Victoria always has something delicious to offer, from the fresh fruits in the
Mornington Peninsula, to the cool climate wines of the Yarra Valley, to the home-made sheep cheese and biscuits in the
Southern Grampians.
The State Library of Victoria celebrates this deliciously rich culinary history and landscape of Victoria with Gusto! Expect to view gastronomic treasures from its collection, some items from the National Archive, the Art Gallery of Ballarat, Kraft and Carlton United Breweries on display including the first Australian cookbook published in 1864, an actual World War I army biscuit and handwritten recipes of Mietta O'Donnell.
Gusto! also explores Victoria's fascination and intimate relationship with food and drink by exploring the history of viticulture in Victoria, Indigenous foods, sustainable food practices, fine dining, food rationing, and the impact of immigration upon Victoria's culinary landscape. The exhibition also features the stories of some leading Melbourne food identities, chefs, restaurateurs and food writers, such as Jacques Reymond, Rita Erlich,
Guy Grossi and Stephanie Alexander. The
Queen Victoria Market also gave away fresh fruits to visitors at the opening of Gusto!
Gusto! also includes a series of complimentary city culinary tours to allow visitors to sample some of the foods featured in the exhibition. The tours run every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday from 1pm – 1:30pm and on Thursdays from 5pm – 5:30pm, from 21 August to 6 September.
Visitors can meet at the main entry to the Library at the stated days and times and no reservations are required.
An extended gastronomic sampling at some of Melbourne's most renowned eateries including Chin Chin, Longrain, Grossi Florentino, Cumulus Inc, Maha, Miss Chu,
Queen Victoria Market and others are also available through the
Look.Stop.Taste Food Festival from18 August to 16 September.
