Of what did they taste?

[the guy who be short]

A question which I think is often (quite despicably) omitted from observation and study is the matter of what the races in Middle-Earth tasted like. I'm quite certain that investigation in this direction would reveal a lot about relationships between the species.

It is a well known fact that humans taste of pork, and there is no reason to believe the Men of Ennor didn't. Hobbits, being but a breed of men, were also probably porky, though more tender due to their size.

Then there is the question of the kindred of the Eldar. Is it to be presumed the taste depends on the body alone? For the Eldar were said to possess the bodies of Men, yet their Fea was different. Could the Fea affect the taste of a race?

Presuming taste is entirely physical, it is safe to assume the Eldar also tasted somewhat porky. However, if the Fea had any effect, who knows what they tasted like?

The question of the Fea leads us invariably to the Istari. Was it even possible to eat a Maia? Were the bodies they inhabited entirely identical to those of Men and Eldar (that is, porky) or different? Could the powerful Fea of these beings affect their taste? Did the Blue wizards actually taste Blue, or did the name relate to aesthetics only?

Of course, all the races above mentioned share, one presumes, the same type of physical body. What of other races?

The Dwarves were created by Aule of the Earth, or so it thought. Did the Dwarves taste of earth, or are these rumours completely unfounded? Surely by their gruff exterior, one would presume the Dwarves to be tougher and stronger flavoured than Men.

A mystery that continues to confuse scholars of our Age is the taste of the Ents. It is said in the Silmarillion that Ents are but spirits living in trees, akin to dryads. Again, the question of the Fea causes confusion. Did the Ents taste like trees, or was the Fea able to alter flavour?

And, of course, there are other races to consider. The Eagles, The Orcs, The Trolls, the Dragons.

Eagles, present the same question as Ents, in that they are spirits residing in the form of other beings. But what of the orcs and trolls, races perverted by Melkor? Perhaps orcs tasted of tormented pork? But what does tormented pork taste like? It is too cruel to torment pigs in our Age to find out.

Of the Dragons, I have few thoughts. The trolls were presumably woody, like Ents, but slightly more poisonous.

Any thoughts and ideas from you, my fellow Scholars of Middle-Earth, would be welcome.

[Gil-Galad]

Well you would think the soul would be apart of the body, so if the soul is twisted and dark, the host-body is as well twisted and dark, and that usually leads to being foul, so most presumeably, the evil creatures will taste foul, while the elves would probaly taste more blander because they have more grace, so they aren't as meaty or trying to be built up, so men would taste more because they realie(sp) on muscles more then the elves, thus more meat

[the guy who be short]

But the porky taste of men comes from our layer of fat, as opposed to our muscles.

And I am not entirely convinced of the physical nature of the Fea, nor its ability to affect taste.

Also, come to think of it, Dragons could possibly taste like a crocodile/newt combnation.

[Firefoot]

It is a well known fact that humans taste of pork

You learn something new everyday, I guess.

Dwarves are porbably very tough and stringy. And they must have a very distinct taste, cf. Smaug:

"Don't tell me that I can eat a dwarf-ridden pony and not know it!"

So even if their meat isn't very good, they must make good seasoning.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

The Eagles perhaps tasted like Albatross, that being a bloody great seabird which hasn't got any flavour.

As for dragons well, is it outlandish to suppose that, whatever they tasted of, dragon meat comes pre-cooked? Premature preparation no doubt hindered the flavour.

Um...interesting topic tgwbs.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Balrogs taste like chicken, or so I've heard on many occasions. Most likely they taste like chicken wings, with that bit of a fiery kick only found in the best relatively unheard of pizza places with owners who like to watch customers squirm.

I would assume that Dwarves would be rather tough and chewy, somewhat like venison jerky. There is a good chance that they taste heavily seasoned.

I would assume that the Teleri taste like fish... most probably pollock. The Noldor also taste like fish, although in their case, the flavor is more strongly reminiscent of Tuna.

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by the guy who be short

A mystery that continues to confuse scholars of our Age is the taste of the Ents. It is said in the Silmarillion that Ents are but spirits living in trees, akin to dryads. Again, the question of the Fea causes confusion. Did the Ents taste like trees, or was the Fea able to alter flavour?

I should hypothesize that Ents do not taste entirely like trees...

After all, it is never stated, totally, that Ents are spirits inhabiting trees. They are similar, of course, but not the same. They do not have roots, obviously, and require the ability to move on a near-constant basis.

Therefore, although I would say that Ents are quite tree-like, with wood for bones and bark for skin, I would hypothesize that any "muscles" would be a softer tissue. Spinach-like, or cabbage-y maybe.

Therefore, cooked properly, Ents make sauerkraut.

Which goes good with pork.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Terribly interesting, Formendacil (I really love saying your name, ol' boy... it just rolls off the tongue in a fascinatingly rolly way).

I had always assumed that, when properly harvested and stewed, Ents tasted very much like a strong cup of tea. Perhaps that's just the bark though...