Weird History Food: Season 5

Seasons

• Season: 1
• Season: 2
• Season: 3
• Season: 4
• Season: 5
• Season: 6

• In the high-stakes world of pizza, fast delivery times and better ingredients are always important, but the real way to grow your business is through new idea. And the biggest innovation in pizza since pre-sliced pepperoni is definitely the stuffed crust. But who really is responsible for the creation of this delectable delicacy?

• Food dye: once just a tool for cute elementary-school experiments, is now a surprising fixture in your everyday food. Though its recently been thrown into the spotlight, societies have been dying food and drink since the ancient Egyptian times (of not longer!). Today we look deep into dyes, why all the concern, and what is on the horizon for these ubiquitous dyes we all ingest! What do you think about food dyes?

• If you’ve ever eaten a Milano cookie and thought, “This seems too elegant to have been invented on purpose…” Congratulations. You’re right. The Pepperidge Farm Milano is one of history’s greatest culinary whoopsies, right up there with the chocolate chip cookie!have you ever had Milano Cookies? Which is your favorite?

• As a people, we have made some pretty great technological strides. The wheel, the printing press, the camera – all of them a great benefit to the entire human race. One that maybe doesn’t get spoken about enough though, is canned food. And much like the aforementioned advances, we’ve done some pretty strange stuff with it. What's the strangest thing you have ever seen canned? What is your favorite?

• They look like cheese. They smell like cheese. They kind of look like little slices of cheese. But if you’ve ever stared at a Cheez-It mid-snack and wondered what’s actually inside that tiny orange square — you’re not alone.What do you think about these little orange squares? Do you like a particular type of Cheez-It?

• Oreo cookies might just be the most consistently snackable treat in the junk food aisle. But after years of crumbling the competition with that fluffy, teeth-numbingly tasty cream, Oreo decided to get weird with it. Have you ever tried any of the wackiest flavors? If so, which was it?

• In the world of fast food redheads, there’s Ronald McDonald, sometimes The Burger King – depending on which version you’re looking at – and there’s Wendy. And for decades, Wendy’s held their own as the number three burger chain in the United States. But the times, they may be a-changing. What do you think about Wendy's?

• There’s something strangely comforting about the sound of bacon sizzling in a pan. It’s not just cooking; it’s a little morning performance, a tiny ritual that tells your stomach the day has begun.

• Anthony Bourdain didn’t just eat food — he used it to tell stories about power, culture, class, identity, and who really gets a seat at the table. Along the way, he developed some strong — and sometimes wildly unpopular — opinions about what people eat, how they eat, and why most of them are doing it wrong.

• There are some things in life people have strong opinions about, including: religion, politics, and – apparently – Arby’s. For whatever reason, the world has drawn battle lines over whether the franchise is under-appreciated or if it should be shot into space, never to return. So, what do YOU think of Arby's? Have you ever eaten at one?

• Have you ever looked at a bottle of A-1 sauce and thought, “What…are you?” Steak’s sidekick? Ketchup’s fancy cousin? A Victorian condiment that somehow survived the Industrial Revolution?

• There are plenty of wild fast-food mashups — but only one that feels like it was dreamed up at 2 a.m. in a dorm room and then somehow made a billion dollars. Yes, the Doritos Locos Taco was a pretty inspiring success story. At least, it was if the idea wasn’t stolen. But… was it?

• Once upon a time, the Caribbean was ruled by pirates cool enough to earn themselves a ride at Disneyland and a billion dollar movie franchise. But those movies don’t go into a lot of detail about what those pirates ate, or what they did when the food ran out.

• You’d think taking a food known for being cheap and casual and trying to convince people it was haute cuisine would be a losing business strategy. But it was a winner for California Pizza Kitchen. Until it wasn’t.

• When it comes to fish sticks, few brands have weathered more storms than Gorton’s. But even those who brave the waves of the supermarket for them might be wondering: “What the fish are actually in these things?” So tell us, do you like fish sticks? Was it a staple growing up? Which was your favorite brand?

• Most foods are things you eat. Shake ’N Bake was something you did. It wasn’t just dinner, it was a ritual involving a plastic bag, raw chicken, and the kind of aggressive shaking that felt oddly therapeutic. Until… it wasn’t. So did you have Shake 'N Bake growing up? DId you help in that dinner prep?

• For decades, IHOP was the place you went when you wanted pancakes, coffee, and maybe to make a few questionable life choices at 2 a.m. But behind the blue roofs and bottomless coffee is a story that starts with nuclear panic… and peaks with one of the internet’s most infamous marketing stunts.

• Once upon a time, someone tasted butter… and said, “what if this, but cheaper?”. That question birthed margarine, sparked lawsuits, fueled dairy conspiracies, and eventually led to one of the most iconic food names of the twentieth century — a product that’s almost butter, almost margarine, and absolutely confusing.

• Other than a certain cartoon detective, there’s nowhere we love gadgets more than in our kitchens… and perhaps no one is more responsible for those tools than Ron Popeil. He’s the ever-smilling pitchman whose specialized doohickeys turned the television infomercial from a programming afterthought into a cultural institution.

• 7 Brew enters the chat as the newest player trying to muscle its way into the crowded American caffeine coliseum. In just a few short years, the brand has positioned itself as a fast-rising, hyper-energetic alternative to Starbucks. Despite being relatively young, 7 Brew has already built a reputation for speed, personality, and a menu that essentially says, “We do what we do well, and then THAT’S IT.”

• Costco is a magical place. You walk in for paper towels, and walk out with a kayak, a ten-pound bag of quinoa, and a heaping plate of panic over where you’re going to store it all. But no matter what you buy, chances are it has one familiar name on it: Kirkland Signature. People trust it. Like… deeply. Religiously even. Possibly more than they trust some relatives! Do You buy Kirkland products? If so, what do you think about em?

• Ever notice how airplane food tastes… weird? You board the plane starving, open that tiny tray table meal, take one bite, and suddenly wonder if your taste buds stayed back at the airport gate.

• For most of the world, chili is thick, spicy, and eaten with a spoon. But in Cincinnati, they looked at that tradition and thought: What if we poured it over spaghetti, added cinnamon, and built an entire food culture around it? Welcome to the strange and legendary world of Cincinnati chili—a uniquely Midwestern dish made famous by restaurants like Skyline Chili. Instead of a bowl, it’s served on a plate of spaghetti and topped with towering piles of shredded cheese, onions, and beans in carefully ordered combinations known as “3-ways,” “4-ways,” and “5-ways.”

• The McDonald’s Snack Wrap was the perfect middle ground between a “lighter” fast food option and the kind of late-night creation you’d expect after a Jay and Silent Bob movie marathon. Small, cheap, and ridiculously addictive, it quickly became one of the most beloved items on the McDonald’s menu.

• Before the Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi cola wars took over the world, another soda was already making history. On Colombia’s Caribbean coast, a mysterious bright pink drink was bubbling into existence decades before the big soda brands battled for dominance — and it’s still popular today.

• Before meal kits, before DoorDash, and long before cheap grocery store rotisserie chickens, Boston Market was a real presence. It promised comfort food classics—like Thanksgiving dinner any day of the week—without the cooking, cleanup, or family drama! At its peak, this fast-casual chain was booming, redefining how Americans ate homestyle meals on the go. But almost as quickly as it rose, Boston Market began to collapse.

• Hawaiian Punch has been around forever—or at least it feels that way. Bright red, ultra-sweet, and somehow tasting like “fruit” without being tied to any one fruit, it’s a drink that defined childhood for millions. But what is Hawaiian Punch, really? And where did it come from?

• You think V8 is healthy… but is it really?

• Pizza is cheap, comforting, and available everywhere… or at least it used to be. But recently, something strange has been happening. America’s favorite food seems to be slowly fading away, and after you hear the reasons why, you may never look at a slice the same way again.

• While McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s dominate the fast-food burger world, Jack in the Box has long been carving out a surprising legacy of its own. From its creepy clown mascot to the iconic Jumbo Jack, Jack in the Box seemingly has everything it needs to compete at the top... but lately, things haven't been going so well for Jack.