Alright you online Westerosians. You picked Jaqen as the winner in our last character themed meal vote, so now it’s time to brainstorm what elements would make up his ideal meal.
We know that he is Braavosi (or is he?!), and is a faceless man, and is very changeable, although lives by a certain code. Braavos is considerably more of a melting pot than even King’s Landing, so a rather wide array of possibilities are open to us. Perhaps a few dishes that reflect his dual nature, that look sweet but taste savory?
So there’s a start. Let us know what you think:
What would a man eat?
Well, we know some of the dishes served at the house of B&W: fried cod with mashed yellow neeps, sardines fried in pepper oil and … pork… only pork. A Man might get homesick?
long pork, perchance?
Uh, no. I don’t recall any hint of that. Besides, it would be an illegal ingredient under US laws.
It would be illegal with the bollocks, but not this way:
http://cumbriafoodie.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/meat-fruit-making-a-heston-favourite-at-home/
… woooooops, wrong place to answer. ^^ Sorry about that.
The Tickler’s pear. A man must eat the Tickler’s pear. No more, no less.
Meat fruits, and other deceptive things.
Here’s one example, but there are plenty of recipes out there to try and/or modify:
Brilliant! A girl wonders how they taste…
This is fantastic!!
aww someone beat me to it. Great minds think alike!
Hey, you guys got a shout-out this morning on NPR!
I’d say things that can easily be packed up if needed be, or else a meal that would be tasty but easy and quick to make. As he’s always travelling, he won’t have any pricey ingredients to mix or fancy stoves to cook. Shish kebab may be an option? But any simple meal really can do it. Grilled meat or fish, bread, meat-or-vegetables stuffed pies (I’m thinking empenadas rather than tart-form pies)… I see spices in the form of peppery stuff (maybe something that looks deceiptively sweet but holds hot and spicey insides?).
As for dessert — lots of raw fruits (the pear indeed!), maybe a tart if he’s in a place he can buy or steal one (or even charm his way into getting one! he has enough sex-appeal and sweet talk to be able to do it). Does a man has a sweet tooth? I think he might — candies or other small honeyed-pastries on the go could also be an option (here I’m thinking something like this: http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/dessertsandcookies/r/Almond-Briouat-Recipe.htm), as I can easily see those sold in the streets…
Will think a bit more and come back with other ideas!
Oh yeah! Nuts, of course! Lots of nuts (as he’s a bit nuts… :D)
/shot
No, really, nuts can easily (and are easily) put in all sorts of tarts/pies/stuffed-things recipes in the books… Also, it’s easy to keep some in small pockets, and it’s a great source of energy — the oil and proteins inside can make you last quite a while, even if you don’t eat a lot, so it’s a must-be in places where it’s cold… and we know most of Westeros is colder than Braavos, so a man might get cold easily.
I think he eats more fish and fresh vegetables than meat. Bravoos seems Venezia and maybe the both cities have similar gastronomy I’m thinking about polenta, eggplant parmiggiana, fried zucchini flowers and a lot of shellfish. For dessert, pears, ricotta, nuts and honey.
A man must have 3 courses….
I think if we are going with fish i would go with a classic Dark ages dish of Stuffed Pike which is stuffed with herbs and warped in a pastry.
That a man often is not who, or what he appears, the phrase ‘a man eats what he must’ echos. I get the feeling his training makes him quite the aesthetic sort of eater. Dishes that are spare and uncomplicated, yet elegant. Like a dish of the newest vegetable just coming into season, with a bit of saffron butter. Fresh summer fruits, grilled and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. Seafood, or small game, similarly grilled or poached and very lightly sauced or seasoned. Plate and food arrangement important. A very Japanese feel.
But the training also makes him pragmatic, and a man eats what is given him by the gods.
I think he should be eating food that are not too macho, and should be easy to grab and go.
For the main course maybe some Spanish/Portuguese-type seafood rice dish(along the lines of paella) but should be served in wrapped plant leaves instead. A side of preserved fish might be good, or a rabbit pie (he seems like the kind to eat rabbit). A side of thinly sliced sausages with pickled vegetables are good too.
For the drink he should have Port, or some other type of fortified wine. He doesn’t seem like the ale type, and the normal red/white wine doesn’t seem to have enough character for him. That’s why I recommend Port
For dessert, he seem like the type to eat biscuits served with fruit jam.
This. ^ This is exactly how I feel about Jaqen.
A man likes to be deceived sometimes, by savory pies, and sweet fruit soups, but when a man wears his own face he might long for simpler things, food from home, like a seafood risotto or a fisherman’s stew, made of whatever came in the nets today (I was thinking bouillabaisse).
Marianna beat me to it with a suggestion of Venetian food, since Braavos seems based on Venice. Polenta and shellfish, definitely . . . and for a challenge, make it an entirely black and white meal, to symbolize the house of black and white which rules his life. Black pasta with squid ink, white scallops, white polenta, black grapes and blackberries for fruits . . . it’s a challenge, but color-coordinate meals are fun to make, and gorgeous to display!
Oh I like that!!!
I really like this idea, especially the squid ink pasta.
I think we need to figure out whether the dish is supposed to be inspired by the character or something the character would it. In past meals, it’s been dishes inspired by the character as much as dishes that he would eat. And if its inspiration from the character, I can’t help but look at Jaqen’s white and red hair, and then think… yellow and red spaghetti??
In terms of what Jaqen would eat, bear in mind that “Jaqen H’ghar” is as much a cover identity as he is a master assassin. We need to take the former into account when brainstorming dishes. What would this Lorathi criminal bound for the Wall eat? In the TV series, Jaqen H’ghar had a German accent, as did Shae who was also revealed to be Lorathi. Perhaps some German cuisine is in order?
I agree! Its a good idea to figure out wether the meal should be inspired by the character, or be his ideal meal. =)
IN that case, a man who is a hunter much on the road might eat what other hunters eat: if not wild game when he can get it, then perhaps long, cigar-thin smoked hunter’s sausages with a brick of dark, coarse, steel-cut-rye pumpernickel — both of which travel well and last long — along with hard cheese and some fresh wild onions or fiddlehead ferns from the side of the road or radishes from an unwatched kitchen garden. And though a man might look like he prefers ale, a skin of wine travels easier and is preferable to water of questionable quality from streams he doesn’t know (don’t forget that parasites also live in water in the woods and mountains; it ain’t all fish and frogs out there — not to mention that careless humans use rivers fro sewers).. The wine is safer. A man who travels would know that.
But in a city … well, that depends on the city, now doesn’t it? A man would eat what the locals eat, so as not to be noticed. But perhaps the best or almost-best of what the locals eat, if there’s a choice.
He seems to me to be discerning and careful, what he eats would have to be extremely identifiable so that he could make sure he wasn’t being tricked or anything. I would say raw shelfish, or even a crab or two. Also, I would see him loving a rustic tart (openface), and thin breads like lavosh. For drink, he would have to have water, or a thin ale, nothing too alcoholic since he needs his wits.
I think beef jerky would be good because it would be easily stored and taken with him on his many travels. Perhaps an orange or apple to help maintain hygiene. Everything would have to be colorful, since he seems so STYLISH! (and dreamy?!) A yogurt would be good I think, instead of milk. I don’t see him eating a lot of red meat by choice, but perhaps a lentil salad would fit him better since he requires a lot of protein to keep up his assassin muscles!
A woman seconds “apples for hygiene”. A woman learned about this in Navy Boot camp. Eating a whole apple helps a woman get the plaque off of her teeth, and if a she rinses her mouth with water, it gets the fruit sugars off.
But if out in the wild, a woman would boil the water first, one hopes.
I think something like beef carpaccio would be perfect: raw meat that is suprisingly delicate and delicious, and also brutally pulverized (he is an assassin, after all!). It would seem somewhat in keeping with the Braavosi part of himself, as well.
Alongside there should be some easy-to-find food that he can forage like nuts, blackberries, fiddleheads, sorrel, that kind of thing. I also like the idea of polenta and/or risotto…
ooo I like the carpaccio idea. It ties in with some of the Venitian flavors mentioned above too.
You could also make a scallop (or other seafood, depending on where his travels take him) carpaccio, maybe with a little citrus dressing. Your protein, a shot of vitamin C, and an efficient presentation fit for an assassin of Braavos. What more could a man want :)
Assuming the shellfish aren’t subject to the Westeros version of the flesh-eating microbe vibrio vulnificus — otherwise, some Dornish hot pepper sauce on the raw seafood and a shot of firewater or other strong spirits on the side would be strongly advised. But a man who traveled widely would certainly take citrus whenever possible to avoid scurvy.
A man clearly has a refined palate and therefore favors spiced dishes and delicacies…however, a man must make do when in Westeros.
Is there a version of medieval molecular gastronomy out there somewhere?
Fugu might be a bit extreme but seems his style.
Though we know him to be of Braavos the ‘character’ of Jaqen H’Gar is from Lorath, which is a small island.
If he wanted to stay incognito, he might show a predilection for fish and any foods someone native to an island would eat.
The main meal I see would have to be seafood of some sort, Cod or some other good Whitefish, the desert I imagine would have to be a small, and portable pasty or turnover using Rhubarb and Strawberries representing his duality as an assassin, The sweetness strawberries representing outlining his natural charisma, and the tart rhubarb representing his trade. (Fact: The leaves on a stalk of rhubarb are toxic, the stalk itself, is not.)
mystery meat?
Dunno about the rest but you MUST include this:
Chocolate ‘iron coins’. Ideally, with the words ‘valar morghulis’ written on it.
You have just won the internets. Possible variation would be thin, crisp pressed cookies: easy to store and eat on the run, but made to look like the iron coins.
Lol! I just had a sudden, brief mental image of ‘Faceles Men’ Oreo cookies as the entry token into the House of Black and White.
I imagine a man would eat these cookies, with milk if he could. Yet a man must make do with what he has.
Still running with the chocolate coin idea, here’s an idea of how the coin could look:
http://www.shirepost.com/FacelessManBoth.JPG
Purchasable here: https://secure.gcmcomputers.com/shirepost/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=31_37&products_id=291
Well, as a Faceless Man…certainly the easily transportable/easily made food people have described already. Simply put, Jaqen H’Ghar would eat anything if it made his disguise believable. Whoever Jaqen H’Ghar actually is, if anyone…probably Venetian-inspired food, but also a mushroom soup (hopefully the mushrooms aren’t poison this time, but who knows).
However, with the Titan of Braavos, I’m definitely thinking that there’s some major inspiration being drawn from the Greek island of Rhodes. For example, pitaroudia, which are like falafel but larger, would be a tasty, filling, and easily-portable food for a Faceless Man in the field. For fish dishes, especially those that fit in with both Venice and Rhodes themes, psari ahnisto, which is fish with oregano, lemon juice, and olive oil, and paithakia or grilled lamb chops, are a likely taste of home.
If I were an assassin, I’d avoid any strong-smelling foods, like garlic or onions. The last thing I’d want is for my target to smell me coming!
Also, for dessert…House of Black and White Cookies. Because why not?
I believe a man would have a taste for simple but tasty foods. I see him eating kebabs of grilled meats, particularly fish or lamb, shellfish, perhaps something along the lines of hummus and flatbreads and nuts and lightly grilled fresh vegetables. A man would also likely limit himself to a single glass of red wine so as to not dull his edge and would afterward content himself with cool water or a fruit juice.
for a feast …………fish baked in rock sea salt with capers/-Formaggio ai Pinoli – Gallic (French) cheese mashed with pine nuts and mixed with mint, thyme and origano with pepper vinegar and olive oil.
Sale Cattabia – an undescribable combination of bread in water, cow’s milk cheese, cucumber, capers, honey, egg yolks, celery, dried mint, grape vinegar and pine nuts.
everyday food while traveling um.. fried bread,dried figs,sylvetta foraged as you go because it grows everywhere. maybe a song bird egg if a man is lucky…
Idea goes to Jaqen theme party dish.
Eggrolls (pastry) wrapped w different stuffings, bc surprise! Maybe vegetarian/asian cabbage, carrots, etc. One a southwest eggroll, and maybe a fish/rice/venetian filler as mentioned above.
And maybe, to mark three deaths, use almonds, or toothpicks in three of your eggrolls. Whichever guests get those eggrolls have met an unfortunate end :( (but be careful w nut allergies, etc)
This is less about Jaqens appetites than about how to work surprise, identity, and narrative ideas into a dish. It sounds like lots of prep tho (3 diff dishes for just one dish.)
The chocolate iron coin idea above is delicious.
The egg roll party idea sounds very fun! I can imagine combining these with the tears of Lys on the site for an assassin-themed party :)
Well, I have just gotten to know this character from the book, but from what I am reading here, I did a bit of quick research and Northern Italians like polenta and rice; cook with broth rather than tomatoes and use chopped herbs. Beef & pork are important as are eels, mussels and clams. Wild birds and ducks are also well liked. They are very much into soups and stews. So, perhaps a nice herbed eel risotto or wild bird stew would be something that he would like to eat. Of course, with the German being brought in with the language, something like saurbrauten might be just the ticket.
Late to the party, I know. But if we are going Northern Italian, has anyone proposed Vitello Tonnato? (It’s cold sliced veal with mashed tuna cream spread over it, top it with onion, capres and so on). It’s quite easy to do (well for traveling) and incorporates sea and land. A very good hot summer meal btw ;)
I absolutely second vitello tonnato.
Sticking with the Venetian/Italian theme:
Fegato alla veneziana – A dish of calves liver and and onions fried with a bit of red wine.
Sarde in saor – Fried sardines with marinated onions, pine nuts and raisins.
Lardo – Strips of fatback cured with a mix of herbs and spices.
Bresaola – a kind of cured beef seasoned with rosemary and juniper.
Panna cotta – A kind of custard served with fruit or chocolate on top. In this case I would say fruit as it would be readily available.
Wine – As others have stated he must keep his wits about him but I think he would permit himself a single glass of wine, perhaps an Arbor Gold or something equally fine.
If he gets nostalgic for his time in the black cells I have a lovely recipe for rat…
To be honest, I don’t think he would eat any of these dishes. He’d probably eat whatever is nutritious and available to whichever persona he happens to be affecting; simple camp food as a soldier, fish as a fisherman, feasts as a lord. To have a particular liking of one dish over others would seem to go against the code that the Faceless Men live by, that is to say, to show any sign individual personality.
I agree with you !! I think mayhaps some of us are wanting to feed Him some of these dishes by hand of course …something alluring about a “faceless man” with an accent
When I asked my father, he thought Jaquen probably would be a vegetarian. Maybe that’s a suitable lifestyle? In addition, vegetarian food is healthy, often simple to prepare, and might be safer than meat when it comes to poisons and diseases.
The ideas of simple, diverse, transportable, safe and elegant food, inspired by Italian cuisine, seem to make a perfect sketch for Jaquen’s meal. I also think that making the dishes look familiar, and then surprise the taster also might be interesting.
I thought that he might have the opportunity to eat such meals every day, if he bought it from different inns, or at marketplaces. When it’s so important to him to pay someone who has saved his life, I imagine he also is eager to pay the common people for simple food.
My proposes for a few dishes are simple things like:
– Unsweetened porridge
– Plenty of fresh (non-exotic) fruits, vegetables and nuts – carrots, apples, hazelnuts…
– Whole grain bread with cottage cheese
– Hard boiled eggs. He may carry them in his pockets.
I think he would avoid complicated foods in which poison could be hidden. But I think he would carry a small, sealed pot, of a spice mix of his choice. It would be warming with cinnamon and ginger, and earthy with cumin (good for stomach upsets too), pepper or dried fire-pod seeds for an extra kick.
I also think he would carry another, almost identical pot, with a different, dangerous, mixture. A man would be wise not to mix them up. One would have a small white mark, the other an identical but black symbol.
Because of his nature it has to be something with a dual nature like sweet and sour pork or something sweet and salty like kettle cooked potato chips.