Why is it called Welsh Rabbit (Rarebit)?
Is it Welsh? Maybe. The Welsh certainly had a reputation for loving toasted cheese that precedes “Welsh rarebit” as a dish, so it’s possible, but we’ll likely never know if…
Why Does Caffeine Exist?
Today, billions of people around the world start their day with caffeine. But how and why did the ability to produce this molecule independently evolve in multiple, distantly-related lineages of…
The Unhinged Ladies Who Terrorized Greedy Merchants
The American Revolution wasn’t just fought on battlefields, it was fought in breadlines too. As war dragged on and inflation skyrocketed, ordinary women and laborers found themselves starving while wealthy…
The Original Fettuccine Alfredo with No Cream
Max Miller recreates the historic Roman dish using only handmade pasta, high-quality butter, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The episode explores the fascinating story of Alfredo di Lelio and the 1920s Hollywood honeymooners…
Here’s what your medieval ancestors could REALLY afford to eat
In this HistoryExtra Academy, historian Ian Mortimer continues his A-Z of life in 14th-century England, exploring how dramatic changes in climate helped plunge communities into famine, why a skilled worker…
First Class Breakfast on the Titanic
tasting history
Table Manners in the Ottoman Empire – Acem Pilav
Tasting History
Why Vampires Hate Garlic
A Transylvanian Recipe from 1580
Vienna’s Iconic Chocolate Cake
Max Miller investigates the contentious history behind Vienna's famous chocolate dessert, testing a 19th-century recipe against modern versions. This culinary journey explores a long-standing legal battle over the official "original"…
Dining at the Wild Parties of Regency England
Max Miller recreates route cakes, a dry 19th-century treat popular at hectic social gatherings known as routes. Drawing on historical recipes from the Regency era, this episode explores the etiquette…