Eating History is an American docuseries that airs on the History Channel and premiered in 2020.^[1][2] 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][4]

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][5] 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.^{[6] [3]}

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.^[7]

The series has one season consisting of ten episodes.^[8]

Some viewers have described Eating History's premise as a gimmick, but Mitchell says that the series also educates viewers: "There’s so much history behind everything we encounter."^[3][9]