Tolken Encyclopedia > Hobbits > Food in the Shire
Food in the Shire
Every party needs food – we all know that. One of the races in Middle-earth that was not the tallest in stature2
(except maybe in the waist considering the mayor of Michel Delving,
Will Whitfoot, or Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger) was especially famous for an
interest in food. Frodo Baggins shared the special hobbit fondness for
mushrooms, and, in his youth, was chased out of the fields by Farmer
Maggot's dogs for said offence.4 It is mentioned that Hobbits had six meals a day when they could get them.2
What kind of food did the Hobbits eat? Bilbo’s food storage
contained various things: seed cake, scones, raspberry jam ,
apple-tarts, mince-pies, cheese, salad, eggs, cold chicken and
pickles. We also know that he had various drinks to go with the food:
beer, ale, red and white wine and of course tea for the cakes. Bilbo
had a second breakfast when Gandalf turned up to remind him that he had
to keep up with Thorin’s company and he had to run without hat, walking
stick, money, or pocket-handkerchief.
Fruits that grew in the shire were grapes, apples, plums, raspberries
and strawberries – probably others that the climate favoured, but
aren’t mentioned. They used milk for making cream to go with the
strawberries of course.
References:
J.R. R. Tolkien The Hobbit , published by Harper Collin’s Children Books in 1998 (with illustrations by David Wyatt),
1. Chapter 1 “An Unexpected Party”
J. R.R. Tolkien The Lord of the Rings 50th Anniversary Edition, published by HarperCollins Publishers ltd. In 2005 – chapters used:
2. "Concerning Hobbits”,
3. “A Long Expected Party”
4, "A Shortcut to Mushrooms"
5. “The Grey Havens”
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