Food and drink

Explore European cultural heritage through food and drink.

Edible Plants from the Americas

Europe’s eating habits would be very different had explorer Christopher Columbus not set out to find a faster route from Spain to south-east Asia. This exhibition explores how the newly discovered edible plants had a major impact on global culture, economics and politics.

Familiar food from far-off places

Where would we be without Italian tomatoes, Irish potatoes and Belgian chocolate? The reality is that these and many other plants familiar to us today are not indigenous to Europe.

Exhibition

Early adopter Christopher Columbus apparently translated the papaya’s Carib name ‘ababi’ as ‘fruit of the angels’.

Ice cream, biodiesel and the custard apple

Annonas, custard apples and soursops are small tropical trees or shrubs from the Annonaceae family. The genus Annona includes approximately 200 recognised species.

Not poisonous after all – the tomato

The greatest diversity of tomato species is concentrated in South America, especially in the Andes.

The spice of life – chili and pepper

Capsicum (pepper) is a neotropical genus belonging to the Solanaceae family which includes around 32 species of shrubs and subshrubs.

Exhibition

The potato originated in the Andes, where the indigenous population domesticated a variety of native wild species.

Cassava, cake and cyanide

The cassava is a shrub that grows up to 3 meters in height with tuberous roots, rich in starch and reaching up to a metre in length.

God’s food - cocoa

The cacao is a small tree, reaching up to eight meters in height. The fruit contains 30-40 seeds surrounded by a white pulp – these are the cacao beans.

Exhibition

The peanut or groundnut is a herbaceous plant, between 30-50 cm tall.

Exhibition

Corn is an annual grass of the genus Zea which includes seven species native to Mexico and Central America.

Spiky but sweet – the prickly pear

Among the Cactaceae, Opuntia is the most widely distributed and the most diverse genus, with approximately 75 American species.

Story

Exploring the history of vermouth, an aperitivo drink produced in Turin

Story

Explore the history of ice-cream in Sweden

Story

Take a culinary tour to discover seven foods named after European places

Story

Extending 36 kilometres along the Danube, the Wachau is a landscape of stunning scenery

Story

A short history of working as a waiter in restaurants

Story

From coffee, tea and tobacco to UNESCO: the story of Van Nelle business started with a small shop.

Story

Behind pizza's simplicity lies a much more complex history – this is the tale of the Margherita’s migration.

Story

The history of the Jacob’s Biscuit Factory, home of the cream cracker.

Gallery

Here's a sweet treat: this gallery presents chocolate advertising from across Europe.

Story

The history of Swiss seasoning Maggi

Story

With today’s craft beer movement, the origins of beer culture come more and more to the fore.

Story

Tea: where it’s from, how you grow it, and how the plant is prepared?

Story

Archaeology can give great insight into what processes have made us the humans we are today.

Gallery

How do you take your tea? Served in an elegant parlour, from a flask or during a Japanese ceremony?

Gallery

From the earliest archaeological finds to more recent technology, how we prepare our food.

Story

Meet the women who taught Europe to cook.

Story

Highlighting vintage food and drink advertisements in European newspapers.

Story

Rotterdam's contribution to the world’s fast-food heritage is kapsalon

Gallery

Ice cream, eis, gelato... eating and enjoying ice-cream is a quintessential summertime activity

Discover migration stories on Food and Drink

Learning scenarios about food

English, STEAM - Primary school

STEAM - Lower and Upper Secondary

English and Philosophy - Upper secondary

English and History - Primary school

The Instant Life of Aprons and Pockets

Language subjects, STEAM - Vocational educational training and Lower secondary

Art, English - Upper secondary

English, Language subjects, STEAM - Lower secondary, Upper secondary