Lembas Bread: Filling Plot Holes (and Stomachs)

Поделиться
HTML-код
  • Опубликовано: 16 янв 2025

Комментарии • 110

  • @j.s.c.4355
    @j.s.c.4355 Год назад +50

    I don’t usually hold with foreign food, but this elvish stuff is pretty good.

  • @castironchaos
    @castironchaos 2 года назад +96

    True "lembas bread" is indeed impossible to recreate, because it uses fantasy ingredients that don't exist. :) Specifically, it uses a special kind of corn that only grew in the fields of Yavanna, in the blessed realm of Aman. This was what gave it the amazing ability to have a golden outside, a swan-white consistency inside, sustain a fully grown Man with just a single bite, yet taste more delightful than the honey-cakes of the Beornings; and still remain fresh for many days, even after being broken into pieces. (Beleg wasn't human, he was a Sinda of Menegroth, and one of the greatest of Thingol's warriors.)
    In addition to the religious significance you mention, Lembas can also be seen as a sort of wish-fulfillment, which is one ot the greatest reasons why fantasy stories exist at all. Tolkien was a soldier who served in World War I, and he lost many of his friends and companions in the tragic Battle of the Somme; as well as being hospitalized himself. Like his fellow soldiers, he often had to subsist on dry, tasteless hardtack bread -- which can be seen in The Hobbit, as Bilbo and the Dwarves become tired and weary of eating "cram" bread for days on end. Of course, Tolkien's experience with soldier's rations would have led him to invent a fantastic and wonderful "waybread" that was delicious rather than bland, and which would sustain a traveler for days and weeks while still being appealing and nourishing.

    • @Jess_of_the_Shire
      @Jess_of_the_Shire  2 года назад +30

      I think it's beautiful that recipes like this are impossible to recreate, because it just makes us wish after them more. And thanks for the catch on Beleg, I'll have to throw in an edit there!
      I hadn't thought of the connection to his time in WW1, that's a very interesting point. Wish fulfillment is such a powerful force, and I'm sure he was glad to give his heroes something better to eat then the cram that he had.
      Thanks for watching!

    • @charlesstanford1310
      @charlesstanford1310 2 года назад +6

      "Yes! 'Wish-fulfillment dreams' we spin to cheat
      our timid hearts and ugly Fact defeat!" (Mythopoeia)

    • @Autism_Forever
      @Autism_Forever Год назад +2

      Do you think Yavanna did genetic engineering?.. Potentially one could create a hybrid of plant and meat that would be very sustaining yet last much longer than regular meat protein. I come from a family where people have been farmers for over 600 years so this kind of got me interested in what grain was used to make the bread :) Nothing wrong with corn bread either I love corn bread :) I used to grow red grain corn it lasts a while when harvested and also makes nice looking dishes.

    • @josephippolito1402
      @josephippolito1402 11 месяцев назад

      You can recreate Beorn's honey cakes😊

    • @wildmanmountainjack3725
      @wildmanmountainjack3725 9 месяцев назад

      ​@@josephippolito1402I did that once. I took a simple cake recipe and looked up a honey for sugar conversion. It was very nice, albeit more expensive.

  • @ent0m0l0gist
    @ent0m0l0gist Год назад +6

    I will try this recipe!
    I will point out at 6:45 you mentioned Melian breaking the tradition by giving the lembas to the human warriors Beleg and Turin. While she was breaking tradition, knowing that Beleg was searching for Turin. Beleg Strongbow himself was an elf from Doriath. (I'm sorry for being nitpicky, I just finished rereading the Silmarillion, and it is fresh in my mind.)

  • @skatemetrix
    @skatemetrix Год назад +59

    What if lembas bread was the ultimate nutrition bar? Where each palm sized chunk had say 2500 calories, was full of rich fats and proteins but the texture of cake-like bread. Didn't Galadriel say that Elven technologies and crafts were confused for magic?

    • @Incoming1983
      @Incoming1983 10 месяцев назад +3

      Thermodynamics hardly work out. Fats are the most energy dense food, but you'll need around 250ml of oil to achieve your daily dose of 2000kcal. Which would weigh around 225g. Much bigger than a typical bar.

    • @olorin3815
      @olorin3815 10 месяцев назад +4

      Magic food from magic forest made by magic elves

  • @dawahaddict
    @dawahaddict Год назад +16

    "Tasting Fantasy with Jess" would be a great name for this series! Really appreciate your recipe, with the almond flour an especially nice touch. Many of the recipes I've seen don't add much in the "whey" of protein, which I'd think it would need to be so sustaining. Thanks for all the great content and wishing the very best for your channel insha'Allah! Great to see that subscriber count climbing masha'Allah! 😊

  • @dukefanshawe6815
    @dukefanshawe6815 Год назад +7

    U S coast guard has a survival food that I surprisingly similar to Lambas bread. It has a lemon flavor and taste like a cookie. Each pack can feed a grown man for 3 days and has 3 meals per day.

    • @vincentkeith5259
      @vincentkeith5259 10 месяцев назад +1

      I have a case of that in my truck for emergencies. Resonably tasty and doesn't add to thirst the way most dried goods will.

  • @demetrinight5924
    @demetrinight5924 Год назад +13

    I appreciate that you made cookies with the leftover dough. That seems like a very Hobbit thing to do.

  • @michaewaynecristobal
    @michaewaynecristobal Год назад +8

    Orange zest would go brilliantly with the spices. Great video and recipe thank you.

  • @PortCharmers
    @PortCharmers Год назад +5

    I enjoy the concept of terry Pratchett's "Dwarf-Bread". A waybread which is so hard that it can be used as a weapon before it's consumed. The magic that makes it last for a long time consists mainly of it being so tough that wayfarers get incredibly creative and practically always find something else to eat when Dwarf-Bread is the only alternative. Nanny Ogg's cookbook offers a recipe, however a watered-down version more fit for actual human consumption.

  • @thedarkdane7
    @thedarkdane7 Год назад +3

    Even from the beginning your videos have had quality and joy. Good job! (And beautiful apron, BTW.)

  • @The_Local_Goose
    @The_Local_Goose Год назад +2

    Just made it! Turned out great! I got to watch the fellowship of the ring in a home-sewn Gandalf robe while eating lembas bread.

  • @charlesstanford1310
    @charlesstanford1310 2 года назад +10

    I'm watching this right before Lammas and getting inspired.

  • @pamelastroud
    @pamelastroud Год назад +4

    I just made this and it's delicious! I needed to make a gluten free version so I used King Arthur GF flour, starting with a cup but I added about another half cup to make the dough drier.
    I didn't have almond flour but I did add a 1/4 cup of psyllium husk powder. Those were the only changes I made. This tastes just like shortbread which I've always loved but never attempted to make!
    It is wonderful with some pumpkin pie spice. Now it's going to be difficult to stop eating it!

  • @deborah.r.g3379
    @deborah.r.g3379 2 года назад +27

    You have a very cheerful yet... poetic... style of sharing your enthusiasm for this fantasy world. It makes me wonder what kind of speaking experience you've accumulated before starting this channel 🙂

    • @Jess_of_the_Shire
      @Jess_of_the_Shire  2 года назад +26

      A theatre degree and a lifetime of rambling to people about Tolkien, haha. Thanks for watching!

    • @deborah.r.g3379
      @deborah.r.g3379 2 года назад +3

      @@Jess_of_the_Shire Ahh, that makes so much sense! Looking forward to your next warmhearted 'performance' 😃

  • @robinriebsomer4607
    @robinriebsomer4607 Год назад +2

    I love your humorous bit with the mixer cord and the bowl. I will make your lembas bread because it sounds delicious. It's probably great with coffee. Yes the eucharist links with lembas bread. I love the way you link lembas with different faith traditions. I wonder if there's a link to the Hellenistic food of the deities called ambrosia. I too relate to the hobbits more than the elves. I think you would make a lovely elvish maiden.

  • @markwarner5554
    @markwarner5554 Год назад +2

    Have you seen Max Miller's hard tack video? Pretty amusing. Your lembas looks a lot more appetizing. I was inspired by your lotr marathon hobbit feast, so I am doing Hobbitsgiving with my friends this year. Gonna watch the movies and have 7 (non-hobbity reasonably sized meals) spread throughout the day.

  • @Doc-Holliday1851
    @Doc-Holliday1851 Год назад +3

    If you include psyllium husk powder you can achieve some of the stomach filling properties of lembas.

  • @jasonknight8581
    @jasonknight8581 27 дней назад

    Leaving a like and a comment on every video you ever did. Merry Christmas Jess!

  • @chromes5567
    @chromes5567 2 года назад +7

    This looks real tasty. Gonna have to try it soon.

  • @livierae95
    @livierae95 11 месяцев назад

    This is the first lembas recipe I've come across that looks delicious enough for me to eat as many as the hobbits did. I'm going to make it for my annual LOTR marathon this weekend!

  • @DX48H9WM
    @DX48H9WM Год назад +3

    I think the best modern equivalent to Lembas bread is probably the SOS Food labs lifeboat rations. About 410 Calories per bar and specially crafted to keep you alive, people say they taste very good too!

  • @dissident_media
    @dissident_media 2 года назад +3

    Im honored to be here at 100 subs. Your videos are great

    • @Jess_of_the_Shire
      @Jess_of_the_Shire  2 года назад +4

      I'm glad you're here too! And so excited for more content to come

  • @JordanVanRyn
    @JordanVanRyn Год назад +1

    Hey I wanna say that’s a really great cooking tutorial on lembas bread. I’ve always wanted to learn how to make it and these look yummy!

  • @wmarkfish
    @wmarkfish Год назад +2

    Carmina Burana was a nice touch

  • @purplelibraryguy8729
    @purplelibraryguy8729 Год назад +3

    I suspect there may have been a more personal connection as well. Tolkien was a hiker--he regularly went for long walks in the countryside around Oxford. Wouldn't be surprised if now and then he was either caught out without a bite to eat, or contrariwise found himself hoisting food that was on the heavy side, and thought "Wouldn't it be nice to have some food that was wholesome and delicious but light to carry? Hum, I'm sure the elves would have something like that!"

  • @diganta2329
    @diganta2329 Год назад +2

    Nice! With cinnamon a bit of cardamom would go well for sure, maybe a hint of clove. Another option would be to use just anise.

  • @premaprema2899
    @premaprema2899 11 месяцев назад

    I am going to try your recipe tonight. I might switch the amount of almond flour amount to the all purpose flour using almonds I grind myself into flour (I don't have almond flour but do have some almonds). Making for my 12 year old friend's son who likes to bake and is a Tolkien fan. I love the history you gave and your costume to make it more informative, and fun. Your presentation is wonderful. I will give him your youtube site with his lempas bread. 💜

  • @thegreatermysteries4134
    @thegreatermysteries4134 Год назад +1

    Great video, thank you 👍

  • @MaryrosePurple1
    @MaryrosePurple1 Год назад

    Very nice and your mixing bowls are so beautiful and fitting with a Middle Earth feeling!! 🥰

  • @worldtraveler930
    @worldtraveler930 Год назад +4

    My suggestion is to swap the almond flour with Rice flour and possibly add some Lingenberries!!! 🤠👍

  • @ilokivi
    @ilokivi Год назад +1

    Wondering if a dash of freshly ground cardamon would give some variety to the possible flavours of this adaptation of the lembas recipe, which resembles the Dutch speculaas biscuit.

  • @Strider2931
    @Strider2931 Год назад +2

    I've recently found your channel! Thank you so much for all your informative videos on The Lord of the Rings! Keep em coming.
    Massive fan here. I'm about halfway reading through The Two Towers :)

  • @antesdedormirmanu6789
    @antesdedormirmanu6789 10 месяцев назад

    I love your voice, and the way you express your self... ;)

  • @whiteknightcat
    @whiteknightcat 10 месяцев назад

    The almond flour adds protein to an otherwise all carbohydrate product. Some people, though, are allergic to almond products.

  • @MeshalTGX
    @MeshalTGX 9 месяцев назад

    Thank you very much for this beautiful and very interesting information.. and I would love to tell you that I will bake it soon with my wife.

  • @jeffthomas9768
    @jeffthomas9768 Год назад

    I just happened to come across your channel by “the powers of the RUclips gods” and I’m perplexed. I’m glad someone is making a lot of videos on the world of middle earth while not trying to offend anyone going off book, *cough* Rings of Power. But besides the mythology of middle earth and the Silmarillian, usually people also talk about the Christian aspect of the stories. Maybe you can clear that up if that’s not one of your focuses? You don’t have to though; I’m just a passerby.
    Now, this is the first video of yours I’ve actually watched but I’m still curious in your content. I like your personality with the type of filming you’re doing. Keep up the great work, regardless of I stick with your channel or not. God bless!

  • @anniemargareth7617
    @anniemargareth7617 Год назад +1

    Beautifully presented, truly. The best recipe I've seen so far. Maybe if walnut is used instead of almond it would work? I mean to make them even more filling? Then butter could be omitted. Walnuts or macadamia? I will try it..

  • @MichalProzac
    @MichalProzac Год назад +1

    Oh a recipe to Lembas bread and it is surprisingly similar to my recipe which I got I have no clue where years ago, added dried fruits.
    Ingredients:
    250 grams of butter
    120 grams of sugar (could be brown)
    240 grams of flour
    1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
    1 teaspoon of honey
    A pinch of salt
    150 grams of mixed dried fruits or nuts (optional)
    Instructions:
    Preheat your oven to 165 degrees Celsius.
    Soften the butter until it's easy to stir, then mix it with the brown sugar in a large bowl until they're well combined.
    Stir in the honey.
    In another bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, and salt.
    Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until a dough forms.
    If you're using dried fruits or nuts, fold them into the dough at this point.
    Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it's about 1 centimeter thick.
    Cut the dough into squares or rectangles.
    Place the pieces onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
    Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
    Let the Lembas cool on the baking sheet.

    • @MicukoFelton
      @MicukoFelton Год назад +1

      Looks interesting, I might try this one. But I wouldn't call anything "bread" if it has so much sugar, I'd get disowned. 😂

  • @wildmanmountainjack3725
    @wildmanmountainjack3725 9 месяцев назад

    As a Lord of the Rings obsessed man, I have no idea how I haven't discovered your channel before. Subscribed. I will try to make interesting comments for you.

  • @sebastianevangelista4921
    @sebastianevangelista4921 Год назад

    This was very soothing.

  • @paulbrickler
    @paulbrickler Год назад +1

    I like how it looked after baking - I think I might have skipped the nutmeg and possibly used a pastry perforator roller, maybe added some yellow corn flour to the mix -BUT - not having tried your version (yet), it's difficult to be too critical.

  • @JaKorsarz
    @JaKorsarz Год назад

    love it!🥰Lúnasa pagan festiva very interesting. Never heard of it.

  • @KCJbomberFTW
    @KCJbomberFTW Год назад +2

    I make a hazelnut fudge when I make this because it’s the richest food I can imagine
    One bite is well enough😂

  • @purplelibraryguy8729
    @purplelibraryguy8729 Год назад +1

    IMO, if your shortbread-like creation is on the dry side, the solution is always--add more butter!

  • @vortega472
    @vortega472 Год назад

    When RUclips channels meet:
    Elven Lembas Bread - Alright let's get this out onto a tray. Nice!

  • @leonardovergara8294
    @leonardovergara8294 25 дней назад

    Aweboooo pan de lembas, ❤

  • @camille_la_chenille
    @camille_la_chenille Год назад +1

    I willd efinitely give this recipe a try with a few adjustements for my food allergies. I tried once to make lembas and while it was certainly filling, it was also awfully dry, crumbly and bland, which was meh... not the point. I think the almond flour will work way better than rice flour to make it tasty and gluten free!

  • @artsman412
    @artsman412 27 дней назад

    Looks good. Any idea the shelf life? Lembas bread (and it's real world counter, hardtack) can last for months, so how does this fair?

  • @ultrahevybeat
    @ultrahevybeat Год назад

    i always Thuot it was a play on schottisch shortbread

  • @LeoAngora
    @LeoAngora Год назад

    For the lembas to have their "pharmacological" properties, you may need to add coca leaves. The Andes natives chew the leaves in their travels, it reduces hunger and fatigue.

  • @Redrung
    @Redrung 2 года назад +2

    It 2 am painting Mordor miniature now, and now I need food.

    • @Jess_of_the_Shire
      @Jess_of_the_Shire  2 года назад +3

      Well, I hear one bite of this stuff will fill the stomach of a grown man!

  • @Valandar2
    @Valandar2 Год назад +1

    Just because Lembas is impossible... doesn't mean the "Honey-cakes of the Beornings", as mentioned by Gimli, are impossible to make. :D

  • @johnharperks
    @johnharperks 11 месяцев назад

    In addition to our Roman Catholic and Orthodox friends, Lutherans and some Anglicans also confess the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. I enjoy your videos very much, and I am a long time Tolkien books (primarily) and movie fan.

  • @c.s.oneill2079
    @c.s.oneill2079 Год назад +3

    I love the respect that you pay to Tolkien's faith and the correlation of his faith to his creations.

  • @qdllc
    @qdllc Год назад +1

    Was the bowl knocked off the table named “Bowlamir.” 😅

  • @michaelsommers2356
    @michaelsommers2356 Год назад

    I have read that hard tack baked for the Civil War was used in World War One.

  • @wiederganger1959
    @wiederganger1959 Год назад +1

    Whenever I read the words "hard tack", my brain automatically hears a "clack clack" sound.
    You Tasting History fans out there will know what I mean! 😉

  • @ManapuaMan
    @ManapuaMan 6 месяцев назад

    Lembas bread always reminded me of Southern Corn Bread😅

  • @ricksandstorm
    @ricksandstorm 10 месяцев назад

    If it is supposed to sustain you for days, maybe one could try adding Phentermine or some other dietary supplement + base the whole thing on macademia nuts?

  • @DrDolan2000
    @DrDolan2000 6 месяцев назад

    Close enough. Let's dig in

  • @HunnyBakedHammes
    @HunnyBakedHammes 11 месяцев назад

    Anyone know what the song with the epic chanting and orchestra? I hear it everywhere in fantasy themed vids an none ever links it. I get it's a classical piece and easily recognizable, but cut me a break lol. 3:15

  • @Bonanza86
    @Bonanza86 Год назад

    Good job, OP..

  • @keyboarddancers7751
    @keyboarddancers7751 Год назад

    Lovely channel.
    Ainu = singular.

  • @missandry420
    @missandry420 11 месяцев назад

    I'm going to try to make this later. I'm vegan though so ill be using vegan butter, coconut sugar, and dandelion syrup instead of honey.

  • @MicukoFelton
    @MicukoFelton Год назад

    So no baking powder or leveling of any kind?

  • @ek-nz
    @ek-nz Год назад +1

    Nutmeg. Am I right Jon?

    • @Radiotomb
      @Radiotomb 10 месяцев назад

      Needs more mushroom ketchup 🤔

  • @kingdarkem
    @kingdarkem 2 месяца назад

    My lembas bread uses powdered cacao soylent instead of flour......

  • @ronaxabernax8595
    @ronaxabernax8595 8 месяцев назад

    😊Dia duit, A Chara!😊
    🤔An tùsa Eireannach?🤔

  • @timware7
    @timware7 11 месяцев назад

    How many people did this feed?

  • @NikovK
    @NikovK Год назад +1

    It would be inaccurate to say Tolkien ate 'hardtack' in the trenches of WWI. Dense, canned biscuits were being issued at the time and were far easier to eat than hardtack proper, which had to be completely free of any ingredients which could go rancid; ie oils. Hardtack and ship's biscuits alike are best understood as a standardized brick of flour a soldier could smash back into a meal using his rifle butt and a cloth sack, then re-cook into whatever the messmates felt like making that night. For example, 'hellfire stew' is smashed hardtack fried in bacon fat until it browns up a little and mixed with said bacon and possibly beans. The real misery is if you are stuck with hardtack or ship's biscuit and have no way to cook it due to cold camping, rain preventing firebuildinn, or the enemy being too close. That's the miserable experience people who try hardtack straight recreate.

  • @thomasferguson6726
    @thomasferguson6726 8 месяцев назад

    You just have to pour a bunch of appetite suppressants and MSG in.

  • @captainhellenic
    @captainhellenic Год назад +1

    The Orthodoxy does not believe that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. The Orthodox theology is that it is transformed into "true bread" and "true wine" in that they are symbolic of Christs truth in the material but are, through some aspect of that which isn't fully communicable in language, the true presence of his person.

  • @straightshowtunelove
    @straightshowtunelove Год назад +1

    If I were younger, and single, you would be my dream girl. Really pretty, intelligent, and we have many of the same interests. But as I am neither young, nor single, I will just admire you from afar. And enjoy your channel. Thanks for the content.😄

  • @Thraim.
    @Thraim. Год назад

    I like Lembas best with Ambrosia.
    I'm still hungry and mortal, though.

  • @loayelalfy1987
    @loayelalfy1987 Год назад

    You said Beleg was a human?

  • @Ken-fh4jc
    @Ken-fh4jc 11 месяцев назад +1

    You are one of the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

  • @timesthree5757
    @timesthree5757 Год назад

    Yes, I have. In reality it is called pemican.

  • @corvid...
    @corvid... Год назад

    What a delightful video

  • @SeanLKearns
    @SeanLKearns 9 месяцев назад

    I think we all know it's really just dry garlic bread.

  • @The_Local_Goose
    @The_Local_Goose Год назад

    Wait wait wait here me out, hobbits are the in book representation of actual real life humans right? And the hobbits can eat a lot of lembas bread in a day, so if you make a filling enough recipe it could be considered canon accurate could it not?

  • @jose810725
    @jose810725 Год назад +1

    you're the most beautiful hobbit girl ever.

  • @greenchristendom4116
    @greenchristendom4116 6 месяцев назад

    Jesus himself makes a connection between his eucharist and the manna of the desert journey in what is refered to as his "Bread of Life Discourse" in the Gospel of John chapter 6. See especialy John 6:31-33, 48-51, 58 for the allusion.

  • @Sorrybutno
    @Sorrybutno Год назад

    I'm trying to pretend you aren't looking down and to the right at your script but you do.

  • @DG-dy4tv
    @DG-dy4tv 9 месяцев назад

    Manna

  • @iandennis7836
    @iandennis7836 Год назад +1

    Speaking as someone who is currently paying an eyewatering price for electricity.........DON'T preheat your oven for half an hour while you prepare and mix your ingredients....yes, we are all well aware that to most Americans, energy conservation is just a collection of meaningless syllables but most people (certainly in Europe) at least TRY not to waste energy like it's going out of fashion.....oh and if you can be bothered to write out the recipe in cups - cups fer chrissake - then spend another 5 minutes converting it into grams and mililitres. Right, that's got THAT out of the way. The actual recipe sounds very good indeed and once I have converted it into usable units, I shall indeed try it out. Kudos and thanks to you for coming up with a recipe, they sound pretty amazing, well done😁

    • @Jess_of_the_Shire
      @Jess_of_the_Shire  Год назад +1

      In the description, I have the gram conversations listed! I hope that helps and I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it

  • @c.s.oneill2079
    @c.s.oneill2079 Год назад

    In one of the History of ME Series (or possibly one of the Vinyar Tengwar or its Parma Eldamaberon publications, the etymology of the words LADY and LORD are discussed along with one or more of Token's glosses. IIRC, they are similar to those currently found in Wiktionary:
    LADY
    From Middle English lady, laddy, lafdi, lavedi, from Old English hlǣfdīġe (“mistress of a household, wife of a lord, lady”, literally “bread-kneader”), from hlāf (“bread, loaf”) + dīġe (“kneader”), related to Old English dǣġe (“maker of dough”) (whence dey (“dairymaid”)).
    LORD
    From Middle English lord and lorde (attested from the 15th century), from earlier (14th century) lourde and other variants which dropped the intervocalic consonant of earlier lowerd, louerd, loverd, laford, and lhoaverd; from Old English hlāford < hlāfweard, a compound of hlāf (“bread”) + weard (“guardian”); see loaf and ward. The term was already being applied broadly prior to the literary development of Old English and was influenced by its common use to translate Latin dominus.
    One can see the underlying story that Tolkien might have formed in his mind relating the giving of this near-sacred bread by the queens of the High Elves.

  • @TinkyWiwinky
    @TinkyWiwinky 10 месяцев назад +2

    I WANNA MARRY YOU!!!! ❤

  • @ughno6757
    @ughno6757 2 месяца назад

    Cannibals!