TLC Forum

Do any of you have a food from Narnia you're particularly curious to try or to make? Have you run into, or invented, any Narnian recipes? How about headcannon? Do you have ideas about what different creatures might like to eat that aren't specified by Lewis in the books? This would be a place for it.

Personally, I have a few things popping up in my head. One is that someday I'd really like to do a Dawn Treader Tea, with the kind of things Coriakin was serving Lucy on Dufflepud Island. Maybe I could have some other Narnia-fans over and even decorate up the room it was being served in a bit to look like something that might be in the Magician's House.
Another idea is that personally, enjoying foods from other places, I might like to have something like Shasta's Calormen meal when he was in the Narnians' guest-house. It would be fun to look up recipes for different things, and make guesses, too. We know that a liver dish and flavored ices were involved in there, but it seems like a lot was left to the imagination.
Oddly, perhaps, my third thought is Eel Stew, ala Puddleglum. I mean, as a kid I didn't think much of the idea, but Jill and Eustace seemed to like it ok, and the very little bit of eel-meat I've actually had (in sushi) tasted fine. And I'm wondering what you'd put in with a stew of eels. We're thinking fishy, right? And maybe stuff that would be available in a region of islands and marshes? My first thoughts are water-chestnuts and nori (seaweed of the kind used to wrap sushi, also sometimes sold as snack-chips) and garlic, but I really don't know. Anybody have ideas? And where would one find eel-meat? 0.o

Great subject!
One year for "Sister Day" (sort of an annual holiday my sisters and I do) we did a Narnia theme, and for food we got ideas from the books. We had Ham, boiled eggs, meat pies, and coffee punch, if I remember right (I think we did that because in one of the books it mentions they have a frothy sort of drink, or something), and we did make Turkish delight too (which didn't turn out ).
Also on the subject of Narnian food, my friend got me the Unofficial Narnia Cookbook for my birthday, which has over 150 Narnia inspired recipes. It has Eel Stew! (I want to try that too!) I havent tried any of the recipes yet though.

I love eel meat. Let's see... perhaps you could find it at a store specifically for Asian food? I get it at Japanese restaurants occasionally.

Great topic!

If you're really interested in Narnian food, maybe you should try out the Narnian Cookbook. I remember when it came out a couple years back and I think some people in TLC got it. I can't remember who or whether they're still around. If anyone does have it, let us know if it's any good!

https://www.narnia.com/us/books/ebook/t ... 0062245779 (this link is to an ebook version but I believe it exists in print. It has a cool preview).

Also, I know Kristi has come up with a couple of interesting Narnian foods and recipes in the past. The only one she has up at the moment is Man pies (https://www.thelionscall.com/2013/11/19 ... umn-feast/), but I think she had some others on the old site.

Oooo, Narnian food!

I think Shasta's breakfast with Duffle and his brothers is the closest I come to eating Narnian cuisine - buttered toast, mushroom omelettes, lots of coffee, etc; and I really do enjoy it! But I think my favourite food reference (and the one I'd like to try the most at a Narnian party!) would be all the food the Narnians had when Shasta was first mistaken for Corin in Calormene:

"It was a fine meal after the Calormene fashion. I don't know whether you would have liked it or not, but Shasta did. There were lobsters, and salad, and snipe stuffed with almonds and truffles, and a complicated dish made of chickenlivers and rice and raisins and nuts, and there were cool melons and gooseberry fools and mulberry fools, and every kind of nice thing that can be made with ice. "

Technically a Calormene feast, I suppose, but since the Narnian party were eating it, I'm going to take the liberty of describing it as a Narnian feast. I'm not even exactly sure what a gooseberry fool is (it kinda sounds like some sort of slushy?), but it sounds like something neat to try regardless!

It does sound amazing, though I think you might have some trouble where the snipe is concerned.

Beautiful Dreamer wrote:I'm not even exactly sure what a gooseberry fool is (it kinda sounds like some sort of slushy?), but it sounds like something neat to try regardless!

Ooh! I've had gooseberry fool. A lady I was staying with in England made it from fresh gooseberries. It was kinda nice though I wouldn't want it every day. I seem to remember it being quite tart (we had to add sugar). I actually don't remember how she made it, even though I helped (by cutting up the gooseberries. I remember her stewing the gooseberries and folding it into milk or egg (possibly only egg white?) and milk (like a custard). Sorry, my memory ought to be better than that. I think it was kinda fluffy like a light mousse.

Interestingly, we have something we call gooseberries in South Africa but they are completely different to the British kind.

In the book I have, it has "Shasta's Dinner as Corin," (it's divided into categories like that, which is really nice), and it has "Snipe Stuffed with Almonds and Truffles." It says you can substitute quail or dove since snipe is not easy to find.

It has gooseberry fool as well. The way it's prepared does kind of sound like a mousse.

My family has tried to make Turkish Delight and a Marmalade Roll, they both turned out alright, but we are not chefs.

My library used to have The Official Narnia Cookbook until it was lost/stolen. It is wonderfully made. The recipies were divided by lunch, dinner, etc. Each recipe had a paragraph devoted to it and explaining what certain food items are, that are not commonly known in the U.S., like the pasty Shasta eats. There are quotes from the book and Pauline Baynes' illustrations accompany the recipes. In the back are sample menu plans. Overall, it is a beautifully made book.

That is very true, Ariel! I'm afraid that at such a party, my version of snipe would look, smell, and taste quite a bit like chicken (Lol, Shi, I'm not sure they sell dove or quail in my local supermarkets, either, hehe)

That sounds good, Ajjie - I'm a fan of custard-y things. I'm surprised that you say you cut them up, though - I though gooseberries were really small, like the size of blueberries?

And marmalade roll! I've made one, Hermit Possibly not the same as in the Narnian cookbook, but it was kind of like a thin (1/2 inch, maybe?) spongecake rolled up with marmalade. It was kind of tricky, what with all the flipping and rolling and trying to get the cake layer out in one piece, but it tasted pretty good. (: