumplings that he loved so very much.
Baking the Original Apple Pie from Medieval England
E38
Baking the Original Apple Pie from Medieval EnglandThe apples of medieval England, and the first recorded recipe for apple pie from the 14th century.
This Recipe Took 3 Years... Ninja Kikatsugan
E39
This Recipe Took 3 Years... Ninja KikatsuganExploring the question of if ninja existed or not, and a survival food from a 17th century ninja text that takes 3 years to make.
The Myth of Mooncakes: Did they topple a Chinese Dynasty?
E40
The Myth of Mooncakes: Did they topple a Chinese Dynasty?Myths surrounding the mooncake, and one of the oldest known recipes for them from 1792.
Caligula - Feeding Rome’s Most Evil Emperor
E41
Caligula - Feeding Rome’s Most Evil EmperorThe life and reign of Caligula, one of Rome’s most villainous emperors, and a recipe for pork belly that could have graced the tables of his lavish banquets.
Ivan the Terrible - Feeding the Evil Russian Tsar
E42
Ivan the Terrible - Feeding the Evil Russian TsarHow terrible was Ivan the Terrible, and a recipe for cabbage and onion piroshki that could have graced his 16th century table.
Dracula’s Paprika Hendl from Bram Stoker’s 1897 Novel
E43
Dracula’s Paprika Hendl from Bram Stoker’s 1897 NovelThe historical food from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and a recipe for paprika hendl, or chicken paprikash, from five years before Dracula was published.
Vlad the Impaler - Feeding the Real Dracula - Pheasant with Cherry Sauce
E44
Vlad the Impaler - Feeding the Real Dracula - Pheasant with Cherry SauceThe life of Vlad Dracula, or Vlad the Impaler, and a 16th century Transylvanian sour cherry sauce that could have been mistaken for blood
“Depression Era” Water Pie
E45
“Depression Era” Water PieThe pre-Depression origins of water pie, and a delicious recipe from 1908.
A 375 Year Old French Recipe for Pumpkin Soup
E46
A 375 Year Old French Recipe for Pumpkin SoupMore on the history of pumpkins and their use in European cooking, and a 17th century recipe for a creamy pumpkin soup.
Indian Pudding - America’s Forgotten Dessert
E47
Indian Pudding - America’s Forgotten DessertThe history of a largely forgotten American dessert, and a recipe for it from 1829.
How to Eat Like a Medieval Peasant
E48
How to Eat Like a Medieval PeasantThe labor and lives of medieval peasants in 14th century Britain and Europe, and a recipe for a fish dish that could have been given to them by their lords.
Gingerbread for Washington's Army
E49
Gingerbread for Washington's ArmyChristopher Ludwick’s extraordinary contributions to the American Revolution, and a gingerbread recipe he might have baked.
Making Real English Toffee from 1881
E50
Making Real English Toffee from 1881The possible origins and evolution of toffee, and a recipe for the original Everton toffee from 1881.
What is Turkish Delight? How to make real Ottoman Turkish Delight.
E51
What is Turkish Delight? How to make real Ottoman Turkish Delight.The origins and history of Turkish delight, and a recipe from the Ottoman Empire in 1844.
World War 2 Mincemeat Pie for the Battle of the Bulge
E52
World War 2 Mincemeat Pie for the Battle of the BulgeA tiny Christmas truce in the midst of the Battle of the Bulge, and a recipe for mincemeat pie from the US army in 1946.
Chocolate Wine from 1723
E53
Chocolate Wine from 1723The hidden chocolate kitchen at Hampton Court Palace, the people who worked there, and a recipe from 1723 that they might have made.
Brewing 3,000 Year-Old Ancient Mesopotamian Beer
E54
Brewing 3,000 Year-Old Ancient Mesopotamian BeerThe empire and massive party of Ashurnasirpal II, and an ancient recipe for pomegranate beer that may have been served at his banquet.
Feeding A Roman Centurion - Pork & Puls
E55
Feeding A Roman Centurion - Pork & PulsThe role of meat in the Roman soldier’s diet, and a recipe for a farro and pork dish that a Roman centurion might have eaten in Vindolanda.
