Exploring Food in Your Storyworld
Delicious Things Make a Delicious Scene
Welcome to the Apple Hair CANON!
Here, I’ll explore creating a fictional universe, and I’m hoping you’ll follow along with your own world. I’m by no means an expert, so let’s discuss how to create a believable, magical, and captivating world. Let’s be storycatchers together!
Want to read Apple Hair, the boy band fantasy novel, from the very beginning? You can start here! Apple Hair is a fictional, Asian American boy band from Hawaiʻi.
Welcome to the newsletter, and I’m excited to lay down the foundations of our storyworlds together, one word at a time.
Hi, storycatchers! In the last edition of the CANON, I gave you a fun mini guide to Apple Hair! This time, we’re going to explore a pretty interesting topic! And that’s including food in your storyworld. We’ve maybe seen the clips of Studio Ghibli movies, where the simple yet delicious food looks better than it does in real life! Or maybe you have another book where you love every food scene?
Including food in the storyworld will do more than make the reader hungry. It will give a sense of connection—and remind us that the characters are human too, unique just like their food preferences.
I love the anime Delicious in Dungeon for that reason. Food is an integral part of the story here, as the main cast goes adventuring throughout various dungeons, having to survive by making interesting cuisines out of the monsters. It’s both humorous and just a little bit gruesome. At the same time, the anime takes inspiration from dishes around the world.
Another great story that includes food in its world is The House Witch. The main character, a cook named Finlay, is hired by a castle as the main cook. He is skilled and passionate about food, and he even introduces the castle to a variety of cuisines. My favorite part is when he whips out some bulgogi, or Korean beef. Also, he teaches the castle about various spices and encourages them to be adventurous with food.
Honestly, not every book is centered on food. And that’s okay. Some other books only include a few scenes of dining. And that’s enough! It’s enough to remind the reader that the characters have their own preferences and memories tied to certain dishes.
My favorite scenes to read are first-date scenes where the characters are trying food together. Maybe one is a bit less familiar with the cuisine, but they end up loving it. I love the description of digging into a meal and relaxing over a table.
But my pet peeve is when amazing food is set out in a drama or novel, and then no one ends up eating it. Did you ever experience something like that with your favorite show? What are some ways you’d like food to be included more in your favorite shows? Do you have a food that makes you squeal every time it’s shown on screen?
Whenever tteokbokki is shown in a novel or show, I can’t help but want it. The same goes for ramen or pho. Honestly, seeing the steam rise above the dish is a whole otherworldly experience.
And maybe you’ve noticed some of the food scenes in Apple Hair. One place that makes an appearance is the beloved L&L, a restaurant where many people in Hawaiʻi stop by to get plate lunches. L&L has a variety of choices, but you can bet that the members of Apple Hair like something hearty. Something like kalbi or fried rice.
There’s even a dedicated cafeteria in AWE Entertainment. The members of Apple Hair come here often to catch their lunch, or maybe even dinner when they’re in a time crunch.
Does this give you any ideas on dishes to include in a story?
Thank you very much for joining the CANON this week. What would you like me to discuss in the next post? Comment below. Or jump into my Chat or on one of my Notes, and I’ll be happy to hear your input. Let’s enjoy food and food-rich stories this week!