How to Describe Food in Fiction Writing

Why It’s Important + 4 Resources to Describe Food Better

I LOVE food + drinks and adore when a writer can describe food in their fiction writing. I mean, food is an important player in our lives. We eat every day and form memories—good and bad—around the presence of food. 

Why then should we not add food into our books? Why not describe a delectable morsel of bread or the disgustingness of a badly prepared drink? 

When I think of the Harry Potter Series, I recall the feasts in the books. The treacle tarts and puddings. The breakfasts and celebration feasts. The food trolley on the train and eating sweets in the Gryffindor common room. 

When I think of the food in The Lord of the Rings, I think of the apples the hobbits eat or the ill-tasting drink the orcs force Merry and Pippin to consume. 

I could go on with the examples, but you’ve got the picture. Food plays an important role in stories—it adds an element of realism and atmosphere. Our readers will engage with our story worlds on a deeper level when we show the food and drink of our characters’ lives.

Food, Food, and More Food

Like I said in the first sentence, I love food. I grew up in a family who appreciated junk food and high-quality food. So, it’s no surprise my thriller novel, The New Dawn, incorporates food. In fact, my protagonist Caterina cherishes well-made Italian food, wine, and espresso. 

Here is a snippet I wrote describing the Italian dish carbonara in Caterina’s point of view (POV): 

“Here you go.” He placed a goblet of red wine on the table and handed her the silver fork, then sunk into an upholstered arm chair. Jamison swirled his wine before taking a sip, then nodded. 

Unhooking the paper tabs, she stuck her fork in the mound of pasta. A wave of nausea raged, and she froze in mid-fork-twirl. Breathe, Cat. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Yes. Fine.” She finished scooping the food. 

“When did you last eat?” 

Taking a bite, warm bacon, cheese, and black pepper burst in her mouth. It should have been delectable, but instead her gut revolted. Chew and swallow.

— S.J. Siedenburg, from her novel The New Dawn

In this piece, I tried to contrast the deliciousness of the food and my character’s revulsion to her beloved cuisine because she refrains from eating when she is upset about something. 

I describe many other foods in this novel like cappuccinos with frothy pillows of milk, baby lamb chops with herbs, and sparkling prosecco. For fun, I created a food aesthetic of my book. Take a peek!

Related: The New Dawn novel page.

My Top Tip to Describe Food

Personally, when I describe food I want to add an extra descriptor, something to make the dish or drink pop in the reader’s mind. 

For an example, take a plate of scrambled eggs. Instead of just calling them scrambled eggs, go a step further.

How do the eggs look? Are they yellow or white, clumpy or fluffy? Are they too salty? Bland? Is the texture grainy or silky? Do the eggs appeal to the character or disgust the character?

Of course, don’t go overboard on food description. Saying the eggs are simply salty is better than a paragraph dissecting every detail of the dish—unless your story is about a chef or food is an integral part of the plot.

And take note: Each character’s palate may be different. Someone in your cast may be a culinary artist and another content with spray cheese. This is exciting because whatever your characters eat or refuse is a revelation of their personality and lifestyle. 

4 Resources to Help You Describe Food

So, how do we learn to describe food our readers will drool or gag over?

Food Competition TV Shows: 

Culinary shows were my jam growing up—well, when I wasn’t watching shows about murder investigations. Honestly, I think this is one of the top reasons describing food is exciting for me.

In fact, I still watch tons of food shows.

So, here is a short list of TV shows to get you started. Remember: Listen up when the judges critique the chef’s food!

For (mostly) Good food: 

• Master Chef
• The Great British Baking Show
• Chopped
• Cutthroat Kitchen
• Zumbo’s Just Desserts
• Sugar Rush

For Bad food: 

• Worst Cooks in America
• Nailed It

Books

Yep, books. Read, read, read my writing friends and pay extra attention when food and drinks are involved. 

One book in particular piqued my interest in this idea of capturing a soul of a story world through food description: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stievater. 

Stievater even created her own imaginary food for The Scorpio Races: November Cakes. 

The link to this book is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This costs you nothing, but it helps keep my blog running.

Ratatouille

Ever watch the Disney-Pixar movie Ratatouille? If you ever want to get into the mind of someone who is passionate about food—or need inspiration yourself—check this film out. 

Just watch Remy’s passion for food and the magic of the culinary arts will hit your soul. And I mean, who doesn’t like a story set in the romance of Paris? 

Amazon affiliate link.

Experience Restaurants

The best research of all is probably experience, so next time you eat a meal or go to a restaurant, challenge your palate. Pretend you are a judge on those cooking competitions you’ve been bingeing and critique the dish. 

How does it look and taste? How is the dish’s texture? Does it leave you feeling light or heavy? Did it burn your mouth or give you a brain freeze? 

If possible, try dishes your characters would eat and discern what they would detect. What elements of the dish would your character like and dislike? Would they even notice the taste or mindlessly eat, distracted by something else? What does this show about them? 

Now It’s Your Turn

How will food impact your story’s atmosphere? What food + drink are you describing in your book? What relationship does your character have with food? 

Yep, it’s time to apply all the knowledge you have learned and describe your own story’s food. Take ten minutes now to jot down some notes on the types of food + drink you might include in your novel.

I can’t wait to read your descriptions! 

Write your story, 

Sarah 

Related Reading:

• How to Write Effective Descriptions and Nail Your Scene’s Setting
• The Ultimate Guide to Writing the Setting of a Story