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Around the world, food museums are increasingly popular. These interactive spaces offer special experiences that make a visit to a country even more engaging. The culture and history of people are, in fact, also reflected in the food. The evolution of the traditional concept of the museum, in this case, expands and is redefined through a fun and sensory approach that also combines the pleasure of taste and the discovery of new flavours. So let's go on a culinary tour of food museums around the world. 

1. Kimchikan Museum, South Korea

Museum Kimchikan - Klook United Kingdom

A journey through kimchi, the famous Korean fermented cabbage, is certainly curious. This culinary museum explores the evolution of an iconic Korean dish, from royal court variations to regional specialties. The history of kimchi has transformed from a domestic necessity to a global phenomenon. At the tasting level, it is highlighted how temperature and ageing transform its aromatic profile, demonstrating that kimchi, like good wine, reveals different notes over time.

2. Cupnoodles Museum, Japan

Cupnoodles Museum

The My Cupnoodles Factory is a museum that focuses on the long pasta common in the East. The museum has two offices in Osaka and Yokohama, where you can design your own cup, choose the flavour of the soup, add the condiments, and then vacuum-seal it. Furthermore, in the Chicken Ramen Factory, noodles can be kneaded and steamed using the same method as the Japanese inventor Momofuku Ando, who designed and marketed instant noodles.

3. Hollands Kaasmuseum, Netherlands


The Hollands Kaasmuseum, or the Dutch Cheese Museum, shows the traditional tools, from 1365, for producing cheese: from wooden moulds to ancient butter pans, to the holders of carved wood. Visitors can witness the ritual of the cheese trade that has remained largely unchanged since the Middle Ages, complete with guilds in white uniforms and rhythmic bargaining, the signature method for sealing agreements.

4. Wonderfood Museum, Malaysia

Wonderfood Museum Penang: what to expect from your visit

In Penang, the gastronomic capital of Malaysia, the Wonderfood Museum acts as an archive and documents the multiculturalism of the country, recounting culinary techniques and presentations. What makes the museum interesting is the replicas of more than 100 plates in a giant version. Visitors can have fun posing theatrically as street vendors, perfect for a keepsake photo.

5. Chocolate Art Museum, France 

Chocolate in all its forms: from architectural replicas to life-size sculptures that could be mistaken for bronze if it weren't for the strong and unmistakable aroma. The museum is located in an 18th-century villa and has a series of immersive exhibitions. A culinary dive to discover the secrets of chocolate production, from the plantation to the finished product, the techniques for creating chocolate sculptures and works of art by master chocolatiers and contemporary sculptors.

6. World Coffee Museum, Vietnam

Founded in the Buôn Ma Thu region by the company Trung Nguyên, a Vietnamese business group involved in the production of coffee, this special museum houses more than 10,000 artefacts for a journey into the world of coffee. From traditional coffee grinders to modern production equipment. The exhibition follows the essential phases of production: planting, harvesting, roasting, preserving, and tasting, showing how each step has evolved through cultures and centuries.

7. Food Wanderer x Lakbay Museum, Philippines


In a village-like environment with jeepneys and sari-sari shops on the corner, this museum offers a culinary journey through the archipelago's more than 7,000 islands. Here you can watch dance shows inspired by the Pahiyas Festival, taste local delicacies such as dried fish and puto, a steamed rice cake, and try traditional hand-woven costumes. The museum collaborates with more than 100 small businesses across the Philippines, creating a market for their products and connecting urban visitors with rural producers.

8. Southern Food and Beverage Museum, USA

Southern Food & Beverage Museum | FrenchQuarter.com

A landmark in New Orleans, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum recounts the cultural exchanges that have shaped local cuisine. From the culinary traditions of plantations born under slavery to the vital role of restaurants during the civil rights movement, the museum reveals how food has long been a place of power, resistance, and identity in South America. The available cooking classes offer an opportunity to try your hand at the evolution of Cajun and Creole cuisines, the legacy of the Louisiana shrimp industry, and the regional nuances of barbecue. Also inside the museum is the Museum of the American Cocktail, which traces the legendary history of New Orleans cocktail culture.

9. Singapore Food Museum


This mobile museum functions as a travelling cultural ambassador, opening in stores, schools, and public spaces. The exhibitions showcase traditional kitchen utensils, such as stone grinders and mooncake moulds, as well as specialised tools used in traditional recipes. The museum brings vintage recipes to life, ensuring that Singapore's multicultural food traditions live through practice.

Read the original story on ELLE Italy.

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