This is the NARCOTICS & MEDICINES area with selected objects such as kava root and tobacco leaves, edible clay, a sheep’s heart, a bull’s heart and an onion.

Paul Levy - writer and former Chair of the Oxford Food Symposium – reminds us of a poem about the wonderful effects of consuming hashish and of Alice B. Toklas’ recipe for “Bryan Gysen’s Haschich Fudge”, which can be easily made with specimen of the cannabis sativa in the museum collection.

Gosewijn van Beek – anthropologist – remembers the ‘apparition’ of the legendary Miss Beatrice Blackwood when he was doing research in the museum years ago. He’ll inform us about the sedative and euphoric effects of kava root, which make it eminently suitable for inducing shamanistic trances in the Melanesian region.

Linda Roodenburg - director of the FoodMuseum – can be seen tasting her first piece of kava root. In the meantime, she’s talking about gyophagy: the worldwide practice of eating clay.

Liz Wilding – our project manager – has an extensive knowledge of the food objects in the collection. She keeps an eye on us and takes care of the smooth running of the project.