When trying to teach our kids about other countries and other cultures, one element that is instantly relatable and interesting to young minds is FOOD. Kids are curious about foods that are different from our own favorites. What grows in other regions? Why are some foods tied to holidays and celebrations? Food connects us to one another. The Bullock Texas State History Museum‘s newest exhibit — Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture — dives into the subject of food, its cultural meaning, and the complex systems that bring it from farm to fork. This interesting exhibit will be on view through July 24, 2016.
We had a chance to check it out, and we’re pretty blown away by how comprehensive this exhibit is. Our Global Kitchen is 7,000-sqare-feet of rare artifacts, interactive stations and even a test kitchen presented by Whole Foods Market. This exhibit is interesting to all ages. It’s a comprehensive look at how food, nature, history and human culture are all intertwined.
You’ll see original artifacts, such as a Sumerian grain weight, a Pre-Columbian ceramic dog from Mexico, ancient Moche ceramics, a Moroccan mortar and pestle and more. Visitors can examine miniature recreations of a Vietnamese rice paddy field, a French oyster farm, and see inner workings of a maize farm in Kenya and the United States.
Get food facts and statistics presented in interesting visuals. For example, see what a week’s worth of groceries includes for families around the world, and how the 1,656 pounds of food wasted per year by a U.S. family of four really stacks up. And don’t miss the model of the unique vertical garden that supports an indoor hydroponic environment — a growing system that sustains plant life without soil.
You’ll also see an Aztec marketplace diorama complete with a scent and soundscape, and one of our favorites — vignettes of the dining rooms of historic figures including Kublai Khan and Jane Austen.
We loved the interactive elements of the exhibit. There are scent stations in which you can sniff spices and ingredients grown all over the globe. There’s also a really cool “virtual cooking” table that shows you how to prepare recipes.
The Whole Foods Market Tasting Kitchen will offer live demonstrations, programs and tastings on select Saturdays with different themes each month, and will highlight the area’s top chefs, farmers and authors. Click here to view the Bullock Museum’s calendar of events. (Click on Saturdays to see what’s offered in the Tasting Kitchen).
Museum Hours & Admission: The Bullock Museum is open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. You can visit Our Global Kitchen with your regular museum admission. Adults are $12; seniors, military & college students are $10; kids ages 4-17 are $8.
You can learn more about this exhibit and all that the Bullock Museum has to offer by visiting TheStoryofTexas.com.
