Looking Behind The Plate And “Tasting History” With Max Miller
Original story published on Behind the Plate with Kenzie Osborne
Instagram boasts the beauty of food, magazines shed light on food culture and cuisine, and the Food Network covers the technical side of composing a dish… But what about the history behind our food?? Nowadays, we’re becoming hyper-focussed on knowing where our food comes from. We want to know where our ingredients were harvested, how they were transported, what chemicals were used to treat them, and how the process affected the employees and environment around us. We beg to know the story behind each ingredient — but we fail to recognize the historical significance of a fully composed dish. The reality? There’s a lot to be learned from the history behind our meals. Not only is our modern-day food culture heavily influenced by our history, but some of the greatest (and most terrifying) moments in history have been directly related to our desire for food and flavour…
Tasting History
Max Miller (creator of Tasting History) has always been fascinated by our history. Learning about our past allows him to better understand our current times, and gain an appreciation for how far we’ve come. As a young child, he loved to explore hidden truths, discover new stories, and learn about the events that have shaped modern-day society. Although preparing food was never exactly something of interest, exploring new flavours gave him an inside “look” at the various cultures and histories from around the globe.
“I’ve always loved food — not necessarily making it, but definitely eating it! Food is a way for our family to bond and connect. We look for almost any excuse to have a party, make a feast, and celebrate around the dinner table. Growing up, we’d have a special dinner every Sunday night. My dad would make Japanese fried chicken (Tyko chicken), or spinach enchiladas. If my grandpa was cooking, it would be something with a bunch of lard or bacon grease or gravy. I never cooked myself, but looking back, I wish I’d learned how to cook from them.”
Exploring The World Through Food And Flavor
The food celebrated at the dinner table was often reflective of various cultures and cuisines from across the world. Max wasn’t limited to one type of food — instead, his parents encouraged exploration and adventure through food.
“My parents made sure we were exposed to a lot of different ingredients, flavours, and types of cuisine. It wasn’t uncommon to have squid or shark or a bunch of varieties of mushrooms. And, if we didn’t like it, they’d try to prepare it in a different way until we found something we liked. Personally, I can’t stand the texture of mushrooms — but my dad would buy dried mushrooms, grind them up, and mix them into the sauce. I liked the flavour, and using them in that way got rid of the texture.”
Even at restaurants, Max was always encouraged to be adventurous and try something new. He’d order off the adult menu and pick something unique that he’d never tasted before.
“There are very few things (if any) that I won’t try. I’m not afraid to try something new — and it’s allowed me to discover and learn about cultures and cuisines that I may have otherwise missed out on.”
Discovering Stories Behind Each Recipe
Food isn’t just sustenance to nourish the body — it’s a way to expose yourself to parts of the world that you may have otherwise been closed-off to. The ingredients and dishes that are eaten in every country reveal information about their history, values, traditions, and way of life.
“The little stories that you come across when you learn about food are amusing. For example, when King Louis and his family fled from Paris for their life, they had to stop along the way for Brie and Burgundy…. They hadn’t reached safety yet — but they had to stop for a bite of food. Just as they stopped, the people chasing them caught up. They were caught and beheaded — all over a piece of cheese and wine.”
In the middle of fleeing a country, King Louis had to stop for a piece of cheese and wine…. Nowadays, many events are centred around a night of wine and cheese. The pairing of wine and cheese is something we view as important enough to savour, celebrate, and dedicate a whole night to. I mean — if it was special enough to risk being beheaded, I guess it would be important enough to devote a night to, right??
If Someone Sacrificed Their Life For A Bite, It MUST Be Good… Right?
Discovering the history behind food begs the question “why was THIS dish so important?”. Why did countries fight over nutmeg? What was so special about black pepper that it was once worth its weight in gold? Why were cocoa beans used as a form of currency? The history behind various ingredients can be so interesting — and the facts alone can inspire you to try things you’d never dreamt of biting into…
“The more I learn about the history of a dish, the more I’m inclined to try it… I guess learning about history allows me to build more of a connection with the food. I never had the desire to eat shark fin soup — but after learning that it built the entire economy in some cities of China, I HAD to see what all the fuss was about!
History adds yet another dimension to food that can somehow allow you to relate to a culture or cuisine that you’re unfamiliar with. You may not know much about Chinese culture, but you can probably relate to a type of food that has shaped your city’s economy (or become extremely popular in town). So, when you learn that a city from another part of the world is raving about a particular food, you’re likely to crave a bite for yourself.
“Sometimes Western countries can “shun” another cuisine. But, when you learn the story behind the dish, it can make it seem a little less weird. You suddenly realize why a dish has been prepared in a certain way, or you can gain an appreciation as to why it has become so popular. It allows you to open up to other cultures, and have an open-mind to trying new foods.”
Testing Recipes, Tasting History, Celebrating Flavor
Discovering the truth about the history of food has not only allowed Max to explore new cultures, but it has also peaked his interest in preparing meals from scratch. In order to make meals from the past, you have to re-create them yourself. (Let’s be honest, no restaurant is selling Medieval Mead in town…). But, if it was so darn popular in the past, it must have been pretty tasty….
“I first became interested in the history of food when I began to watch the Great British Bake Off. They’d have segments when they would talk about baked goods from different time periods in Victorian England. Each segment was so interesting — they would discuss foods I’d never heard of — but clearly, if they were so popular, there had to be something special about them! One of the first dishes I prepared was a Raised Game Pie. It’s an old Victorian version of pie that’s made with a thick, hard crust and stuffed with boar, venison, pheasant, and game meats. You probably can’t find it anywhere nowadays — but when you make it from scratch, you can understand why it was so popular.”
Connecting With Cultures Through Their Recipes
The more Max learned about history, the more he became active in the kitchen. Rather than reaching for processed, packaged foods, he began experimenting in the kitchen with wholesome ingredients. History was his way of connecting to food — and it’s changed his life for the better.
“I don’t remember the packaged and processed meals I’ve had in the past — they don’t create memories or have stories associated with them. Instead, I remember the meals that my parents cooked, or the ones I learned from history books, or that have some sort of story tied to them. Everyone has their own entry point into food. There are so many components that can peak your interest — for me, that turning point was discovering the history.”
Find Your “Entry To Food” — And Always Be Up For Something New
The beauty of food lies in the depth of each meal. Whether it be the art of plating, the science of baking, the culture of spices, or the history of the dish — there’s some component of food that is relatable to everyone. Whatever that “entry point” is for you, it’s important to remember one constant concept behind each plate of food: it’s more than sustenance for the body. Food is a story. Whether it be a story of art, science, culture or history — every meal exposes you to something new.
“Since the caveman, telling stories and eating have gone hand in hand. We always have combined the two together — and we always will. Maybe it’s not sitting around the table and telling stories — but wherever there is food there will be a story. Even watching TV while having dinner combines the idea of storytelling and food. It’s rare for someone to eat in silence alone… You’ll either have the radio on, be reading, watching TV, or talking with people. It’s always a story with a meal — they naturally go together.”
Every meal is like a short book. There’s a beginning (appetizer), a middle (entree) and an end (dessert). Within the “story” there is a lesson to learn, a piece of art to appreciate, or a new memory to be made. Food and stories go together because food (in itself) IS a story. And, every good story in our history has started with a delicious plate of food.
Thank You Max Miller!
Thank you SO MUCH to Max Miller for taking the time to speak with me today. If you’re interested in learning more about the history behind the foods of the world, check out Tasting History on YouTube HERE. And, of course, don’t forget to follow Max on instagram HERE and twitter HERE.
Eager To Check Out Max’s Newest “Tasting History” Episode???
Watch Max whip up a delicious serving of Lobster Bechamel HERE! (P.S. HUGE congratulations to Max for topping 525k subscribers on YouTube! It’s so exciting to see the channel grow and inspire other young chefs and home cooks out there.)
Before I let Max get back to discovering more tasty histories, I had to ask a few of my favourite quickfire questions…
Quickfire Questions With Max Miller
What Was The First Dish You Ever Made?
“A Battenburg cake. I watched it on the Great British Bake Off, and decided to make it myself. Essentially, it’s four long strips of cake that are assembled to make a checkerboard pattern. Then, they’re wrapped in marzipan and served in slices. It’s named after Battenburg who was Queen Victoria’s husband.”
What Is The Most Popular Dish On Your “Tasting History” YouTube Channel?
“I think the dish that most people have tried and are surprised by is the syllabub. Everyone who makes it seems to love it. Basically, it started with a bit of whipped cream on top of a glass of wine to sweeten it. But, over the years, it has become less wine and more whipped cream. Now, it’s basically a stable boozy whipped cream that’s really popular among almost all people who try!”
What’s Your Favourite Thing About History?
“History can be taught in so many different ways. You can look at music, art, literature, food, culture — there’s so much. It’s not really about whether or not history is interesting, it’s about finding an outlet into history that makes it interesting for you.”
What Is Your Favourite Food Memory?
Every time my fiancé and I go to a new city we go on a new food tour. I think my favourite one was when we did a Portland food tour. We visited all the little food carts around the city — it was absolutely amazing. The food wasn’t what you would expect to find on the street, but the flavours were so incredible. Doing food tours is a great way to not only spend an entire day with someone you love, but to also see the whole city and gain an appreciation for their unique culture.
What Was Your Favourite Vendor From Your Trip To Portland?
“My favourite was a food cart called Viking Soul Food that made updated versions of Norweigan food. They had this wrap called the Pølse which was filled with a Sweedish potato sausage, lingonberries and coleslaw… I honestly think about that meal every day…”
What Are Three Ingredients You Always Have On Hand?
- Saffron (essential for medieval recipes)
- Really fancy salt (the stupidly expensive kind — I love those)
- Balsamic vinegar reduction (because it makes everything look fancy)
What Is Your All-Time Favourite Food?
Answer 1: “I think it would have to be Tyko chicken. It’s a Japanese dish — similar to tempura mixed with katsu… Essentially it’s chicken fried in soy sauce, teriyaki and panko bread crumbs. It’s not actually a Japanese dish — it’s just something my dad learned from a Japanese woman named Tyko!”
Answer 2: “But, to be completely honest, if there was one dish I would eat on any given day it would be a peanut butter jelly sandwich on toasted sourdough.”
Craving More?
Special shout out to Simon Majumdar for introducing me to Max Miller via your podcast “Eat My Globe”! Check out Simon’s interview HERE and head on over to tune into his podcast on spotify HERE!
