Eats History

America’s Original Pumpkin Pancakes 🥞🎃

Pumpkin pancakes might feel like the ultimate modern fall breakfast, but their roots run deep in American history. In the mid-1700s, Swedish naturalist Peter Kalm wrote in his Travels into North America that Indigenous peoples were boiling, mashing, and even kneading pumpkin into cakes with maize flour, cooking them on hot stones or in clay vessels. To European eyes, these looked just like pancakes — and the idea of “pumpion johnnycakes” was born.

Colonial households soon adapted the recipe, blending Native traditions with European techniques. By the 17th and 18th centuries, you could find versions of pumpkin pancakes and fritters in both English and American kitchens. They were hearty, resourceful, and one of the earliest examples of food fusion in the New World.

Today, pumpkin pancakes still carry that history in every bite. My recipe mixes pumpkin purée with cornmeal, warm spices, and a little cinnamon sugar to keep the story alive, it’s cozy, seasonal, and full of heritage.

Want to taste America’s original pumpkin pancakes? Find the full recipe here:

eatshistory.com/the-best-authentic-pumpkin.../

1 day ago | [YT] | 603

Eats History

One of India’s Oldest Desserts Still Eaten Today

Over 2,000 years ago in India, priests and kings were eating the same sweet dish that you can still find in homes and temples today. It’s called kheer in the north, payasam in the south, a creamy rice pudding simmered with milk, jaggery, saffron, and cardamom.

Kheer wasn’t just dessert. In the Vedic age it was an offering to the gods, a symbol of fertility and abundance, and sacred food blessed in temples before being shared with the people. By the medieval era, kings were dining on saffron-kissed versions enriched with nuts and dried fruits, while villagers stirred the same comfort into simple pots of milk and rice.

What amazes me is how little it has changed. When I toasted cashews, almonds, and raisins in ghee, simmered rice with milk, and sweetened it with jaggery and cardamom, I ended up with the same dish that carried spiritual and cultural meaning for thousands of years.

👉 Want to try it for yourself? Get the full recipe here: eatshistory.com/kheer-payasam-recipe-the.../

4 days ago | [YT] | 543

Eats History

What did Albert Einstein eat when he wasn’t reshaping the universe? 🍊🍰

When we think of Einstein, we picture the wild hair, the blackboard covered in equations, and the mind that changed physics forever. But even geniuses need to eat and Einstein had a surprisingly simple palate with a few favorite indulgences.

One of those indulgences was orange cake. Moist, citrusy, and comforting, it was the kind of sweet treat that grounded him in the everyday even while his thoughts wandered through space and time. Einstein kept his life simple on purpose, limiting decisions like what to wear or what to eat so he could save his mental energy for creativity. Yet in that simplicity, he still found room for a slice of cake.

I decided to recreate this piece of his everyday life: a fresh orange loaf made with zest and juice from real oranges, finished with a tangy glaze. The result was moist, fragrant, and in my opinion, worthy of a 9.4/10.

👉Want to make it yourself? Find the full recipe here: eatshistory.com/eating-like-albert-einstein.../

5 days ago | [YT] | 500

Eats History

Would you eat a Spanish omelet without eggs and potatoes?

During the Spanish Civil War, food was scarce, and families had to get inventive just to put something on the table. Ignacio Doménech’s Cocina de Recursos became a survival guide, teaching home cooks how to stretch every crumb into a meal.

👉Full Recipe: eatshistory.com/spanish-civil-war-recipe.../

One of his most famous recipes was the tortilla sin huevos — an omelet made without a single egg. Instead, flour, water, and herbs created a bready batter that puffed in the pan to mimic the look and feel of the beloved Spanish tortilla. Alongside it, families often ate maimones de guerra, a humble garlic soup of bread, water, and garlic fried in a splash of oil. Simple, filling, and comforting in a time when calories mattered more than flavor.

These dishes are more than just recipes. They are a window into how people endured one of history’s darkest times, finding resilience and even a bit of normalcy through food.

6 days ago | [YT] | 433

Eats History

What happens when a Viking warrior dies nobly in battle? They wake up in Valhalla, where the mead never runs dry and the boar Sæhrímnir is served every night in an eternal feast.

👉Full Recipe: eatshistory.com/viking-recipe-feasting-in.../

The Poetic Edda tells us that Odin’s chosen warriors, the Einherjar, trained by day and feasted by night. At the center of their table was Sæhrímnir, the magical boar cooked by the divine chef Andhrímnir in his great cauldron Eldhrímnir. Each day the animal was slaughtered, eaten, and then restored whole again to provide for the following night’s feast. For a people who lived through harsh winters and scarce food, this vision of endless meat and fellowship was paradise itself.

To bring this legend to life, I recreated the Valhalla feast with a rustic pork loin, seared in a cast iron skillet and roasted with onions, turnips, and garlic. Basted with ale and finished under the broiler, the pork stays juicy and flavorful, while the root vegetables soak up every drop of flavor. The dish is finished with a lingonberry ale sauce, simmered with honey until tart, sweet, and thick enough to drizzle across the meat.

This is a hearty meal that feels right at home on the table of Odin. It is rustic, celebratory, and full of northern flavors. On taste, I give it an 9.2 out of 10, and on story, it is priceless.

1 week ago | [YT] | 503

Eats History

He ruled with terror… but he loved eating lamb, oranges, and maybe people😳

What happens when one of history’s most infamous dictators meets his obsession with food? Idi Amin, the so-called “Butcher of Uganda,” had a strange fixation with oranges — calling them nature’s Viagra — and loved roasted meats. I recreated a dish he would have devoured: roasted lamb marinated with spices and citrus, served with rice and piled high with fresh orange slices.

Amin’s story is dark and unsettling. Rising from soldier in Britain’s colonial army to dictator of Uganda, his rule left behind one of the bloodiest legacies of the 20th century. Beyond the politics and brutality, his eating habits were bizarre, ranging from rumors of cannibalism to his undeniable love of citrus, lamb, and even buckets of KFC during exile.

This recipe ties together that odd mix of history and appetite, a simple roasted lamb with an orange marinade, finished with slices of fresh fruit on the side. It is bold, strange, and undeniably tied to the man himself.
Cooking through history forces us to wrestle with the complicated legacy of figures like Amin, but it also helps us understand the human habits behind the headlines.

👉 Find the full recipe here: eatshistory.com/dinner-with-a-dictator-idi-amin/

1 week ago | [YT] | 623

Eats History

What if I told you the world’s oldest comfort food is still sitting in kitchens across Asia today?

Whenever I make a bowl of congee, I feel like I’m connecting to one of the deepest food traditions in human history. This dish isn’t flashy. It’s not even complex. It’s rice simmered in water until the grains melt into a creamy porridge. Yet for thousands of years, it has been the go-to meal for farmers, emperors, monks, healers, and families across Asia.

👉Get the full recipe here: eatshistory.com/one-of-the-oldest-recorded.../

Archaeologists have found traces of boiled rice gruels in Neolithic China as far back as 7000 BCE. By the Zhou Dynasty, texts like the Book of Rites described congee as a staple for the elderly and sick. By the Han Dynasty, physicians were prescribing it as medicine to restore strength. And by the Tang and Song dynasties, Buddhist temples were serving it as an act of compassion, while families celebrated festivals with special versions like Laba congee made with beans, nuts, and dried fruits.

From there, it spread across Asia under different names: okayu in Japan, juk in Korea, cháo in Vietnam, lugaw in the Philippines. Different garnishes, same comforting base. Every culture made it their own, but the foundation was always the same: simple rice and water transformed into a meal that could feed everyone, from the poorest farmer to the mightiest emperor.

Even today, congee is the dish you eat when you’re sick, the food you serve to start the day, or the recipe you hand down through generations. I topped mine simply with salt, soy sauce, and scallions. Humble, hearty, and honest. I’m giving this ancient bowl of comfort a 6.3/10 — not for bold flavor, but for its timeless place in history.
It’s amazing to think that when you’re stirring a pot of congee, you’re carrying on a tradition that may be older than writing itself.

#history #recipe #congee

1 week ago | [YT] | 496

Eats History

The Great Shakshuka Debate & Recipe

Every time I see this dish online, the comments turn into World War 3. Tunisians, Egyptians, Israelis, Turks, Moroccans- everyone claims it as their own. So what’s the truth behind shakshuka, the most hotly debated breakfast on the internet?

Shakshuka is more than just eggs simmered in a rich tomato and pepper stew. It’s a story of migration, trade, and culture. Tomatoes and peppers first traveled from the New World into North Africa, where they blended with existing stews and cooking traditions. From there, the dish spread across the Maghreb, through the Ottoman Empire, and eventually into Jewish and Middle Eastern kitchens. Today, it’s served everywhere from Tunisian cafés to Israeli brunch spots.

What makes shakshuka so loved is also what makes its history so disputed. Each community along its path added their own flavor, spice, or story, and over time it became a dish with many parents and no single birthplace. That’s why everyone feels it belongs to them — because in a way, it does.

I cooked up a traditional shakshuka recipe with tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and perfectly poached eggs. It’s simple, warming, and made for scooping with crusty bread. After tasting it, I can see why it inspires such passion.

🍳 Curious to try it for yourself and learn the full story? Read the blog and get the recipe here:

eatshistory.com/the-history-of-shakshuka-who.../

#shakshuka #recipe #history #fyp

1 week ago | [YT] | 415

Eats History

Elvis Presley’s last meal wasn’t a peanut butter banana sandwich… it was 6 cookies & 4 scoops of ice cream.

When you picture the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, you probably imagine rhinestone jumpsuits, sold-out arenas, and the excess of a superstar’s lifestyle. But Elvis Presley’s final meal was surprisingly humble, just six chocolate chip cookies and four scoops of vanilla ice cream.

There’s something almost poetic and tragic about it. After a life lived larger than anyone before him, Elvis in his last hours alive turned to the kind of comfort food you’d find in any American kitchen.

No grand feasts, no Southern spreads, just sweetness, simplicity, and maybe a little nostalgia.

In my latest post, I dive into the story of Elvis’s tragic downfall, why this dessert is so symbolic, and how you can recreate the King’s last indulgence for yourself.

👉 Read the full story and recipe here: eatshistory.com/the-last-meal-of-elvis-presley.../

1 week ago | [YT] | 393

Eats History

Would you believe this creamy, comforting chowder recipe first appeared in print back in 1896?

Fannie Merritt Farmer, often called the “mother of level measurements,” published one of the earliest corn chowder recipes in her Boston Cooking-School Cook Book. Her version brought together New England staples — salt pork, potatoes, corn, and milk — into a hearty dish that filled bellies and warmed kitchens more than a century ago.
Corn itself has an even deeper history, stretching back 9,000 years to its domestication in Mesoamerica and its essential role in Indigenous foodways. By the time Farmer was writing, corn chowder wasn’t just a regional favorite — it was part of America’s culinary identity.

I made her chowder, adapting it with a modern twist, and it is absolutely delicious. Smoky from the pork, creamy from the milk, sweet from the corn, and topped with softened crackers just as Farmer described. I’d give it a solid 9/10.

👉 eatshistory.com/classic-corn-chowder-recipe/

Would you try this 19th-century comfort food classic?

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 492