The Musée des Maisons Comtoises has chosen to focus on what we put on our plates. While it may seem trivial at first glance, the act of “eating” or nourishing oneself is today a matter of choices, compromises, guidelines, mandates, conventions, and so on. How do we approach these choices? 

The exhibition begins with a question: What kind of eater are you? 

Visitors must select one of the four profiles offered, with each profile corresponding to a section of the exhibition:

• The gourmet: He considers eating to be one of life’s greatest pleasures, frequently talks about food, and pays close attention to the quality of the products he consumes.

• The “rational” eater, who sees himself as the manager of his own health and longevity; he believes that by following doctors’ advice, he can prevent or delay certain diseases and stay in good shape well into old age.

• The Social and Sociable Eater, who values traditional meal customs and conviviality; he enjoys sitting down to share lunch with his colleagues and dinner with his family and friends; he hates skipping a meal and being forced to eat too quickly

•The “nature-loving” eater believes it is essential to protect both oneself and the environment from pollution; he or she eats mostly organic or natural products.

Through four different perspectives—the pleasure of eating; health through food; eating as a social activity; and sustainable food—the exhibition aims to analyze our eating behaviors. The cuisine of Franche-Comté will also be examined through these different lenses.

The exhibition showcases the museum’s collections, including tableware, storage jars, and cookbooks. All of these objects demonstrate just how much our relationship with food has changed over the past century. Advances in medicine and nutrition, the end of food shortages, and the development of new preservation techniques have profoundly altered what ends up on our plates.