The Victoria and Albert Museum is most known for its five century-spanning fashion collection. What most people don't realize is that they have an entire section about food, and who wouldn't want to learn about food and its modern advances? We went through a self-guided food tour and learned that the UK is all about compost and reuse. They use anything and everything to make new products because "something can be made from anything."
Urban mushroom farming is a new invention where mushrooms are grown in the used coffee grounds, which are full of nutrients, from the V & A café and then served in the museum's cafeteria! Murals and canvases can be created with any material someone gets their hands on. They had one made from different types of corn husks. Wine bottles can be made from grape skins and vine branches. Dishes can be made from coffee grounds. Pottery can be made from tea leaves.
We need to start taking notes from this exhibit because some of these products are normally made from plastic or glass. If we can use biodegradable materials to create objects from daily use, then why would we need to use materials like plastic? I understand that it might take longer, but time can be sacrificed for a healthier planet. This food tour was extremely eye-opening because I had no idea these things could be made from stuff like grape skins and tea leaves. It's honestly crazy how innovative humans can be if we try.
They predict that "meats" in the future (like sausage) will be made from insects and plants like figs and prunes much like the "Impossible Burger" is experimenting with now. This is to balance out the animal consumption with plants.
The end of the tour was the most interesting (and tasty) because they have you choose three words to describe your ideal food for the future like “locally grown,” “efficient,” and “vegan.” Depending on the adjectives you pick, the system tells you how “rare” your future food preference is. The words I chose, which have slipped my mind now, were extremely rare, and I felt as if I had won a game or something! The best part was after all that, they create a little cracker for you based on the words you picked. Ingredients ranged from tomato paste, fish flakes, aioli, or avocado put on a flax seed cracker. I was not disappointed in my cracker, and I got a snack while learning.
I also saw that they had a Jewelry exhibit, and I can't resist jewelry, especially rings! I dragged the only guy in our group, Bill, with me, and he liked to point out the "bedazzled swords." He was referring to some of the swords wielded by kings and princes that could afford to have that many jewels embellish their weapon.
We took a break when we found a table for kids to draw, so naturally, we picked up the colored pencils and drew. This break resulted in Bill drawing a picture that was supposed to be a portrait of me...
10/10 experience at the V & A Museum because not only is there something for everyone, but it educated me on the advancements we've made on food for the future!
If you're interested in any of the other exhibits the Victoria and Albert Museum has to offer (and there are a lot), then check out this link!
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