T2K Cuisine - Food in the aftermath

[General Pain]

What would people eat? I guess it's all up to GM on how heavy the apoc. has been and how long ago it has happened.

I'd guess in the big (formerly big) cities rat-o-van (rat run over by a van) and the like would be possible ....or maybe the PCs will see the following sign?

[Targan]

In the NYC part of my current campaign Rat-On-A-Stick has proved to be a very popular dish with the locals. The funny thing is my group are mostly former Harnmaster players so we are all fully accustomed to that sort of urban snack from our Harnmaster PCs having partaken of it innumerable times.

[General Pain]

Originally Posted by Targan

In the NYC part of my current campaign Rat-On-A-Stick has proved to be a very popular dish with the locals. The funny thing is my group are mostly former Harnmaster players so we are all fully accustomed to that sort of urban snack from our Harnmaster PCs having partaken of it innumerable times.

Before we nuked Manila in HQs Campaign we experienced the rat-on-a-stick

[headquarters]

Originally Posted by General Pain

Before we nuked Manila in HQs Campaign we experienced the rat-on-a-stick

..and you will again..

..if you are LUCKY!!

[General Pain]

Originally Posted by headquarters

..and you will again..

..if you are LUCKY!!

hmmm...seems we have to go back to canibalism....

and in case I'm right - here is some inspiration

http://www.indiefilm.com/cookbook/en...yclopedia.html

[Mohoender]

I advise you to watch this french movie if you can find it: "Delicatessen". It's a nice idea that is perfectly relevant to canibalism in a post-apoc setting (a rare type of movie in France).

Here is the link to the english wiki on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delicatessen_(film)

[kato13]

In response to the question, the simplest answer is "whatever they could get their hands on".

In areas with European agricultural influence (Americas, Europe, Some of Africa) i would expect the staples to be grain based gruel, bread and beer. Asia would, as always, focus on rice. Each would be supplemented with what ever vegetable and meat protein they could find locally, including insects and rats.

[jester]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

I advise you to watch this french movie if you can find it: "Delicatessen". It's a nice idea that is perfectly relevant to canibalism in a post-apoc setting (a rare type of movie in France).

Here is the link to the english wiki on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delicatessen_(film)

I saw that a couple years ago. Interesting but it didn't really grab me. And everyone was just too weird. I think its on par with preformance art or Circ Du Oile or Circe De Sol or one of those similiar just to out there.

Although the irony was good, the butchers daughter liked the handyman and was also trying to save him.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by jester

I saw that a couple years ago. Interesting but it didn't really grab me. And everyone was just too weird. I think its on par with preformance art or Circ Du Oile or Circe De Sol or one of those similiar just to out there.

Although the irony was good, the butchers daughter liked the handyman and was also trying to save him.

I had not thought of it that way but I understand what you mean and that is quite true.

[pmulcahy11b]

Imagine -- a roach coach where they actually serve roaches...

[Targan]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

Imagine -- a roach coach where they actually serve roaches...

And when you call someone a "goat smoker" its because they really do smoke goats...

[Raellus]

Horses and dogs would go pretty fast, where food is really scarce. Rats too; Pigeons in urban areas.

In terms of more organized agriculture/animal husbandry, seems like goats would become popular again, being as they are relatively hardy and will eat just about anything.

And then, there's always Soilent Green...

[Littlearmies]

Funnily enough we have a veggie who works in our office and at our office party I asked if the reason she was a vegetarian was moral or because she didn't like eating cute furry animals or she just didn't like meat. She replied that she didn't think it was moral to kill something else just so she could eat. So I said if an animal just died of old age would she be okay with eating it then - she thought about and said she couldn't see why not.

So I bought her this for her birthday a couple of weeks ago:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Roa.../dp/0898152003

It's actually pretty practical!

Malc

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by Littlearmies

Funnily enough we have a veggie who works in our office...She replied that she didn't think it was moral to kill something else just so she could eat.

Does she not know that plants are also alive?

[Rupert Willies]

Originally Posted by Raellus

And then, there's always Soilent Green...

Yes, as long as there are people, there will always be Soylent Green. Tastes like chicken!

[Legbreaker]

I heard it's more like pork....

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

I heard it's more like pork....

That's what the Maoris say.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b

Does she not know that plants are also alive?

Yes but you can hardly imagine them screaming unless standing in a forest in a middle of a storm.

Nevertheless, people always have strange reaction concerning meat. I'm eating a lot of kangaroo lately and I will for some weeks. The village minimarket bought three types of meat (frozen) for christmas: Kangaroo, doe and ostrich. People have bought all the does and ostrichs but Kangaroos were left aside. Hopefully for him, I'll be a customer: it's very good.

From what I know, many Americans would avoid Rabbit (It's excellent). Reptiles are fairly good either and according to my cousin white worms are juicy.

Anyway the most funny thing is that many meat eater are showing disgust when you ask them to kill an animal. Visit an aquarium with my wife and you'll quickly understand that many of these wonderful fishes are only want be sushis. Visit a zoo or a farm with me and you quickly realize that these animals are no more than walking steaks. Well done, medium or rare??

[Mohoender]

In order to get back to the subject. One of my history teacher once told me that during WWII he would have been very happy to eat cat food or dog food. You can add these to the list along with insects of all sorts.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Littlearmies

Funnily enough we have a veggie who works in our office and at our office party I asked if the reason she was a vegetarian was moral or because she didn't like eating cute furry animals or she just didn't like meat. She replied that she didn't think it was moral to kill something else just so she could eat.

I'm tempted to say that is madness but that would be intolerant of me. Anyone who uses a mirror to take a look inside their mouth can clearly see that we humans are omnivores. Throwing millions of years of evolution out the window because you think fluffy critters are too cute to eat seems a little odd to me. However I can sort of see where someone is coming from if they decide not to eat meat because they wouldn't be prepared to kill, gut and skin an animal themseves. The meat I eat tends to be from types of animals I have killed and eaten in the past or would be prepared to hunt. I don't eat beef very often because I'm not too keen on the idea of killing, gutting and skinning a cow. That would be a really big job.

[pmulcahy11b]

I'm definitely not a vegetarian, but I'm not a hunter either. It's cowardice more than anything else -- I can't stand to look an animal in the eye (or even the ass) and shoot it, though I've done it in the past (along with some snaring and trapping) and could do it in the future. It's the duality of man; I love animals, yet I eat them too -- I just don't want to hunt them myself.

[jester]

What would be eaten in T2K:

I am thinking danelions, millet as both tend to grow wild.

Rose bulbs would be used as a jam or even medicine <high in Vitimin C>

Thistles as portions of those are eaten.

Pine needles are a good source of Vitmin C


As for other items,

Insects, worm farms would be en vogue, A plate of worms served and slurped like one would spagehtti.

Rats, Rabbits and similiar small easily raised animals

Pigeons would also be another common fowl eaten, chickens and other fowl would be to valuable for their eggs and their size.

Fish, aquaculture in areas that can manage this could raise catfish and carp easily, you could turn a swimming pool into such a pond feeding them ground up table scraps.

A plant I have considered is raising two types of animals:

Chickens or Turkeys

And

Catfish or Carp

And maybe rabbits:

Rabits get the grain and grass and such.



Catch the fish, process the meat and preserve it, the cast off and bones get ground and fed to the chickens.

The chickens get processed, and the meat preserved. What is cast off is ground and fed to the fish.

The Rabbits, they just get processed and their cast offs fed to both fish and chickens.

Also, I can see fishing becoming more common much like in the days of old, people going out in rowboats.

In coastal areas I can see people raising muscles <easy really>

and harvesting kelp and seaweed.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by jester

What would be eaten in T2K:

... In coastal areas I can see people raising muscles <easy really>

and harvesting kelp and seaweed.

I like several of your ideas Jest but I'll ask for a few clarification and I'll add a few more.

First what do you call Pine Needle? Is that what we call Pignons (a Pine fruit)? Another thing: what is Danelion?

In terms of vegetables I think that you can add several things that are easily grown: Rutabaga, Jerusalem Artichoke and Oats.

You could also add several types of gourds and marrows (including pumpkin and pickles)

I don't know for the Americas but for Europe several wild plants are also eatable: rhubarb, nettle (soup) and... dandelion (I just found what it is ). Of course, you can add several type of berries including blackberries, wild cherries...

For the animals, I think you overlooked one: Guinea Pigs. Goats (milk and cheese) will be around also but someone else already said it.

Frogs of course are also easily raised and more easily captured than fish. I can catch about 10 frog in half an hour while I can spend several days trying to catch a single fish.

And of course, you can plan on snails. Raising them is very easy as you just need a small quite river. You just have to carve several artificial islands with plenty of grass on them. Put the snails on them and wait until the right period. When a snail is stuck on an island, they simply cannot get out.

[Rupert Willies]

I suspect Danelion = dandelion = pissenlit in French = løvetann in Norwegian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandelion
Millet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millet



Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Earthpig]

There is a movie called King Rat where pow's raised rats and sold them to other pow's, as small deer that grew in Maylasia. they grow fast and breed....well like rats.

Acorns once the tannin is bleached out are very good and full of fat and nutrients, plus when ground can make a flour. Young ferns (called fiddle head greens) can be very tasty. Water cress as a salad is very good. we have an abundance of wild onions/leeks in the area.....make for a very flatulance producing meal. Notice that during the summer/Fall you can find plenty, winter is another deal.best to save by drying/canning/pickling as much as possible.

[Webstral]

Originally Posted by Mohoender

From what I know, many Americans would avoid Rabbit (It's excellent).

I had rabbit once--before I starting speaking Lapine. It was enjoyable. I couldn't do it anymore, though. In the event of the holocaust, I'd have to trade Stewie for his value in meat and pelt to someone else. I wouldn't have the heart to break the neck of and eat the little lop I've devoted so much to.

Totally OT, if anyone is interested in seeing how trainable rabbits can be, I have a couple of videos of mine here:

www.dragoncurls.blogspot.com

Webstral

[Webstral]

Originally Posted by Targan

Anyone who uses a mirror to take a look inside their mouth can clearly see that we humans are omnivores.

It's true that we can eat meat. That doesn't mean we should--at least not the way Western nations have come to eat meat. Our digestive tracts have a great deal more in common with the digestive tracts of rabbits (sans the cecum) than with wolves or cats. We don't handle cholesterol very well. Diseases brought on by over-consumption of animal products are the leading causes of death in the US. We can eat meat, but we're optimized for vegetable consumption. For everyone who equates meat consumption with being at the top of the food chain and thence with self-esteem, remember that lions and wolves don't have opposable thumbs.

That much said, no one is going to give a damn about such long-term niceties like cholesterol build-up after the Thanksgiving Day Massacre.

Webstral

[jester]

Mo;

Pineneedles, the small pointy leaves of evergreen pinetrees.

When green these can be boiled into a tea and are high in vitimin C.

Further, bark from many trees also contains vitimins and fiber.

I agree thistles and snails are easily produced as well.

I was thinking guinea pigs too but I chose to include them with rats and other rodents, I really hate the things! Although they were a staple in the precolumbian diet in South and Central America.

Oh, the minitature potbellied pigs could be something we may find in peoples yards as they raise this small pigs and chickens in home backyards as well.

In many areas of the US blackberries are very common to the point of being an invasion species that overgrows regular plants.

And in portions of the US South West cactus, the flat broadleaved type that produces the cactus or prickly pear. For both the leaf and the pear one must be carefull when removing them to avoid the cactus barbs and then peal them of their skin and any barbs remaining. The pear can be eaten or mashed into a jelly, the thick leaves cut into peices and eaten after cooking.


I remember reading a menu of a restraunt that specialized in "AZTEC" cuisine, and the most normal food on the menu was venison, everything else was ants, grubs, wasps, worns, snakes, lizards and beetles. And of course chocolate.

[Mohoender]

Jest

I just didn't know you could eat pine needles. In fact, I couldn't even imagine it and that's why I asked. I thought it was something else. Thanks.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Webstral

Our digestive tracts have a great deal more in common with the digestive tracts of rabbits (sans the cecum) than with wolves or cats.
Webstral

We have more in common with Pigs than with rabbits. Not only in the matter of food by the way.