Any fantasy reader knows that books are portals to worlds beyond our own. We lose ourselves in sprawling landscapes, epic battles, and unforgettable characters. To create that immersive effect, authors have to construct detailed worlds that invite the reader in deeper. Besides the political landscape, the architectural design, and more, there’s a secret ingredient to good worldbuilding: food and drink.
When thoughtfully woven into the narrative, these simple, everyday elements can turn a fictional setting from a mere backdrop into a living world. Let’s explore how food and drink can add layers of richness to the immersive experience of reading the best fantasy books.
The Importance of Food and Drink in Fantasy World-building
More than just sustenance for characters, food and drink in fantasy novels are demonstrations of the world's culture, history, and environment. They act as a kind of bridge between the reader and the fictional world, enabling the setting to feel more alive. Bread-baking, the spices of a stew, or the rites of a particular beverage can all reveal a lot about the society that produced them.
Food and drink invite all the senses. Think about when an author describes the rich, smoky flavor of a dwarven ale or the sweet tangy bite of a summer fruit from a distant land. All these sensory details make the world more vivid and tangible, transforming the experience of reading from passive observation to active participation.
As C.S. Lewis said, “The value of the myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by ‘the veil of familiarity.’ The child enjoys his cold meat, otherwise dull to him, by pretending it is buffalo, just killed with his own bow and arrow. And the child is wise. The real meat comes back to him more savory for having been dipped in a story…by putting bread, gold, horse, apple, or the very roads into a myth, we do not retreat from reality: we rediscover it.”
The Role of Food and Drink in The Lord of the Rings: A Taste of Middle-earth
J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is renowned for its rich worldbuilding, and food and drink play a subtle but significant role in bringing Middle-earth to life.
Lembas, the Elven waybread, is a key symbol in the story. Given to the Fellowship by the Elves, it’s not just a practical provision but a symbol of Elven wisdom and hope. As Frodo and Sam endure the desolation of Mordor, lembas sustains them both physically and spiritually, embodying resilience and the power of small things to overcome great challenges.
Throughout the story, shared meals forge bonds among the diverse members of the Fellowship. Whether it’s cooking sausages on Weathertop or sharing lembas on the road, these moments of eating together highlight the importance of camaraderie in their quest (another central theme to the trilogy).
Second breakfast is a lifestyle.
The Cozy Charm of Food and Drink in Legends and Lattes
In contrast to the epic scale of many fantasy novels, Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree presents a more intimate and cozy approach to worldbuilding. In this unique story, food and drink are at the heart of the narrative.
At the center of Legends and Lattes is Viv, an orc who has retired from a life of adventure to pursue her dream of opening a coffee shop. The catch? Well, Viv finds herself in a town where no one has ever heard of coffee. The simple act of introducing this beverage to the town’s inhabitants is transformative—not just for the people who discover a new favorite drink, but for Viv herself as she builds a new life around her passion.
The smell of brewing coffee, the warmth of the shop, and the comfort of a good drink offer both the characters and the readers a feeling of home. That feeling is crucial to lots of fantasy readers—it’s often why we read in the first place. Baldree’s emphasis on food and drink helps ground the fantasy setting in something relatable, making the world of Legends and Lattes feel as real and comforting as your local café.
What I would do for a break in this cozy fantasy cafe…
How Brandon Sanderson Uses Food and Drink in the Cosmere
Very few authors have the worldbuilding prowess that Brandon Sanderson does. His Cosmere universe is a college course for anyone trying to develop interconnected, complex worlds. To make such an expansive universe feel real and lived-in, he has an arsenal of tools at his disposal, not the least of which being the unique cuisine of a culture.
Roshar
One of the most prominent examples is Lavis grain, the staple food of Roshar. This hardy grain is well-suited to the challenging conditions of the world, where frequent highstorms make traditional farming difficult. Lavis is versatile, used to make everything from flatbread to beer, and its cultivation and preparation reflect the resourcefulness and adaptability of the people who live in this storm-ravaged land. The prominence of Lavis in everyday meals underscores the theme of survival in a world where nature is both beautiful and deadly.
Roshar is such a rich, interesting, and hostile environment.
The Horneaters, a people who live high in the mountains of the Horneater Peaks, bring a distinct flavor to the culinary landscape of Roshar. Their cuisine, rich in unusual ingredients like rockbuds and spicy roots, offers a glimpse into their hardy and robust way of life. The Horneaters’ food, much like their culture, is bold and resilient, mirroring the extreme environment of their homeland. In this way, you can use food or beverages to highlight certain aspects of characters themselves.
In Sanderson’s stories, magic also finds its way into food and drink. Soulcasting, a form of transformation magic, allows for the creation of food out of seemingly nothing, making it a valuable resource in times of scarcity. However, this magically produced food often lacks the taste and texture of naturally grown ingredients, highlighting the tension between convenience and authenticity in a world often reliant on magic for survival. This is a great example of how to use these basic components of a world’s sustenance to reflect a critical theme in the story.
Nalthis
In Warbreaker, the vibrant colors of the world are echoed in the meals that the characters partake of; food not only colorful but possessing magical properties. The bright, vivid colors that define the magic system of BioChromatic Breath are echoed in the meals characters consume. Some foods even possess more subtle magical properties, with their hues and vibrancy hinting at the level of magic infused in them.
What makes these elements interesting is the fact that they are not purely decorative but rather connected to the magic system and themes of the book, thereby heightening the reader's understanding of the world and its rules.
Scadrial
The way characters interact with food and drink in Sanderson's books also elucidates their personality and cultural background. In Mistborn, for example, the different kinds of meals nobles and skaa eat highlight the social cleavages in the world, with the skaa being exploited to a large degree. Vin grew up in poverty as a skaa, and her vulnerability and alienation are made obvious at the sight of the fine foods that she later has access to. This depiction deepens the reader's empathy for her.
These crafted details make Sanderson's worlds feel lived-in, encouraging readers to engage more deeply with the story.
The Cultural Significance of Food and Drink in Worldbuilding
When specific foods and drinks are incorporated into a fantasy novel, you can gain very deep insights into the fictional cultures and their values. Just as in the real world, where food is symbolic of an identity linked to a culture or region, so it is in fantasy. A culture's cuisine can tell you about its history, relationship to the land, or even its social structures.
Fan art of colored wines in Roshar. Credit to noutsa.kh.
The Role of Wine Across Two Epic Narratives
Take for instance how much wine signifies in many fantasy cultures. For example, wine is more than just a beverage in Game of Thrones; it is a representative of political power and social position. Let’s dig into how that looks in the books, and compare it to the unique role that wine plays in The Stormlight Archive to better understand how the beverage impacts these cultures.
Wine as a Status Symbol
In the courts and castles of Westeros, the quality and abundance of wine serve as clear indicators of social status and wealth. The nobility indulge in the finest vintages, with the rich, velvety Arbor Gold being a particular favorite among the elite.
The ability to serve and enjoy such luxury is a display of power, a subtle way of reinforcing one’s position in the social order. This is starkly contrasted with the cheaper, rougher wines consumed by the lower classes, highlighting the vast disparities in wealth and privilege that permeate Westerosi society.
Wine and Political Intrigue
Beyond its role as a status symbol, wine also plays a crucial part in the web of political intrigue that defines the series. The act of sharing a cup of wine can be either a gesture of camaraderie, or foreshadow a betrayal (sometimes both!).
Poisoned wine is a recurring motif in the series. The infamous poisoning of King Joffrey at his wedding—via a tainted goblet of wine—serves as one of the most dramatic and pivotal moments in the story.
In this way, wine becomes a tool of manipulation, deception, and death, underscoring the treacherous nature of the power struggles in Westeros.
Comparing the Cultural Impact of Wine in Game of Thrones and The Stormlight Archive
While wine in Game of Thrones is steeped in themes of power, wealth, and intrigue, the colored wines in Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive serve a different, though equally symbolic, role.
In the world of Roshar, wine comes in a variety of colors, each with different levels of strength and potency. The color of the wine not only reflects its alcohol content but also serves as a social marker, with the most potent wines, like violet or deep purple, often reserved for those of higher social status or for significant occasions. This can be observed in one of the first scenes in The Way of Kings when Szeth sneaks through the party, noting the abundance of sapphire wine.
Each color of wine has a different meaning in The Stormlight Archive.
Contrasting Cultural Roles
While both Game of Thrones and The Stormlight Archive use wine as a cultural symbol, the nature of that symbolism reflects the differing themes of each series.
In Game of Thrones, wine is closely tied to the deadly game of power and the sharp social divides of Westeros. It is a drink of the powerful, often used to manipulate or control. In contrast, in The Stormlight Archive, wine’s significance is more nuanced. The beverage is connected to social rituals and the subtle ways in which color and strength reflect the complexities of Roshar’s society.
After looking at these comparisons between fictional cultures, we can see that the role of food and drink can establish very distinctive worlds and societal landscapes. Even if we’re technically talking about the same drink, the way it’s presented and used in two different fantasy worlds changes its meaning entirely.
The Power of Adding Flavor to Fantasy Worlds
Food and drink can be powerful tools within worldbuilding to help the characters experience the environment in which they are placed. Whether it's the hearty stews of a medieval inn or the dainty pastries of an elven banquet, these elements add flavor—literally and figuratively—to a story.
Think, now, about your favorite moments of food and drink in fantasy—a moment so clear you felt transported in, tasting the food yourself. Thematic meals, literary tea rituals, or just enjoying a story with a special drink in one's hand can significantly color one's reading.
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