‘A question of taste’ : identifying pathways for the interpretation of food in museums and heritage sites in Malta

Abstract

This research aims to establish the best interpretative strategies to present food histories, narratives and displays in Maltese museums. Given the limited presence of Maltese food in local restaurants, this study seeks to explore how tourists can engage with Maltese food culture and history through museums. Drawing from international examples of food museums and exhibitions, insights from local food curators, historians, chefs, and writers, and the results of a survey eliciting how target audiences would like to experience the interpretation of food in museums, this research endeavours to address the inadequacies in food interpretation narratives within Maltese museums, where current practices often remain object-centric. Rooted in these elicited themes and strategies this study suggests branded museum cafes and a multi-sensory and immersive Museum of Maltese Food as possible mediums for local and foreign visitors to encounter typical Maltese dishes and both historical and contemporary foodways.