Natto, the favorite breakfast of many Japanese
Frog shakes from Peru, worm cheese from Sardinia or the famous surströmming (the smelly Swedish herring) are some of the 'works' that will be exhibited at the ** Disgusting Food Museum ** – yes, literally, disgusting food museum.
The architects of this idea are the Swedes Samuel West (curator) and Andreas Ahrens (museum director).
“Samuel is an old friend of mine and I'm used to hearing his crazy quips. But this one was different and I knew I had to be a part of it!” exclaims Ahrens.
They developed the concept together with a small team of researchers and graphic designers. “The investigation was extensive, we even involved the University of Lund”, explains the director of the museum.
Who wants a jello salad?
“We did an exhaustive search over several months, narrowing down the selection from a list of over 200 to the 80 foods what we have now”, explains Andrea.
Each item was evaluated based on its smell, taste, texture and background. “The supply of lesser known foods was and continues to be a great challenge. You should see my credit card bill. I've ordered things from all over the world!” she tells us.
CRITERIA TO BE ACCEPTED AS DISGUSTING FOOD
There are three main characteristics that a meal must meet to be exhibited in the museum.
First, they must be real foods, consumed today or of historical importance somewhere in the world.
Centennial egg, a smelly Chinese delicacy
Also, must be regarded as 'disgusting' by a considerable number of people, although this criterion is obviously subjective.
And lastly, it should be interesting or fun foods, such as the **Stinky Toe** fruit from Jamaica.
Most of the 80 foods on display are real, while a few are replicas and others are shown in video.
Also, many of the real they can be smelled and some are even available to be tasted for the most intrepid.
“We have a special section for cheese that we call The Stinky Cheese Altar. The smelliest of all is Vieux Boulogne in France,” says Andreas.
Garum, a sauce prepared from fermented fish viscera
DISGUST, A BASIC EMOTION
"The disgust is a feeling of extreme repulsion towards certain things. Its evolutionary function is to help us avoid diseases and unsafe food”, Samuel West, curator of the museum, tells Traveler.es
And he continues: “in fact, the disgust It is one of the six basic emotions of the human being. and it is universal in all cultures”.
When West opened the failure museum, he was very surprised by the impact it had: “If a simple and fun exhibition can change people's attitude towards failure, what other things could I change? ”, he wondered.
“We need to start consider alternatives urgently. But many people dislike the idea of eating insects and are skeptical about lab-grown meat, and it all boils down to disgust”, explains the curator to Traveler.es
Therefore, "if we can change our notions about what food is unpleasant or not, it could help us make the transition to more sustainable protein sources,” Samuel concludes.
Cuy, a very famous roasted guinea pig in Peru
FROM HATE TO LOVE?
In Ahrens's opinion, “disgust is a cultural issue. We like the foods we've grown up with. The thought of eating a spider makes some people hungry and others want to vomit."
Furthermore, it is also about a matter of context “Now that some of the best chefs in the world are experimenting with insects, many no longer perceive it as something unpleasant, ”he concludes.
Can our tastes and feelings of disgust change? “Our ideas of what sucks definitely change. When I moved to Sweden, I thought super salty liquorice was horrible, but now I love it,” says Samuel.
“Ideas of disgust can change over time,” Samuel continues. In fact, Two hundred years ago, the locust was so undesirable that it was only fed to prisoners and slaves. Today it is a luxury for the palate”.
Kopi Luwak, a coffee made from civet feces that is also one of the most expensive in the world
THE MOST DISGUSTING
For Andrea, “without a doubt, the balot, an already fertilized duck egg with its embryo inside that is cooked just like a boiled egg and eaten straight from the shell”.
"I first tried it when I lived in the Philippines, where it's a pretty common food," he says.
He also declares himself a fan of Casu Marzu, a typical Sardinian cheese infested with larvae alive with flies
“The little worms can jump up to 15 cm, so you have to cover your eyes when you eat it.” explains to Traveler.es
Casu Marzu, a worm-infested cheese from Sardinia
In the case of Samuel, “I prefer icelandic Shark, of an indescribably unpleasant odor: hele to death and ammonia, ”he says.
“It is impossible to eat it without a big drink of the icelandic liqueur black death ”, He comments on this disgusting shark.
Another of Samuel's favorites is the Haggis, a famous Scottish dish based on sheep heart, liver and lungs.
Kumis or sour milk, made by fermentation
BON APPETITE!
The Disgusting Food Museum will open its doors next October 31 in **Malmö (Sweden) ** and the shows will last until January 27, 2019.
Adult admission is priced at 185 Swedish crowns (about €18) while children enter for free.
“Just as a roller coaster offers us a safe experience of danger, people are fascinated by unpleasantness, from a safe distance, yes”, comments Andreas.
Mopane Worms: pure protein!
“I think the museum will be very interesting food lovers and people who love to travel and explore”, Andrew concludes.
A plus: the museum shop offers a curious selection of the most unusual drinks and snacks, in case you are left wanting more.