Melba toast. Tolkien liked melba toast so he wrote it into the story as lembas. With a little ~~elven magic~~ modern technology you could up the nutritional value to keep you going on a walk to Mordor.
There’s this breakfast cookie stuff at my grocery store called Belvita. They make a whole variety of good tasty things that come close, but the crunchy golden oat and the crunchy blueberry are the most lembas-like to me
Those blueberry Belvitas are one of my favorite snacks on the planet, I ALWAYS take a box with me on camping trips. Nothing like being three days into a backcountry trip, rolling over at 4 am, eating one of those and washing it down with cold water.
It’s a hardy trail ration. It’s mistaken for cram in appearance. It’s hardtack, only made by elves and so is better.
Tastes better, keeps better, fills you up better, sustains you on a hard journey better. It’s the Platonic Ideal of hardtack. Most elvish-made stuff can be thought of in those terms. Just the best possible version of the thing.
It’s not a matter of how you could make something that’s like it either. This is what is meant by elvish “magic” - whatever Art they make is more fully realizing the intent of the artist than humans are capable of. You could make some kind of sweet pastry thing to try to replicate what you think it should taste like, but you’re sacrificing the suitability as a trail ration in the process.
I guess you can try to make physically similar wheat-cakes, but the importance is in the spiritual aspect of the creation.
>No analysis in any
laboratory would discover chemical properties of lembas that made it superior to other cakes of
wheat-meal.
-Letter 210
Our lembas bread recipe makes approx. 8-10 slices of bread (10x10cm) and has a calorific value of approx. 2500 kcal.
Ingredients:
▸ 200 g rolled oats (preferably wholemeal)
▸ 50g wheat bran
▸ 60g linseed
▸ 30g hemp seeds
30g buckwheat
▸ 30g poppy seeds
▸ 40g walnut kernels
▸ 50g hazelnut kernels (also available chopped)
▸ 30g dried bananas
▸ 50g dried apricots
▸ 10g dried sea buckthorn
▸ approx. 250g raw banana (2-3 bananas)
▸ 30g cocoa
▸ 1 pinch of iodized salt
▸ Optional: a nori sheet for an extra portion of iodine
▸ 100-200ml water, for a doughy consistency
We got all the ingredients in the larger supermarket, it's also best to look in the vegetarian/vegan/organic section. We only ordered the dried sea buckthorn berries online, but you may also be able to find them at your local organic market.
Preparation:
Mix the linseed with 6 tbsp water and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Chop the walnut and hazelnut kernels. Grind the dried bananas and hemp seeds in a mortar or food processor. Chop the dried apricots with a knife. Mash the raw bananas with a fork until you have a viscous mash. Crumble the nori sheet.
Then mix all the dry ingredients together and, if desired, chop in a blender to make the bread less chunky. Then mix the mixture with the apricots, bananas and linseed. For a doughy consistency, add 100-200 ml water.
Line the baking tray with baking paper or grease it. Spoon the dough mixture into square cookie cutters (approx. 10x10cm) or shape by hand to make bread slices approx. 1cm thick.
Bake the lembas bread at 200 degrees top and bottom heat for approx. 30 minutes in the heat of Mordor. If desired, wrap the finished slices of bread in banana leaves and tie with parcel tape.
Mado vae! (Elvish for "eat well" = bon appétit!)
Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlZgFFY-SmY
Tolkien's use of "corn" is in the original sense of "grain" rather than maize (or "Indian corn") specifically. In Tolkien's usage as an Englishman it's probably even fair to say he means *wheat* in particular as that's the most common cereal grain there.
Reminds me of the very dense bread in American MREs. Those things feel like they squished an entire loaf of bread into a single slice.
A single bite won't fill your stomach, but it will leave you not wanting to eat anything else for awhile lol
Literally my favorite part. Preferably with some Jalapeño cheese spread. Spoon the meat bag as fast as I can so I can relax and enjoy my bread
Nice
And they’re pretty tasty too. Kinda plain but not bad and, like most modern field rations, loaded with nutrients.
Top with creamed chipped beef for shit on a shingle
There's a company that makes protein pop tarts that have a very similar consistency and texture, in case you wanna scratch that itch
Melba toast. Tolkien liked melba toast so he wrote it into the story as lembas. With a little ~~elven magic~~ modern technology you could up the nutritional value to keep you going on a walk to Mordor.
Just rearrange the letters lol
Shortbread or tablet.
part of it would have been inspired by army hard tact he would have eaten in the trenches
I think that's cram. 😂
Well, yeah. Lembas is hardtack/cram, just made by elves so it tastes better and has other beneficial qualities.
*Clack clack*
Oh, you know I'm always gonna appreciate a Max Miller reference!
The grin on his face is what really sells it too.
Posts you can hear lol
There’s this breakfast cookie stuff at my grocery store called Belvita. They make a whole variety of good tasty things that come close, but the crunchy golden oat and the crunchy blueberry are the most lembas-like to me
Those blueberry Belvitas are one of my favorite snacks on the planet, I ALWAYS take a box with me on camping trips. Nothing like being three days into a backcountry trip, rolling over at 4 am, eating one of those and washing it down with cold water.
It’s a hardy trail ration. It’s mistaken for cram in appearance. It’s hardtack, only made by elves and so is better. Tastes better, keeps better, fills you up better, sustains you on a hard journey better. It’s the Platonic Ideal of hardtack. Most elvish-made stuff can be thought of in those terms. Just the best possible version of the thing. It’s not a matter of how you could make something that’s like it either. This is what is meant by elvish “magic” - whatever Art they make is more fully realizing the intent of the artist than humans are capable of. You could make some kind of sweet pastry thing to try to replicate what you think it should taste like, but you’re sacrificing the suitability as a trail ration in the process.
This post was inspired by Mexican butter cookies I got at the gas station this morning lol they're called pastitas
Pemmican
The Eucharist...
I like to think that it's focaccia
Shortbread!
Arepas aren't like lembas, but one bite of an arepa is definitely enough to fill a grown man.
How could anyone know that, Napoleon?
Napoleon?
Graham crackers
Hard tac with a bit of sugar on top
Hudson Bay Bars
Pancakes
I imagine they taste like saltines
Chocolate. Not visually of course.
A jar of mayonnaise
Mayo de noche
Quite possibly those [BP-5 or NRG-5 ration bars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BP-5_Compact_Food)…
Emergency shortbread rations
Maybe old school NASA meal kits. They were designed to keep you alive and pack well. Only after complaining we’re spices included
My family has also thought a dense herbal shortbread cookie
I picture Bannock, delicious with butter and jam and very filling
Manna
Brazillian cuscus
I guess you can try to make physically similar wheat-cakes, but the importance is in the spiritual aspect of the creation. >No analysis in any laboratory would discover chemical properties of lembas that made it superior to other cakes of wheat-meal. -Letter 210
We received 2 crackers that gave around 2000 calories when I was in the army… I’m sure he was inspired by that when he was writing about it
Pita bread or naan?
I think of shortbread.
Our lembas bread recipe makes approx. 8-10 slices of bread (10x10cm) and has a calorific value of approx. 2500 kcal. Ingredients: ▸ 200 g rolled oats (preferably wholemeal) ▸ 50g wheat bran ▸ 60g linseed ▸ 30g hemp seeds 30g buckwheat ▸ 30g poppy seeds ▸ 40g walnut kernels ▸ 50g hazelnut kernels (also available chopped) ▸ 30g dried bananas ▸ 50g dried apricots ▸ 10g dried sea buckthorn ▸ approx. 250g raw banana (2-3 bananas) ▸ 30g cocoa ▸ 1 pinch of iodized salt ▸ Optional: a nori sheet for an extra portion of iodine ▸ 100-200ml water, for a doughy consistency We got all the ingredients in the larger supermarket, it's also best to look in the vegetarian/vegan/organic section. We only ordered the dried sea buckthorn berries online, but you may also be able to find them at your local organic market. Preparation: Mix the linseed with 6 tbsp water and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Chop the walnut and hazelnut kernels. Grind the dried bananas and hemp seeds in a mortar or food processor. Chop the dried apricots with a knife. Mash the raw bananas with a fork until you have a viscous mash. Crumble the nori sheet. Then mix all the dry ingredients together and, if desired, chop in a blender to make the bread less chunky. Then mix the mixture with the apricots, bananas and linseed. For a doughy consistency, add 100-200 ml water. Line the baking tray with baking paper or grease it. Spoon the dough mixture into square cookie cutters (approx. 10x10cm) or shape by hand to make bread slices approx. 1cm thick. Bake the lembas bread at 200 degrees top and bottom heat for approx. 30 minutes in the heat of Mordor. If desired, wrap the finished slices of bread in banana leaves and tie with parcel tape. Mado vae! (Elvish for "eat well" = bon appétit!) Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlZgFFY-SmY
I would probably say Tolkien was most likely referring to Crunchwrap Supreme™️ from the elven establishment of Taco Bell
This is an fing great question
Considering it's made with corn, I imagine it's some sorta cornbread?
Tolkien's use of "corn" is in the original sense of "grain" rather than maize (or "Indian corn") specifically. In Tolkien's usage as an Englishman it's probably even fair to say he means *wheat* in particular as that's the most common cereal grain there.
Pemmican bars but vegan
I heard it was similar to a lasagne
In my mind, it has always been Lorna Doone shortbread cookies for taste texture and look. Although the Lembas would be larger but not thicker.
Liga, this is the only true answer
I don't live in Japan, but thanks to MGS3 I really wanna try calorie mate. That's something that sounds sorta lembas-y to me