'Tasting History': Max Miller takes YouTube on a foodie journey through time

Ever wondered what the last meal on the Titanic was? Or what was served at a medieval tavern? Ever wanted to replicate these meals? Well, there’s a man who can answer all of these questions, plus help you make your dreams of venison and pottage come true. Max Miller, 42, the creator of Tasting History with Max Miller, has 4.27 million followers on YouTube and his videos have earned a staggering number of views — 849,056,068 and counting.

After being furloughed from Disney at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Miller focused his time and energy on his YouTube channel. He posted his first video, "How to Make Medieval Cheese," on Feb. 25, 2020. His channel has been nestled at the intersection of food and history ever since.

Focusing on the channel proved to be a worthy endeavor, and in the six years since his first video, his reach has extended beyond YouTube. His cookbook Tasting History: Explore the Past through 4,000 Years of Recipes was a New York Times bestseller and he co-hosted the Roku Original show, Clash the Cookbooks, with comedian Phoebe Robinson.

His channel is more than a cooking show, delving impressively into ancient texts and recipes. To call his videos lessons would make them seem boring: They’re entertaining deep dives into language and geography. He describes what life was like in eras long gone as he cooks, providing context around the food he showcases. His weekly videos have cultivated a rich community with an active subreddit community of 12,200 weekly visitors and a Patreon with 8,400 members.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices.