Many of us are familiar with the excellent, ever-changing characters and extremely entertaining storyline of HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones. For example, we all know about the Red Wedding, the white walkers, the Mother of Dragons, etc. What few of us will know about is the wide variety food and drink that exist in the epic series.
In Westeros, one of three continents in the Known World where you can find King’s Landing and Winterfell, the vast majority of the population (known as Westerosi) are commoners who work in the fields and earn just enough of a living in order to eat a basic subsistence diet. This diet consists of bread, hard cheese, milk and cream, eggs, honey, and last but not least: EVOO.
According to the images seen in the series, the cultivation of traditional olive trees is present in 5 of the 7 kingdoms, where the nectar of Gods was originally elaborated. It is done in a traditional manner, although only the rulers and people of higher classes are able to use it. It is typically used as an ointment, but it is also included in seasoned stews and fried food.
EVOO, however, would be much more commonly consumed in warmer, more Mediterranean-like places in Westeros such as King’s Landing, which is the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. Here, there is more extensive range of foods, spices, meats and wines than places like Winterfall or Castle Black (where The Wall is). These places are so far away from the capital city and find themselves in a never-ending winter. Therefore, they eat a much more basic, less appetizing diet consisting of meat, a few vegetables and less fruit that exists in King’s Landing, for example.
None of the Seven Kingdoms can be found without EVOO, which is one of principal food sources needed to combat the winter that is soon coming.