Eating Like an Ancient Greek Olympian

Traveling around the East Coast so follow along on Instagram @tastinghistorywithmaxmiller. Don't forget to Like and Subscribe, and see some of you at the next Book Tour stop! LINKS TO THE TOUR (Reservations required at some events) Oct 18 6pm ET -- Ridgewood, NJ Bookends Bookstore bookends-online2.square.site/product/max-miller-ti… Oct 19, 7pm ET -- Atlanta/Decatur, GA Eagle Eye Bookshop eagleeyebooks.com/event/2023-10-19 Oct 23, 6:30pm CT -- Chicago/Evanston, IL Bookends and Beginnings www.bookendsandbeginnings.com/event/tasting-histor…

Max‘s very detailed explanation on how to store Asafoetida makes me think that he had to learn the hard way about the smell haha

I will never get tired of the hard tack cut aways 😂

The hardtack “clack-clack” makes me smile EVERY TIME. Please never stop doing it Max!

My local library does a monthly program called "Cook the Book" where people bring something to share from a specific cookbook. When I saw December's meeting would be "Tasting History with Max Miller," I was so excited!! I can't decide what to make!!

Here I am thinking "can Max work in the hard tack bit?" YES, yes he can.😂

As a Greek I deeply appreciate Max's pronunciation of greek words! Its definitely not easy for English speakers but he aced it!

Oh poor Max and SO MANY others! I was born in 1949, so I was a teenager in the early 1960’s. As a teenager I was anemic and the medical advice of those years was that an anemic person should eat liver — rich in iron. My mother was a gifted cook. She prepared calves liver once a week, breaded and fried with masses of onions. Given that the texture was essential liver “odd”, but tender and never off-putting when correctly prepared, our entire family heartedly enjoyed these meals. Years later, after living in Europe for ten years, I prepared a meal of liver for my Swedish mother-in-law who had told me how much she enjoyed eating liver. The greatest challenge about preparing this meal was to actually find calves liver for sale in a grocery store! It was not difficult to encounter ostrich steaks, literal pigs feet untreated in any way, horse meat offered in several varieties, but calves liver…. I loved her greatly and remain so grateful that I could provide this simple pleasure for her. If you wonder. I have lived in Sweden for 26 years now. NO. I have not found calves liver available in grocery stores for years now.

As a Greek, I thank you for this episode!! You have done remarkable research!! I wish the people would understand the full meaning of EKECHEIRIA and cease hostile acts or wars for at least the 15 days that the modern Olympic games last.

Max, the "correct" (and traditional) way to eat that Cretan hardtack (paximadi) and fully appreciate the flavor without breaking your teeth is to dampen it first (putting it under running water for 2 seconds, but not soaking it), and then sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt, and dried oregano . That's also the basis for a traditional Cretan salad called "dakos". It also has tomatoes and "graviera", which is a traditional Cretan yellow cheese (very different from feta). Try it!

In several European countries, the word “gymnasium” refers to secondary school, especially upper secondary school and/or the schools that prepare you for university (obviously there’s a lot of overlap between those two).

Stone lifting is a huge thing being rediscovered in Ireland! The special stones are often found near graveyards and were part of the irish funeral games. It's a beautiful tradition -- lifting as catharsis during grief, lifting the same stone your da and granddad probably lifted in their grief.

I love this episode! One note - Cretan paximathia is often soaked in water before being eaten. Or oftentimes you put a salad of tomatoes, olive oil, and cheese on top and let it soak in and soften before the whole thing is eaten. It’s called Dakos.

That "substitute your protein" segue into the sponsor was one of the smoothest I have ever witnessed. Well done, sir! Also, another great video as always.

Here's a quick recipe for those Cretan hardtacks: 1) Take hardtacks and wet them well under the tap for 10-20 seconds. Olive oil is optional. 2) Grind tomato on them. 3) Grumble feta on them. 4) Sprinkle oregano on them. 5) And finally splash some olive oil. And serve. Quantities vary depending on taste.

12:50 I read that in ancient greece, cattle was probably much lighter, similar to wild cattle, weighing more around 300-400kg which is realistically carriable. Modern cattle went through several centuries of selective breeding.

ancient descriptions of olympians just seems like Baki, especially the one where he breaks a cord with his veins

You pronunciations really are second to none Max, it doesn't go unnoticed!

The issue with that liver probably is that it is over cooked. I love liver and I used to cook them quite often. It is the easiest thing to over cook and over cooked liver has the consistency of "chewy cardboard" as I would describe it.

Man, it’s episodes like these that bring me back to why I loved finding this (then tiny!!) channel in COVID. Watching at 1am, exhausted and stressed (from school now, thankfully), but Max’s talking and cooking just transports me for a little while with history and food. My favorite channel on YouTube, no contest. Loved the episode, as I do all of them, loved the cookbook and so impressed you’ve got this whole thing down to such an impressive science. Go Max (and Jose)!