Eating History is an American docuseries that airs on the History Channel and premiered in 2020.[1] In the series, collectors Josh Macuga and Gary "Old Smokey" Mitchell try vintage foods and related products, such as 1970s Fritos, 1913 hardtack, Pepsodent tooth powder, and New Coke.[1] [2]
Hosts Gary Mitchell and Josh Macuga met through YouTube.[3]
Gary Mitchell became interested in vintage foods via tobacco: he collected and smoked old cigarettes and other tobacco-related products, giving him the nickname "Old Smokey".[2] This, together with his interest in his grandfather's time in the military, led to eating preserved vintage military rations.[2] [4] He started trying a variety of military rations from different countries and time periods and made YouTube videos about it.[2] Through this interest, he met Ken Conley, who suggested that he might be interested in hosting Eating History when the series was being developed.[2]
Josh Macuga began collecting old food because of his family: when he was a child, his father and his uncle collected old bottles and other containers.[1] Like Mitchell, he has a YouTube channel.[5]
The production team includes a medic and a toxicologist, who do not allow the stars to eat foods that they deem unsafe, for example because of the risk of botulism.[1] The series is produced by Sharp Entertainment.[6]
The series has one season consisting of ten episodes.[7]
Some viewers have described Eating History premise as a gimmick, but Mitchell says that the series also educates viewers: "There’s so much history behind everything we encounter."[5] [8]