Dwarf Food Stuffs

[Peter Remling]

I was just thinking about what dwarves would eat and drink. Based on the environment they live in we can make certain assumptions.

First goats would take precedence over cattle for meat and milk. They are better able to forage on steeps slopes and valley then cows. Pigs would also be a good viable meat source due to their intelligent independent nature.

Tubers like carrots, potatoes. onions, yams, and rutabaga would make up a sizable portion of their diet. Dwarves would probably "spice up" their meals with ginger, cumin and parsley.

Mushrooms of varying types would make up a side dish: raw, sauteed or mixed in a stew.

Brews: Dwarf brewed beer- possibly a mushroom beer. Yes there is such a thing. For a harder brews maybe a mushroom liquor or a type of vodka.


What other types of non-imported produce would dwarves grow or domesticate.

[Udwin]

You would think so, right? Otherwise how else could Moria feed itself when it closed the Doors to the Elves of Hollin? BUT…
(this all comes from HoME Vol 12: Part Two: Late Writings):

“…Men held [the Longbeards] in awe and were eager to learn from them; and the Longbeards were very willing to use Men for their own purposes. Thus there grew up in those regions the economy, later characteristic of the dealings of Dwarves and Men (including Hobbits): Men became the chief providers of food, as herdsmen, shepherds, and land-tillers, which the Dwarves exchanged for work as builders, roadmakers, miners, and the makers of things of craft, from useful tools to weapons and arms and many other things of great cost and skill to the great profit of the Dwarves … The chief advantage to them was their freedom to proceed unhindered with their own work and to refine their arts, especially in metallurgy, to the marvellous skill which these reached before the decline and dwindling of the Khazad.”
(This last point is reminiscent of many male dwarves abstaining from marriage in order to focus on craftsmanship (LR Appendix A:3).

Also, in this section of Vol 12, Tolkien plainly spells out that
“No Dwarf would ever mount a horse willingly, nor did any ever harbour animals, not even dogs.” (Note 29)

!!!

[Peter Remling]

Interesting except at some point the dwarves had to provide for themselves. The dwarves were around before men, correct, so what then would they have had ?

[Greg]

We can't likely learn that for certain, because the only documentation is for the development of this "Economy" which then sustained itself, but since we know that the Dwarves weren't able to pursue their crafts to the full extent of their abilities before the trade arrangement was established, I'd assume they had some tiresome means of providing for themselves using the craftsmanship they already possessed, which ate up a frustrating amount of their time. I'm thinking a somewhat advanced hunter-gatherer scenario that wasn't terribly specific or "cultural" at the time. No recognizably "dwarven" dishes (ie. no Pasta = Italian, Burgers = American, Tasteless = British, etc.)

[Peter Remling]

Then for all intents and purposes, dwarves were the original workaholics. Forgoing almost any pastime to pursue their drive to perfection in the limited time available to them. No wonder dwarves and elves didn't really see eye to eye, neither can truly understand the other with such dramatically different perspectives. Elves could achieve similar perfection with their extended lives but were not driven to do it in any specific timeframe.

Interesting

Thoughts ?

[Straelbora]

The phrase 'mushroom beer' makes me want to retch.

I have to go have a whiskey to psychologically clear my palate.

[Udwin]

Yeah, I came to similar conclusions as Greg. Wrote this last night:
"Of course. It’s unrealistic to think that they only ever rely on their neighbors in exchange. I imagine in the early days (1A) they had to do ‘hunter-gathering’ prior to running into agrarian Men and discovering the profitable food-for-crafts arrangement. In their homeless later days, although I suppose it’s possible they survive on heavy loads of rations (jerky & cram?) traded in town before a journey, it makes some sense that they are able to somewhat provide for themselves while ‘on the trail’.
Thorin’s company was clearly capable of butchering critters—when the eagles bring them “…rabbits, hares, and a small sheep. The dwarves managed all the preparations. Bilbo was too weak to help, and anyway he was not much good at skinning rabbits or cutting up meat”(TH Ch6).

Unrelated: I had thought they lost all their gear on the detour through Goblin-town, but when captured by the elves in Ch9, some of them have ‘small knives’ which they must have concealed on their persons…goblins must not be very good at frisking. Figure these are what they used to prep the meat^.

[robinhoodsghost]

Mushroom beer?...I learned something today. Have you tried it?

[caedmon]

Sadly while a grand idea, I don't think mushroom beer is really beer made from mushrooms. It's regular barley beer with mushrooms added for flavor at the end.

Mushrooms have 5 g. carbs per cup vs. 135 g. for barley.