Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by Jamie over at The Broke and The Bookish. The feature was created because Jamie is loves lists, and this weeks theme is:
October 17: Top Ten Yummy Foods Mentioned In Books
This is a tricky one for me because a lot of the books I’ve read (especially recently) don’t mention food much. Nevertheless, I’ve rounded up a few good ones that stick in my mind for different reasons. So this week I’m going to do five books with foods I want to eat, and five food-related things I want to see more of in fiction.
1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
This one of the first books I ever read where I remember food being mentioned so explicitly, and sounding so delicious. The feast that appears on Harry’s first night at Hogwarts sounds so out of this world, that I found myself wishing I could reach through the page and taste some of it for myself.
2. Daughter of the Burning City
I’m not normally one for candy, but the multitude of sweets described in DOTBC sounded unusual, enticing, and particularly sugary. Can you tell I was hungry at the time of reading?
3. Six of Crows
After listening to Nina talk about waffles, all I wanted to eat for a week was waffles. In every shape, size, and flavour. Waffles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I can’t have been the only one??
4. Check, Please!
Alright, real talk, if you don’t think all the jams and fruity pies Bittle makes look and sound delicious YOU ARE LYING. Sorry, I don’t make the rules, it’s just a fact.
5. Shokugeki no Soma (Food Wars)
I couldn’t make a list of books involving food without including a manga completely dedicated to food. Shokugeki no Soma is the prototypical series about food. Every chapter has a new recipe, and the characters spend every waking moment thinking about cooking. They even attend a chef academy and have cook-offs against each other to decide who will be sent home. It’s every food lover’s dream.
And the five things I want to see more of?
- Discussions about the links between food and mental health.
- Eating disorder recoveries portrayed in a positive light and not used as a plot device to further romance.
- Characters taking part in Ramadam and explorations of how they deal with food and eating patterns during this period.
- Veganism.
- Food and cookery from cultures that don’t often get represented.
Are there any books that immediately spring to mind when the word ‘food’ is mentioned? If you have any recommendations for one (or more) the five things I mentioned wanting to see more of in fiction, please drop me a comment!
coffeeinonehandbookintheother.wordpress.com 
Great take on this week’s topic Kate, and also I really loved your picks. Harry Potter made it onto my list this week, because really when it comes to books with food there’s nothing better than imagining the feasts at Harry Potter (especially the Halloween feast in the first book right?). Also I’d definitely love to see more of the food related topics in books as well. It seems like each of those would be a great way to include more diversity in books through food, which I think is still something we need to see more of in YA fiction (diversity that is.)
Again great picks for this week. 🙂
Thanks Beth! Haha, I was expecting to see Harry Potter on a number of lists – the food just sounds so good! Yes, the Halloween fest sounded amaaaazing, all those sweets! 😛
That’s all right, and yeah actually when it comes to books and food I don’t think many can beat Harry Potter! 🙂
Ahhhh the food in Harry Potter 😍😍😍 I do feel like there is often a lack of the everyday things in books, especially fantasy where those things necessary to live get lost in all the action!
kizzimay.co.uk
Yeah, I think you’re totally right, food often gets lost behind the magic and action in fantasy, so it’s nice when it’s foregrounded again!