If you’ve ever wondered where your favourite instant noodles come from or how chocolate and coffee became universally loved concoctions, it’s time for some flavourful discoveries! Here is a collection of six unique food museums around the world offering an appetising experience for the entire family.
By KRITI SARASWAT-SATPATHY

THE DESSERT MUSEUM, PHILIPPINES

Calling itself an ‘interactive tasting adventure’, this place hits the sweet spot—quite literally! Located in Pasay in Philippines’ National Capital Region, this life-sized candy land lets your imagination run wild on a sugar rush. The pink doorway entry leads into eight ‘mouth-watering’ dessert rooms, each with something unique on offer, all featuring massive installations of various sugary treats, giving this make-believe world an even more fun vibe. Have your future told by a giant fortune cookie, step inside the biggest gumball machine filled with balloons, try the banana split slide or step on a beach full of huge banana sprinkles, savour the K-pop craze in the cake-pop room, and more! There’s also a section filled with huge candy canes, lollipops, and other confectionary, albeit all artificial. Fret not, there are plenty of real desserts to gorge on and buy after you’re done clicking photos at this pastel-and-neon space designed to be an Instagram superstar!
thedessertmuseum.com
Did You Know: Visitors can win some treats by getting on to the Giant Human Claw machine! 

FCI FOOD MUSEUM, INDIA

Thanjavur, the land of elaborate gold-foil paintings, is also home to another shining example of indigenous heritage: India’s first-ever food museum, established by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Spread across 920 square feet, it features exhibits that include ‘Grains and Pulses of India’, ‘From Foragers to Producers’, ‘Where we Get Our Food Crops From’, and ‘Dishes of India’, among others. Another engaging section explains the journey of a food grain from farm to plate. And those looking to understand how FCI manages food distribution and storage in a vast country like India will find all the answers here. Depicting several food processes and distribution methods, the interactive museum uses graphics, virtual reality, touch screens, and videos to take visitors on an informative food trip across the nation. And, at the end of the exhibit, you can test your newly acquired knowledge with a fun quiz!
fci.gov.in
Did You Know: The museum was established in 2021, 56 years after FCI’s first office was set up on this same land in Thanjavur. 

LINDT HOME OF CHOCOLATE, SWITZERLAND

If luscious, cacao-flavoured decadence makes your world go round, then this museum in the town of Kilchberg near Zurich should be on your bucket list of indulgence. You know you’re in for a treat when an over nine-metre-tall chocolate fountain with 1,400 kilograms of gooey goodness flowing through it welcomes you inside! An impressive array of audio guides, videos, and touch screens take you on an interactive tour tracing the origins of cocoa, its evolution into chocolate, the role of Switzerland’s finest chocolate pioneers, the iconic brand’s bean-to-bar process, and so much more. And did we mention the ‘All You Can Eat’ chocolate dispensers that are designed to spoil you silly? You can also sign up for chocolate-making workshops—from chocolate sauces and lollipops to bars and truffles—to learn how to keep the magic alive long after you’re home!
lindt-home-of-chocolate.com
Did You Know: The museum is home to the world’s largest Lindt shop, where a master chocolatier can custom-create a chocolate bar as per your liking.

COFFEE MUSEUM, UAE

For many of us, our daily cup of joe is sacred. And it’s a feeling that reigns supreme in glitzy Dubai, home to a coffee museum that delves into the history of one of the most consumed beverages in the world. Located in the Emirate’s historic Al Fahidi district, the gallery’s ethnic aesthetic is designed to take you back in time. Trace the history of this precious bean, from it’s possible origins in Ethiopia, journey to the Arabian Peninsula, the birth of the Arabic and Egyptian coffee cultures, and its wildly successful travels around the world. Spread across two levels, it also presents a live showcase of varied roasting and brewing methods, as well as the different equipment used to make this beverage, ranging from the antique to the modern. Books, documentaries, and visual representations help coffee afficionados satiate their thirst for the brew. There’s a kid’s corner to keep the little ones engaged, as well. Don’t miss stopping by the museum shop to pick up ibriks (Turkish coffee pots), coffee-themed jewellery, beans, and more.
coffeemuseum.ae
Did You Know: You can peruse 18th-century coffee manuscripts, part of the owner’s personal collection, at the museum’s library.

DISGUSTING FOOD MUSEUM, SWEDEN

If you have a taste for the unexpected and peculiar, then this gallery in Malmö is just for you. Witness an assortment of unusual food items from across the globe, some of which may be considered a delicacy in certain parts of the world, but are likely to seem extremely odd to many others. The idea is to help visitors learn how the notion of ‘disgust’ can change with time and familiarity, eventually bringing different cultures closer to each other through food. From smelling some of the funkiest food items to trying a variety of them (if you can get past the smell), the museum has over 80 exhibits to offer. Delicacies include maggot-infested cheese from Sardinia, well aged shark from Iceland, and the smelly Durian fruit from Thailand, among others. The museum also has a temporary exhibition on dangerous foods, naturally-available ones, as well as man-made dishes with
toxic ingredients.
disgustingfoodmuseum.com
Did You Know: Set up your own Disgusting Food Museum! Contact the main centre to know how to showcase 
 eats from your region.

CUPNOODLES MUSEUM, JAPAN

Paying homage to instant ramen that was developed in 1958 in Japan by textile businessman Momofuku Ando, this unique centre is open at two locations: Osaka Ikeda and Yokohama. The former is also the birthplace of instant noodles, making the site even more relevant. At both, one can experience a variety of interactive sessions and visual representations to understand the global phenomenon of this tasty, quick snack. From a recreation of Ando’s work shed, where he succeeded in making this food discovery using just basic tools, to creating your very own CUPNOODLES package, the museum is a treasure trove of twisty treats! Visiting children can not only make ramen by hand at the Chicken Ramen Factory, but those who visit the Yokohama museum can also experience being a noodle themselves at the CUPNOODLES Park. Whichever base you visit, don’t forget to sample some unique cup noodles flavours before leaving. It’s sure to be a slurp-i-licious experience!
cupnoodles-museum.jp
Did You Know: The Yokohama museum has a jaw-dropping exhibit of 3,000 instant noodle packets.

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