July is National Culinary Arts Month. Fittingly, Creative Team staffer Eleanor and I thought it would be fun to reread all seven books and rank all the food JKR describes. This quickly turned into a gargantuan task. So we decided to turn a simple list-and-rank into a four-part series about food in JKR’s epic world.
This post will list and rank interesting foods in the Muggle world versus the foods in the wizarding world. Next week, we’ll talk about what we initially imagined unheard-of-before treats like Cauldron Cakes would look and taste like. The following week, we’ll chat with an animal expert on just how healthy and unhealthy Crookshanks and Hedwig’s diets were. Then, to end things with a bang, we’ve gathered a few of our friends to taste test some of the foods and drinks that are inextricably tied to our beloved Potter character. So buckle in: We’ve got the edible world of Harry Potter to explore!
Now, to explain the many, many Ron emojis you see below: We’ve set up a ranking system. The food listed runs in order, from least to most appetizing. Each entry also gets an approval from Ron, a character who has the
best face
, ahem, most experience with food.
= the best, usually reserved for food made by Mrs. Weasley.
= pretty good, not the most spectacular, but much better fare than usual.
= decent, no complaints.
= could do better, wouldn’t turn it down if it was offered for free.
= the worst, just depressing food, even worse than Hermione’s cooking.
*Note: The following is obviously a non-exhaustive list. There were mentioned foods like carrots, gravy, toast, and tea, which would’ve been unproductive to include in this list. Same goes with commonplace foods like shepherd’s pie and jam tarts.
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Food in the British Muggle world
Stoat sandwiches (SS)
Spotted dick (GoF)
Whipped cream and sugared violets (CoS)
Stewed wild mushrooms (DH)
Corned beef sandwiches (SS)
Lemon drops (SS)
Lemon ice pop (SS)
Knickerbocker glory (SS)
Yorkshire pudding (SS)
Eclairs (SS, GoF)
Coconut ice (PoA)
Crystallized pineapple (HBP)
Sausages and mash (OotP)
Chipolatas (SS, PoA)
Custard tart (CoS, GoF)
Plum cake (CoS)
Cornish pastry (GoF)
Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream (PoA)
Fried sausages (SS, CoS)
Treacle fudge, toffee, tarts, treacle pudding (SS, CoS)
Steak and kidney pie, mince pies, meat pies (SS, PoA, GoF)
Bacon sandwiches (CoS)
Chocolate liqueurs (GoF)
Goulash (GoF)
Homemade fudge (SS)
Rhubarb crumble (OotP)
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Food in the Wizarding World
Infusion of Gurdyroots (DH)
Freshwater Plimpy soup (DH)
Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans
Jelly Slugs (PoA)
Ice Mice, squeaking sugar mice (PoA, OotP)
Toad-shaped peppermint creams, peppermint humbugs (SS, PoA)
Exploding bonbons (PoA)
Cockroach Clusters (PoA)
Blood-flavored lollipops (PoA)
Acid Pops (PoA)
Skiving Snackboxes (OotP)
Fudge Flies (PoA)
Flaming Christmas pudding (SS)
Hiccup Sweets (PoA)
Fizzing Whizbees (PoA)
Drooble’s Best Blowing Gum (SS)
Toothflossing Stringmints (PoA)
Cauldron Cakes (SS, PoA)
Sherbet balls (PoA)
Chocolate Frogs
Pumpkin Pasties, tarts
Sugar quills (PoA, HBP)
Ginger Newt (OotP)
Cheese cauldron (HBP)
Beach-ball-sized Snitch birthday cake (DH)
Butterbeer
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Something of Notice
The first book is chock-full of food references, literally listing out all the food Harry encounters both on the Hogwarts Express and at Hogwarts. Plates overflow with excess food, which is in stark contrast to the way he was treated at the Dursleys, when a cheap lemon ice pop was enough of a treat for Harry to mention. As the books get darker, however, JKR’s listing of food dwindles down. She doesn’t go out of her way to describe the feasts in the Great Hall, and when any of the Potter characters eat, it’s almost a background action. However, once the trio leaves the comforts of Hogwarts and the Burrow during Deathly Hallows, explicit mentions of food crops back up. Then, once again, the lack of ease of access to good, satisfying food is highlighted. We see that particularly in the case of Hermione, who struggles cooking with the sparse ingredients she’s able to scrounge up as they’re hunting Horcruxes, and Ron, who is unable to understand why she can’t just magically create a tasty dinner. Lastly: The wizarding world is flush with sweets. Yes, dishes like roasted chicken and corned beef sandwiches exist and are mentioned, but our lists are full of sweet treats. Which makes sense, considering that Hogwarts and the wizarding world are a fantasy. JKR has created a world in which all of our childhood dreams come true: Magic does exist, bad people ultimately get punished, the good guys always win, and witches and wizards have no need for dentists.
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