Why Food is Important in Your TTRPG Adventure

Food can be a great way to add depth, realism, and unique flavor to your tabletop RPG adventure or world. Taverns are probably the most used location in almost every fantasy game - this is where players often meet before starting a new adventure. Players will frequently ask your NPC tavern keeper what's on the menu or what the daily specials are. Instead of giving a boring answer, it's good to have some prepared food options to make your world come alive. Where to Find Food Ideas
Of course not every Game Master is an expert chef, so here are some tips to get you started with food ideas for your RPG setting.

Food in Fantasy Settings

For fantasy settings, there are tons of random food and tavern name generators online and in printed resources. These tools can provide interesting and quirky menu items that fit a medieval or magical setting. Generators allow you to come up with unique dishes like Dragon Fire Stew, Fields of Emerald Salad etc. Get creative with ingredients like dragon scales and fairy dust! Of course things will differe between low fantasy and high fantasy settings.

Random Tavern Generators

https://donjon.bin.sh/fantasy/inn / - this one is my favourite, it will generate a number of things for you including: Name, Location, Description, Innkeeper, Menu, Patrons and Rumours.
There are of course a lot of printed resources with random tables available. One of my favourites is GM's Miscellany: Urban Dressing (System Neutral Edition) https://www.ragingswanpress.com/system-neutral/gms-miscellany-urban-dressing

Food in Modern Settings

For modern or contemporary settings, use real-world food! Search online for popular dishes from the country or culture you want to represent. "The Top 10 Most Popular Thai Dishes" for example, may give you pad thai, tom yum soup, green curry, and other authentic items. Don't just copy/paste though, tailor items to your story's specific location.

Sci-Fi Settings

For sci-fi settings, you can go from everyday burgers and pizzas to completely alien cuisine. Make up dishes from other planets, galaxies, or add futuristic gastronomy.

Food in Historical Settings

For historical settings, research popular foods from that time period and location. For example, what type of food was available in Victorian era. Or an or what was the menu in a 1950s diner. ? Historical cooking websites provide inspiration like meat pies, pickled foods, stews and potages for medieval settings. Menus also varied by social class - peasants ate different foods than aristocrats.

Food Tells a Story

The key is making food that fits your world and provides unique flavor. A GM who puts thought into the NPC's pumpkin stew or the halfling's homemade hearth cakes helps make the setting vivid and real for players. Food can reveal background about cultures, economics, and social customs in your world. So don't be afraid to give that tavern menu creativity! Food can make your RPG world delicious, distinctive, and full of depth.