The kitchen should be the heart of every home, filled with happy memories… but these kitchens are chilling reminders of historical disasters, spine-chilling authors, and the cruelest politicians who ever lived.

Edgar Allan Poe (USA)

Edgar Allan Poe’s Kitchen, courtesy of the Poe Museum. Portrait author unknown; most likely George C. Gilchrest, Samuel P. Howes, James M. Pearson, or Andrew J. Simpson, all of Lowell, MA.

This kitchen might seem quaint, but this iron stove fed the creativity of one of the world’s best mystery writers – Edgar Allan Poe. He lived in this cottage during the last few years of his life in the late 19th century, along with his wife, mother-in-law, cat, and birds:

… Poe’s mother-in-law Maria Clemm prepared the family’s meals. Mary Gove Nichols recounted of this room, “The floor of the kitchen was white as wheaten flour. A table, a chair, and a little stove that it contained, seemed to furnish it perfectly.” Poe Museum.

If you don’t remember the man, perhaps you’ll remember the famous opening to his poem The Raven:

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

Adding to the creep-factor, Poe’s life ended in a completely inexplicable way – far from his hometown, disoriented, in strange clothes, after having been found in the gutter. Some think it was alcohol poisoning. Others wonder if something more sinister happened. (Read more at The Smithsonian)

Hitler (GERMANY)

Adolf Hitler’s Dining Room and Kitchen, courtesy of Skylighters. Portrait of Hitler unkown, from German archives.

I get chills up my spine when I look on this man’s face. But did you know that Adolf Hitler – one of history’s cruelest dictators – also happened to be vegetarian? It was said that he averted his eyes whenever animal cruelty was shown in films and he kept his gardens stocked with fresh produce. (source)  This photo shows the kitchen and dining room from which he entertained his political guests.

The Titanic (Off the coast of CANADA)

Source: Retronaut.

Source: Retronaut. Replica Second Class Passenger Plates from the Titanic Exhibition Store.  Painting of the sinking ship by Wily Stöwer.

These kitchens come from the world’s most infamous shipwreck: the Titanic, which went down off the coast of Canada in 1912. I can almost hear the ceiling rattling with all those metal cups. What an eerie sound that must have been! This ship fed a ton of people, right up until the moment it sunk into the ocean:

A huge staff labored almost continuously in Titanic’s massive galleys to prepare more than 6,000 meals a day. The main galley, which churned out food for first- and second-class passengers, featured serving pantries; a butcher shop; a bakery; vegetable kitchens; specialized rooms for silver and china; rooms for wines, beer and oysters; and huge storage bins for the tons of coal needed to fuel the 19 ovens, cooking tops, ranges and roasters. (History)

One survivor, Ms. Walter Douglas, recounted the first class meals – feasts of “caviar, lobster, quail from Egypt, plovers’ eggs, and hothouse grapes and fresh peaches.” (Source) For comparison, here’s the last meal served on 2nd Class (the ship would hit the iceberg at 11:40 p.m. that night and go under with more than half of her occupants by 2:20 a.m.):

Sample 2nd Class menu from the Titanic. Source.

Saddam Hussein (IRAQ) 

This hideaway kitchen in Ad Dawr, Iraq is where Saddam Hussein ate his last meals prior to capture. In the mess you can just make out a few staples like  vegetable oil, honey, coffee and water. More canned food is in the bottom cabinets. Two tea kettles and a pot occupy the stove area. The rusted barrel with holes in it looks like some sort of charcoal burner, probably used for warmth. Source.

Pompeii (ITALY)

Grande Taberna, an outdoor, public kitchen in Pompeii. Photo by Aldo Ardetti.

The city of Pompeii was buried in ash after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79A.D. – a horrific loss of life. But when the city was uncovered in 1748, archaeologists discovered much of the buildings and artifacts in tact. That goes for this kitchen and “thermopolium”  – the equivalent of today’s fast food establishments. In some cases, full plates and an assortment of cups and pitchers were found still resting on the counters, as though waiting for the customers to return.

These small shops had L-shaped counters into which large storage vessels were sunk, which would contain either hot or cold food. More than a hundred and twenty of these buildings have been discovered in Pompeii alone. They are linked to the absence of kitchens in many dwellings and the ease with which people could purchase prepared foods — just as in modern times. Eating out was also an important aspect of socializing in Pompeii. (Source)

“Bedlam” (UNITED KINGDOM)

An octagonal kitchen building at Royal Bethlem Hospital, early 20th Century. Courtesy of Bethlem Art and History Collections Trust

The Hospital of Bethlem, a.k.a. Bedlam, at Moorfields, London (Engraving)

This 8-sided kitchen was heart of Bedlam, a.k.a. the Hospital of Bethlem – the world’s most infamous asylum. The kitchen’s odd shape hints at its former status as central courtyard and garden for Bedlam. The kitchen was built to accommodate the ever-increasing number of patients.

A little background: the asylum was built in 1247 and became solely focused on treating the mentally ill by 1377, making it the oldest asylum in Europe. The building soon inspired the English word “bedlam.” which means confusion and noise.

Patients were cruelly referred to as prisoners, medical records were rare, and in the 1600’s the building went as much as 40 years without an inspection. Worse yet, Bedlam was built over sewers and human waste was known to block the entrance. In 1607 eating vessels were ordered for the inmates – some historians believe that there weren’t any -until this point. In the 1630’s the atmosphere was described as pure chaos by a Donald Lupton, full of “cryings, screechings, roarings, brawlings, shaking of chaines, swearings, frettings, chaffings.”

The hospital was moved in the 1930’s, with parts being demolished (including the kitchen) giving it a fresh geographic start but, for many, the horrors that earned the name Bedlam will never be forgotten. (More on the construction/demolition can be found here and here)

Hindenburg (USA)

German Airship in NJ. Albert Stöffler in the Hindenburg’s electric kitchen. (photo courtesy of the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmBH Archive)

Photos from the Hindeburg. Galley Kitchen plus seating for the crew (note the photo of Hitler and Hindenburg). Source.  Photo of disaster from the Associated Press.

The Hindeburg is another enormous disaster – an airship plummeting from the sky in 1937 after catching fire. These kitchens were electric – they weren’t the reason for the fire. In more creepy news, this ill-fated airship was only 78 feet shorter than the Titanic and featured a photo of Adolf Hitler on the wall.

Thankfully, there were only 35 on-board fatalities. This is in great part because several people were able to jump off the doomed flight just before it hit the ground – including the 25-year old pastry chef, Albert Stöffler. He realized the airship was on fire after climbing on a table to avoid hot water and noticed the glow of fire outside the window:

He noticed that hot water from the kitchen had spilled all over the floor, and sat up on one of the tables so that his feet wouldn’t be scalded. From here he turned and looked out of one of the observation windows in the floor and saw on the ground below him the reddish glare of the fire. When the ship neared the ground, Stöffler knew it was time to get out. He jumped through the nearest window from a height of several meters, picked himself up and ran, with the ship’s burning frame crashing to the ground just behind him. He escaped almost completely unharmed. (Read more).

Curiously, the kitchen (and water) also played a role in saving the life of a young boy on board:

Werner Franz, the 14 year-old cabin boy, was initially dazed by the realization that the ship was on fire. As he stood near the officer’s mess where he had been putting away dishes moments before, a water tank above him burst open, and he was suddenly soaked to the skin. Not only did this snap him back to his senses, as he later told interviewers, but it also put out the fire around him. He then made his way to a nearby hatch through which the kitchen had been provisioned before the flight, and dropped through it just as the forward part of the ship was briefly rebounding into the air. He began to run toward the starboard side, but stopped and turned around and ran the other way, because the flames were being pushed by the wind in that same direction. He made it clear of the wreck with little more than singed eyebrows and soaking wet clothes and lived to be the last surviving crew member when he died at age 92 on August 13, 2014. (Source)

So those are the seven creepiest kitchens in the world – to me at least! Which ones do you find the freakiest? Which ones would you be curious to see? I definitely would like to see Poe’s some day. And I would have loved to have dined on the Titanic – but not on April 14, 1912.

This Halloween go international: spin the globe and dress up as an iconic food from whatever country strikes your fancy! To get you started, here are 16 adorable costumes representing famous foods from all over the world. 

Escargot (FRANCE) 

Jordan Ferney’s DIY Snail Costume from her blog Oh Happy Day.

Oohh la la! A bit of newsprint and foam balls and you’ve got the most adorable snail costume.
Learn how to make the costume at Oh Happy Day.

On snails:

While the French are best known for their love of snails, the snail has a long (and slimy) history. Archaeologists have found snail shells from prehistoric times. The Roman Philosopher Pliny the Elder considered escargot an elite food for the Romans. There is also a recipe for snails in the oldest surviving cookbook written by Marcus Gavius Apicius, a Roman ‘foodie’ from the 1st century.

Sushi & Sashimi (JAPAN)

Sushi costume by Caroline Caffelle shop owner for TheWishingElephant on Etsy Photography by Betsey Darley

This little sashimi eating sushi is way too cute. Find the costume on The Wishing Elephant, then try making our Futomaki recipe (a.k.a. Veggie Sushi) – it’s super fun!

On Sushi:

Sushi is a Japanese dish originally developed as a fermentation process for fish. It originated in Southeast Asia before spreading to south China and later Japan. It wasn’t until later, in the Edo Period (1603-1868), that the rice in sushi was no longer used for fermentation. The nigiri sushi we know today was invented by Hayana Yohei as a fast food that could be eaten in public or the theater. Did you know that after an authentic sushi experience you can offer to buy the chef a drink in gratitude for the meal?

 Falafel (MIDDLE EAST) 

Paula Chang, Flickr

Make a statement this Halloween. Turn your head into a falafel ball and replace your arms with tomato slices!  Great costume, Paula!

On Falafel:

The origins of falafel are unknown. It is made from grinding up chickpeas, fava beans (or sometimes both) and deep frying them into a ball or patty. It is the second most common dish made from chickpeas – after hummus.  The world record for the largest falafel ball is 164.4 lb and was set in Amman, Jordan on July 28, 2012. Falafel is known in Egypt (excluding Alexandria) as ta’aimiya.

Tea (UNITED KINGDOM & SOUTHERN AFRICA)

Found on Pinterest

Dress up as Rooibos, the caffeine free tea grown throughout southern Africa and win MAJOR points from every tea nerd (including me!). Or go British, with Earl Grey. Either way, the look is smooth! Learn how to make the costume… Oh, and get in the mood by trying our African Rooibos Latte recipe.

On Tea:

Tea plants are native to East and South Asia. Though nobody is sure who first thought of making tea with the leaves, Chinese legends attribute the inventor Shennong; he designed the tea leaf shredder.

In the United Kingdom, each person drinks an average of 1.9 kg of tea per year, making the British one of the largest consumers of tea in the world. Tea is not only a drink, but in the United Kingdom and Ireland, it’s also meal. Afternoon tea is a light meal usually held between 4 and 6 pm while high tea is meal in the evening, held between 5 and 7 pm. High tea usually includes a hot dish and is followed by tea cakes and bread served with butter and jam.

Hamburger & Hot dog (UNITED STATES)

Sherry Petersik, Young House Love blog

These all-American munchkins are the cutest! And just look at those teeny fingers peeking out from the lettuce.

On Hamburgers:

There are many claims to the original hamburger, mostly between 1885 and 1904. The earliest report of a “hamburger sandwich” that we know of is in an 1896 issue of the Chicago Daily Tribune: “A distinguished favorite, only five cents, is Hamburger steak sandwich, the meat for which is kept ready in small patties and ‘cooked while you wait.'”

There are many variations of the hamburger worldwide, with patties consisting of different meats (including beef, turkey, chicken, bison, ostrich and venison) or meat substitutes (such as tofu, TVP, seitan, quorn, beans, grains or an assortment of ground vegetables).

Haggis (SCOTLAND)

Photo found on Gail Turpin Design under a page about the work she did for the Scottish company Macsween.

Whether you love eating it or not, dressing up as Haggis is a definite Halloween do. I guarantee you’ll be the talk of the party!

On Haggis:

Though Haggis is popularly assumed to be of Scottish origin, historical evidence cannot pin it down to any one place. Haggis is featured in folklore, including a tale that it is a creature that runs through the Scottish Highlands. According to one poll, 33% of Americans visiting Scotland assumed that Haggis was indeed an animal. If you aren’t a fan of haggis then maybe you would instead enjoy Haggis Hurling, a competition that involves—you guessed it—throwing haggis as far as possible. The world record is held by Lorne Coltart who hurled his haggis 217 feet in 2011, during the Milngavie Highland Games in Glasgow.

Greek yogurt (GREECE)

Gabriel Rossi, Getty Images

It’s amazing what a bit of cardstock, foam core, and tape can do! These guys look great (and healthy, too). Get inspired by trying the recipe for our favorite treat made with Greek Yogurt.

On Greek Yogurt:

Greek yogurt is yogurt that has been strained through a cloth, paper bag or filter. It is used most commonly as a base for a popular Greek dish tzatziki—which is a Greek sauce served either with grilled meats or pita bread for dipping—or as a dessert with various sweets served on top such as honey, sour cherry syrup or fruit preserves.

Empanada (SOUTH AMERICA, SPAIN, PORTUGAL)

XiXi, Kitchen Imprecision

Not only is she an empanada – she’s an empanada that can cook! Celebrate this winning costume with real beef or apple empanadas. 

On Empanadas:

Empanadas can be found all over the world, with first mentions occurring in the Middle Ages on the Iberian Peninsula (think Spain and Portugal) . There are Empanada recipes in a 1520 cookbook titled Libre del Coch by Ruperto de Nola of Barcelona. The Spanish word for bread is “pan”; “Empanar is a verb form that means “to bread”. Empanada is the past-participle “breaded.”

Croquembouche (France)

Photo by Studio DIY

Nothing like a few dozen coffee filters to make the sweetest French wedding cake ever (the French chef is  nice touch, too)! Find the step-by-step instructions on Studio DIY.

On the Croquembouche:

The Croquembouche is a tower made from dozens of pastry puffs (called profiteroles) and drizzled with fine threads of caramelized sugar. The name means “to crunch” – which is exactly what the dessert does when you take a bite! You can thank Chef Marie-Antoine Carême (1784-1833) for inventing the confection. He is considered the world’s first celebrity chef and was nicknamed  “Le Roi Des Chefs et le Chef Des Rois” which means “King of Chefs, and the Chef of Kings.”

Cannoli (ITALY)

Caroline Edwards, author of Chocolate & Carrots blog, and her son.

A little felt, a onesie, and the cutest baby around?? This cannoli costume is brilliant! 

On the Cannoli:

Cannoli are Italian pastries filled with sweetened ricotta. Historically the treats were made for Carnivale, quite possibly as rather suggestive fertility symbols. Italian ethnographer Giuseppe Pitré wrote in his book “Credenze e Pregiudizi del Popolo Siciliano, Vol. 1” (“Customs, beliefs and prejudices of the Sicilian People Vol. 1”) that cannoli were not favored by people of any particular ranking or class but were desired by rich and poor alike.

Churros (SPAIN)

Found on Pinterest

I seriously hope someone is dressed up as chocolate dipping sauce or a bowl of cinnamon sugar. Here’s our Churro recipe, for those who are now -like me – hungry!

On Churros:

Churros are another food where the origins are unclear; a theory is that the Portuguese brought them to Europe while another is that Spanish Shepherds made them to substitute for fresh bakery goods. Churros are named after the Navajo-Churro Sheep due to resembling the horns of the sheep. It’s important that Churros have maximum surface area and minimum volume to allow for even heat distribution, giving us the crunchy sweet treat we know. There have been cases of Churros exploding if the recipes are off, including a newspaper that was successfully sued for printing a Churro recipe that caused the treats to explode and injure 14 people; the case took seven years to fully resolve.

Taco (MEXICO) 

Costume Pop

Tissue paper lettuce on top of a taco baby? Pure genius! 

On Tacos:

Though the details seem to be unknown, the origin of the taco dates back to before Europeans arrived in Mexico. Evidence was found that the people of the lake region in the Valley of Mexico ate tacos filled with small fish. There are many types of traditional tacos, from “spit” or “grill tacos” to shrimp tacos.

Pavlova (AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND) 

Photo found on wellington-beblownaway.weebly.com

These girls definitely capture pavlova’s sweetness. This concept is a must for New Zealand, especially considering it stars their beloved Kiwi! Try our pavlova recipe to get in the spirit of things.

On Pavlova:

Pavlova was created by an Australian hotel chef in Wellington, New Zealand in honor of the famous ballerina Anna Pavlova, during her 1926 world tour visit.  There is a chapter in the book Food on the Move: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food an Cookery by Harland Walker about the dish, titled “The Pavlova Cake: the Evolution of a National Dish.” In this chapter, Helen Leach writes about the history of the dish, including argument between Australia and New Zealand as to which claims creation of the dish as well as how the modern pavlova evolved from that first meringue cake of 1926.

Basmati Rice (ASIA/AFRICA)

Photo by Deponti

There are no words for this costume! RUN, don’t walk, to your nearest Indian market and grab a bag of rice. Cut holes for the head, arms, and legs. So stinkin’ cute!

P.S. Wondering what to do with all the rice? Try one of countless rice recipes from around the world. It’ll be gone in a flash!

On Basmati Rice:

The word basmati is derived from the Sanskrit word “vasmati,” meaning “fragrant.” Indian traders brought the rice to the Middle East. It can be difficult to tell basmati from other types of cheaper rices. In 2010 the United Kingdom ran a test on wholesaler supplied rice and discovered that out of fifteen, four samples of what was supposed to be genuine basmati rice had cheaper kinds mixed in; one lacked basmati entirely. Authentic basmati has a delicate long grain and tastes best when rinsed and soaked for thirty minutes prior to cooking.

Pierogi (POLAND) 

Costume by ArlaDesigns on Etsy

I’d be smiling, too, if I were dressed like this sweet pierogi!
Can’t get a costume fast enough from Arla Designs? Try our homemade recipe for cheese and potato pierogi.

On Pierogi:

There are over ten ways to spell pierogi (pirogi being one!). The root meaning of the word is “festival”. Pierogi can be sweet or savory – fillings might include berries or mushrooms, cheeses, meats, onions, cabbage, sauerkraut, spinach—and, well, I could go on a long time on savory options because it’s honestly up to the preference of the chef what you fill them with. No wonder the word basically means festival – you could bring these to absolutely any occasion and it’d be a party!

Sriracha (Thailand, Vietnam)

Sriracha costume by Halloween Express.

Dressing up like a spicy tube of Sriracha is hot, hot, hot. Get inspired by trying one of our recipes garnished with sriracha, like our Spicy Vietnamese Slaw or Thai Green Papaya Salad, or even Lao Rice Noodle Soup.

On Sriracha:

There are many versions of where Sriracha comes from. Most attribute the sauce to people in the Thai town of Si Racha. As the story goes, Burmese workers came in to buy chillies, vinegar, sugar, and salt to make the hot, tangy sauce. The storekeeper liked what she saw and started making and selling the sauce, too. Today, the sauce is enjoyed worldwide. In Thailand, it is used as a dipping sauce; in Vietnam it is used as a condiment on pho.

Spice Rack (Worldwide)

Spice Rack Costume by reader Camilla.

I’m more than a little obsessed with our reader Camilla’s ingenuity with the spice rack costume she made for her son. We all know our spices lose much of their flavor after 6 months (sometimes sooner) – why not send them out in style on Halloween?

Love it!
Special thanks to sweet Mickaela C. for her help researching these yummy costumes.