“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”
– Countess Virginia von Woolf of the Re-Estize Kingdom
Have you tried pudding?
If you’ve never had pudding, you should try pudding. You don’t have to like it, you don’t even have to eat it, but you should try to make it… at least once. Pudding is one of countless foods that are easily accessible in the modern world that exist only in the legendary realm of possibility in a fantasy world. Life is hard in a fantasy world. People live under the constant threat of attack by demon beasts and any number of neighboring hostile states. Living conditions like that preclude the advancement of culture especially among lower status communities. Just enough to survive is the mentality of most and sadly, fine dining is not a necessity for survival.
That said, the people of a fantasy world would probably appreciate good food much more than the modern person due to their lack of exposure. And this is where pudding comes in. It is a simple dish for the modern person, but the combination of expensive ingredients, rich flavor, and the novel concept of chilled food combine to provide a first class experience. Good for royalty and the commoner alike. It’s guaranteed to be a hit among the girls. What a way to make a first impression on the princess, right?
But in all seriousness, to be truly ready, a modern person must know how to prepare a few dishes from scratch. Around five recipes should be enough to either make a wonderful first impression, curry favor with a landed noble, or to sustain a fledgling business so that you don’t starve. Desserts serve this purpose well, because they are high margin meaning you can sell them for much more than the sum of the ingredient cost and labor. They also brand well. Take a look at any high class bakery or patisserie in a city and you’ll understand the value of selling high margin food with an upscale feel. In any age and in any world, people pay for good food – or at least better food.
Sourcing ingredients and actually preparing food in a fantasy world might be more difficult given the lack of supermarkets, convenience stores, convection ovens, and thermometers, but don’t underestimate the value of magic! Summoning spells could substitute for grocery delivery; fire attribute magic could substitute for temperature control. The possibilities are as endless as is the depth of magic. And where magic fails, human ingenuity will take hold.
