Food and Drink

Food is a major theme in The Hunger Games trilogy, and it manifests in a variety of ways: descriptions of meals, whether simple or elaborate, are a regular feature of the narrative; for several years, putting food on her family’s table was the primary focus of Katniss Everdeen’s existence; and it was through food (specifically bread) that Katniss and Peeta first made the connection that set many later events of the series in motion.

On a more symbolic level, descriptions of food often help to set the tone for a particular scene, or reveal something about the general society of Panem. In poorer areas, such as the Seam in District 12, the people have a very hardscrabble existence, and the foods listed tend to be very basic and/or low in quality, such as bread made from ration grain and dishes made from whatever ingredients can be found in the surrounding woods. In contrast, cuisine in the Capitol is very over-the-top, made with an endless variety of expensive and high quality ingredients, and served in large portions or buffets. Aside from this basic distinction, different types of food are associated with individual districts of Panem, depending of the district’s industry, climate, and economic/demographic makeup.

Breakfast with Gale in the woods

 * Fresh bakery bread


 * Goat cheese with basil leaves


 * Blackberries

Pre-Reaping breakfast (74th Hunger Games)

 * Goat’s milk


 * Ration grain bread

Post-Reaping dinner (prepared, but unknown if eaten)

 * Fish stew with wild greens
 * Bakery bread
 * Strawberries

“Rough times” (after Mr. Everdeen’s death)

 * Raisin-and-nut bread (burned)
 * Tea
 * Dandelion salad
 * Rabbit stew with wild greens
 * Fish and katniss roots

Greasy Sae

 * Soups
 * Mincemeat, pig entrails, and tree bark (a “winter specialty”)
 * Gourd and bean
 * Wild dog and rhubarb


 * Eggs, toast, and bacon (made for Katniss during her recovery)

Mellark bakery specialties

 * Apple and goat cheese tart
 * Cheese buns
 * Cinnamon-and-dill bread
 * Cookies
 * Iced cakes

Dinner, 74th Hunger Games

 * Thick carrot soup
 * Green salad
 * Lamb chops and mashed potatoes
 * Cheese and fruit


 * Chocolate cake

Breakfast, 74th Hunger Games

 * Eggs
 * Ham
 * Fried potatoes
 * Chilled fruit
 * Rolls
 * Orange juice
 * Coffee
 * Hot chocolate
 * “Red juice” (thinned with white liquor by Haymitch)

Dinner, 75th Hunger Games

 * Soup of pureed vegetables (served cold)
 * Fish cakes with creamy lime paste
 * Small roasted birds filled with orange sauce
 * Served with wild rice and watercress
 * Chocolate custard dotted with cherries

74th Hunger Games

 * Chicken with oranges in creamy sauce
 * Served over “pearly white grain” (rice?)
 * Green peas with onions
 * Flower-shaped rolls
 * Honey-colored pudding

75th Hunger Games

 * Pheasant
 * Served with “jewel-colored jellies”
 * Tiny vegetables in melted butter
 * Mashed potatoes with parsley
 * Fruit dipped in melted chocolate (i.e. fondue)