Description:
A Place at the Royal Table, an initiative by the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace at Wilanów, shared knowledge and experience about the culinary history of royal courts. Through the means of workshops, open-air activities and academic conferences they raised awareness about the culinary traditions and customs of European courts. The project was realised within the framework of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, with similar activities taking place in royal palaces across Europe, as part of the Network of European Royal Residences. The results of the initiative are remarkable: over 200 workshops dedicated to culinary heritage took place in 2018. They ranged from cooking classes for all age groups to workshops on historical gardening and beekeeping. Up to 5000 people took part in the activities organised by the Museum of King Jan III’s Palace, not only strengthening relations with the local community, but also disseminating knowledge on the culinary heritage of Europe. In October 2018, the two-day international conference The Power of Taste. Europe at the Royal Table, brought together historians, scholars in food studies, museum curators, chefs and representatives of institutions promoting traditional food. Culinary journalists and food producers discussed the cultural relevance of food; both in the past and in today’s world. ​Culinary re-enactment sessions were arranged, supervised by chefs and specialists, in which the visitors could try their hand at ​17th-18th century ​Polish ​recipes from 7 cookbooks which were published by the museum in previous years.