5 Must-See Museums For Cookbook Lovers

I love cookbooks and I read them like novels. I love to sit with a favorite and savor the pictures, the recipes, the history. For me it’s like a new adventure each time I pick up a cookbook.

I used to think I was the only person alive who did that. But I was mistaken. Everywhere I go I find people who love cookbooks. And people who collect them just like I do!

I have cookbooks from just about everyplace I’ve been. They’re not just souvenirs. They’re also memory keepers. Each time I open one of them I remember something about someone I met or something I did. So everywhere I go I make it a point to pick up another book. And what a collection I have!

Not too long ago Spouse and I visited friends in Dortmund, Germany. They know I love cookbooks. They also know I’m constantly on the hunt for a new one. And this trip they planned something special. A cookbook hunt like I’d never seen.

I had no clue what they could possibly have in store.

We didn’t have far to drive. Near the heart of Dortmund sits beloved Westfalenpark. This central park has something for everyone. Lush green lawns, rose gardens, walking trails…and…a cookbook museum!

A museum for cookbooks? I had no idea such a thing existed!

I couldn’t wait to get in there.

Stepping into this enormous building was like stepping into a time machine. Displays and displays of everything ever mentioned in a cookbook. And all laid out in chronological order.

Knives and utensils made by hand and later made by machine. Rustic and modern.

Mixing bowls and serving bowls. Cutting boards. Kettles for boiling and cooking.

Teapots that heat on the stove and teapots that get plugged in.

Measuring spoons, measuring cups, spatulas and whisks.

It was all there. But…what about the cookbooks? Where were they?

I found out soon enough. One of the docents took me outside the museum to a place tucked out of sight. She opened a door…to a library filled with cookbooks!

Thousands of them from all over Germany. Hard covers and paper covers. Some hand-written and some printed. Modern and medieval. Some as old as the 16^th century. I caught my breath and dropped my jaw. What a find!

The docent allowed me to pull a few from the shelves. My hands were shaky as I turned the delicate pages. It was a look into Germany’s rich heritage.

And there was something else about those books. Something that hit home for me. You see, cookbooks have always been important. A bride’s first gift was a cookbook she received from her parents. It was full of recipes but not only that. It also taught a new bride how to run her household. How to keep it efficient and profitable. How to keep it happy and healthy.

A cookbook was necessary indeed! And not just to Germany.

Here are 5 museums housing some of the oldest cookbooks in the world:

1. German Cookbook Museum, Westfalenpark, Dortmund, Germany. This museum houses a collection of recipes from the 19^th century German cook Henriette Davidis.
2. Nordic Cookbook Museum, Grythyttan, Sweden. This museum houses the oldest printed cookbook, “De honesta volupate”.
3. Imperial War Museum, London, England. This museum houses “Victory In The Kitchen”, a collection of wartime recipes from World War II.
4. Chateau de Monte Cristo, Yvelines, France. This museum houses a 1,150-page cookbook by Alexandre Dumas entitled “Grand Dictionnaire de Cuisine”.
5. Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut. This museum houses “American Cookery”, which is considered the first American cookbook.

Cookbooks mean a lot to people. They shed light on our culture and provide insight to our heritage. These snapshots in time teach us a lot about people…and ourselves.

They make good novels too!