The Disgusting Food Museum Was Created to Explore the Concept of Taste
The Disgusting Food Museum’s director, Andreas Ahrens, became intrigued by the idea of “gross” food after achieving great success with his previous venture, the Museum of Failure. Seeing how an exhibit could shift people’s reactions to disappointment and dashed expectations, Ahrens wondered if exploring the psychology behind why we find certain foods disgusting might change our perception of taste.
This curiosity led to the creation of the museum. For lead curator Dr. Samuel West, a psychologist and longtime collaborator of Ahrens, the cultural hypocrisy surrounding meat consumption was the main attraction. He was eager to challenge visitors to consider why they eagerly eat pork yet shun sustainable protein sources like insects.
“I want people to question what they find disgusting,” West explained. To decide which foods qualified as the most “disgusting” and worthy…
