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"Our logo is getting people thinking about the food they eat," Ralph said. "For me, that's largely connected to who is involved in that process: the people who farm, harvest, transport, prepare, sell, cook, clean and pretty much anyone else in the food business."
With the increased prices of many groceries — compiled with recent recalls and health concerns — food never seems to be far from the mind. However, a growing number of food museums are saying that's OK — celebrating the most historical, memorable and kitschy of food items past. Whoever said that food for thought can't also be food for fun?
1. Candy Americana Museum, Wilbur Chocolate: Lititz, Pa.
Wilbur buds may be lesser known than their milk chocolate counterparts, Hershey's Kisses, but they steal the show at the quaint and charming chocolate shop and museum. Founded in 1972, the museum includes more than 1,000 varieties of tins and molds, and also gives visitors a peek into the candy kitchen, where the delectable chocolate treats are born.
www.wilburbuds.com/docs/museum.html
2. Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum: Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Japan
This museum, which is also part-historical theme park and restaurant, pays homage to ramen — the famous Asian noodle and cornerstone of college student diets. Visitors can watch feeds of ramen commercials from the last 25 years and learn about the momentous (and painstakingly documented) development of instant ramen. When you grow tired of admiring the noodle packets adorning the museum walls, venture to "Ramen Town," which includes sake bars, candy shops and, not so shockingly, eight distinctive ramen shops with unique twists on the dish.
3. Museum of Bread Culture: Ulm, Germany
Revered as one of the earliest and most important staples in the human diet, bread is the baked-good of choice at this German museum founded in 1955. It's probably one of the only places in the world that combines the art of breadmaking with actual art; among the collection are bread-inspired pieces by Georg Flegel, Pablo Picasso, Salavador Dali and others.
www.brotmuseum-ulm.de/index_english.php
4. Jell-O Gallery: Le Roy, N.Y.
Even museums need a little wiggle room, and this one has cartons full. But celebrating Jell-O's delectable history cannot be done without honoring its biggest celebrity supporters. A new exhibit features Bill Cosby's 30-year-influence on the brand, while recordings capture the advertising magic of Andy Griffith, Lucile Ball and others who promoted the product over the radio waves. If you're in the market for the perfect dessert, you may want to check out the online collection of gelatin recipes dating back to the early 20th century.
http://www.jellogallery.org/
5. SPAM Museum: Austin, Minn.
Before it was filling your e-mail box, it was an integral part of every all-American sandwich (paired with Wonder Bread, of course). In the heart of "SPAM Town USA," the meat of this retro-inspired museum is a hearty sense of humor. And for anyone who was curious about the anatomy of SPAM, a billboard advertisement assures clients: "Yes, we do answer the ingredients question."
(565) (482) (309) (105) (33) (26) (20) (18) (14) (7) (7) (5) (2)6. Heinz 57 Exhibit: Pittsburg, Pa.
Food tastes better with condiments and this one will always be synonymous with 57 varieties. See and count them all at this permanent exhibition, housed in the Sen. John Heinz History Center. While you're there, relish in the glory of Heinz-themed games, design ads for Heinz products and stop by the 1950s-style soda counter. Most importantly, see how the business grew from a home-based company to a major corporation producing more than 4,000 products today.
www.pghhistory.org/Heinz_57.asp
7. Agropolis Museum: Montpellier, France
This museum offers a buffet of information for anyone interested in the studies of food on a worldwide scale. Learn about the nutrition and history of food products, as well as farming methods across the globe. Plus, examine consumption as related to socioeconomic status. Like the New York Food Museum, the Agropolis also sponsors a variety of traveling exhibitions funded with public and private support.
www.museum.agropolis.fr/english
8. Big Mac Museum Restaurant: North Huntingdon, Pa.
The biggest problem in this museum is sneaking around hungry patrons to see the exhibits. Housed in an operating McDonald's, fast-food fans can nab a bite of history and a bit of lunch. In addition to a state-of-the-art play area, the museum pays tribute to the 1967 creation of the Big Mac in Western Pennsylvania. So, if your own two all-beef patties didn't hit the spot, you're in the right place to find a little extra cheese on the world's largest Big Mac replica.
http://www.bigmacmuseum.com/
9. Burlingame Museum of PEZ Memorabilia, Burlingame, Calif.
What better to follow the world's largest Big Mac than the world's largest PEZ dispenser? These sugary morsels were originally mint-flavored when they hit the shelves in 1927 (PEZ stands for PfeffErminZ, the German word for peppermint). The first dispenser didn't come along until around 1950, and this museum has examples of nearly every dispenser since then: almost 600 of them.
www.spectrumnet.com/pez/
10. Kool-Aid: Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History: Hastings, Neb.
Kool-Aid is the official soft drink of Nebraska and this permanent installation shows why. Its interactive exhibit, Kool-Aid: Discover the Dream, displays realistic murals and replicas celebrating the beloved drink — even a fiber-optic Kool-Aid river! Explore the chronicles of creator Edwin Perkins to see how he turned a kitchen concoction into a product that remains popular today.
www.hastingsmuseum.org/koolaid/index.htm
