Food and cinema are two of life’s greatest pleasures, and they naturally pair well together. Movies can also make food look far tastier and more mind-blowing than it ever could in real life; the cakes in Marie Antoinette, for example, look beyond divine. This applies particularly to fictional foods, and many movies whip up fantastical, larger-than-life meals that would surely be great if only they were real.
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The best of these make-believe dishes don’t just look yummy; they stretch the imagination, move the story along, serve as a vital piece of world-building, or are simply intriguing and inventive. In other words, they are creative elements that add to the viewing experience. From Big Kahuna Burger to chocolate frogs, these are the best fictional foods in movies, grabbing the audience’s attention and jumping out of their respective movies and into pop culture itself.
10 Soylent Green
‘Soylent Green’ (1973)
Image via MGM
Set in a dystopian future where overpopulation and environmental degradation have ravaged the planet, the sci-fi classic Soylent Green centers on Detective Thorn (Charlton Heston), a disillusioned law enforcement officer investigating a high-profile murder case. In this bleak world, the population relies on processed food rations called “soylent,” produced by a single company with extraordinary power. As the movie starts, the corporation has just introduced a new and improved version of their product called Soylent Green.
It’s a highly nutritious wafer, which they claim is made from plankton; the people rely on it for sustenance and riot when it is unavailable. On paper, this seems like the perfect solution to the food crisis, but as Thorn delves deeper into his investigation, he uncovers a disturbing secret about the origins of the food that threatens to shake the very foundation of society. Without spoiling the twist behind Soylent Green, suffice it to say it’s not what it seems. So, while Soylent Green might seem like the solution to humanity’s problems, it’s a far more treacherous wafer that most might want to stay away from.
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9 Cup of Pizza
‘The Jerk’ (1978)
Image via Universal Pictures
“Pizza in a cup? Who’d a thunk it?” The Jerk cemented Steve Martin as a full-blown movie star. He plays Navin R. Johnson, a white man who was adopted and raised by Black sharecroppers in Mississippi. The story follows him as he leaves home and sets out to better understand himself and his origins. Along the way, he gets up to all kinds of misadventures and meets a host of colorful figures.
The Jerk is chock-full of delightful details, including Navin’s favorite food, Cup-o-Pizza or Pizza-in-a-Cup. It’s exactly what it sounds like, meaning it has all of the ingredients of pizza in a cup and eaten with a spoon. It might sound weird, but Navin makes pizza in a cup seem delicious and a no-brainer. The simplicity and ridiculousness of the meal is a great match for Navin himself. The film’s success has actually prompted a number of chefs and restaurants to make their own versions of this dish, some of which look fairly tasty.
The Jerk
Runtime 1 hr 35 min
Release Date December 14, 1979
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8 Big Kahuna Burger
‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)
Image via Miramax
“That is a tasty burger!” Big Kahuna Burger first appears in Reservoir Dogs, but its most notable showing is in Pulp Fiction as the last meal of the punks that Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) execute on Marsellus Wallace’s (Ving Rhames) orders. Jules taunts them, declares, “Hamburgers – the cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast!” and takes a menacing bite out of one. It’s one of Tarantino’s most fantastically crafted scenes and one which has been immortalized in movie history.
Sure, maybe the Big Kahuna Burger is just a burger, but there’s no denying its icon status as far as cinematic foods go. It has since been referenced in five Tarantino movies, countless movies by other directors, too, and many real-world restaurants. More than that, it’s emblematic of Tarantino’s idiosyncratic approach to filmmaking. By using fake brands, Tarantino is letting the audience know that this story is unfolding in a universe that is not quite ours. And his characters sure love them, so there’s gotta be something to them other than just being “good.”
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7 Eat Me Cookies
‘Alice in Wonderland’ (1951)
Image via Disney
This timeless, trippy classic follows the curious adventures of young Alice as she falls down a rabbit hole into the enchanting realm of Wonderland. There, she encounters endlessly surreal landscapes and oddball characters, including the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, and the tyrannical Queen of Hearts. Wonderland also boasts a plethora of memorable foods and drinks, but the most iconic is probably the “Eat Me” cookies, which have since been baked at home by millions of the film’s fans.
Alice encounters these cookies twice in the movie, first soon after entering Wonderland and then again in the White Rabbit’s House. The cookies are basically a free shape-shifting gift. They can increase or decrease Alice’s size, but they take it to the extremes; she’s either a Lilliputian or a giant, adding to the chaotic nature of Wonderland. The “Eat Me” cookies are just one of many phenomenal sequences in this Disney gem, mainly because they expertly capture the deceitfulness of Wonderland. They are enticing but treacherous, much like this out-of-this-world land.
Alice In Wonderland (1951)
Cast Kathryn Beaumont , Ed Wynn , Verna Felton , Sterling Holloway
Runtime 75 minutes
Release Date September 14, 1951
Director Ben Sharpsteen , Clyde Geronimi , Wilfred Jackson , Hamilton Luske
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6 Tortillas
Image via Searchlight Pictures
The Menu is a tantalizing thriller from Mark Mylod, who directed most of Succession’s key episodes. Ralph Fiennes delivers a mesmerizing performance as celebrity chef Julian Slowik, a twisted maestro who rules his kitchen with an iron fist. His dinner events are demented affairs that push their patrons to the brink, resulting in conflict, carnage, and even death. The evening’s dinner is made up of several courses, all of which are accompanied by a cryptic, menacing monologue from Julian.
Most of the meals are quite memorable, but the most devilish is the third course: tortillas. They look yummy and well-made, but they come with a catch: they have images laser-printed onto them, exposing the guests’ biggest secrets and foibles, sparking tension between them and threatening to cause mayhem. Unlike other fictional foods, the tortillas from The Menu are crucial to the plot and play a pivotal role in Slowik’s plan. The scene featuring them is also greatly enhanced by the scene-stealing Hong Chau, whose delivery of the words “tortillas deliciosas” is enough to warrant a small article.
The Menu
Runtime 107 minutes
Release Date November 18, 2022
Director Mark Mylod
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5 The Imaginary Feast
‘Hook’ (1991)
Image via TriStar Pictures Inc.
Hook is a continuation of the classic Peter Pan story, with Robin Williams playing the character as an adult. Peter is now a workaholic lawyer who has long forgotten his childhood adventures. When his children are kidnapped by the vengeful Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman), Peter must rediscover his lost youth and embrace his inner hero to rescue them.
In one memorable scene, Peter’s imagination conjures up a bountiful, magical dinner, including pies, cakes, steaming roasts, and overflowing cups. There are more treats on the table than they know what to do with, and cinematographer Dean Cundey makes it all look utterly mouth-watering. The Lost Boys gaze at the feast in wonder as John Williams’ score swells. One of them asks Peter how it is, to which he replies triumphantly, “Bangarang!” This was all done practically, of course, rather than with the CGI, and the food was real and reportedly cost the production $50,000. No wonder it looked so good!
Hook
Runtime 144
Release Date April 10, 1991
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4 Everlasting Gobstopper
‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’ (1971)
Image via Paramount Pictures
No films celebrate the joy of candy more than those about Willy Wonka and Charlie Bucket. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Wonka are great, but Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory deserves props for bringing the story to the screen first. It features too many wonderful sweets to count: the famous Wonka Bar, the Scrumdiddlyumptious Bar, Rainbow Drops, Lickable Wallpaper for Nursery Walls, Exploding Sweets for Your Enemies, and of course, the Chocolate River.
The coolest of Wonka’s creations, though, has to be the Everlasting Gobstopper. It changes flavors and colors as you suck on it and never, ever gets any smaller; it literally defies the laws of physics to produce an eternal candy experience. Indeed, according to the original book, it was invented “for children with very little pocket money.” If such a sweet were real, it would revolutionize the entire industry—although it would produce a big uptick in cavities.
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3 Calcifer’s Breakfast
‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ (2004)
Image via Studio Ghibli
“I don’t cook! I’m a scary and powerful fire demon!” Studio Ghibli films frequently feature charming and delicious-seeming foods, whether it’s the sponge cake in Spirited Away or the pancakes in Kiki’s Delivery Service. The best of them, however, is the simple breakfast of bacon and eggs from Howl’s Moving Castle.
What makes it special is its preparation: the breakfast is cooked with heat from the fire demon Calcifer, the most endearing character in the whole movie. Califer’s attitude makes the breakfast stand out a bit more than it should, but there’s some genuine beauty in its simplicity, a sense of nostalgic comfort that recalls a simpler and heartwarming time. It’s like the scene from Ratatouille where Ego first eats the titular dish and goes back to a fond childhood memory. Calcifer’s breakfast is like that, and while audiences don’t get to try it, the feeling it evokes is just as powerful.
Howl’s Moving Castle
Cast Chieko Baisho , Takuya Kimura , Akihiro Miwa , Tatsuya Gashûin , Ryûnosuke Kamiki , Mitsunori Isaki
Runtime 119 minutes
Release Date November 19, 2004
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2 Chocolate Frogs
‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ (2001)
The Wizarding World is one of the richest fantasy universes ever created, practically overflowing with wondrous ideas. This covers everything from the characters to the creatures to the settings to the sports and, indeed, the food. One of the biggest perks of Hogwarts life is the array of treats at hand, from Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans to Fizzing Whizzbees, pumpkin pasties to acid pops, canary creams to butterbeer.
However, its most creative culinary creation has to be the chocolate frogs that move and jump about. Frogs are deeply associated with magic in folklore, so they’re the perfect fit for this. They’re arguably the franchise’s most recognizable food and perfectly capture the sense of awe of wonder from this fascinating world. They are magical in and of themselves, not to mention supposedly delicious. Chocolate Frogs are the perfect blend of the real and Wizarding worlds; what more could anyone ask?
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1 Lembas Bread
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003)
Image via Warner Bros.
The Lord of the Rings is perhaps the greatest cinematic fantasy saga ever. These stories feature countless iconic elements that have deeply influenced the whole genre and are beloved by millions of people today. Middle-Earth also has its fair share of awesome foods, though the undeniable pick for the best of them is the Elvish bread known as lembas.
Designed for long journeys, lembas bread is highly nutritious and stays fresh for months when wrapped in mallorn leaves. Its recipe is a closely guarded secret and is almost never shared with non-elves. The bread is crucial to the success of Frodo’s (Elijah Wood) and Sam’s (Sean Astin) quest, as they carry it with them even into Mordor. “One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man,” Legolas (Orlando Bloom) tells Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) in the first film. Lembas bread is simply too good: it’s delicious and highly nutritious, providing everything anyone could ask for in their meals.
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NEXT: The 10 Most Influential Fictional Drinks