Those who share a love of history with a taste for good food will enjoy a new experience being developed by the Zuiderzee Museum for 2018. Chervil pesto anyone? Or how about some bacon fat spread on that bread? As one of the three icons in the north of the Netherlands chosen by the Dutch Tourist Board in relation to water, the Zuiderzee Museum in Enkhuizen is always a treat for the senses. Featuring indoor and outdoor segments, both worth a visit in their own right, the Zuiderzee Museum brings the rich culture of the fishing villages of the former South Sea vividly to life. Photo from Zuiderzeemuseum Back in time In 2018 the museum will use the theme ‘food over time’ to offer an all-new taste experience, unless that is you happen to be over a 100 years old and were resident in this part of the world as a child. “We are going to take people on a journey back through the culinary ages by serving up foods that the South Sea fishermen and their families used to eat,” explains sales manager Marcel Grim. “A wide range of traditional flavours will be on the menu, some of which have virtually disappeared. They include smoked fish powder, chervil pesto, anchovy-flavoured salt, sugar syrup and spreadable fat made from bacon. It’s going to be a true taste sensation.” Photo from Zuiderzeemuseum Appreciating life The Zuiderzee Museum is also developing some experimental new foods, including potato muffins. “Our goal is to give people the chance to experience with all their different senses life on what we now call the Ijsselmeer lake,” adds Marcel. “In previous centuries water was both a friend (providing an income from fishing) and an enemy (due to the constant threat of floods). This was not a time when people took food for granted as any problem with the harvest from land and sea spelled trouble. Everything that was caught and grown had to be salted in order to be preserved for the wintertime. Exploring this period in preparation for the 2018 season one cannot help realising how privileged we are today when it comes to our diets.” Photo from Zuiderzeemuseum Past meets present One of the highlights will be ‘the house of 1920’ where actors wearing traditional costumes will cook meals in the same way as they were done almost a century ago. The various meat stews and other dishes which have traditionally been cooked here in this part of the Museum will be supplemented by all these extra flavours. “Overall, the museum gives people a fantastic experience related to the past and present in this part of the world,” concludes Marcel. “We are working closely with artists to add modern designs in the old houses and bring different periods of life together.” More information Zuiderzeemuseum Mr Marcel Grim T +31 (0)228 351 102 M +31 (0)6 105 90070 E Marcel.grim@zuiderzeemuseum.nl I www.zuiderzeemuseum.nl