Culinary traditions in Middle Earth

[Nogrod]

Thanks to HerenIstarion, I got a grip of gastronomic threads that have been pursued at BD. Unfortunately, from my point of view, only the first one (in 2002), even took up some ideas of sharing recipies’. And none of the threads shared a discussion of what could be the culinary traditions of the Middle Earth.

So I think, there would be a place for this kind of thread also, and again.

Could we have a discussion, concerning the various culinary traditions of the Middle Earth, and maybe share some ideas of the recipies’? I myself have invented / gathered some 50+ recipies’ for my own “Middle Earth Cookbook” (to be just privatively “published” to my daughters' as they run away to live on their own), with some introductions. I would be quite ready to “share and enjoy” (remember D. Adams?) them, to give and to gain from ideas’ we’ll share, for the common good. Maybe we could really publish something, as a “BD Cookbook” one day?

As an introduction, I would like to make the following generalizations.

It’s easy to pinpoint two areas’ of gastronomic culture in the Middle Earth.

Firstly the Hobbitton & the Breeland are easily seen as a kind of British Isles, Northern France, Benelux, Northern Germany & Scandinavia -stuff. This is something that Tolkien himself makes quite clear.

Secondly, it would be easy to assume Minas Tirith (& Osgiliath etc.) to have some kind of Mediterranean cuisine, including North African tradition. And if we think of the fourth age, surely at least Minas Tirith has become a place hip enough to breed some cross-kitchen?

But the rest is more challenging.

The beornings’ would have their vegan palate with a northern twist?

How about the “Lake people”, from Esgaroth, or from near the Lone Mountain? The cuisine of eastern Europe (Russia, Poland, Czech republic, Hungary)?

And how about the rohirrim? They sure rode down from the north – and would therefore share some basic traditions with the northern people, but perhaps their new surroundings & involvements, would have made the tradition a new one? Nothing we have in this actual world of ours, an assemblage of northern & southern (European) cuisine?

Pelargir? Maybe Caribbean flavours would come from here (the title “The Pirates’ of the Caribbean” really has roots up to 17th. Century). Nice way of threading popular ideas and Tolkien together?

How about southern Gondor (Dol Amroth etc.)? As odd as it sounds, I would suggest, it would be the place of Indian flavours, or a blend of India & Africa, as we have at the kichen of eastern Africa. This just because there is no other natural place for Indian cuisine, and I just couldn’t live without it.

Then there would be the recipies’ of the Haradrim, that would come from sub-Saharan Africa.

The easterlings’ could easily be seen as far-eastern people (Indonesia, Philippines’, China, Japan etc.), but I’m not sure, whether this interpretation is any good at all. F.ex. their kitchen relies heavily on seafood, but where, in the Middle Earth could they live by the sea? The lake Rhûn might be the closest substitute? Here we see Tolkien making a borderline. Where do easterling have their abodes’ in the first place?

But. Comments? Ideas?

I truly acknowledge, that these basic ideas have been the most common and unreflective, empowering the stereotypes we deem to have in general. But that’s also the other side of the coin: by sticking to the “generalities”, one can make himself understood... and with the case of food, get some real experiences of real life luxury!

I’ll put forwards some of my recipies’ in a couple of days’ of time. I’ll start from the “obvious” ones’ (I’ve even dared to construct the “Herbs and stewed Rabbit” –recipe, as Sam would have done it at the Shire) . The way I have been generating these recipies’, have been both to think of the world of Tolkien, and to make good food with reachable ingredients. I have not cared to shy with borrowing classics’, but I have tried also to just make what comes to my mind...

I surely would welcome your thoughts and recipies’! But perhaps not those which begin with phrases like “First you should take two Balrogs”...

So what do you think about these general culinary outlines’, I’ve tried to open? I would be happy to hear some criticism. Not to talk of seeing some general ideas about the culinary traditions’ in Middle Earth.