Do’s and Don’ts of Food and Drink in Fiction Writing

DO:

Research the source of the item you’re referencing. Know where the wheat for the pasta grows, the rice for that stir fry, the beans for that coffee or chocolate. On a world where there is little to no land mass, pasta is a highly unlikely dish, as is coffee. Rice is not viable in a high-mountain setting. A world without sugar cane will not have rum.

Think about the language. If you’re writing within historical constraints, don’t use the term “french fries” for a plate of fried potatoes in the 12th century. If you’re developing a fictional dish, think of ways that the name might tie in to a local joke or political phase, to make it more powerful (again, going back to “french fries”, they were called “freedom fries” for a while, for political reasons). And of course there’s the joke about what people with a Liberal Arts degree (or a Masters in English, or several other versions of the joke) say every day: “Would you like fries with that?”

Consider the inherent cultural clashes. A culture accustomed to making much out of little will have dishes that use every bit of an animal or plant (think pickled pig’s feet, tripe, and gizzards, for a start). Wealthier cultures will often view those as “common” and revolting dishes, preferring more refined pastries and select, choice bits (the first bud on a tea bush branch, chicken breasts, premium chocolates).

Think about the emotional connection your characters and their cultures would have to their foods. A character who reverses the cultural expectations (for example, in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the groom-to-be is a vegetarian, which completely baffles the bride’s family) can be either comedic or dramatic, but will definitely serve to highlight the differences in the respective cultures.

Buy targeted cookbooks, whether foreign dishes (African, Japanese) or special diet (vegetarian, diabetic), that cover the culture as well as the recipes. These are fantastic sources for information, and by looking over (and testing!) the recipes, you get a very solid notion of the overall “feel” to the culture and food traditions.

If you’re writing about a real food you’ve never had before, and it’s within your dietary limits, either find a recipe and make it for yourself, or find a place that serves that dish. If you can’t actually eat or cook the dish yourself, talk to people who have. Find out everything you can about the dish, especially if it’s really different from what you’re used to! If the food is fictional, find the closest version; in Secrets of the Sands, the quba is a spicy paste based on wasabi. (At promotional events, I usually have “quba” peas on hand, just for fun!)

DON’T:

Assume you know everything about a dish. Always check for other versions or historical information that might make it more interesting.

Leave mention of food out of a story completely. Food is an essential component of our lives, and when it’s missing from a story, that story lacks something integral. (This does not necessarily apply to shorter works, such as flash fiction, of course.)

Describe every detail of a meal, down to the plates. It’s fine to write that as a first draft, but on the second pass, chop down to the most relevant details–ask yourself what’s the point here? Convey only what needs conveyed for the moment and let go of that really cool but irrelevant detail where the plates were made–unless that detail serves the story.

Use “stew” and “gruel” as standard trailside meals. Stew is a dish that takes a lot of effort and supplies; gruel requires grain, which is fairly heavy. Think about how your characters are carrying and/or storing the items needed for their meals.

Only use foods you personally like or understand. Part of being a writer is stretching your boundaries and learning new things. Go forth and experiment!

Forget about dietary problems. Diabetes, intolerances, addictions, and allergies may not have been as formally diagnosed in the long ago past, but they still happened, not to mention illnesses from rotten grain (such as ergot) and undercooked meat (such as trichinosis).

Pass over food with a vague mention here and there. It’s as important an item as the color of your character’s hair or the way he dresses.

Now that I’ve given you a starter list, go take a look at your own writing and see where you can, errr, beef it up a bit… (sorry, I just couldn’t resist.)

Above all: Go forth, go forth, and write!