@@Brvnkaerv while the line was invented for the movie for humor, the word menu used to refer to a full course meal and not a list of options at a restaurant, so saying somethings "on the menu" in this archaic use meant it was part of the meal courses ;) Btw this is still used in Germany, they say "speisekarte" (lit. dining card) to refer to a modern restaurant menu of options, while the term "menu" itself means a combo meal
I think Morgoth corrupted and tortured lembas bread creating it's ruined and nutrition-less form, the Hostess Twinkie. This was his second most hateful act against Iluvatar.
i ate a Twinkie once after having watched Zombieland.. I was expecting it to be some amazing, tasty, delicious creamy snack after watching Tallahassee crave after them... boy how wrong I was... I'd say the best word to describe a Twinkie is BLAND. I also finally ate a Hershey Bar after years of craving them from seeing one of my favourite childhood movies - Empire of the Sun... and I was also disappointed. Best word to describe a Hershey Bar is: MANKY
@@tigrecito48 Yes, once you bite into a Twinkie you can taste the corruption of Morgoth. Nasty, spongy, flavorless, and they give you heartburn. I think you need to be an orc to enjoy one.
@@ponderingnugget hard to tell with me cos i get a lot of heartburn so i wouldnt know if its just the twinkie causing it.. i wonder if zombieland was sponsored by twinkies then cos i was fooled into thinking they must be amazing..
@@tigrecito48 It would make sense for twinkies to be associated with zombies as they are both immune to the effects of time; zombies, because they're undead, and twinkies, because they have an endless shelf life.
Honestly, I think it was just a food deus ex machina. Throughout the Hobbit and most of Fellowship, food is a real issue (as it would be) and I think Tolkien just got tired of having to source it realistically
I tried recreating Lembas Bread. I think I came close with honey-flavoured shortbread. It's got sugar, protein, fats and salt. Tastes good, and lasts indefinitely. Exactly what a traveller would need.
@@GeekZoneMT I was just tinkering with my mother's shortbread recipe Before Internet. :) Tho' the basic ingredients online are the same: Flour, sugar, butter. I added an egg, and honey for flavour, adjust flour for the bit of extra fluid. Took me a few batches to get it right. Unfortunately I never took notes. I was a huge Tolkien fan as a teen, I loved hiking and camping, so _of course_ I was fascinated by this magical waybread that was the perfect travel ration! If I wanted to do it today, I'd put in some potassium salt, some muscle protein powder instead of egg, and pop a "once a day all in one" multivitamin pill for dessert. :)
an interesting note is that the word Lord comes from the anglo-saxon word for loaf keeper, and the word Lady comes from the anglo-saxon word for Loaf maker.
Lembas bread is where you notice that Tolkien had fought in the trenches, because only soldier that lived through hard and dangerous work in the field with lousy and pitifully small rations would come up with the idea that the most divine woman ever born would invent the ultimate combat ration. Something something care-package and love from home.
I assume that when it's said it was made from a certain corn, it's meant corn in the British meaning of the word, synonymous with grain, not literally corn in the American meaning of the word aka maize.
The lembas bread taste good, boosts moral, and will keep you going. The designer of MREs: "Yeah, we're not doing any of that. But we will add the benefit of constipation."
Sauron when he realizes he lost not only to 2 Halflings and the descendant of his enemies a Dwarf and Elf and the rest of Middle-Earth but most importantly Bread
The most filling, small cake I have ever eaten was a Chinese Lunar Festival Moon Cake. On the Lunar Festival Day, a Chinese co-worker gave one to me at about 9:30 am. I ate the cake during a break at work. It didn't seem to be that filling at the time. Well, I ended up skipping lunch because I wasn't hungry, and also I couldn't eat dinner, much to the chagrin of my wife. In fact I skipped breakfast the next day and had a light lunch. I was full of energy the whole time. I have never forgotten that experience. I think it had a cooked egg yolk in the center, so it was not all grain and veggies.
I would like to think Lembas bread had enchantments laid upon it. Like the beer in the Prancing Pony. I sure enjoyed this story. Now how about the fiery liquer?
I suspect that Semeagol would have been able to eat lembas before he became Gollum. This tells that the ring made lembas taste like dirt and ash to Semeagol. When the hobbits start on their journey from Lothlorien they don't seem to have any problem eating Lembas - ask Merry and Pippen. As Frodo and Sam journey the Lembas begins to lose its taste. Is this because of the ring. At a critical moment in there travel they decide to cook a couple of rabbits. Sam well knows the risk of fire in the wild but he does so anyway - resulting in their discovery. Again the ring beginning to take over the hobbits. By the time they get to Cirith Ungol Frodo is barely eating - has Lembas lost its taste to Frodo?
When I traveled to Ghana Africa one of my friends gave me some Bread wrapped in leafs I said this is like the LOTR bread and we just laughed. Good times!
*I JUST FINISHED the Fellowship of The Ring the other night and finished the first 3 Chapters of The Two Towers last night* (;))! It's amazing how useful Lembas bread was after they left Lothlorien (:))!
@@AbbaZabbaOlyFrn In the Movies Legolas mentioned how, "1 small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man" but they never mentioned how well it revitalized the Fellowship or how it boosted their endurance (;))! I'm probably gonna get to Chapter 5 or 7 of the 2 towers tonight before bed. After finishing the Fellowship of the Ring noticing the differences between the Books and the Movies the IMMEDIATE differences I noticed/liked was how in the Books "A Journey in The Dark" was FAR MORE frightening, mysterious, and HORRIFIC in the books than in the movie especially considering that Reading their Journey through Moria was Ironically like Gandalf reading the Book near Balins Tomb so it just made reading through it FAR more interesting than watching it in the Movies. THAT and the Battle of Amon Hen was DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT since Legolas literally FELL a FELLBEAST WITH A SINGLE ARROW down the River anduin, AND how Aragorn guided the Fellowship till they got to tge shores and overall the BREAKING OF THE FELLOWSHIP was FAIRLY different from how it was portrayed in the Movies. Specifically how the Fellowship broke in the Books EASILY makes it my favorite Chapter of the Trilogy considering that The Fellowship of The Ring was always my favorite part of the Trilogies PERIOD. The Middle and End are throughly writen but the BEGINNING of a story ALWAYS seems to have more of a sense of remembrance, and INSPIRATION than the ends, I don't know, maybe because the "1ST STEP" always feels like it's more meaningful in my opinion. I grew up on the Movies, and Video games, but finally reading them during Quarantine seriously gets to my heart (:)). *I've always had an infinite love of Lord of The Rings, it's such a PURE and Classical Fantasy setting (:D)!*
Anything that has any special nutritional values like this bread would in reality help accelerate healing but maybe not in any magical sense but considering its source I imagine it would indeed have a healing affect that would make it seem magical in nature.
The nutrition, the revitalization of the spirit (high morale is a hell of a drug), and the energy density (I presume the "revitalization of body" is basically 1 part slightly magical, 1 part calorically dense) would all be incredibly helpful.
Anyone else think it's an allegory for communion? A bread that will sustain you and help you overcome the trials/evils you face. The more you rely on it the more potent its effects. It has impact on your spirit as much as it is just a food...
While Tolkien was a devout Christian and we can see any kind of allegory or symbolism we want in his stories. He made it very clear that the Lord of the Rings is not intentionally allegorical. Tolkien did not like allegory. That doesn't mean we should not see and appreciate similarities between his writings and Christian themes. But we should not assume that those similarities were intended by Tolkien.
@@abequiner9815 yep some lazy copy paste for you: J. R. R. Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic, although his family had once been Baptists. He described The Lord of the Rings as "a fundamentally religious and Catholic work" and rich in Christian symbolism, as he explained in a letter to his close friend and Jesuit priest, Robert Murray: The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out, practically all references to anything like 'religion', to cults or practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism.
Small correction MELKOR found the elves first and tried to poison them against the Valar. As you said Orome then stumbled upon them and to begin with the atani or firstborn took some convincing to undo the lies melkor had said.
Haha, now I can just see the elves and hobbits chowing down on tamales in Lothlorien. Though I'm sure the "corn" that Tolkien was referring to would be more akin to what they called grain in Europe before they found the Americas and maize.
Outstanding research and story! I'm suddenly craving bread and butter! You guys know how to entice and keep an audience wanting more! See you on your next upload!👍👍
Me, a home brewer and history nerd: Lembas is made from a special grain? Well in ancient agricultural societies, they used grains to make two things-bread and beer. Bread was basically solid beer, and beer was basically liquid bread. Sooo… I wonder what kind of epic ale you’d be able to make from lembas corn! 🤩
The talk of the bred like that reminds me deeply of how my aunt used to make her lovely barry bread that always gave me a similar feel as is described here about Lembas Bread. And when I asked her what was the special ingredient to it she simply always answered: "It gets its taste from the love I put into my labor. A work of love is a work that lasts for far longer than anything done by just quantity."
It's quite interesting that the elves were specifically instructed not to share lembas with mortals. I appreciate knowing the origins, traditions, and the various names of this legendary food. Thanks!
One picture in the video depicted an Elven woman in armor being shot by an arrow. The Elves didn’t send their women into combat. Many moderns wish that they had, but it is a spirit that was hateful to Tolkien.
Perhaps the bread is the true key to the yearning of the elves travel to Valinor. Those who had never tasted Lembas could more easily reject the call and fade away.
Unless I missed something in the movies, the only thing lembas did was fill you with small amounts. I don't recall anything being said or shown that it invigorated energy or raised the spirit.
While true, it has a high fullness factor which means you won't be eating much of it which would keep you from absorbing as many nutrients. Of course, it could have unique enzymes with healing properties. Spirulina, for example, aa a high fullness factor, but has compounds that protect the body from radiation, cancer, and viral infection. It's highly nutritious as well, but the healing properties aren't from the nutrition. The nutrition just means you can live on it and nothing else. Since the plants do draw life energy in from the Earth while growing though it could be argued that this vital energy would flow into the body of those who eat it, meaning it's magical in a sense. Though only in the way a Reiki practitioner heals.
The movie isn't right. No where in the book does it say the one bite would fill you up. That is Peter Jackson's invention. What it does say is that one loaf/wafer was enough to sustain a man through a hard day's labor (that when Gimli scarfed down a whole loaf when he first tasted it. Rely on the film for information only at your own risk...Peter Jackson butchered the book and invented a whole lot of stuff that never was in the book
wow, I love this! It explains why Sam always urged Frodo to eat. The backstory of Lembas bread shows how this food played a vital role in their quest. Tolkien is the greatest worldbuilder.
In one roleplaying game, there was a spell called "Foyson Theft" that stole "The goodness in food", turning it into a white powder. My character made a type of waybread by mixing this powder into the dough, giving each individual loaf 3 days' worth of nutrition.
I do think that when crossing the sea from Amman to Middlearth, and later crossing the Helcaraxë it was Noldor that carried Lembas to Middlearth, but also Melian, since follower of Yavanna, whas the one who carried it seeds together with Galadriel, since they have departed later together, and did not took part in kingslaying of Alqualonde. Galadriel was especialy eager to create something on her own, so bearing that in mind she very likley took some seeds with her to grow in Middlearth. I also want to share with you interesting fact that in my country of Croatia, there is an island called Pag, where benedictine sisters make one similar bread to lembas, and only they know it's secret and very ancient recipe, and only they make it. From outside it is nothing special, it is dryed, but whene you taste it you are overflown with delight, and it makes you not hunger for good period of time. The bread is called 'Baškotini'. Does not this story remind you of Lembas? I would recomend 'Baškotini' to all!
Thank you for the educational post. I will try to look for this bread. Would it be sold in bakeries that make Baklava? BTW, Melian left Aman in the Years of the Trees or earlier. That's pre-first age, as she met Thingol before the sun first rose. You are right about Galadriel. That is a great point you made about her bringing seeds from Aman, after all she brought with her dirt or soil from Valinor, some of which she gave to Sam at the Fellowship's departure from Lothlorien.
@@Enerdhil You are right abouth Melian, I was mistaken, but now I remamber. I should probably read again Silmarillion, since it has been long time since I've read it. Regarding the "Baškotini", I am pretty sure that it is only possible to buy them in their convent in city Pag, and many tourists go there for that bread. Other point I was going to make, regarding someones comment that Lembas was inspired from Eucharist. You know that latin word for Eucharistic bread given to sick is called "Viaticus", or waybread, which is interesting to notice, who know maybe the name was inspired from this?
@@filipedhellen4388 Thank you for the wonderful information. Unfortunately, I will have to put eating Baskotini on my bucket list. I am sure the bread is blessed whether it is part of the Holy Communion or not.
@@Enerdhil hkm.hr/zivot/paski-baskotin-proizvodi-se-samo-u-benediktinskom-samostanu-u-pagu-uz-molitvu/ I think you can translate the article. Well, if you ever decide to travel to beautiful Croatia, sure be to stop by to island of Pag, you won't regret it. And thank you for your responses! Namarie! :-)
@@filipedhellen4388 Likewise. Thank you and good luck to Croatia in the Euro 2020 final 16! I have been enjoying watching Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luca Modric play football in Europe for years.
My Mother’s Lembas recipe My mother, who only use the name Eloise, no surname, taught me this “extremely old family recipe,” as she always called it. She was very young looking and vigorous, though I knew she was quite old. She never told me how old she wasn or who my father was. She had slightly pointed ears and preternaturally acute sight and hearing. She did tell me I was the only male ever to learn this family tradition. Lembas Waybread 1. Chop 1 tablespoon each of unsalted Almonds cashews and walnuts. Add 1 tablespoon each of unsalted sunflower seeds and pinenuts. Roast, turning once, at 350° for 7 to 10 minutes according to taste. 2. Ingredients 1 cup cornmeal • ¼ cup brown sugar • 2 tablespoons of maple syrup • 1 tablespoon of molasses • 2teaspoons baking soda • ¾ teaspoon salt • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt • 3egg whites, beaten • ½ cup wheat germ • .1/2 cup coarse ground cornmeal • In a mortar & pestle, grind 2 grams of caffeine pills to a powder & combine with other ingredients, including roast nuts. • 3. Add nonfat milk sparingly, stirring until the dough reaches a slightly thicker consistency than for pancakes. 4. With a silicone spatula, spread the dough into two 8” x 8” baking pans prepared with butter. 5. Bake at 350 deg. 20 minutes and test. Way bread, being thinner than regular cornbread, will take less time to cook. When the way bread is cooked, turn off the oven and close the door. Way bread needs to be drier than most cornbread to last longer.Let Lembas fully cool. 6. Molasses and maple syrup are the two most nutritious of all sweeteners. Rough cut cornmeal adds texture. Lembas is high in protein, with carbohydrates and many trace elements from the nuts and sweeteners, not to mention the uplifting effect of the caffeine. 7. Recipe Summary Prep: 10 mins Cook: 25 mins Total: 35 mins Servings: 12 Yield: 2- 8x8 inch pans
I think Lembas bread likely had a mental fortification ability to it. Since it was made by essentially elven gods, I would not be surprised if it had qualities that allowed its consumers to stay fresh minded during long journeys. Not so much physical healing, however it likely allowed them to stay on their toes while extremely fatigued or even wounded.
Basically, the corn had some psychedelic/opioid qualities; that's why lembas, apart from being sweet and nutritious, also lifted spirits and made one go on even though one was tired and spent.
My guess would be that the Lembas seeds came from Galadriel and Melian (mostly the latter), and likely not any of the other Noldor. I can't see them having any of the philosophic respect for the process or for growing things that were likely required.
I think it would be helpful for healing but not in a healing magic type of way. The fact that it was nutrient dense would be very helpful in ensuring that the patient got enough food without having to eat much. Also the fact that it gave strength and drove off evil would help the body fight off infection. And maybe the most important thing is in a way it gave hope. This would allow the patient to continue fighting to heal and not give up. I also wonder if the elven rope that Sam was given was made from the stalks of the plant. It would explain why it burned Gollem.
We have an awesome superfood that keeps forever IRL called Pemmican. It is high in good fats, vitamins and protein. There is Pemmican from the Revolutionary war that is still edible. Although most modern "experts" claim it can last from 5 to 50 years.
Indeed Gordonthren Ramseylanthwen helped develop such nutritional substances to be included, such as his forehead sweat which was endowed with strength and Valor. I'm told.
A lot of folklore gives divine origins and supernatural powers to a various folk foods. Given the folklore-ish style of some of Tolkien's work, it's quite possible that the power of lembas is a bit exaggerated.
I honestly had thought Lembas bread was a hobbit thing. Not sure if the movies were vague on the matter or far more likely I was simply oblivious... but I'm going to keep an eye out next time I watch these movies.
Maybe it's glossed over in the theatrical cut. There's definitely a scene with Legolas describing it when they're leaving Lorien in the extended version.
I'm not sure lembas was made from indian corn, or maize as you're implying, but that corn instead refers to it's pre-modern meaning, which is any grain.
So the Elves leave and take all their magic with them, and while their reasoning does make sense it still does seems rather cruel, if not on their part then that of the Myre. It does follow with the theme and mythos of the stories though, only increasing the sense of loss it evocs.
next bread lore has to be *"Maggotty Bread that can be eaten for 3 stinkin days"*
Until meat's back on the menu boys
@@GrosvnerMcaffrey How were Orcs aware of menus at all?
@@Brvnkaerv maybe there were restaurants in the orc strongholds
@@bitchass8411 That's right, the maggoty bread comes to the table automatically with some warg butter when the Orc server takes your order.
@@Brvnkaerv while the line was invented for the movie for humor, the word menu used to refer to a full course meal and not a list of options at a restaurant, so saying somethings "on the menu" in this archaic use meant it was part of the meal courses ;)
Btw this is still used in Germany, they say "speisekarte" (lit. dining card) to refer to a modern restaurant menu of options, while the term "menu" itself means a combo meal
I think Morgoth corrupted and tortured lembas bread creating it's ruined and nutrition-less form, the Hostess Twinkie. This was his second most hateful act against Iluvatar.
i ate a Twinkie once after having watched Zombieland.. I was expecting it to be some amazing, tasty, delicious creamy snack after watching Tallahassee crave after them... boy how wrong I was... I'd say the best word to describe a Twinkie is BLAND. I also finally ate a Hershey Bar after years of craving them from seeing one of my favourite childhood movies - Empire of the Sun... and I was also disappointed. Best word to describe a Hershey Bar is: MANKY
@@tigrecito48 Yes, once you bite into a Twinkie you can taste the corruption of Morgoth. Nasty, spongy, flavorless, and they give you heartburn. I think you need to be an orc to enjoy one.
@@ponderingnugget hard to tell with me cos i get a lot of heartburn so i wouldnt know if its just the twinkie causing it.. i wonder if zombieland was sponsored by twinkies then cos i was fooled into thinking they must be amazing..
@@tigrecito48 It would make sense for twinkies to be associated with zombies as they are both immune to the effects of time; zombies, because they're undead, and twinkies, because they have an endless shelf life.
@@ponderingnugget the best foods for an apocalypse are ones that taste the same before and after the use by date
Interesting, this bread seems to be the unsung hero of Frodo’s journey.
Of most great journeys I'd imagine.
Logistics always are
"Oh look more lambas bread..."
Honestly, I think it was just a food deus ex machina. Throughout the Hobbit and most of Fellowship, food is a real issue (as it would be) and I think Tolkien just got tired of having to source it realistically
Lol, seriously
It"s golden in color...
It has a creamy inside...
It stays good indefinitely...
Twinkies!
I don’t think it has a cream filling, but twinkies might be made by elves too
Creamy in COLOUR
@@eelboy3098 Hey, c'mon. Don't let trivialities like the actual text spoil a perfectly good fan theory!
@@andrewbesso4257 Nope, I’m SUPPORTING it. I’m saying it still has a creamy filling
huh so thats why Twinkies are delicious they're all made by elves!
I tried recreating Lembas Bread. I think I came close with honey-flavoured shortbread. It's got sugar, protein, fats and salt. Tastes good, and lasts indefinitely. Exactly what a traveller would need.
Oh that's awesome! Was it an original recipe or did you find one online?
@@GeekZoneMT I was just tinkering with my mother's shortbread recipe Before Internet. :) Tho' the basic ingredients online are the same: Flour, sugar, butter. I added an egg, and honey for flavour, adjust flour for the bit of extra fluid. Took me a few batches to get it right. Unfortunately I never took notes. I was a huge Tolkien fan as a teen, I loved hiking and camping, so _of course_ I was fascinated by this magical waybread that was the perfect travel ration!
If I wanted to do it today, I'd put in some potassium salt, some muscle protein powder instead of egg, and pop a "once a day all in one" multivitamin pill for dessert. :)
Bakers of your skill are a huge inspiration. The patience and craft it takes to improvise like that is truly impressive.
How did you get the grains from Aman tho?
You should really post a recipe or video on how to do it.👍
the special elves who prepared these were called the keeblers, baked in trees that were larger on the inside than the outside :-)
The keeblers must have been trading lembas bread with the time lords since they got the tardis tech
@@doctor.davinci.76 synergy! :D cooperation will defeat the bad guys..though i have no idea who they are at this point :D
@@mm-yt8sf Service Guarantee's Citizenship :D
so basically: baked and smoked Elves, mmmmmh
I like the Lembas bread that comes with chocolate spread upon the bottom side.
"It was immune to all rot, mold, and evil"
Lembas bread should fight the Broodwich
Can't beat those sun dried tomatoes
an interesting note is that the word Lord comes from the anglo-saxon word for loaf keeper, and the word Lady comes from the anglo-saxon word for Loaf maker.
Lembas bread is where you notice that Tolkien had fought in the trenches, because only soldier that lived through hard and dangerous work in the field with lousy and pitifully small rations would come up with the idea that the most divine woman ever born would invent the ultimate combat ration.
Something something care-package and love from home.
Yes I was thinking of Scho-Ka-Kola and military chocolate.
And sweet and delicious at that!
I assume that when it's said it was made from a certain corn, it's meant corn in the British meaning of the word, synonymous with grain, not literally corn in the American meaning of the word aka maize.
Almost certainly, knowing Tolkien.
Yeah Tolkien was very particular about the kind of language he used.
... Ah, so Rohirrims didn't have maize fields.
maaaaaaaaaiiiiizzze
Great point!
The lembas bread taste good, boosts moral, and will keep you going.
The designer of MREs: "Yeah, we're not doing any of that. But we will add the benefit of constipation."
Aragorn didn't eat the Lembas, he was hardcore keto
😂😂😂
Lol
“This is the way.”
Too many carbs.
Now I'm thinking, there aren't fat elves 🤔
When reading the book, I pictured Lembas as a a flat disk with a thick part in the middle, kind of like a ravioli.
Just in time. I was feeling hungry!
Perfect timing 😂
Sauron when he realizes he lost not only to 2 Halflings and the descendant of his enemies a Dwarf and Elf and the rest of Middle-Earth but most importantly Bread
The most filling, small cake I have ever eaten was a Chinese Lunar Festival Moon Cake. On the Lunar Festival Day, a Chinese co-worker gave one to me at about 9:30 am. I ate the cake during a break at work. It didn't seem to be that filling at the time. Well, I ended up skipping lunch because I wasn't hungry, and also I couldn't eat dinner, much to the chagrin of my wife. In fact I skipped breakfast the next day and had a light lunch. I was full of energy the whole time.
I have never forgotten that experience. I think it had a cooked egg yolk in the center, so it was not all grain and veggies.
Its made of Lotus seed Paste. Its literally like a block of sugar and fat and is super calorie dense.
@@tsui1024
There must be over 1700 calories in a Moon Cake.
did u get corona after? lols
@@retardo9633
No because the woman was from Taiwan. lol
Did you ever consider your coworker is an elf?
I wouldn't be surpsied if it's only magical property would be resilience (i.e. against mold or being stale).
I would like to think Lembas bread had enchantments laid upon it. Like the beer in the Prancing Pony. I sure enjoyed this story. Now how about the fiery liquer?
Who would have thought a 10+ minute video about fictional bread would be so interesting...
Lembas bread is a metaphor for the Eucharist. A light waffer-like bread of life. Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic.
Amen
This is precisely correct.
I suspect that Semeagol would have been able to eat lembas before he became Gollum. This tells that the ring made lembas taste like dirt and ash to Semeagol. When the hobbits start on their journey from Lothlorien they don't seem to have any problem eating Lembas - ask Merry and Pippen. As Frodo and Sam journey the Lembas begins to lose its taste. Is this because of the ring. At a critical moment in there travel they decide to cook a couple of rabbits. Sam well knows the risk of fire in the wild but he does so anyway - resulting in their discovery. Again the ring beginning to take over the hobbits. By the time they get to Cirith Ungol Frodo is barely eating - has Lembas lost its taste to Frodo?
When I traveled to Ghana Africa one of my friends gave me some Bread wrapped in leafs I said this is like the LOTR bread and we just laughed. Good times!
I just finished watching the trilogy last night. I love the lore of the lord of the rings. Never gets old
And there's so much of it 😍
I can litterally start it over as soon as it finishes. Lol
@@scottfitzpatrick1939 same my wife gets mad to waking up to lord of the rings. Try watching the Hobbit and LOTR Extended for one whole day
It was special because “one small bite could fill the stomach of a grown man”- legolas
How many did you eat?
"Four"
I actually don't like how the movies did Merry and Pippin at places. Made them seem kind of goofy, when really they were MVPs.
If the elves were so smart how come they never made Lembas Pizza huh?
@@C-Jay_Underground what would you top it with? Mixing other foods with lembas weakens it's effects
*I JUST FINISHED the Fellowship of The Ring the other night and finished the first 3 Chapters of The Two Towers last night* (;))! It's amazing how useful Lembas bread was after they left Lothlorien (:))!
For real, the Three Hunters probably never would have tracked and chased down the Uruk-hai if they didn't have Lembas
@@AbbaZabbaOlyFrn In the Movies Legolas mentioned how, "1 small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man" but they never mentioned how well it revitalized the Fellowship or how it boosted their endurance (;))!
I'm probably gonna get to Chapter 5 or 7 of the 2 towers tonight before bed.
After finishing the Fellowship of the Ring noticing the differences between the Books and the Movies the IMMEDIATE differences I noticed/liked was how in the Books "A Journey in The Dark" was FAR MORE frightening, mysterious, and HORRIFIC in the books than in the movie especially considering that Reading their Journey through Moria was Ironically like Gandalf reading the Book near Balins Tomb so it just made reading through it FAR more interesting than watching it in the Movies. THAT and the Battle of Amon Hen was DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT since Legolas literally FELL a FELLBEAST WITH A SINGLE ARROW down the River anduin, AND how Aragorn guided the Fellowship till they got to tge shores and overall the BREAKING OF THE FELLOWSHIP was FAIRLY different from how it was portrayed in the Movies.
Specifically how the Fellowship broke in the Books EASILY makes it my favorite Chapter of the Trilogy considering that The Fellowship of The Ring was always my favorite part of the Trilogies PERIOD. The Middle and End are throughly writen but the BEGINNING of a story ALWAYS seems to have more of a sense of remembrance, and INSPIRATION than the ends, I don't know, maybe because the "1ST STEP" always feels like it's more meaningful in my opinion. I grew up on the Movies, and Video games, but finally reading them during Quarantine seriously gets to my heart (:)). *I've always had an infinite love of Lord of The Rings, it's such a PURE and Classical Fantasy setting (:D)!*
I want to taste lembas bread
There are quite a few good recipes only to make an imitation of it. It might lack the magical properties but it would still be pretty fun to bake 😁
Better than maggoty bread for 3 stinking days!
*yeeaahh*
Interestingly, the modern food that most resembles lembas bread is Count Chocula cereal.
Anything that has any special nutritional values like this bread would in reality help accelerate healing but maybe not in any magical sense but considering its source I imagine it would indeed have a healing affect that would make it seem magical in nature.
The nutrition, the revitalization of the spirit (high morale is a hell of a drug), and the energy density (I presume the "revitalization of body" is basically 1 part slightly magical, 1 part calorically dense) would all be incredibly helpful.
The research of this video was absolutely amazing and the voice was so amazing that it made me fall asleep for a moment!
Anyone else think it's an allegory for communion?
A bread that will sustain you and help you overcome the trials/evils you face. The more you rely on it the more potent its effects. It has impact on your spirit as much as it is just a food...
While Tolkien was a devout Christian and we can see any kind of allegory or symbolism we want in his stories. He made it very clear that the Lord of the Rings is not intentionally allegorical. Tolkien did not like allegory. That doesn't mean we should not see and appreciate similarities between his writings and Christian themes. But we should not assume that those similarities were intended by Tolkien.
@@abequiner9815 yep
some lazy copy paste for you:
J. R. R. Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic, although his family had once been Baptists. He described The Lord of the Rings as "a fundamentally religious and Catholic work" and rich in Christian symbolism, as he explained in a letter to his close friend and Jesuit priest, Robert Murray:
The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out, practically all references to anything like 'religion', to cults or practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism.
Small correction MELKOR found the elves first and tried to poison them against the Valar. As you said Orome then stumbled upon them and to begin with the atani or firstborn took some convincing to undo the lies melkor had said.
Bread from corn wrapped in leaves? That’s a tamale bro. The original MRE of my people. Breakfast, lunch and dinner of champions. Thanks
Haha, now I can just see the elves and hobbits chowing down on tamales in Lothlorien. Though I'm sure the "corn" that Tolkien was referring to would be more akin to what they called grain in Europe before they found the Americas and maize.
De mole!
Very interesting. Can't wait to show up in the local market:)
Elves: man we are not OP enough, so we need an OP food as well!
In my head it's like shortbread with all of the awesome properties of Kendel mint cake. :D
Outstanding research and story! I'm suddenly craving bread and butter! You guys know how to entice and keep an audience wanting more! See you on your next upload!👍👍
Thanks man, it really means a lot to us! :)
please note at the time "corn" was the British term of any type of grain not just Maze.
Me, a home brewer and history nerd: Lembas is made from a special grain? Well in ancient agricultural societies, they used grains to make two things-bread and beer. Bread was basically solid beer, and beer was basically liquid bread. Sooo… I wonder what kind of epic ale you’d be able to make from lembas corn! 🤩
The talk of the bred like that reminds me deeply of how my aunt used to make her lovely barry bread that always gave me a similar feel as is described here about Lembas Bread. And when I asked her what was the special ingredient to it she simply always answered: "It gets its taste from the love I put into my labor. A work of love is a work that lasts for far longer than anything done by just quantity."
I always imagine Lemnas bread to taste like Farley's Rusk.
When it's 1230 am and I have to wake up early and I'm sitting here watching a 12 minute video on the lore of lembas bread
Learned some new stuff about Lembas bread and its origins. Thanks
It's quite interesting that the elves were specifically instructed not to share lembas with mortals. I appreciate knowing the origins, traditions, and the various names of this legendary food. Thanks!
Interesting. This fantasy lotr thing become more weird. From storyline- character and now food. Amazing
The parallels between the Hebrews journey to the promised land and the mana from heaven are very strong.
One picture in the video depicted an Elven woman in armor being shot by an arrow. The Elves didn’t send their women into combat. Many moderns wish that they had, but it is a spirit that was hateful to Tolkien.
It's hard tack or sea biscuit. It was used by Roman Soldiers. They carried Salt, Hard tack and Vinegar and Wine.
I knew nothing of the origin of lembas. Thank you.
Perhaps the bread is the true key to the yearning of the elves travel to Valinor. Those who had never tasted Lembas could more easily reject the call and fade away.
Ain’t nothing but honey-cornbread with crushed adderall mixed in it for energy, focus and motivation
Its a form of cornbread. It goes great with Chili
You made bread fascinating lol...great content sir
The Best LOTR Videoclip!!!!!!! Please make more!!!!!
Pretty cool to see that there’s another Roland enjoying this content lol, great video as always!
Great video! Very informational and interesting. Lembas is awesome
Unless I missed something in the movies, the only thing lembas did was fill you with small amounts. I don't recall anything being said or shown that it invigorated energy or raised the spirit.
While true, it has a high fullness factor which means you won't be eating much of it which would keep you from absorbing as many nutrients. Of course, it could have unique enzymes with healing properties. Spirulina, for example, aa a high fullness factor, but has compounds that protect the body from radiation, cancer, and viral infection. It's highly nutritious as well, but the healing properties aren't from the nutrition. The nutrition just means you can live on it and nothing else.
Since the plants do draw life energy in from the Earth while growing though it could be argued that this vital energy would flow into the body of those who eat it, meaning it's magical in a sense. Though only in the way a Reiki practitioner heals.
The books tell those things.
The movie isn't right. No where in the book does it say the one bite would fill you up. That is Peter Jackson's invention. What it does say is that one loaf/wafer was enough to sustain a man through a hard day's labor (that when Gimli scarfed down a whole loaf when he first tasted it.
Rely on the film for information only at your own risk...Peter Jackson butchered the book and invented a whole lot of stuff that never was in the book
Eating lembas bread while smoking the finest weed of south farthing will be heavenly
11 minutes about bread. Amazing. I love Tolkien
Cram was a type of food ration Tolkien may have certainly eaten during WWI.
Lembas in fact has its origins in Morettis Bakery on Ave N in Brooklyn NY.
Big fan of their Knot Bread as well.
Merry: how many did you eat?
Pippin: Four
Mae Govannen Mellon, Im new to this amazing channel, just subbed, just go on and bring us more and more amazing videos, you have my big support🍻🍺
Cheers man, and a big warm welcome to our Fellowship :D
wow, I love this! It explains why Sam always urged Frodo to eat. The backstory of Lembas bread shows how this food played a vital role in their quest. Tolkien is the greatest worldbuilder.
we need us some of them lembas in these dark times =(
In one roleplaying game, there was a spell called "Foyson Theft" that stole "The goodness in food", turning it into a white powder. My character made a type of waybread by mixing this powder into the dough, giving each individual loaf 3 days' worth of nutrition.
I do think that when crossing the sea from Amman to Middlearth, and later crossing the Helcaraxë it was Noldor that carried Lembas to Middlearth, but also Melian, since follower of Yavanna, whas the one who carried it seeds together with Galadriel, since they have departed later together, and did not took part in kingslaying of Alqualonde. Galadriel was especialy eager to create something on her own, so bearing that in mind she very likley took some seeds with her to grow in Middlearth.
I also want to share with you interesting fact that in my country of Croatia, there is an island called Pag, where benedictine sisters make one similar bread to lembas, and only they know it's secret and very ancient recipe, and only they make it. From outside it is nothing special, it is dryed, but whene you taste it you are overflown with delight, and it makes you not hunger for good period of time. The bread is called 'Baškotini'. Does not this story remind you of Lembas? I would recomend 'Baškotini' to all!
Thank you for the educational post. I will try to look for this bread. Would it be sold in bakeries that make Baklava?
BTW, Melian left Aman in the Years of the Trees or earlier. That's pre-first age, as she met Thingol before the sun first rose. You are right about Galadriel. That is a great point you made about her bringing seeds from Aman, after all she brought with her dirt or soil from Valinor, some of which she gave to Sam at the Fellowship's departure from Lothlorien.
@@Enerdhil You are right abouth Melian, I was mistaken, but now I remamber. I should probably read again Silmarillion, since it has been long time since I've read it.
Regarding the "Baškotini", I am pretty sure that it is only possible to buy them in their convent in city Pag, and many tourists go there for that bread.
Other point I was going to make, regarding someones comment that Lembas was inspired from Eucharist. You know that latin word for Eucharistic bread given to sick is called "Viaticus", or waybread, which is interesting to notice, who know maybe the name was inspired from this?
@@filipedhellen4388
Thank you for the wonderful information. Unfortunately, I will have to put eating Baskotini on my bucket list. I am sure the bread is blessed whether it is part of the Holy Communion or not.
@@Enerdhil hkm.hr/zivot/paski-baskotin-proizvodi-se-samo-u-benediktinskom-samostanu-u-pagu-uz-molitvu/
I think you can translate the article.
Well, if you ever decide to travel to beautiful Croatia, sure be to stop by to island of Pag, you won't regret it.
And thank you for your responses!
Namarie! :-)
@@filipedhellen4388
Likewise. Thank you and good luck to Croatia in the Euro 2020 final 16! I have been enjoying watching Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luca Modric play football in Europe for years.
My Mother’s Lembas recipe
My mother, who only use the name Eloise, no surname, taught me this “extremely old family recipe,” as she always called it. She was very young looking and vigorous, though I knew she was quite old. She never told me how old she wasn or who my father was. She had slightly pointed ears and preternaturally acute sight and hearing. She did tell me I was the only male ever to learn this family tradition.
Lembas Waybread
1. Chop 1 tablespoon each of unsalted Almonds cashews and walnuts. Add 1 tablespoon each of unsalted sunflower seeds and pinenuts. Roast, turning once, at 350° for 7 to 10 minutes according to taste.
2. Ingredients
1 cup cornmeal
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon of molasses
• 2teaspoons baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3egg whites, beaten
• ½ cup wheat germ
• .1/2 cup coarse ground cornmeal
• In a mortar & pestle, grind 2 grams of caffeine pills to a powder & combine with other ingredients, including roast nuts.
•
3. Add nonfat milk sparingly, stirring until the dough reaches a slightly thicker consistency than for pancakes.
4. With a silicone spatula, spread the dough into two 8” x 8” baking pans prepared with butter.
5. Bake at 350 deg. 20 minutes and test. Way bread, being thinner than regular cornbread, will take less time to cook. When the way bread is cooked, turn off the oven and close the door. Way bread needs to be drier than most cornbread to last longer.Let Lembas fully cool.
6. Molasses and maple syrup are the two most nutritious of all sweeteners. Rough cut cornmeal adds texture. Lembas is high in protein, with carbohydrates and many trace elements from the nuts and sweeteners, not to mention the uplifting effect of the caffeine.
7. Recipe Summary
Prep:
10 mins
Cook:
25 mins
Total:
35 mins
Servings:
12
Yield:
2- 8x8 inch pans
I forgot one instruction. If desired, plant tongue firmly in cheek in lieu of ground caffeine.
So the Lembas crop was infused with the Ainulindalë... Interesting.
I think Lembas bread likely had a mental fortification ability to it. Since it was made by essentially elven gods, I would not be surprised if it had qualities that allowed its consumers to stay fresh minded during long journeys. Not so much physical healing, however it likely allowed them to stay on their toes while extremely fatigued or even wounded.
7 11 now sells lembas pizzas. Great deal. Energy for hours. Check local listing.
Basically, the corn had some psychedelic/opioid qualities; that's why lembas, apart from being sweet and nutritious, also lifted spirits and made one go on even though one was tired and spent.
Sam was 100% jacked up on Lembas bread whilst in Mordor
My guess would be that the Lembas seeds came from Galadriel and Melian (mostly the latter), and likely not any of the other Noldor. I can't see them having any of the philosophic respect for the process or for growing things that were likely required.
I think it would be helpful for healing but not in a healing magic type of way. The fact that it was nutrient dense would be very helpful in ensuring that the patient got enough food without having to eat much. Also the fact that it gave strength and drove off evil would help the body fight off infection. And maybe the most important thing is in a way it gave hope. This would allow the patient to continue fighting to heal and not give up.
I also wonder if the elven rope that Sam was given was made from the stalks of the plant. It would explain why it burned Gollem.
According to the thumbnail picture Lembas bread is actually corn bread.
We have an awesome superfood that keeps forever IRL called Pemmican. It is high in good fats, vitamins and protein. There is Pemmican from the Revolutionary war that is still edible. Although most modern "experts" claim it can last from 5 to 50 years.
Indeed Gordonthren Ramseylanthwen helped develop such nutritional substances to be included, such as his forehead sweat which was endowed with strength and Valor.
I'm told.
A lot of folklore gives divine origins and supernatural powers to a various folk foods. Given the folklore-ish style of some of Tolkien's work, it's quite possible that the power of lembas is a bit exaggerated.
Eventually of course, the recipe came down to the Keebler Elves.
Any descriptions on the taste? In my head I am thinking similiar to cornbread..
Isn't it known that Melian taught Galadriel how to make lembas?
It's never stated, we only know that Galadriel studied under her. 😄
The only food that can fill a hobbits stomach.
I use corn ,honey, hempseed, walnut, goats milk ,egg sunflower, butter, cream, pistachio. Garlic, cayenne, sesame. Galadriel taught me.
Makes more sense now about why Frodo and Sam ate Lembas Bread on their journey.
Holow knight White palace 8:45
I always heard LAMMIS bread from Frodo and Sam! :p
My primary takeaway from this video is that Lembas bread is gluten free. XD
A hobbit marches on its stomach.
Aye, and quite a roomy stomach 😂
They're taking Wallace to Isengard!!
Magic cornbread huh. That's cool.
In Britanny we call it Kouign Aman
I honestly had thought Lembas bread was a hobbit thing. Not sure if the movies were vague on the matter or far more likely I was simply oblivious... but I'm going to keep an eye out next time I watch these movies.
Maybe it's glossed over in the theatrical cut. There's definitely a scene with Legolas describing it when they're leaving Lorien in the extended version.
It was magic 🌽 considering that normal corn is a neutral food
sounds like the bread i bake during covid lockdown
That must be some top tier dough 👌
I'm not sure lembas was made from indian corn, or maize as you're implying, but that corn instead refers to it's pre-modern meaning, which is any grain.
cool vid enjoyed it mate
Wouldn't that be nice if we had something like Lembas
Is this bread keto friendly?
hobbits be like: We eat 10 pieces of lembas for breakfast and another 10 for second breakfast.
Lembas bread, the original Senzu Bean
So the Elves leave and take all their magic with them, and while their reasoning does make sense it still does seems rather cruel, if not on their part then that of the Myre. It does follow with the theme and mythos of the stories though, only increasing the sense of loss it evocs.