I've been working on some articles for the Library. I'd like people's opinions on how well this works, if it needs anything, if I've screwed up spelling, etc. Thanks! **************** Spice up your stories with food Food is more than a survival requirement. It is a slice of culture. The types of foods your characters eat, how they're prepared, and when they're eaten give insights into them and the culture they come from. If your story is on a different world then you need to put some thought into the very basics of food. It's more difficult to ease into the exotic world of Frambula Five if everyone eats burgers and fries. (In fact, even using such "common foods" identifies more about the author's culture than the story's culture. In Britain, fries are called chips. Some countries don't have fries at all, except for the odd McDonalds invading the local scenery.) The purpose of this article isn't to suggest that you need to create a culinary cookbook with thousands of recipes in order to properly detail your world, but deciding on some basics and tossing in a few details will help color your world and your characters. What does it say about a character who orders a plate of pork spare ribs in Egypt or a beef hamburger in India? (They're culturally clueless or insensitive.) How about a person who knows to order raita for their nan? (They're well-travelled enough to know some basic Indian foods.) With a few, well-defined culinary rules in place, you can accomplish the same thing in your worlds. How much variety is there? If your culture is a pre-industrial one, food will likely be very limited to whatever is currently in season and to what can be stored safely for months at a time. (Pre-industrial is not necessarily the same as non-mechanized. You can have an industrial world where everything is powered by the laws of magic. You can have a world replete with robots but many of the basics that we take for granted are not possible - perhaps a mining colony with no resources available for luxuries such as refridgerators.) Cultures with limited trade will also have less variety than those with well-established trade routes. (Trade might be limited due to technology, geographic location, societal mores, and governmental or religious mandates.) Variety may be artificially limited as well. If the culture is an aesthetic one, then variety would be discouraged beyond what's necessary for good health. Military cultures restrict variety due to logistics. (We have 100,000 troops to feed very day. They will like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.) Even mundane things like available space will dictate what will be stored. (Hey, we're in luck today. We can have green food concentrate or blue food concentrate!) What is taboo or restricted? Some cultures will not eat certain foods. Many nations and religions ban certain foods, such as pork, or require special preparation, such as kosher meals. On the opposite end, some foods might be considered special foods and will only be eaten at certain times. The reasons for the restrictions are many. Perhaps the food in question has religious significance (the wafer at Catholic communions.) The food might be strongly associated with a holiday, such as eggnog and fruitcake at Christmas time, and simply not served any other time of the year. (When is the last time you had fruitcake in July?) You might also have foods that are eaten all year but especially at certain times, such as turkey at Thanksgiving. What are the staples of the culture? If you wandered into someone's house, what would you expect to see? In the U.S., bread and potatoes are two everyday items. Tortillas are quite common in Mexico, but you wouldn't expect to see them in China. Couscous brings up visions of the Middle East while rice is the Far East. Food preparation Is there anything special done when preparing the food? There are rules on how to slaughter animals for Kosher food. Some cuisines serve food cut into small strips for eating convenience, while others leave the meat on the bone so the diner can have every last morsel. While individual foods might be acceptable, some combinations might be considered odd, or even taboo. (As much as I love chocolate, I can't imagine putting it on chicken or rice.) Table manners What is considered polite? In the Middle Ages, you were expected to wipe your hands on the table cloth. In the 1800s U.S. it was considered polite to clean your teeth with a knife at the dinner table. Burpring will get you reviled for poor manners in some countries but accepted in others, the same with slurping soup. Does the host eat the first bite to indicate the food is safe, or do they wait until their guests have started? Do they pray before or after the meal? Are certain foods always served before others foods (soup first, desert last) or is everything put out at once? What utentils are commonly used? Does each person get their own plate with a portion of food, do they take what they want from a set of dishes or do they dine communally, eating from the same plate? Tastes Thai food is known for its spiciness while British food is solid and a bit plain. Your culture may prefer sweet foods while disdaining spiciness. Perhaps meals feature one strongly flavored dish while the other dishes are quite plain or they might be a cacaphony of flavors that emphasize variety in every bite. Dining Times Not everyone eats 3 meals a day. In the "Lord of the Rings", Hobbits have breakfast, second breakfast and elevenses, all before lunch. It might be acceptable to munch all day, or prohibited to eat during daylight hours. Your culture may dictate fasting during holy days or feasting. Enjoy! (Or should I say, Bon Appetit!)