henry hargreaves + caitlin levin map the world's most famous foods

henry hargreaves + caitlin levin map the world’s most famous foods
(above) map of the united states made from corn
all images courtesy of henry hargreaves and caitlin levin

the exploration of new countries and continents is often enhanced by the food eaten there, acting as a portal to the cultural complexities of that place. brooklyn-based photographer henry hargreaves and food stylist caitlin levin, motivated by a passion for travel, have created ‘food maps’, a playful cartography series of geographical locations made out of the iconic foods that best represent them. painstakingly crafted with real, unadulterated food, the silhouettes are packed with edible materials — corn in various forms fills the united states, vibrantly colored kiwis compose new zealand and biscuit bits build the united kingdom.

the project speaks to the universality of how food unites people, and shows how various ingredients have come to transform the cultural identity of a place. they say ‘these maps show how food has traveled the globe. while we know that tomatoes originally came form the andes in south america, italy has become the tomato king. who doesn’t know the saying ‘throwing some shrimp on the barbie’ and not think of australia? who goes to france without eating bread and cheese? and who makes a brazilian caipirinha without using fistful of limes‘?

map of italy made from tomatoes

map of south america made from citrus fruits

map of the UK and ireland made from biscuits

map of new zealand made from kiwis

map of china made from noodles

map of japan made from seaweed

map of africa made from bananas

map of india made from spices

map of france made from cheese

map of australia made from shrimp

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