‘Casu marzu’.
Disgusting to one, delicacy to another Who is to say what is revolting and what is not? Something that you consider sickening could be a delicacy to someone else. A museum in Malmö is dedicated to informing about and discussing food from around the world that is, generally, regarded as disgusting. By Pia Petersson | Photos: Anja Barte Telin
‘Surströmming’, a type of fermented herring, is part of traditional Swedish cuisine. These days, it is not that commonly eaten, but it is still known for its – shall we say rancid – smell. “Of the 94 cases of vomiting we’ve had here in the museum, surströmming has caused about half of them,” begins Andreas Ahrens, co-founder and director of the Disgusting Food Museum. The fact that the entry ticket comes in the form of a 78 | Issue 134 | March 2020
vomit bag, similar to those given out on airplanes, says it all.
Universal disgust With a great interest in food and in travelling, Ahrens always made sure to try some local specialties on his worldwide trips. And this is essentially how and where the idea of the museum was born. Since it opened in 2018, the Disgusting Food Museum has welcomed
a steady stream of visitors who are invited to smell, taste and touch some unusual foods from around the world. “There are two main messages behind the exhibit. Firstly, we want to show that some foods within all cultures are equally disgusting. We get used to certain food growing up, food that people from other parts of the world might find revolting, and vice versa. Secondly, we want to make people realise that the environmentally sustainable protein sources of the future might appear to be disgusting at first. Maybe more of us will have to get used to the thought of eating insects, algae or lab-grown meat,” Ahrens points out.