Learn to bake a medieval cheesecake. In this episode, I make a medieval elderflower cheesecake - a Sambocade. I explore how this dessert is the link between the ancient cheesecake given to Greek Olympians and the modern NY style cheesecake we love today.
Most people know Butterbeer from the Harry Potter books, but did you know it's based off an actual drink from Elizabethan England?
Lent in the Middle Ages was restrictive, but the Almond and Rice porridge with dates (Bruet of Almaynne in lente) I make in this episode shows that restrictive didn't mean bland.
As the Plague ravaged Europe in the 14th century, doctors believed it could be cured by certain foods. In this episode, we make one of those cures and explore the theory of the Humors which led doctors to such conclusions.
As cures for the Black Plague go, candied horseradish seems tame when compared to the treatment I discuss in this episode. I also show you how to make a 15th Century candied horseradish which is surprisingly delicious.
I make myself a chocolate birthday cake using a 100 year old recipe, and I explore the history of birthday cake and why we put candles on them.
Before plates, people ate on trenchers, a thick slice of stale bread. Today, after a rant about Medieval Times, I make medieval trenchers and look at the history of baking bread in the middle ages.
Have you ever wondered what a capon is? If so, look no further. In this video I'll show you what a capon is and why it's been such a prized poultry throughout history. You'll also learn to make a medieval dish from the court of Richard II; a dish truly fit for a king: Sweet Measure.
The Fig is one of the oldest and most prized fruits in history. In this episode, I explore that illustrious history and make a delectable fig and raisin purée from Medieval England called Rapé.
This Tart de Bry, or Brie Tart, comes from The Forme of Cury and was served at the table of King Richard II (1367 - 1400). It's flavor is nearly as rich as the history of the cheese that goes into it, and in this episode I will explore both.
If you've seen The Last Kingdom or grew up in England, then you know the story of how King Alfred the Great fled into the marshes of Somerset only to be berated for burning some cakes. Today, we're making those cakes. We'll also look the history around the story and what it tells us of the changing Anglo-Saxon mindset in 9th century England.
One of the most lovely treats when visiting Bath, UK is the supple majesty of the Sally Lunn Bun. Nestled in an alley in the shadow of Bath Abbey, The Sally Lunn's Historic Eating House delivers a baked delicacy with a dubious history.
These buttery stuffed loaves would be served alongside a hunk of meat at a medieval feast. They're a great twist on a typical loaf of bread.
This is the easiest recipe I've done on Tasting History, and it's also one of the best; a wonderful summery dessert. The recipe comes from Hannah Glasse's 18th Century, The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, and the dish lives up to the book's promise.
The Forme of Cury lit my passion for historical cooking. From the kitchens of King Richard II, it is the greatest source for Medieval English recipes and set the course of English cuisine for centuries. In this episode, we look at its history and make one of it's quintessential sauces: Galyntyne.
In nearly every recipe we have from Ancient Rome, a key ingredient is Garum or Liquamen; fermented fish sauce. While it usually takes two months to make, I use an ancient recipe for same day garum which gave me plenty of time to look at the history of Ancient Rome's favorite condiment.
Fried Peacock? Flamingo Tongue? Stuffed Dormouse? I decided to hold off on the more adventurous recipes in Apicius De Re Coquinaria, the oldest cookbook in the west, and opted for a simple steamed mussels using some classic Roman ingredients.
While the Crustade Lombarde (Lombardy Custard) can't take all the credit for Richard II's downfall, his love of all things rich and decadent did play its part. In this episode, I show you how to make the Crustade Lombarde and explore just how Richard II fell from power.
While we may think of BBQ, hot dogs, and potato salad as traditional 4th of July fare, the Founding Fathers certainly did not. We'll take a look at one of the earliest celebratory meals and explore why John Adams wasn't a fan of July 4th.
From their start in the New World, to "poisoning" Europe's elite, embraced by Italians and squashed by the US Supreme Court, the story of Tomatoes is filled with twists and turns. Today, I show you how to make one of Italy's oldest recipes for Stuffed Tomatoes with Herbs while we explore this fruit's... vegetable's... ingredient's sordid past.
In 79AD, a baker in Pompeii fled for his life as Mt. Vesuvius erupted, leaving his bread to burn. Join me in recreating the Panis Quadratus and explore the history of Pompeii and this iconic loaf of bread.
Using spices that I'd never heard of, I recreate the Hippocras recipe from The Forme of Cury. Served hot or cold, this spiced wine is a treat year round.
When I think of hospital food, Bread Pudding doesn't come to mind. But during the American Civil War, Bread Pudding made its way into The Hospital Steward's Manual.
A healing potion in The Iliad & The Odyssey, and a drink to commune with the Gods in secret Greek Mysteries, Kykeon has a fascinating history. But my questions is, how does it taste?
The Taste of India Food Festival and Tasting History partner to explore the mythic past of one of India's most well known desserts.
These pancakes from 1658 England are the perfect midpoint in the evolution of my favorite breakfast foods. From their ancient past to their place on modern breakfast tables the world over, pancakes have always been beloved.
England doesn't often come to mind when you think of Lasagna, but in the middle ages, the ancestor of today's cheesy calorie bomb was making the rounds all over Europe. Today I explore the evolution of this wonderful dish.
"What's in a name?" quoth the Bard. Well, I'd say a lot. True, these meatballs from 16th Century England don't taste like their namesake, but I would prefer they have a different title all the same.
Quesadillas are the perfect blend of Old and New Mexican cuisine. With the help of Professor Ken Albala, we create 19th century Quesadillas Cernidas and look at the history of Aztec corn tortillas.
Like a Chinese Game of Thrones, the story behind the writing of today's recipe for Yuanxiao (Tangyuan) is worthy of being made into an HBO series all its own.
Pretzels & Beer are the staples of Oktoberfest. Today, we look at the festival's history and that of its snack: Pretzels. Though the pretzel we're making today is a little different from one you might find in Munich today.
If you've ever wanted to be a Spartan warrior, then making a bowl of Melas Zomos is just a part of the process. Today, I cover each step in making both Melas Zomos and in making a Spartan warrior.
The History of Sugar Part 1 | Medieval Arabian Pistachio and Rose Candy
The History of Sugar Part 2 | Victoria Punch
Figgy Pudding | A Victorian Christmas Tradition
Unwrapping Aztec Tamales | The Tamale Wars
1903 Peach Melba
Lemonade from 1861
1896 Angel Food cake
The Lost Episode of Tasting History: Prince Biskets
Johnny Appleseed: American Weirdo
History of the Jack-O-Lantern plus a delicious pumpkin cheese recipe from 1570.
Cake for Guy Fawkes night
The History of Pecan Pie, with a Texas recipe from 1914.
Smoking Bishop from A Christmas Carol
Victorian Mincemeat With Actual Meat
AKA: Rasputin, Mata Hari & Princip Villains of WWI
Quick Panettone: A controversial recipe
Rome's Wonder Medicine: Cabbage
Exploring a 2000 year-old Roman recipe for roasted goat with date sauce.
AKA: The History of Doughnuts.
Titanic's drunk baker
AKA: What is May Day
17th century "Wine of the Gods". AKA: How the Wine Glass Got its Shape.
Workhouse gruel.
Viking pork with berry sauce
15th century armored turnips
Making Bierocks
Feijoada from 1928
Exploring recipes that might have been eaten by the real MacBeth, made in a castle in Scotland!
Food of the Egyptian Pharoahs
Japanese sugar egg noodles
Making Medieval Haggis
Let them eat Chocolate!
WWII Christmas Pudding
Tudor Wassail
Milk soup
Scarface's soup
While on vacation in Morocco, Max explores the unique dish Tabadirt (also known as Medfouna).
The Original PB&J from 1901, plus how to make Pullman bread
AKA: General Hannibal's War on the Roman Republic
I'm heading back out on book tour! I had so much fun the first time that I'm doing it again. More details to come, but here are the current cities and dates.
The History of Fish Sauce - Garum and Beyond
Hoppin' John for New Year's with Michael Twitty
FX's Shōgun centers around the rise of the Shōgun in the early 17th century. The Shōgun was accustomed to lavish feasts, so I was inspired to make 2 dishes from the period; Namasu No & Nanban ryōri.
The sordid origins of the deep dish pizza, and original recipes from the 1940s.
The horrific conditions in Civil War prisons, and a mock apple pie recipe from a Confederate cookbook.
The accidental origins of the modern strawberry, and a Tudor-era recipe for a strawberry tart.
The history of one of the worst jobs: food taster, and a (non-toxic) recipe for mushrooms that might have poisoned the Roman Emperor Claudius.
The dramatic story of the Kellogg brothers and the original recipe for Corn Flakes.
Rationing and food on the home front in the US during WWII, and a recipe for a mock steak made out of ground beef and Wheaties.
The murder-filled story of Egypt’s only female sultan, and a medieval recipe for Om Ali, a delicious spiced bread pudding with nuts, sultanas, and rose water.
The grisly details of what Viking funerals were like, and a recipe for flatbread recreated from findings at Viking funeral sites.
The history of clotted (or clouted) cream, and a 17th century recipe for it, an 18th century recipe for serving it, and a 20th century recipe for scones.
The history of brownies from elf-like creatures to decadent chocolate baked good and a recipe from 1904.
Rationing and starvation in the Soviet Union during WWII, and a recipe from a wartime cookbook for millet and pumpkin porridge.
How people have fed and cared for their pets from ancient Rome to the Victorian Age, and a recreation of the original dog biscuit.
The wild, crowded house parties of 18th and 19th century London, and a recipe for the delicious, dense cakes that were popular to serve at them.
The history of beef tea, the sustenance of choice for invalids and convalescents in the 19th century, and a recipe from 1851.
Who (and who didn’t) eat breakfast in the Middle Ages, what they ate, and a 15th century recipe for medieval Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Rationing in the UK during World War II, and recipes for mock banana cream and the National Loaf.
The experience of those on board the RMS Carpathia and the Titanic survivors that they rescued, and soup that might have been amongst the first foods served to the survivors.
What happened when the Carpathia docked in New York with the 705 survivors of the Titanic, and an early 20th century recipe for a dessert served aboard the Carpathia the last day aboard the ship.
The controversial (but brilliant?) naming of Baby Ruth candy bars, and a popular recipe from the 1940s for Baby Ruth cookies that appeared on the wrappers of the time.
The origins of the croissant, from Viennese kipferl to the modern flaky pastry, and a mid-19th century recipe for a bread-like version.
The history of Election Day as a major holiday in Hartford, Connecticut, and a scaled down 18th century recipe of any Election Day table: election cake.
The foods served at lavish ancient Roman feasts and a recipe from the 2nd century BC for an early form of cheesecake.
Food, rationing, and hunger in Germany during WWII, and a recipe for a casserole from a German magazine early on in the war.
Bomb shelters and the Tube during the Blitz in WWII, and ration-friendly recipes for soup and honey biscuits from the period.
Sarah Josepha Hale’s campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, and a cranberry tart recipe from her magazine in 1866.
Feasting with Alexander the Great and an ancient Roman recipe for a complex sauce for poultry using ingredients that Alexander would have had.
Food supplies and cooking in the Japanese incarceration camps during WWII, and a recipe for tuna noodle casserole from one of the camps’ newspapers.
The Eggnog Riot at West Point and a 19th century recipe from the White House Cook Book.
What a real Victorian sugar plum was, and a labor-intensive, days-long process of making some from a 19th century recipe.
Celebrating Christmas during the Great Depression, and a recipe for a less expensive Christmas pudding made with gelatin and chocolate.
Food in US schools post-1960s and an extremely nostalgic recipe for cheese pizza from 1988.
Hangover cures from the last 3,500 years, and a 10th century recipe from Baghdad for a curative lamb stew.
How people have gotten, treated, and lived with gout throughout history, and an 18th century venison recipe that is laden with gout-inducing ingredients.
The Hunger Winter of the Netherlands at the end of World War II, and a recipe from the famine that includes tulip bulbs.
Welcome to the first Tasting History Q & A.
Recorded series Q&A
Crossover episode with Chef Frank from Protocooks discussing the ancient and modern history of Italian Lasagne.
Join me for a Live Q&A while I show you how to make one of my favorite non-historical dishes, Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts.
Tasting History with Max Miller Channel Trailer
The famous Fat Rascals of Yorkshire served at Bettys Tea House.
A Butter Sandwich from the Great Depression
Foods of Africa & the Enslaved with Michael Twitty
