Cuisine in the World of Avatar

Cuisine in the Avatar World can be divided into roughly four traditions, which follow the division of the Four Nations, however regional variation inside each nation can be large, particularly in the Earth Kingdom.

Most dishes, particularly those of the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, are heavily influenced by Asian cuisine, particularly that of China, and many are actual dishes. Chopsticks are the primary eating utensils worldwide.

Air Nomads


As the Air Nomad civilization is extinct, not much information is provided about their culinary tastes. However, it is known that the most defining characteristic in their cuisine is strict vegetarianism. It is most likely their diet was based on fruits, vegetables and grains, and possibly eggs and dairy products, since Aang had no objection to eating egg custard in The Great Divide.

Cooking Style
Not much is known about the cooking style of Air Nomads. The only method of cooking seen thus far is baking.

Common Ingredients

 * Apple - Used for pies.
 * Banana - Made as juice
 * Flour - Used in baking, for example Fruit Pies.
 * Moon Peach - Eaten whole.
 * Nuts - eaten for a snack.
 * Onion - Used for juices

Dishes

 * Dumplings - Presumably filled with vegetables.
 * Fruit Pie - Fruit mince filled pastries, baked.
 * Moon cakes - a cake commonly eaten in China.
 * Noodles - mixed with vegetables.
 * Rice - eaten as a side dish.

Water Tribe


Because of the bareness of the land on which the Water Tribes live, the Water Tribes draw most of their food sources from the ocean. Fish, crustaceans, aquatic mammals, and various types of seaweed all form staples of the Water Tribe diet.

Cooking Style
The cooking style of the Water Tribe is mainly boiling or stewing, due to the limited resources available to make more elaborate dishes. Also, as they live in a colder part of the world, it is more practical to have food that warms the body like stews, and less practical to have salads. They also make jerky out of some of the meat.

Common Ingredients

 * Fish - Usually steamed or boiled.
 * Giant Sea Crab - Presumably fried or used in stews.
 * Octopus/Squid - Presumably fried or used in stews.
 * Sea Prune - Boiled into Sea Prune Stew.
 * Seal - Used to make Blubbered Seal Jerky.
 * Seaweed - Made into soup, bread and cookies.
 * Whale - Usually boiled.

Dishes

 * Arctic Hen - A delectable Southern Water Tribe dish consisting of the meat of the Arctic Hen.
 * Blubbered Seal Jerky - Jerky made from seal meat and blubber.
 * Five-Flavor Soup - Traditional Southern Water Tribe dinner.
 * Pickled Fish - A meal that lives up to its name, and is eaten in the Northern Water Tribe.
 * Sea Prune Stew - Sea Prunes stewed in water and with other common ingredients.
 * Tentacle Soup - A Northern Water Tribe dish, consisting of squid/octopus tentacles and noodles.

Earth Kingdom


Cuisine in the Earth Kingdom is the one closest to real world Asian cuisine, particularly that of China. People in the Earth Kingdom eat grains (particularly rice), vegetables and meats. There is a large regional variation on the types of food eaten, ranging from simpler village fare to the elaborate roasts, cakes etc. found in Ba Sing Se.

Cooking Style
A huge variety of cooking methods are utilized in the Earth Kingdom. Earth Kingdom people live in a huge country with great variation in climate, and therefore food. Boiling is used for rice and many vegetables. Fish is usually steamed, and meats are usually roasted. Baking is also extensively used to make cakes, buns and tarts.

Common Ingredients

 * Cabbage - Usually boiled, stir-fried or left uncooked and used as garnish.
 * Chicken - Usually roasted.
 * Chili - Used as a flavoring.
 * Duck - Usually roasted.
 * Egg - Used in a variety of ways.
 * Fish - Usually steamed and then garnish applied.
 * Flour - Used to make noodles, cakes, pastries and buns.
 * Jennomite - Rock Candy.
 * Lettuce - Usually boiled, stir-fried or left uncooked and used as garnish.
 * Mango - Used to make a beverage of the same name.
 * Platypus Egg - Used in a variety of ways.
 * Pork - Usually roasted.
 * Rice - A staple food, usually boiled.
 * Soy - Used to make tofu.
 * Turkey Duck - Presumably roasted.
 * Wheat - A staple food, usually made into flour.

Fruits

 * Apple
 * Berries
 * Eggplant
 * Leechi Nuts
 * Mango
 * Moon Peaches
 * Papaya
 * Watermelon

Dishes

 * Cakes - Mixed flour, sugar, egg and butter that is baked.
 * Crab Puffs - Crab meat made into puffs.
 * Deep-Fried Pickled Radishes - Deep-fried Pickled Radishes are never seen, only mentioned by Katara in "Sokka, The Avatar".
 * Egg Custard Tart - Tart with an egg custard center.
 * Fried Dough - Flour dough that is fried.
 * Jook - Rice congee.
 * Noodle Soup - Noodles and various vegetables and meats cooked in soup.
 * Pau Buns
 * Roast Duck - Duck seasoned with herbs and spices, roasted and then a special sauce applied.
 * Soup - Made from a variety of meats and vegetables, usually thin.
 * Tofu/Bean Curd Puffs - Tofu made into smaller puffs and fried.
 * Unfried Dough - Regular flour dough, cut into the shape of Avatar Aang. Exclusive dish of Chin Village.

Beverages

 * Tea - Made from a variety of leaves in hot water.
 * Mango - Made from mangoes and other fruits mixed with water in an ice bowl.

Others

 * Jennomite - A mineral that grows at great speeds. It is also rock candy.

Fire Nation


The defining characteristic of Fire Nation cuisine is its spicy nature. Fire Nation citizens seem to put spices even into many of their delicacies and treats. Like the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation uses a wide variety of grains, meats and vegetables in cooking.

Cooking Style
As with the Earth Kingdom there are many cooking methods. Regional variation is smaller, but the available types of food are still extensive. Boiling is used for rice and many vegetables. Fish is usually steamed, and meats are usually roasted. Baking is also extensively used to make cakes, buns and tarts. The Fire Nation also has many snack foods, bite-sized pieces with a large amount of spices that are roasted. Chilli and other spices are added to nearly all savory food.

Common Ingredients

 * Cabbage - Usually boiled, stir-fried or left uncooked and used as garnish.
 * Chilli - Used extensively for almost any type of dish, stir fried, boiled, fried and salads.
 * Clams - Usually boiled.
 * Crab - Presumably fried.
 * Duck - Usually roasted.
 * Fish - Usually steamed and then garnish applied.
 * Flour - Made from wheat, made into buns and dumplings.
 * Komodo Chicken - Presumably roasted.
 * Komodo Rhino - Made into sausages.
 * Rice - A staple food, usually boiled.
 * Sea Slug - Usually smoked.
 * Squid - Presumably fried.
 * Wheat - A staple food, made into flour.

Fruits and Vegetables

 * Ash Banana
 * Banana
 * Cherries
 * Lemon
 * Lettuce
 * Mango
 * Ocean Kumquat
 * Pink Berries 
 * Purple Berries
 * Tomato
 * Watermelon

Dishes

 * Buns - Made from flour.
 * Dumplings - Flour filled with meat and vegetables, usually boiled.
 * Fire Gummies - Snack food.
 * Flaming Fire Flakes - Snack food, spicy flakes that are roasted.
 * Fruit Tart - Dessert. It can be served with rose petals on the top.
 * Ice Cream - Frozen cream, eaten in waffle cones.
 * Komodo Sausage - Sausage made from Komodo Rhino meat.
 * Noodle Soup - Soup with noodles and sea foods.
 * Roast Duck - Duck that is seasoned, roasted and cut into bite-sized pieces.
 * Sea Soup - Soup with sea food and eggs.
 * Sizzle-Crisps - Snack food, probably made from meat.
 * Smoked Sea Slug - Sea Slug smoked.
 * Tart Pie - Pie with Fruit Tart on top.

Beverages

 * Juice - A cold drink with a slice of fruit, a favorite of Piandao.
 * Tea - Made from a variety of leaves in hot water. There are many varieties. The type drank in the homeland is Fire Nation Spice Tea, mainly by commoners, but nobles may have it as well. They also enjoy Ginseng Tea, which Iroh says is his favorite.
 * Watermelon Juice - Drank on especially hot days or at the beach.