It has come to my attention that when a book neglects to mention copious amounts of food, it’s doing itself a horrendous disservice. Food is important! Food is crucial! Food is the one thing the human race agrees on: we need it. And when books also agree on this fact and mention food, then clearly it is on the path of Greatness.
Not convinced? Pfft, you doubter. Well, I have made quite a wonderful list for you of reasons WHY books should mention food. It’s a very important list. It’s very passionate. Because that’s who I am. I probably was a foodie blogger in another life.
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1. IT AUTOMATICALLY HELPS READERS GET A FEEL OF THE BOOK’S CULTURE.
If I say “they ate chicken tikka masal with naan bread” you immediately think “OH. MIDDLE EAST. PERSIA. ETC.” And this is absolutely great for fantasy worlds. If you’re basing a culture on China but don’t want to outright say China because hello, it’s fantasy world, just mention sweet and sour pork and rice and egg noodles and soon the readers will get the idea.
2. IF THE CHARACTERS ARE ALL BORING LIMPETS, AT LEAST MENTIONS OF FOOD WILL HELP READERS CONNECT ON AN EMOTIONAL LEVEL TO THE BOOK.
What?! Don’t look at me like that! One can totally connect emotionally to a book based on the food. Especially if the character happens to share a favourite food with you. I am SO much more liable to side with a character, not because of morals — pshht, gosh no — but instead if they happen to have an affinity for chocolate brownie cheesecake. I’ll even side with a VILLAIN* if they have good taste in food.
* Not that I particularly need help to side with villains. I do it often regardless.
3. IT CAN MAKE A BOOK MORE MEMORABLE.
When a certain food reminds you of a book every time you eat it…gosh, is that good advertising or WHAT?! It makes you remember that book permanently. I mean, when all else fades, I’m still going to remember Bruce Bogtrotter and that ginormous chocolate cake.
Also, for instance:
- Blue food: Percy Jackson! He had a weird obsession with blue things, even blue coke, even blue pizza. But hey, the dude was under a lot of pressure from a young age.
- Pasta Puttanesca: Yay for the Baudelaire orphans in A Series of Unfortunate Events! They had to brave all sorts of evil to make pasta for the evil Count Olaf
- Lamb and Plum Stew: Oh, let’s applaud Katniss from The Hunger Games for her love of food in general!
- Chocolate Cake: Whenever I see a ginormous chocolate cake which actually, sadly, doesn’t happen very often and this makes me cry I think of the poor Bruce Bogtrotter in Matilda who was forced to eat the whole thing.
- Yogurt: now reminds me of Blue from The Raven Cycle, who grew up strictly on yogurt (minus the fruit parts which she hated) and no greens. Bless her soul.
- Chocolate pie: I can’t really even think about it without remembering The Help and Minnie Jackson’s, um, dubious secret ingredient.
- November Cakes: Maggie Stiefvater invented these for her book The Scorpio Races and they’re totally the only reason I like this book. HAHA JUST KIDDING. I love the book for other reasons too.
- Blueberries and milk and bread: Because this is all the Boxcar children lived off. FOR MONTHS. I still don’t understand how they didn’t die of malnourishment in that little boxcar, but hey, let’s not squash childhood fantasies.
- Turkish Delight: If this doesn’t make you think of Edmund Pevnsie in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I don’t know what your childhood was like. But it was probably sad.
- Butterbeer: if this isn’t the most famous Harry Potter drink in the universe you may call me a moose.
4. IT CAN MAKE CHARACTERS AWESOMELY 3-DIMENSIONAL.
How do they eat? Are they picky? Do they eat absolutely anything? Have they ever been so starving they couldn’t think? I like characters who feel real and who have backstory. Food can totally help with this. Hey writers. ARE YOU LISTENING? Your liege has spoken. Plus food can really influence how a person acts. If someone’s ever starved, they might hoard food. If a character has allergies it can make them scared of food. And it’s also relatable. Because seriously, who doesn’t have food allergies these days?!
5. IT CAN MAKE A BOOK FAMOUS.
Hello. Can we take a minute to question the rise of fame in The Hunger Games case? OBVIOUSLY THE ANSWER IS FOOD. Plenty of trilogies have had the same potential but have neglected to add in the parts where the protagonist ignores socialisation and goes and eats. That’s how you write a winning book, my friends. That’s how it’s done.
6. IT CAN MAKE READERS DIE OF HUNGER.
I don’t know how this is a positive. But it is.
7. IT CAN TURN YOU INTO A FULL-BLOWN NERD BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO COOK THE FOOD THAT’S MENTIONED IN BOOKS.
Out of that pantry, you bookworm, and into the open. COME EMBRACE THE INGREDIENTS OF DAUNTLESS CAKE. Literature-themed-cook-books are actually a thing. You can cook the entire of Narnia (please don’t pan fry Aslan) or work your way through the collection of weird Harry Potter concoctions.
8. IT MAKES A BOOK RELATABLE.
Nothing is more relatable than the 4 Basic Needs of Humanity: Food, Clothing, Shelter and WiFi. So if a book is set in a wacky place that makes your brain boggle…but…it mentions food? There’s a 87% chance I’ll connect with it still. Food is homey.
The country in Game of Thrones, Westeros, is completely alien to me. BUT LEMON CAKES. I can get onboard with that.
9. IT ALSO MAKES A BOOK GLORIOUSLY REALISTIC.
I’m possibly the most over-analysing pumpkin in the universe, BUT. I really get frustrated when characters skip off on long adventures with little to no food. One needs food to survive. More than that, one needs food to run for your life against massive purple trolls. I never can take a book seriously when they eat exactly NOTHING but manage to commit great acts of strength. Puh-lease.
10. PLUS IT MAKES ME MARVELLOUSLY HAPPY AND WE KNOW THAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT.
Weirdly enough, I have a lot of allergies. I can’t eat a lot of the food I wish I could eat because FOOD ALLERGIES, DANG IT. Therefore I get to live vicariously through books! And that is glorious. Although sometimes the cravings are quite torturous, ultimately it’s worth it.
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I LOVE IT WHEN BOOKS MENTION FOOD!!!! And not just mention it, like it’s a whole part of a story. I laughed when you mentioned The Boxcar Children lol. And yay to Katniss!
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I love and hate food in books bc it makes me so hungry!
I also loved that ASOIAF has a fan published cookbook. It makes me feel so much closer to the seven kingdoms.
Agreed with all your points, you always have the funnest discussion post 😀
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Gosh dang it, Cait, now I’m hungry. BUT YES FOOD IN BOOKS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. All the food in Harry Potter is absolutely divine. And I feel like it adds so much to fantasy books, you know? I now pledge to always include copious amounts of food in my novels. *hand on heart*
Emily @ Loony Literate recently posted…Readalikes: Some Recommendations of Australian YA Books
My characters eat quite often, but what they do most of all is drink tea. Literally. Sometimes they drink tea in every scene or something. SO MUCH TEA.
I am going to struggle with reading about bread though…. Stupid coeliac diagnosis.
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I love it when food is mentioned in books. I think Harry Potter definitely got the copious food mentions right 🙂 And yes I would like those lemon cakes. Don’t want to live in that world but I do want to try them… haha.
Grr, this post made me so hungry. Now I need to go cook ALL THE THINGS. Books need more food–copious descriptions of delicious food. All your descriptions are sound–I’m with you one hundred percent of the way. And movies need more food. Because if you can’t eat, or read about eating, the next best thing is watching other people eat (without, you know, feeling like a creep).
One of the hardest things about my current work in progress is trying to get my poor little darling characters food to eat without making it too easy for them, but without starving them. I’m always afraid I’ve blanked out and let them go a few weeks without food. They’re so nice–they never speak up and tell me when they’re hungry. Maybe they hate me because I don’t give them chocolate croissants. That’s probably it. They’re probably just not speaking to me. (One of my characters is possessive of their food, not exactly a hoarder, but this beggar shows up and she gets mad when her companion gives the beggar a piece of their food.)
Grr. I need to go eat Turkish Delight or something now.
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This is so right! When food is mentioned, I totally get on board with a book more! It is educational as well as good for the imagination, and it makes me feel like the Author has really tried with the world-building!
Katrina @ Chased By My Imagination
Katrina recently posted…Book Blitz & Giveaways: ‘At The Heart Of The Deep’; Carrie L. Wells.
“4 Basic Needs of Humanity: Food, Clothing, Shelter and WiFi.” *nods vigorously*
Once again, my dear Cait, you are so right. I love food mentions! Especially in Harry Potter every time they have one of those feasts, there’s like a paragraph full of all the foods they put on the tables and it all just sounds so delicious. Which is why, in one of my WIPs, they go out to eat hamburgers and spaghetti and chicken nuggets, and in another WIP, they go have pizza together. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
Inge @ Bookshelf Reflections recently posted…Shattering Stigmas: A Fortnight of Mental Health Event (+ We Need Your Help!)
You are 100% right, Cait! I love finding food or drink stuff in my books, so much so that I have started a weekly meme called Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts, where I share a quote involving food or drink from my recent reads.
What and how a character eats really does tell us a lot about them, and whether it is easy or difficult to get their hands on food when they want or need it tells us a lot about the society they live in as well. I’ve even tried out recipes based on food in books, and while that works sometimes, other times it ends up pretty weird…
Great post!!
Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews recently posted…Thirsty Thursday and Hungry Hearts #24 – Tempt the Stars
I don’t really pay that much attention to food in books, but that’s probably because I’m so ridiculously fussy, and don’t like most food. There have been instances where food is mentioned, some kind of meal, and I react with “Ew!” and read on quickly because I don’t want to feel ill.
HOWEVER! Three books/series that stick out to me food-wise. The Harry Potter books because of the feasts! And all the awesomeness that is butterbeer, pumpkin pastiles, chocolate frogs, couldron cakes, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, fire whiskey, rock cakes, and that’s just off the top of my head!
Then there’s the Belgariad and Mallorean series by David Eddings. Two series, same main characters, and Aunt Pol/Polgara is pretty nifty with food, so there is always good food! I can’t think of anything specific, but I know that Silk complains at one point about how they’re always having gruel while they’re on the road.
Then The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. This woman is amazing at writing detail, so much so all my senses where going. And there’s a moment where there is this big feast of exotic dishes, and maaaan! You would love it, Cait, just for that scene. It’s magical!
But yeah, I’m not so bothered about food in books. But this post was interesting! 🙂
I’ve never really noticed it before, but it is good when food is mentioned in books! Especially in fantasy worlds, or even futuristic worlds because it gives a bit of a closer look into what life is like in that world. Also, made-up foods especially for books are awesome, especially when you get people who try to recreate them in real life (Feast of Fiction and Nerdy Nummies on YouTube are really good at it)! The next time I read a contemporary book and it says that the character just “ate breakfast/lunch/dinner” I’m going to be demanding what exactly it was that they ate.
Louise // Exploring by Starlight recently posted…Bye-Bye Nerdette Reviews…
I completely agree! I think authors often forget about food (and families, because 90% of YA protagonists don’t have a family) and it might seem like a small oversight, but it’s quite big to me. People need to eat, even while they’re kicking butt or falling head over heels in love. I want to hear about foot because a) I like food and b) people can’t survive on love or kicking butt alone. It does not satisfy the stomach.
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You are so right! LOL Such a fun post. I do sometimes remember a book because of the food. And I like to try recipes I get from cozy mysteries I’ve read.
Laura Thomas recently posted…A YA Paranormal Horror ~ Spinner by Michael J. Bowler ~ Tour Review and Giveaway
THIS POST. THIS. *gathers Cait and hugs her fiercely* Food can totally make a book better tenfold and make the book more remarkable. I mean, if Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda didn’t have so much oreo in it, I wouldn’t automatically associate oreo with the book or feel the urge to reread the book whenever I see even a crumb of oreo. I also think food has fantasy value. It’s magical. Harry Potter, for example, nailed it with all those delicious feasts. Also GOT! Whenever they have a feast, I feel like clutching my stomach and crying and waiting for some miracle to fill my belly with the same food. (Although knowing GOT, there’s bound to be lots of murders during the feast. Heh. 10 points to GOT).
FOOD IS IMPORTANT. THIS POST IS GREAT. And I’m hungry.
Food is amazing. Especially dessert. I love it when we learn about a world’s food. It showcases the different things the culture finds important. Maybe it’s a hearty breakfast. Or a simple snack. Who knows?
Food is important!
Wren recently posted…Liebster Award
It totally does! I love it how it can help develop a book’s culture…so helpful in fantasy worlds too.
Food is definitely important in fantasy worlds. You don’t have a basic idea of their culture at times, and food can expand that.
Wren recently posted…Review: ‘Shadow Kiss’ by Richelle Mead
At first I was skeptical but you’re totally right! I think of Uglies every time I hear “Turkey Bolognese.” Neither of them are good thoughts. Oddly enough, regarding point nine, I’m curious about your thoughts on bathroom breaks. I mean, you can’t run from giant purple trolls with a full bladder, but no one wants to visualize that! (And no one wants to write about it, either D: ) Are they necessary for it to be realistic or can we all just forget that happens?
OMG I REMEMBER THE BOLOGNAISE IN UGLIES. I was ready to never hear Bolognese again after all their whingeing about it. XD
haha, I guess you don’t need TMI in books.
It always amuses me how many people think we eat sweet and sour pork all the time. (It hardly happens, and is pretty much confined to a few provinces! Why DO you think that?) But I hadn’t considered these aspects before, and you have TOTALLY CONVINCED ME. We need more food in ALLLLL the books.
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a DON’T THINK YOU EAT IT ALL THE TIME. That’d be like saying Australians eat vegemite all the time. *shrugs* It’s more like an association thing, I guess? Which isn’t bad! I don’t think Indians always eat dahl either. 😉
Hahahha. I loved the 4 Basic Needs of Humanity: Food, Clothing, Shelter and WiFi. So true 😀 You are right. Whenever I read a book with food in them I get really really hungry. Go Cait!
THANK YOU. XD Those are definitely the most important things in life…omg, but and books. I totally missed a crucial element in my list. xD
FOOD FOREVER!
Lydia recently posted…Look for Wonder
YOU SPEAK TRUTH.
FOOOOD. Whenever there’s food, I’m game. Same goes for books. Food makes books about a gazillion times better, although mouthwatering descriptions of food do always make me hungry. Eh, that’s part of the game. When I wrote my novel (which is ages ago now) I fed my protagonist pretty much the whole time. :’) I love describing food!
Also JOEY GIF YES. <3
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I’m so glad you fed your protagonist so much. GOOD FOR YOU. Half the writers here are confessing to starving their characters. HOW CAN THEY BE SO CRUEL? I have a book where the character eats like 80% of the time, and it’s sort of a problem, but whatever. Edits are coming. *shivers and hides*
These are pretty much the reasons why I started my blog! 🙂 I actually loled at the Atlantis pics: my dad used that quote in his speech at my wedding!
Alison’s Wonderland Recipes recently posted…Hot Cross Buns: Mrs. Sowerby’s Currant Buns
YAY!! And someday I want to like make ALL THE THINGS on your blog because omg, delicious nerdy bookish food.
OMG?! HE DID?! BAHHA. I quote Atlantis so much. XD That movie is golden.
I totally agree. I think food references add to a book and the characters and the overall expeirenece. I hear that Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda has tons of references to Oreos which makes me want to read it even more!
Grace @ Rebel Mommy Book Blog recently posted…Review ~ The Nightingale
I basically want to read Simon’s because of the oreos. xD
THERE SHOULD BE A WARNING NOT TO READ THIS POST ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. It does damaging things. But I still love this post! I know Leigh Bardigo in interviews has talked about how she loved describing the food in the Grisha trilogy. What about the crepes in Anna and the French Kiss? In Gabrielle Zevin’s All These Things I’ve Done chocolate is illegal so of course the descriptions of it are OUT OF THIS WORLD. And I’ve heard TW&TD has excellent Middle Eastern food! I also love it when Greek stories have their characters just eat bread, cheese, and an apple on the road. I COULD GO ON.
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OMG YES. I HAVE INFLICTED TORTURE UPON YOU. (But, if it makes you feel better, I got wickedly hungry writing it, too. So much punishment for me.) XD OMG I REMEMBER TEH CHOCOLATE BOOK. I literally call it the “anti-chocolate book” because that kind of world just befuddles me. XD (I liked that book, and hated it…you understand my difficult relationship, right?!)
Haha, good XD And YES that makes so much sense, because chocolate is pretty much all I remember from the world! I think I read the second book and I remembered liking it because they went to MEXICO TO GROW COCOA PODS. And that’s all I remember again, haha. Have not followed up with the 3rd.
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Everyone has to eat food, even characters in books! I love when authors describe the meals and don’t just gloss over it. They’ll describe outfits, but not food. WHY?! I like food, I want to read about food 😉
Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books recently posted…ARC Review ~ Pretending to be Erica
EXACTLY. I’d much rather know the details of the delicious dinner than how many buttons on their shirt. Puh-lease. I have priorities.
BOOKS NEED TO MENTION FOOD. As a foodie, I demand it. And one of these days I’m going to try and make November Cakes, because they sound delicious. I think what I’m going to do sometime soon is try and make a food mentioned in all of my favorite books or series. Because it would be fun and delicious.
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I WANT TO MAKE NOVEMBER CAKES TOO. Actually, I’ma horrible cook. You make them then I’ll come over and eat them all. (Isn’t this an excellent plan?)
Although i may still not be totally convinced of your point as the first four books listed on the memorable book list part i absolutly loved, besides the hunger games which i only liked, i didn’t remember or know the food until you mentioned which book it was from, i’ll probably include lots of food in my manuscript just for you (wow, you are influencing me enough to change the words of my book. I’m now starting to see the plausibility of you taking over the world). Anyway, totaly swiching sides here, do you think a memorable lack of a certain food could make a book memorable. In another story of mine, i have a character who has an allergy to soy, and a different MC flips when she finds out he hasn’t eaten a number of awesome foods, including Chocolate.
Omg, I have succeeded if I’m influencing you putting food into your book. 😉 GO ME. haahah. AHEM.
Yes.
Oh yes, I totally think lack of food can be memorable too!! Particularly an allergy like that. *nods* In the book I’m writing there is sooo not much food, but it’s on purpose because the family is very poor. So he doesn’t eat a lot, but he thinks about food a lot. Either way writing it makes me hungry. -_-
I totally never thought of this before and I LOVE food, food is life! (literally cause we need it to stay alive!) Now off I go to the kitchen to eat…FOOD! mwahahaha *goes to kitchen and finds there is nothing delicious to eat* *finds a book with delicious food in it as an alternative*
Kristin @ Simply Bookish Things recently posted…Review – The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater
IF THIS POST MADE YOU HUNGRY, THAN I HAVE SUCCEEDED.
Huh. Well. Call me convinced.
My problem is I’m a notoriously unimaginative pumpkin as you might say, and I can never THINK of things for my characters to eat! *dramatically falls against refrigerator* My medieval people eat… like… bread and apples and venison and stew. I’M A FAILURE. My modern people eat sandwiches… and there was the time they made a cake and it was a disaster… that was fun… and they’re totally going to make gingerbread houses in this one… But seriously, I can’t think of food for ME to eat/cook, let alone my characters. It’s very sad. 🙁 BUT I DO NEED TO DO MORE WITH FOOD IN MY BOOKS SO THANK YOU FOR THIS. Now I just need to figure out HOW. There was the time I was actually semi original and they had ABC sandwiches. (Apple, bacon, cheese. Which are kind of fabulous.)
And I never REMEMBER to have them eat! It’s not on purpose! I just forget these things! I am a forgetful munchkin! *sobs and hides in a hole*
It’s true that foods can be associated with certain books! That is AWESOME! And yes, anyone who doesn’t know Turkish Delight/Narnia definitely had a sad childhood. *nod nod* Butterbeer is definitely the most famous Harry Potter drink because I haven’t even read/seen them and even *I* know about it! XD
I like your thoughts about starving and hoarding food… Hmm… That is cool.
And. I actually don’t have food allergies… *shifty eyes*
“Food, Clothing, Shelter and WiFi.” YESSSS. But what about water and air??? (Hello, space and/or ocean doesn’t have air…) And BOOOOKS?? O_O Well. I guess those are so obvious we don’t even have to mention them…
Great. Now I want lemon cake.
THIS POST WAS DELICIOUS CAIT.
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(Oh, and now cherries always make me think of The Crown of Dalemark by Diana Wynne Jones. Because the characters were basically living on pickled cherries on their journey, and they got soooo sick of them! XDDD)
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OH SO YOU STARVE YOUR CHARACTERS? I SEE HOW IT IS THEN, EVIL AUTHOR. XDXD ACtually, okay *confession time* I wrote a whole book once where the characters neeever ate. It got to the point where my betas mutinied and forced me to write food in or I was going to get slapped with a pineapple.
Now? I do add in quite a bit of food. xD IT DOES DEPEND ON THE STORY THOUGH. Omg, Game of Thrones taught me all the delicious things fantasy worlds can have for food…i nearly die of starvation every time I read them. xD
OH COME ON. WIFI IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN AIR.
One of my most recent reads, A Handful of Stars, talked a lot about wild blueberries. Pies were mentioned and baked, of course… but then one of the characters came up with blueberry enchiladas, and they served them with whipped cream. I have no idea if blueberry enchiladas are a real thing, but I totally want to try one now!
La Coccinelle @ The Ladybug Reads… recently posted…Review – The Here and Now
Blueberry enchiladas?! That sounds insane and…yet…delicious. I WANT TO TRY IT TOO. I read a book which featured a lot of pie, and omg, it was sweet torture.
I connect on a spiritual level with red velvet ANYTHING (cookies, cake, chocolate, etc.)! THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE FOOD IN BOOKS. Also, the fifth basic need for survival: BOOKS. Especially those of which mention food. All I could think this WHOLE ENTIRE TIME was Dauntless cake! DAUNTLESS CAKE! Or how, in Spongebob (Spongebob always works as an example–for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING), the Krabby Pattie will always remain near and dear to my heart (haha, I say that as if I have one).
THERE DOES. We should make a petition — books need food to be memorable. *waves banners*
I so need to make Dauntless cake and eat it because I don’t think I’ve properly lived until I do.
When I reread the first book of the Harry Potter series, I don’t flip to the exciting parts. Instead, I flip first to the Sorting Hat feast where they mention EVERY DELICIOUS MORSEL ON THAT TABLE. Then I flip to the Halloween feast. After, I hunt down my copy of the third book and salivate over the Honeyduke’s candy.
Ugh. I’m hungry now. THANKS CAIT.
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HAHA. YOU ARE PERFECT. That would be me too (if, you know, I hurried up and read all the Harry Potter books. -_- Omg I am so sad)
Once again, you are so very right. I recall in one book the characters were always drinking coffee and eating caramel rolls. They went into glorious detail on the proper procedures of eating the caramel rolls (peeling away the layers vs. biting into it). Food and quirks, a genius combination!
Just pity it makes us so devastatingly hungry, eh!? XD
If you say “they ate chicken tikka masal with naan bread” I immediately think, “oh, you must have just read The Wrath and the Dawn.” That book made me so hungry.
I admit, my friend and I did make lembas bread from the Lord of the Rings in high school. 😀
I love books and I love food, so food IN books is pretty much perfection. All books should feature more food. We’re definitely on the same page with that one!
YES. That book practically destroyed me for being so hungry. I practically craved all of those stews and, um, dates and grapes and things. YUM. I’m pretty sure I gave that book an extra star for food alone.
Did it work out?! hehe I’ve never actually made a bookish recipe. I don’t think?
It worked in the sense that it produced something edible. It was a bit dense, though, and one bite certainly didn’t keep us full for a day, haha. It was still fun!
I think the Harry Potter books take top honors for food inclusion in my memories. My oldest recollection of food references making an impression on me was in Heidi. Heidi saving the white bread rolls for Peter’s grandmother especially. 🙂
La La in the Library recently posted…TOP FIVE FRIDAY #TWO
OMG YES I REMEMBER HEIDI. And the goat cheese, right? Ohhh it’s been years since I read that.
Dear Cait,
THISSSSSSSS. Haha, I seriously did not know what to expect when I saw this title and I am so pleasantly and awesomely surprised. These points are SO TRUE! Like….waaaaateven. “I’ll even side with a VILLAIN* if they have good taste in food.” < haaaahaaa, YES! So true, man. “Turkish Delight: If this doesn’t make you think of Edmund Pevnsie in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I don’t know what your childhood was like. But it was probably sad.” < SAOHDSJNKANJ. YOU PUT IT SO WELL. “COME EMBRACE THE INGREDIENTS OF DAUNTLESS CAKE.” < Dauntless Cake, yess! Every time I read a mention of that I’m like… ME. WANT.
“I really get frustrated when characters skip off on long adventures with little to no food.” Ehh, I’m afraid I’m rather guilty of that one. xD “I can lose track of them characters so easily, man. Hmmm, how many days have they gone without food?” *thinks about scrolling back through story* “Naah, doesn’t matter!” I ought to pay closer attention to that. Because you’re so right, it does make a book more realistic. So yes, I totally agree with you – YOU’VE SOLD ME, GIRL. Quite like a slave. I don’t feed my characters often enough! But I do have one amazing character who drinks insane amounts of chocolate milk. I wuv him to pieces. For obvious reasons. Awesome post!!!
love,
abbie
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Hheeh, no one ever knows what to expect in my posts these days. XD Not sure if I should be pleased or terrified. BUT STILL. FAJDKL I’M GLAD YOU LIKED IT. Dauntless cake is the only thing in life, tbh. I need some. I don’t think I’ve properly lived till I’ve eaten some.
Oh oh but I totally used to have characters going, like, FOREVER, without food and it became quite a problem. They probably have too many snacks now but pfft, better a live character than one dead of starvation. *feeds characters copiously*
I completely agree with everything you’ve said here Cait. I think food can help enhance a book so much. It can tell us infinite information about what the book’s world is like and the atmosphere behind it and what the characters are like by what their eating presences are.
Whenever I think of Narnia, Turkish Delight is always one of the first things that comes into my mind too. Same as Butterbeer and Harry Potter. And Percy Jackson & his blue food too. (Although Nico & his McDonald’s is still up there as well. 😉 )
Fabulous post Cait and, as always, thanks for sharing! ♥
Zoe @ Stories on Stage recently posted…Crimson Bound
TURKISH DELIGHT FTW THOUGH. XD I seriously cannot think of anything else but Narnia whenever I see it. And yesss, I just love how it can really influence the culture. I adore that. FOOD IS IMPORTANT, FOLKS.
Well, considering that my non-writing job is actually food related, this blog post makes me happy. 🙂 Yes, I’m one of those amazingly blessed people who get to write *and* cook. It’s glorious and makes me happy (and I would say makes me feel sorry for all of humanity who doesn’t have such an amazing life but that would be a total lie because sometimes my life gets a tad bit overwhelming).
But yes. Food in books is important. It doesn’t play a *huge* part in my WIP, but it does slide in and out every once in a while to remind readers that my character is human and has to eat like the rest of us do. Only, the poor child is put on a strict diet and rants about how unfair life is as she eats fried eggs on Ezekiel bread (made from sprouted stuff and very healthy) out in a hammock in the middle of the night with only the stars to keep her company.
That sounds a little bit weird.
YOU ARE BLESSED. OMG. LUCKY YOU. 😉 I quite like when my house is vacant and I can cook all the things (even if I don’t really eat them because grrr allergies) I at least like making them.
I actually wrote a book once where NO ONE EVER ATE. And my betas erupted and threatened violence if I didn’t feed my poor characters. XD Ahem. Fried eggs on Ezekiel bread sounds quite divine actually. HEHE I eat sunflower bread religiously. XD
Yes! This is so correct! Whenever I see marmelade I think of Paddington, and Turkish Delight = Narnia of course! I’m afraid my book needs a little more food involved. I do however associate hot chocolate and black coffee with my MC in my WIP. She’s a bit of an antihero, but I love her dearly and I don’t think I’d be able to put her through what I put her through without giving her the solace of coffee and cocoa. I think she deserves some pizza come the next three chapters… XD
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omg, I award my characters with delicious food after traumatic experiences sometimes too. XD Actually once I wrote a book where they literally ate nothing for DAYS and all my betas yelled at me until I fed them. I have since learned. *nods regally*
Never forget that one time where all Thorin would say, was that he was starving.
*crawls out of hobbit hole* CAN I CONFESS I’VE NEVER READ IT? But I did like that first movie. xD *sentences self to corner of shame*
YES YES I so like it when there is lots of food in a book and particularly when there is a food that keeps reoccurring…. Like Dauntless Cake…. I have a thing with chicken in the book that I am writing. I am now crying with laughter from reading this post, and my sisters both want to know what is so interesting.
I had a Dauntless Cake for my birthday….. though it was also a book cake and a Tolkien cake.
http://claredot.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/my-birthday-cake.html
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OKAY BUT NOW YOU ARE MY FAVOURITE. A Dauntless Hobbit Book cake for your birthday. :’) THAT IS JUST SO FABULOUS.
Ugh, food. Food is life. We’d die without it. *nods*
Although, seriously, going through your list of food and books, I felt such a warm feeling in my chest. Blue food is always going to be PJ, and Harry Potter has an extensive list of food that made the world so much more tangible. Honestly, all fantasy should mention food at some point as part of the world-building.
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EXACTLY. What could possibly be more important? *nods* And I completely agree: I think fantasy world’s that bother to make a big deal out of the food culture are doing themselves a HUGE favour. It’s so much more memorable.
you legit made me google chocolate pie recipes.
thanks…
now i am hungry
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I AM HUNGRY TOO. Do you realise all I suffered to write this?!! XD
haha I love this! And man, so true, the food is often a really memorable part of a novel. I actually remembered all of the examples you gave in point 3, even with my terrible book amnesia. And now I’m kind of hungry…I’m going to go grab a quick snack lol
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I know right? Gah. I got hungry just writing it. XD
OMG, Cait, this post is pure awesomeness! We need more food mentions in books!
And I think it’s actually dystopia books which give a lot of importance to the description of food in the universe. I think it’s actually a technique to show the difference between societies and classes, and it’s actually a pretty good one, don’t you think?:)
Mishma @ Chasing Faerytales recently posted…I went to Philippines and….
IT TOTALLY IS! OMG. That should’ve been on my list!! Fantasy worlds do that a lot too (particularly in Game of Thrones) because like the rich people are eating all these gorgeous descriptions of roast meats and pies and things, and the peasants are eating cheese and bread. SO YES. POINTS FOR MISHMA.
True story, as soon as I opened this post I thought “Dauntless Cake!!” and now… I want cake. I, um… also may have wanted to take that vial of whatever allowed the people in the Capitol to keep eating and drinking at that party. I mean, gross, yes, but… also a little genius? I do agree that you remember some of those little things about characters too. And now that I am thinking about it, so MUCH of THG was about food- come to think of it, like, the whole THING was about food. No wonder I loved it so much 😉
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I like your true story. I APPROVE OF YOUR TRUE STORY. I still want Dauntless cake like nothing else, tbh. UM BUT NO. I DON’T EVER WANT TO PUKE FOOD. UUUUGH. The entire book was about food THAT is why it’s famous. See? I’m onto something. I’m gonna write a book all about food and become and instant success, just see if I don’t. <-- Excellent plan.
Hmmm, this post has certainly made me think! I’ve honestly never considered – or even really noticed – mentions of food in book before. Disgraceful, I know! But at the same time food doesn’t really do anything for me in books. Shock horror to you, I’m sure. I feel like I need to apologise for that, but I’m almost literally the world’s pickiest so I don’t even like food that much… *hides in shame* I agree that it does help to add to the culture of book though and there’s such thing as literary cookbooks!? Even I’d like to read that!
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*gasps*
WHAT.
THIS DOES NOT COMPUTE.
Hehe, you’re forgiven. 😉 I’m actually a little picky too? I mean, not overly, but gah, I have some pretty strong preferences.
Aha! I thought it might. *blushes with shame*
I honestly try to like stuff but my diet pretty much consists of apples, plain pasta, chocolate and veggies. 🙂
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*whispers* I’m not into food as much as everyone else seems to be.
I haven’t eaten lunch daily since I was at high school even. Just toast for breaky and a bigger dinner. I love baked goods though, but you don’t often see characters enjoying a big cupcake loaded with lots of creamy frosting on top, maybe sprinkles and with fresh cream in the middle.
*runs off to the supermarket to buy cupcakes*
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WELL. CAN I EVEN BE FRIENDS WITH YOU NOW? I DON’T EVEN KNOW.
hehe. okay I’ll forgive you because you like cake. Aren’t I nice like that?
The first thing that came to mind was Dauntless cake. Followed by Lembas bread. 😀 And I totally agree! Yes to food in books! This post just made me hungry, I’m gonna go grab a second dinner. LOL 😀
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I SHOULD’VE HAD LAMBAS BREAD ON MY LIST!! I can’t believe I forgot it actually. XD
Hey, if I can’t eat all the time, at least let me read about eating. 😉 I keep telling myself that I NEED to look up that November Cake recipe and make some. You know. For reasons.
EXACTLY. It’s like enjoying food without the calories, amirite?! XD I want November Cakes mildly badly.
Cait, have you read (or watched) Like Water for Chocolate? Tons of food! Tons of it.
The book I just abandoned last night had lots of food mentioned. I was lost at how a 16 year old had the skill to make what this main character did. I marveled that her mother let her grill without the mother being home. I’m still freaked out to light our grill and I’m over 30.
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NO BUT I LOVE THAT TITLE ALREADY.
Aw, but you had to abandon it? That’s sadness. D: I hate abandoning books, but yes, when it gets super unrealistic it’s tough. Although some people are just geniuses!/??
Oh yes, I love books that mention food over and over . . . mostly because I am obsessed with food so I feel like everyone else should be too. Ha
Cynthia @ Bingeing On Books recently posted…BOOK REVIEW: Hyacinth Girls by Lauren Frankel
Exactly! ME TOO. It’s like if I’m going to enjoy food ALL THE HUMANS MUST. *sprinkles food over the world*
Your love of food knows no bounds! I’m one of the weird people who doesn’t notice if a character hasn’t ate in like fifty years during a book. I don’t know why. But I doooo love the Hunger Games for its food. THAT BOOK MAKES ME HUNGRY EVERY TIME I READ IT!!!!
I will be sure to include food if I ever get around to trying to write my book 😉 Although food is a big part of the story so I am sure there will be many, many, many mentions!!!
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THE HUNGER GAMES IS BEAUTIFUL TORTURE. I totally was drooling over the Capitol food and then feeling guilty because, you know, they’re like so evil BUT WITH GOOD FOOD, OBVIOUSLY. hehe. Omg, I didn’t even know you were planning a book. I AM SO CURIOUS. WRIIIITE CHARNELL SO YOU MAY SHARE DETAILS WITH US. XD
Great post! I also love books with food and good food descriptions! I just reviewed one today, coincidentally! My all time favorite is probably The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand — it’s set in a restaurant and the dishes are meticulously described. It makes you SO hungry!
Eva @ All Books Considered recently posted…Review: The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert
Okay obviously I MUST go read this review of yours right now. XD
Definitely, absolutely, devastatingly right! I agree with basically everything you said (even with #6, I’m not especially fond of it, but I acknowledge it happens). I remember reading THG trilogy and thinking, wow. FOOD. This is how people live. WITH food. Also? There are some serious gourmet food in there! What’s wrong with Collins? She’s glorious with gore, kickass heroine, politics, fashion AND food. Oh, no, wait. That’s the problem. There seems to be NOTHING wrong with her.
I love that you gave shoutouts to my buddy Percy. That boy and his penchant for blue food! (I think this sprouted a bajillion fanfics.) And the “If this doesn’t make you think of Edmund Pevnsie in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I don’t know what your childhood was like. But it was probably sad” just about killed me! Omg hahaha! And butter beer! Have you tried the Starbucks drink?
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I agree with #1 soooo much. I’m actually working on a fantasy right now, and it has a very Asian flair, but it’s 100% a fantasy world, so like you said, I bring that out in other ways. SO MUCH TRUTH IN THIS STATEMENT!!!
OMG, yessss, I will always remember blue food when I think of Percy Jackson!
While it isn’t food SPECIFIC, I am always hungry when I read Rae Carson or Cindy Pon because mmmmmm, the food!!!
This post is just so much fun!!! <3 <3
Bonnie @ A Backwards Story recently posted…Top 10 Books For Diversity in Fantasy!
I have a book called ‘Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer’ and basically it’s stuffed full of recipes from classic childrens’ literature, eg. St Claire’s Eclairs, Bruce Bogtrotter chocolate cake, Swallow’s and Amazon’s voyages of discovery bunloaf….
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I think it depends on how the writer implements the food into the story. Think of all the times we read about Bella eating cereal one measly spoonful at a time. I wanted to pull my hair out.
Though, I must say, that book did lead me to try and eat ravioli… only to be thoroughly disappointed by how disgusting it tastes. Ahahaha.
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What a marvellous post. I wholly agree with everything. Yoghurt makes me think of blue. Turkish delight, Edmund. Lemon cakes, always Sansa. Every time I eat one (which is sadly not that often) I’m like ooh I’m Sansa Stark (and then I remember her traumas and I’m like hmm better not).
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These are some good points actually. ^ ^ Food is very helpful to mention in books. One of my characters hoards food because he’s used to it getting stolen. In another book, the main character’s favorite foods are jam tarts particularly blackcurrant. ^ ^
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Great post! I 100% agree with all your reasons. I always feel like everyone loves food, so why do some books not mention food? It irks me a lot more when in tv shows you see all this junk food and they don’t eat it, they just talk. COME ON THE FOOD ISN’T THERE TO BE ADMIRED IT IS THERE TO BE EATEN.
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I also love love love when books speak a lot about food, its the descriptions and putting you right there with the characters. One of my favourite Authors for doing this is Caroline James. I love the deserts she speaks of in her books.
Great post.
Amanda.
Amanda recently posted…Book Review: Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy and Me, by Caroline James.
yes, yes, yes, YUM. Can you imagine the Harry Potter books with Butterbeer and Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum and Hagrid’s inedible rock cakes? I love incorporating food into my writing, it lets you give each location such atmosphere and personality. Plus it makes you super hungry!!
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I just had to share this post on facebook. I love it.