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Cirashala
Valinor
Sep 10, 12:55am
Post #1 of 6
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Foods in Middle-earth
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What do you think our respective travelers-Thorin's Company, and the Fellowship- ate on their journeys? And travelers in ME in general?
Besides Lembas, of course  And possibly cram (the dwarves). And how could one forget Elrond's gift of Miruvor to the Fellowship?
One would assume they hunted as they were able, providing meat. The Fellowship did have Bill the Pony, at least until the Moria west-gate. After Lorien, they had lembas, but not before.
Thorin's Company would have been a little different, at least between Beorn's home and Laketown, due to Beorn being a vegetarian, and Mirkwood's fauna being somewhat less than palatable (at least, until the areas where the wood-elves hunted, but they couldn't leave the path to do so).
The times of year for the respective travelers would have impacted fare as well. The Fellowship traveled over winter...so after the harvest, BUT...not as much ability to gather in the colder areas, since wild plants and even produce they could have purchased were out of season. Thorin's company might've been able to partake of such fare, with Mirkwood being the exception.
Not to mention, you do have the fact that Boromir wandered for quite a while, before finally finding Imladris. Legolas traveled with others from Mirkwood to Imladris, and Gimli traveled all the way from Erebor as well (they may have had pack animals. We don't know, IIRC).
We also have one rather...sticky issue with Thorin's Company. Seems a pony (that isn't Beorn's) doesn't have a very long lifespan under their employment, thus limiting provisions to what the poor saps were able to carry, after each, ahem...pony incident...and we know what kind of appetites 13 dwarves and a homesick hobbit have!
So...what sorts of foods do you think so many hungry warriors might have taken with them, foods that would be hearty, substantial, and keep fresh (or fresh-ish) for long periods of time? And not (always) require a pack animal to transport?
Just food for thought 
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(This post was edited by Cirashala on Sep 10, 12:58am)
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Sep 10, 1:58pm
Post #2 of 6
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Well, the Dwarves of Erebor might have adopted the recipe for cram from the Lake-men, but Thorin and his companions didn't seem all that enthused with it. From Beorn the company received twice-baked honey-cakes among their provisions. Other rations would have included such items as dried meat and fish (not from Beorn), dried fruits and vegetables, hard cheeses, nuts, grain, maybe watered wine and ale.
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sevilodorf
Tol Eressea
Sep 11, 3:29pm
Post #3 of 6
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a ball of string in the pocket and hooks slid into a hatband...
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provide fishing tackle or the means for creating a snare for birds or rabbits.
A sling would easily bring down small game.
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noWizardme
Half-elven
Sep 12, 11:02am
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"But gathering and catching food is long and weary work, and we need haste"
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“‘There is food in the wild,’ said Strider; ‘berry, root, and herb; and I have some skill as a hunter at need. You need not be afraid of starving before winter comes. But gathering and catching food is long and weary work, and we need haste. So tighten your belts, and think with hope of the tables of Elrond’s house!’” I think that quote both gives some likely food possibilities, and the reason for relying as much as possible on the rations the travelers had brought with them, even if that means going hungry. By the time our heroes on the way to Rivendell meet Glorfindel, we're told that all they have left is 'stale bread and dried fruit' (though this seems pretty good after a draught of the liquor Glorfindel gives them. Of course that really only applies to the Fellowship: not everyone moving about Middle-earth is trying to get somewhere swiftly and also secretly. The secrecy often also means no cooking, which I suppose also limits the food choices - until they're hungry enough to eat raw bush meat or whatever .
A later LOTR quote details what Frodo and Sam eat in (comparatively food-rich) Ithilien:
“Twice that day they rested and took a little of the food provided by Faramir: dried fruits and salted meat, enough for many days; and bread enough to last while it was still fresh.”
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(This post was edited by noWizardme on Sep 12, 11:13am)
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SirDennisC
Half-elven
Sep 12, 2:34pm
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Bread, an inadequate pat of butter, and thin milk -
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Least ways that was Merry’s breakfast during the siege of Gondor.
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