Museum of Edible Earth
For its first UK presentation, the Museum of Edible Earth comes to Somerset House, inviting visitors to explore geophagy; the practice of eating earth for health, ritual and culinary benefit. Created by artist and researcher masharu, the internationally touring museum brings together edible samples of clay, chalk and mineral-rich earths from around the world, offering a rare sensory encounter with soil.
| Dates | 18 Mar–26 Apr 2026 |
| Times | Sun–Wed 10am–6pm Thu & Fri 12–8pm Sat 10am–8pm |
| Space | Terrace Rooms |
| Price | Pay What You Can |
Following our landmark exhibition SOIL: The World at Our Feet, Museum of Edible Earth extends this investigation into soil by exploring geophagy; the deeply rooted global practice of eating earth for health, ritual and culinary purposes. Founded in Amsterdam in 2017 by artist and researcher masharu, the Museum of Edible Earth is both a nomadic museum and an online research platform documenting an expanding global collection of edible soils, the database contains over 600 samples from 44 countries including Armenia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Germany, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, and Nigeria. The project combines geological research, cultural histories and recorded taste impressions, inviting visitors to encounter earth as a material with flavour, texture and cultural meaning.
At the centre of the exhibition will be a communal tasting table where guided tasting sessions will take place throughout the run,daily from 1–4pm, visitors can choose to sample specially sourced earths from the museum’s collection. Each tasting is accompanied by a card detailing flavour profiles, mineral content and cultural histories, guests are invited to contribute their own tasting notes on compostable cards, building an evolving, participatory archive.
TASTING SAMPLES – IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Samples are provided for voluntary tasting by visitors aged 18 and over.
Please read carefully before participating.
Do not participate if you:
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Have kidney disease or severe medical conditions
- Are immunocompromised
- Have known allergies to mineral, clay, silica, or earth-based products
- Are currently taking medication (samples should not be consumed within 1–2 hours of medication)
- Are unsure about ingesting natural mineral products
If you feel unwell or experience discomfort, stop immediately and inform the facilitator.
Participation is entirely voluntary and at your own risk.
Please speak to the facilitator if you would like to review the full product information sheets, ingredients, warnings.
You will be asked to sign a declaration before tasting.
Exhibition Events
To mark Earth Day, we will host a special weekend of talks, workshops and events from Fri 17 – Sun 19 Apr, inspired by Museum of Edible Earth and the spring courtyard commission Serpentine Currents.
The weekend will include:
- An Upgrade Yourself takeover for aspiring creatives aged 18–30
- Family-friendly workshops
- Open access to Somerset House’s Makerversity studios, where designers and makers are developing creative responses to environmental challenges
- Artists masharu (Museum of Edible Earth) and Dana-Fiona Amor (Serpentine Currents) will lead workshops across the weekend.
About Museum of Edible Earth
The Museum of Edible Earth’s online platform documents the project’s expanding collection of edible soils. Each entry includes geological composition, methods of collection, cultural context, and recorded taste impressions. The database currently contains over 600 samples from 44 countries, including Armenia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Germany, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and many others, and enables research across regions, traditions, and soil types. Updated continuously through fieldwork, community contributions and visitor feedback, the website operates as a scientific and cultural archive, supporting the study of geophagy and providing public access to the project’s evolving database. Museum of Edible Earth has been presented in over 22 countries around the world and has won an Award of Distinction at the Prix Ars Electronica 2021.
Accessibility
Please visit our Accessibility page here.