Effie: "... and I don't think they let them have dessert--and you can!"
This line from the movie is, of course, funny; it also makes me think that the Career tributes, and possibly even before they volunteer, are under strict dieting. Definitely sugar-free (or rather refined-sugar-free) and whatever athletes load up on before a competition or game.
Their escorts and mentor would probably enforce these strict meal plans too, with macros/calorie counting and the daily breakfast/dinner scene would be a lot different for Careers than what we were told in the books/saw in the movie.
"Career Academies"
Katniss: "The exceptions are the kids from the wealthier districts, the volunteers, the ones who have been fed and trained throughout their lives for this moment. The tributes from 1, 2, and 4 traditionally have this look about them. It’s technically against the rules to train tributes before they reach the Capitol but it happens every year. In District 12, we call them the Career Tributes, or just the Careers"
While Katniss says that training tributes within districts for the Hunger Games/before Capitol is technically forbidden, I think these 'career academies' operate under the pretense of peacekeeper training or something like it.
Capitol knows what goes on in those buildings, but it’s a useful motivator for larger districts like District 2 to keep playing along.
And!!!! I’d imagine they’d also test for chemistry between potential tributes so they could volunteer together and work better as a team in the arena too.
If any of these are proven wrong/canon anywhere, do tell me, I wouldn't want to miss it!
A Modern Rom-com AU idea for Hayffie Week - Day 1 : Rom-com day yay!
I haven't had time to work on this further, but for now just imagine two grumpy food critics going to the cutest bakery/café in the world, eating the cutest fancy desserts, and meeting the cutest people who made them. BUT they leave the restaurant a lower rating because, according to them, the food doesn't live up to the expectations those two faces have set for the establishment. however, instead of saying that outright, they just accuse the place of false advertising, against which Effie and Peeta retaliate, and suddenly they're fighting through Google reviews and/or yelp. our impossible critics keep coming back to the café, the bakers keep trying to prove them wrong, yada yada yada. then they're constantly trying to one-up each other, fighting and flirting intermingle and before you know it bada bing bada boom and they lived happily ever after
headcanon that in District 8, wedding dresses and suits aren’t black and white, or at least don’t have fixed colors, but instead come in a variety of patterns and colors
A marriage ritual could be that the couple has to add something by hand onto the other person’s dress or suit to wear on their wedding day
This would probably also come with the superstition that if you’re not finished in time, then you’re either not ready to marry or the person isn’t right for you, which leads to bride/groom walkouts and engagement annulments, maybe even resulting in proverbs(?)
"Don’t say ‘I do’ before the last stitch is made, lest your married life start with a loose thread and unravel."
(imagine the scandals... gossipers must be well-fed in d8)
if they're rented then the add-ons would probably have to be removed afterward, but I feel like people would rather keep them or pass them down through the family. The outfits probably go through a loooot of renovations over time, but the dress rental shops would still be bursting with options
actually i lied in the tags i've been working on D8 lol here’s a spoiler for a very background character from the district, far in future chapter(s) of twcsr or maybe even just tpowt: Emily Woad !!
this won't make sense for a LONG time i'm afraid :) still wanted to share
headcanon that in District 8, wedding dresses and suits aren’t black and white, or at least don’t have fixed colors, but instead come in a variety of patterns and colors
A marriage ritual could be that the couple has to add something by hand onto the other person’s dress or suit to wear on their wedding day
This would probably also come with the superstition that if you’re not finished in time, then you’re either not ready to marry or the person isn’t right for you, which leads to bride/groom walkouts and engagement annulments, maybe even resulting in proverbs(?)
"Don’t say ‘I do’ before the last stitch is made, lest your married life start with a loose thread and unravel."
(imagine the scandals... gossipers must be well-fed in d8)
if they're rented then the add-ons would probably have to be removed afterward, but I feel like people would rather keep them or pass them down through the family. The outfits probably go through a loooot of renovations over time, but the dress rental shops would still be bursting with options
I've long decided on a pair of Haydove children names that I'm very happy with, and are set in stone for me to use in [twcsr] and beyond, but damn if I can stop myself from using Lizzie (Ripred's human daughter basically) and/or Silksharp (Ripred's biological daughter)
(a variation of Lizzie/Elizabeth; maybe Liza) + (unbleached silk, a shade of beige, apparently)
Liza Silk sounds cute (or Lisa Silk to keep the S pattern)
silk as the color name however.....might be a challenge for Haymitch... we'll be thinking about it....
A Hunger Games x the 100 (kind of) au where after a long baby boom period (maybe mixed with something that caused the adult population to drop to critical levels) and with Panem having been running out of resources for so long, Earth is basically no longer a viable place to live (between pollution, no resources, environmental damage, you name it, everything piling up)
Kids, teens, even younger adults are seen as disposable, while older people are valued way more because they have the experience and knowledge needed to keep everything running on the ground
The “Hunger Games” are space missions (might be named something else in this AU and not the HG) and "tributes" are children picked to be sent into space to scout for habitable planets --
Or like in the 100, Panem could be a space station, and they send kids down to Earth every year to check if everything is still stable. The different arenas could just be different drop points on Earth. The main issue in Panem would still be overpopulation, but also not having enough breathable air for everyone.
Yeah, I think that works better than random space missions, either way could be explored I think?
Before that, they only get a short training period in survival skills, basics of research and observation so they can record planet conditions, assess information, plus things like learning (or building) how to use a communication device to send data back to Earth. The training isn’t too long, since the tributes already know some of the basics, and Earth can’t afford to waste time. maybe also learn how to land a spaceship, although that part would usually assigned to a single person picked from the group because it’s too complicated and high-risk for everyone to be trained for it
(As canon, each district of panem already focuses on a different area of expertise, and this guarantees a standard group of 24 people, each with a different role or skill set--like mining in District 12, crops in 11 and 9, tech for 3, utilize energy for 5, and so on...)
They’re then sent out to random planets across the galaxy. Their survival is uncertain, and most never return, but the mission is framed as necessary for humanity’s future expansion. It not only steadily reduces the young population each year (even if only by a small percentage), but also puts them to use in a way the Capitol presents as productive for survival and for 'the greater good'.
I'm sure there could even be a twist where most of the planets/misinformation that the Earth were already confirmed to be uninhabitable before the kids were sent out, meaning the whole thing was also a controlled way to quietly reduce the population under the guise of exploration, but that’s a story for another brainstorm
(I stopped watching the 100 after s3 I think, or s4, so I dont know how anything wrapped up in there. but this can even be a it of a terra nova au. i loved that show so much )
A Hunger Games x the 100 (kind of) au where after a long baby boom period (maybe mixed with something that caused the adult population to drop to critical levels) and with Panem having been running out of resources for so long, Earth is basically no longer a viable place to live (between pollution, no resources, environmental damage, you name it, everything piling up)
Kids, teens, even younger adults are seen as disposable, while older people are valued way more because they have the experience and knowledge needed to keep everything running on the ground
The “Hunger Games” are space missions (might be named something else in this AU and not the HG) and "tributes" are children picked to be sent into space to scout for habitable planets --
Or like in the 100, Panem could be a space station, and they send kids down to Earth every year to check if everything is still stable. The different arenas could just be different drop points on Earth. The main issue in Panem would still be overpopulation, but also not having enough breathable air for everyone.
Yeah, I think that works better than random space missions, either way could be explored I think?
Before that, they only get a short training period in survival skills, basics of research and observation so they can record planet conditions, assess information, plus things like learning (or building) how to use a communication device to send data back to Earth. The training isn’t too long, since the tributes already know some of the basics, and Earth can’t afford to waste time. maybe also learn how to land a spaceship, although that part would usually assigned to a single person picked from the group because it’s too complicated and high-risk for everyone to be trained for it
(As canon, each district of panem already focuses on a different area of expertise, and this guarantees a standard group of 24 people, each with a different role or skill set--like mining in District 12, crops in 11 and 9, tech for 3, utilize energy for 5, and so on...)
They’re then sent out to random planets across the galaxy. Their survival is uncertain, and most never return, but the mission is framed as necessary for humanity’s future expansion. It not only steadily reduces the young population each year (even if only by a small percentage), but also puts them to use in a way the Capitol presents as productive for survival and for 'the greater good'.
I'm sure there could even be a twist where most of the planets/misinformation that the Earth were already confirmed to be uninhabitable before the kids were sent out, meaning the whole thing was also a controlled way to quietly reduce the population under the guise of exploration, but that’s a story for another brainstorm
(I stopped watching the 100 after s3 I think, or s4, so I dont know how anything wrapped up in there. but this can even be a it of a terra nova au. i loved that show so much )
About the Justice Building + Education in District 12
I don’t have time for a throughly detailed analysis thread, but since D12 is the focus of most of what I write, I’ve been thinking a lot about what would realistically be included in its school curriculum. Also, I’m literally currently working on a WIP where I mentioned an exam in passing and immediately fell down another rabbit hole about the background and every possible detail of this supposed exam. I'll probably make another post about all this, but more detailed, these are just some ramblings.
Working in the Justice Building
I think in District 12, people don’t just work in the mines or shops; they also fill roles in administration and infrastructure. Peacekeepers function as law enforcement, but regular office work would most likely still be handled by district residents.
Part of why I think this is because the merchant sector population is honestly too large for any other explanation to fully make sense to me. They can’t all have shops. Unfortunately, District 12 is not Busytown...
Someone has to manage coal imports and exports, logistics, transportation, records, scheduling, and all the bureaucratic work attached to keeping the district operational. While Peacekeepers might oversee things, they’re nowhere enough in numbers to handle every aspect of district management themselves. The Mayor is probably the final stop before anything gets approved by the Capitol and acts as an overseer for most district operations (funnily enough the latest mayor was an Undersee)
Most of that burden would still fall on the local population. Especially in a smaller district, where there's got to be probably only a couple hundred Peacekeepers stationed at most, the system would need district residents to keep functioning day to day
District 12’s population is around 8k in the books, 10k in the movies, so let’s say roughly 9k. If about 85–90% live in the Seam, that leaves only 10–15% so around 1,000 people in the merchant sector.
This is where the idea of civil service entrance examinations comes to mind (possibly because I’m studying for one myself right now… unfortunately) I can easily imagine a system where such exams exist for administrative positions, and the exam fee alone would already put them out of reach for many Seam residents. Even if Seam students manage to stay focused on their studies while working--which we already know is difficult--the constant responsibilities would leave very little time or energy to study (there's also knowing that there is no point in trying to get a good score, I'll get to that in a second)
They’re often built around memorizing information with overly complicated jargon, things you'd only forget most of right after the test but you still have to study and memorize all of it anyway. I imagine it would work similarly to a civil service exam for a large portion of positions, with additional specialized sections depending on the field so import/export, the coal industry, logistics, administration, school teachers, and maybe a more general version for routine office workers for the payroll office, tesserae office etc.
So these kinds of exams usually aren’t even about intelligence anyway. It wouldn’t really matter if you’re naturally smart; what matters is being book smart in a test-oriented way.
Even if someone succeeds academically, there’s always… *drumrolls* corruption!!!!
You might score incredibly well, but interviews could still favor nepotism over merit. That kind of system feels very plausible in Panem (and unfortunately, I’m very familiar with systems like that myself :') lived in it, living in it, will probably die in it)
You can get the highest grades possible, but at the end of the day, the people conducting interviews and evaluations are still going to prioritize their own connections and favors. So if a merchant retires, dies, or leaves an opening in the Justice Building, it would make sense for people to want to keep that position within the family. partly because that job means stable income for the household, and partly because of familiarity and trus, the very common tendency of people hiring those they already know, or someone putting in a good word for a candidate. Like “a friend of the family friend’s family member is taking the exam this year, so please keep an eye out for that examinee” which literally means "please hire them" and and so on..
That kind of thing is very common where I’m from, so it naturally shapes the way I imagine Panem functioning too.
So, as someone from the Seam, even if you manage to gather your hard-earned money throughout the year and set it aside for the exam participation fee, there’s still a high chance you’ll get eliminated in the interviews in favor of a merchant family’s relative or family friend.
At that point why even take the exam and lose a year’s worth of savings that could’ve gone toward food and living instead?
2. Higher Education
Katniss says in school they’re taught basic math and similar subjects, and most other classes seem to circle back to coal.
But I think it’s more realistic that there would be a stronger education--at least in STEM fields rather than social sciences or humanities. The districts are largely self-sustaining in terms of personnel of...everything except Peacekeepers.
We know some kind of specialized education exists in at least some districts during Katniss’ time.
Before fleeing to D13, while was in D10, Dalton worked on a beef ranch and worked with frozen cow embryos to maintain genetic diversity in the herd, which implies the existence of advanced technical training from the district itself (he mentions this in Mockingjay while explaining why D13 needs refugees after their population bottleneck)
You’d think an engineer could only really come out of D3 or D5, but here’s one in D10.
So who’s to say there aren’t plant biologists or agricultural scientists raised and stationed in D7, D9 or D11 for the same reason--maintaining crop health and genetic diversity? Or fisheries scientists in D4? Realistically it would probably cost less to educate and use local specialists than constantly import scientists from more privileged districts or even the Capitol. And again, Dalton's from D10.
I could also imagine districts like 2 and 6, with larger populations, or districts like 8 and 11, with stronger rebellious tendencies and track record, being much more Peacekeeper heavy and having more Capitol assigned personnel working in Justice Buildings. That would probably reallocate personnel away from smaller and 'lesser' districts like 12. At least that’s how I imagine the system working.
Overall, I feel like district education is probably broader and more specialized than what we directly see through Katniss’ perspective--especially in areas necessary to keep each district functioning independently.
I’ll probably think more about District 12’s curriculum later. Much later. But yeah, these were just some thoughts I had and wanted to throw out there before going back to doing my thing (writing working studying please help) Goodbye!!
I like all of them, that’s why I try to include them if I can, but I’m particularly fond of LD’s Chickadees the most ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀) I can’t wait to establish a friend group among these babies soon stay tuned
From other age groups, I think I like Elaine and Patience from the teenagers. Romy is also really fun to write--a ball of stress with her 'innocent and sweet' boy cat. There’s one more person I loved to write, but I don’t want to make it too obvious they’ll be a tribute by putting them here since they weren't much seen in the chapters till now (chp. 27) for me to gush about their personality etc (,,¬﹏¬,,)
Oh and Burdock’s parents, Robin and Joe Pye !!
Darn it… I like them all…
What if I make something like a popularity poll for people to choose their favorite side character and as a reward that oc gets to live?? lmao
This is just a fun idea you can play with if you want but you could play with the fact that Asterid knows poison from being a healer and that Maysilee and Marylee probably learned from her. That’s why when Maysilee went into the arena she knew how to make poison that and the background knowledge of what’s edible and not from the candy store. This knowledge can be useful with spreading information between the district kids as they plan to prepare for the games if they get chosen. Or maybe for the rebellion I don’t know. But it has potential for angst if Haymitch learns. I hope I’m not overstepping since you never asked I thought it was just a fun information to add to twcsr for Asterids healer abilities to be used more.
First of all, I remember immediately opening this to answer, but I must’ve clicked off and saved it while checking something, because it somehow got buried in my drafts… so I’m replying a bit(!) late...
(っ´ω`)ﾉ(╥ω╥) I'm sorry...
And now for the ask… I completely agree with that! I think living somewhere where food is scarce would lead to a hundred roundabout ways to make things edible or find edible things. Even within the fence, I’d imagine there are things average D12 citizens would know.
About Maysilee and poison:
I’ve actually thought about this before, just briefly, in my version of Haymitch’s Games that I wrote before sotr (It’s messy plot-wise, so I don’t like talking about it much lol… I only wrote it for the Haysilee dynamics I was really craving and didn’t think much beyond that hehe)
I do think she’d have some limited knowledge of poisons, but more in the sense of how to treat them--things she might have heard or seen Asterid and Mr. March treat people.
Here's a little excerpt from the fic:
“Almost two whole days…” she says, rubbing her eyes. “ We’re in Top Eight now, congrats.” Then she straightens, all serious again.
“You need to piss.”
He blinks at her, still unsure if it’s the poison playing tricks on him, because what is she saying, “What?”
“You need to get up, and piss,” she says, already shifting like she’s ready to shove him upright herself.
Haymitch squints, “Why?”
“I made you drink water while you were out of it,” she says, “You had a fever, now you gotta flush the poison out, or something, I’m not sure. But it clearly worked.”
It’s not very clearly stated since I didn’t have her explicitly say it, but in my version Maysilee knows from Asterid (Clara in my fic because that's what the actress said that's what she imagined as Mrs. Everdeen's name, I don't remember when or where) about the idea of 'flushing out' poison.
For context; Haymitch didn’t actually consume poison here. And realistically, drinking water wouldn’t do much against engineered poisons in the arena anyway. But Maysilee maybe remembers a first-response lesson from Asterid: making someone who’s been poisoned drink water, with the idea that it might dilute the poison and slow absorption. Depends on the poison, really...
In the previous chapter of the fic, Haymitch was attacked by swarming squirrel mutts and got scratched, and I figured the mutts, moving through the arena, could have been exposed to some kind of toxin, which is how he gets affected. It’s not medically accurate--you can’t really 'flush out' poison the way I wrote if you’ve been exposed to through the skin--but it can help with symptoms like fever afterward.
So I completely agree that it would’ve helped Maysilee, at least with the basics of reducing symptoms or handling simple poison responses--charcoal tablets, that sort of thing--even if she’s blending some details together (poison + water + peeing = poison out of system in her head)
Thank you for the ask! I love thinking about these characters and talking about them--there's absolutely no overstepping. It’s literally why I post fics/hcs. As a fan who loves this world, I just want to share with other fans to discuss and lollygag together (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
I’ll give Asterid (and maybe some more others) more spotlight on that moving forward in twcsr !!
omg i wasn’t expecting you to follow me back LOL but i just want you to know im so obsessed with There Will Come Soft Rains genuinely life ruining fic for me i got no class work done while i was reading it
Ahh thank you!! I'm happy you liked it ✧ദ്ദി( ˶^ᗜ^˶ )
I love how the recent comments on the last twcsr chapter are mostly binge readers lmao -- I also got barely any work done while writing it, so that's one thing we share =w=
Again, I'm glad to hear you liked it! I'll be back sometime I promise... I want to get like 15-20 chapters ahead first |·ω·)
the fact that it’s finished definitely plays the biggest role ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀) but actually I did go back a while ago and added a bit more dialogue and tweaked the ending
I was heavily inspired by this fanfilm and the imagery of a father-daughter hunting trip in winter; snow everywhere and the crunch underfoot and all that. Mr. Everdeen teaching Katniss things as they wander around...
I also love the version of Hanging Tree in it. to me it sounds better, more more folk/murder ballad than the official at least (Here's another Hanging Tree rendition if anyone would like to take a listen. We had this before the MJ movie came out and I still think it's the best tbh)
I found these on pinterest that really complement what I was going for; cold but cozy winter vibes. It just got me in the mood. Imagine the first one as little Katniss all bundled up waiting for her father to put on his boots....I started crying already...
Runner-ups would be:
1. Scarlet - right after binging SotR in a day, I wrote it half-blind through my swollen eyes ദ്ദി ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ )
2. My daughter as your coat dances - I love the Donner twins and Madge way too much to let them go, and I really love writing that mother-daughter angst and the clash Madge would have with the memory of her aunt.... there’s just so much potential... (will eventually be finished)
Everything Haymitch ate in his Victory Tour [There Will Come Soft Rains]
Well… almost everything. I spent a lot of time looking for dishes that matched each district’s industry and for some, the cuisine of their present-day locations. But most of these foods aren’t what the people of the district actually eat, they’re just fancy creations that chefs make for the victors, mayors, and the Capitol visitors.
Nothing was random (meaning I have made menus for each district supper. the food itself was at times, indeed, random) -- I went through excruciating effort gathering all of this, so I figured it deserved its own post... besides since TWCSR is still on hiatus I thought this'd be an entertaining piece of content for it.
I haven’t tried any of these dishes myself. if you have, let me know whether I described the flavors accurately, I tried my best ✧ദ്ദി( ˶^ᗜ^˶ ) especially after I re-read some of the original trilogy, I felt compelled to try my hand at describing food like Katniss.
So, here, hope you enjoy!
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
11-1 quotes are all from Chapter 9: Jabberjay Jubilee
DISTRICT 11
I focused on crop-based dishes, mostly fruits and a wider range of vegetables, since that’s more D11’s specialty. It’s less about common/cultural dishes and more about what the chefs actually work with. If anything, difference between what the chefs serve and what the district’s people actually eat might be even greater. There’s no direct tie to the common folk, even if the food still has to represent part of the district’s specialty (for the poorer districts)
syrup-glazed sweet potatoes
Syrup-glazed orange potatoes shimmered on his plate. Haymitch couldn't help but wonder if there was copper, zinc, and phosphoric acid in this one too—would it power a battery?
But the first bite banished all thoughts. The syrup soaking the potatoes had a deep, nutty taste to it—that's sorghum, he's sure of it.
vegetable terrine
He ladled more of it beside a thick slice of what looked like a vegetable loaf, packed brimming with ramps, beets, eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, and a ribbon of warm, creamy goat cheese running through the center.
chocolate panna cotta with berry compote and whipped cream
For dessert, he all but devoured the bowl of mixed fruit compote on top of dark chocolate and whipped cream. The coldness eased the warmth of the previous dishes, cooled his stomach, and the compote itself was a mystery of flavor—berries for sure, but beyond that, the orchard fruits blurred together, sweet and bright on his tongue, going so well against the strong, slightly bitter taste of the dark chocolate.
Something like this, only with bitter chocolate.
DISTRICT 10
Needless to say: meat-focused.
Lamb Stew with Dried Plums
It’s lamb stew. Rich, dark, simmered with dried plums, and smells absolutely delicious.
a Hunger Games classic!
black pudding and scallops on pea-mint purée
There's slices of what looks like a sausage, topped with scallops resting on beds of pea puree. The sausage is, well, it's meaty, like he's expected, but it also has a slightly metallic aftertaste, but the softness and lighter scallops are a refreshing addition, and the minty puree goes well with the two.
Haymaker's Punch
Still, he clears the edge off it with a tall glass of haymaker’s punch, Bail has slid him the drink beforehand as a personal recommendation along with a pun, Haymaker for Haymitch— a spiced, tangy drink he’s sure has vinegar in it.
A.k.a. “Switchel”: I’ll be honest; I don’t really remember why I assigned this to D10, but I do remember wanting to make the Haymaker for Haymitch pun. With D11, we already had alcohol and Chaff, and D9 victors didn’t have much to work with in terms of comedic relief, so oddball Bail from D10 is actually the perfect person to make the joke
Honorable mention: Moonshine!!
He’s asked to hold a lamb, which he does gladly. It blinks up at him with such wide-eyed innocence it reminds him of Sid. Then they tell him to give it a name, and he gets scared they’ll just end up slaughtering it, he tries to play it off like he can’t think of anything cute enough. But in his head, names come easy. Ampert. Wellie. Lou Lou. Sid.
They push again, so he blurts out, “Moonshine?”
When the server sets a steaming bowl before him, he says, “For Mr. Abernathy, chef’s special: Moonshine.”
...
...
(sorry.)
DISTRICT 9
Unlike District 11, this one is more focused on grains and oilseeds. I didn’t want to keep repeating foods across every district, so I decided to space things out—but I also couldn’t really find dishes that fit District 9.
At this point, I’m feeling a bit like SC with how much I’ve neglected this district…
The food’s too oily. Haymitch eats it all regardless.
+ what D9 Mayor says to Haymitch:
“We supply oils, too—sunflower, linseed, cottonseed. Even press avocados and coconuts that Eleven sends our way.”
So, just imagine variations of legumes with all kinds of seed and vegetable oils, topped with nuts and everything else. Very carb, fat, and protein heavy cuisine for the top dogs--what an all-rounder of a district! in terms of export, not in the Hunger Games, where they don’t seem to shine as much.
Again, take it up with Suzanne Collins. She's got something against the district, I swear I don't!
DISTRICT 8
Present day location of the district: Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma
All southern states, except Illinois.
Kentucky Hot Brown
After the oily disaster in Nine, Haymitch thought his appetite might be killed a bit, but the moment the plates are uncovered, that theory dies fast. He’s downing a sandwich of sorts with gusto—thick slices of tender turkey drenched in a creamy, cheesy sauce, topped with crispy bacon and roasted tomatoes.
I’m not sure why I chose one of the latter listed states to get the dish from, but the connec tion between D12 and D8 makes some sense in this context, right? they’re neighbors after all. I must've mostly imagined District 12 covering much of NC and WV, and not as much of KY (uncovering the mystery of my past thought process from my draft notes)
southern-style cornbread
Alongside the district’s usual bread, there’s something like cornbread from back home. It tastes close, but softer and less gritty.
It’s softer because D8’s kitchen staff are generous with the buttermilk and eggs. If you haven’t noticed, Mayor Bias of District 8 is a gluttonous fellow who knows how to enjoy food, and does to a great degree!
DISTRICT 7
salmon wellington/ salmon en croute
Puff pastry-wrapped salmon.
District 7 is located in the Pacific Northwest, which is why I put salmon on the menu. That’s where the connection came from for me at least...
I also came across this recipe that I linked, and I’m including two key parts from it to show why it fits--especially since it uses one of the Pacific Northwest salmon, the king salmon a.k.a. Chinook salmon!
-- Unlike a pan-seared fillet, where you control every second of doneness, salmon en croûte operates on pastry time. The fish has to stay in the oven long enough for the puff pastry to fully rise and turn deeply golden. That means we're baking the salmon longer than we otherwise would, which pushes the fish closer to medium-well. That's not a problem, as long as the salmon you use has a higher fat content.
The takeaway here is that you will want to avoid leaner cuts of salmon, including many wild Pacific varieties. Better here is well-marbled, responsibly farmed Atlantic salmon, or a particularly buttery wild variety like king (Chinook). Leaner species—coho, sockeye, the overachievers of the salmon world—are wonderful in almost every other context, but here they simply don't have the cushioning power of fat we need.
Glad I learned all that even if I’ll never cook a salmon Wellington ദ്ദി◝⩊◜.ᐟ
mushroom-barley stew
Mushroom and barley stew.
Just liked the sound of it. Barley. Mushroom and barley stew as a whole sounds like a comfort food. Mind you, I don't even like mushrooms, but the sound of the word is nice to my ears.
maple syrup drizzled pancakes
Maple syrup–drizzled pancakes—or flapjacks as Audrey calls them, sliding a plate in front of Haymitch.
So I think I fumbled here... Because I always second-guess myself, I was double-checking some things before putting them in the post, and realized I don’t remember why I originally chose flapjacks for the dessert here...
Apparently, it’s just another name for pancakes in North America (baked oat bars in UK) So I changed the passage in the chapter: Audrey calls them flapjacks, but for Haymitch, they’re pancakes--because that’s what he calls them in SotR. It’s also a bit old-timey word for pancakes, from what people say in forums/fb.
So let’s say it’s a mix of generational and regional differences. Maybe they didn’t make it much in District 12, so the term gradually fell out of use.
Did I save it....?
I’m still open to suggestions. Perhaps a good old apple pie?
DISTRICT 6
I didn't think much about District 6. I have a WIP about Wellie, but it'll have to wait for its turn (already burdened by enough WIPs)
beef stew
A bowl of thick stew, packed with vegetables, beef, and rich bone broth, disappears slowly under his spoon.
No other reason, a simple stew sounded ok.
Pączki (pączek)
For dessert, he picks up a flattened, deep-fried dough dusted with powdered sugar and sprinkled with orange zest, tart cherry jam oozing from the inside- but after a bite, he puts it back. He doesn’t go for seconds.
District 6 present-day location: Michigan, Wisconsin…
So I looked it up and found that, apparently, there’s a Paczki Day in Michigan! (there’s a whole Fat Thursday vs. Fat Tuesday section on the wikipedia page I linked, it says that both days are celebrated in Michigan, which seems interesting)
Haymitch doesn’t put it back because he doesn’t like it, he’s just eating on autopilot after spending all day in Wellie’s district. I also can't eat a bite when I'm stressed, so I get him...
DISTRICT 5
Regretfully, Haymitch doesn’t have much to say about District 5.
Neither does this author!! (> •́)ᕗ
Okay, let’s actually think this through--because clearly I haven’t. Not just what’s served at the Victory Tour dinner, but more generally.
world-building discussion break
Going off the present-day locations (Arizona, Utah, Nevada...) I found some foods that feel more like everyday, district-wide staples rather than fancy reinterpretations--like funeral potatoes, fry bread, and so on.
I also came across this How to Eat a Prickly Pear Cactus video, so that could work as a foraged snack. Other districts might not be as lenient as D12 when it comes to going beyond their boundaries, but if something like that is commonly found around, I think it could still make a nice snack, and syrup, jam, preserve, you name it. Foxface was also familiar with foraging, just not familiar with the kind of things in the woods.
Also I believe they're a very caffeinated district.
Adding these from thg wiki page:
"District 5 is possibly one of the wealthier districts, such as District 1 or District 2 due to the low amount of residents who take tesserae. This may also attribute to the theory of District 5 not being as impoverished as outlying districts (10, 11 and 12)."
According to the Capitol.PN, District 5 claims 2,881 in tesserae, making it the third richest district. It is, in fact, richer than District 4, making it the only non-Career district to be wealthier than a Career district and the wealthiest non-Career district.
But I don’t think tesserae really reflect a Career district’s general “wealth”. So I don't think D5 is richer than D4, it would still make District 5 the wealthiest among the non-Career districts.
Considering all that, it must reflect on their cuisine that they’re better off than most other districts. For example, even if cornbread is common in Appalachian cuisine, it’s a delicacy for Haymitch. So it’s fair to assume that not every dish tied to a district’s present-day location would be commonly eaten.
So for D5, with its pre-mentioned relative wealth (which, in Panem, usually just means doing better than starving)--I think dishes like fry bread (deep-fried, and with oil being costly in general) could very well be common fare.
Anyway, let’s assume Haymitch had one, or maybe a few, of these, along with a nice glass of lemonade! He didn’t have much of an appetite after D6 anyway, so it’s safe to say he probably didn’t eat much that night.
DISTRICT 4
Mags makes sure Haymitch gets his district’s comforts while mourning his late family, instructing the staff to prepare them as best they can.
Ham hock and bean soup
A bowl of bean and ham hock soup is placed in front of him—just him. Though, across the table, Mags receives the same.
in honor of Haymitch's family.
Strawberry ice cream
Yet as courses keep getting served, there's always something specially done for him. The final blow is the strawberry ice cream.
Later, at supper, Lux barely touches her food. She picks through the first course--crockpot pork tenderloin and honey-butter sweet corn, and when the dessert comes round-- a tall, fussy stack they call atomic cake --she wrinkles her nose at it and rises, saying something about needing to “go feed Volts.”
crockpot pork tenderloin
I wanted to use pork tenderloin sandwiches for D3--apparently, Indiana is famous for them--but for a fancy dinner a pork tenderloin roast seemed more fitting.
Maybe they get the sandwiches for special occasions from local shops
honey-butter skillet sweetcorn
Since D3 is in the “Corn Belt”, and Illinois' state veg being sweetcorn and state grain being corn, I made the second course a nice honey butter skillet sweet corn.
atomic cake
Then, while putting this post together, I came across this 50 states 50 desserts article and saw atomic cake listed under Illinois--so naturally, I had to add a dessert: atomic cake! How did I not see this sooner?!
DISTRICT 2
For the Career districts, instead of focusing on district specialties, I went with more “fancy” dishes.
(Also, by this point, I was very tired of looking up recipes and dying a little inside every time I realized I could never replicate them, nor would I be willing to spend that much money on them. Besides, I was getting fed up at this point even though I brought it upon myself)
venison loins with sunchoke puree and ramps
Haymitch finishes his plate of seared deer loin with sunchoke puree and butter-dripping ramps, (+ The meat is tender, the puree smooth and earthy--)
mix of few recipes: [1] and [2] and photo is also from [1] because it looks too good ദ്ദി ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ ) I just imagined something like this-- and the word 'sunchoke' sounds nice and fun to me. 'artichoke' on the other hand, not as much. In fact it grates on my ears quite a bit.
honey roasted butternut squash
then moves on to the roasted winter squash glazed with honey.( + and the squash strikes a perfect balance between savory and sweet.)
DISTRICT 1
lavender lamb chops with pomegranate glaze
He’s served lamb first, to his dismay. As heavenly as the lavender-rubbed chops look, glazed in glistening red pomegranate sauce, he hesitates. He doesn’t want to run out of the hall again to vomit in some toilet. He manages a few bites, which he quickly regrets. The taste doesn’t match the look. Again, Near beer. The meat is nearly dried out, and the glaze with the pomegranate seeds must’ve been there to confuse the eater, because the glaze is spicy, rather than the sweetness its looks promise.
(It done bad in purpose because D1 just didn't want Haymitch to enjoy anything in their district, which he 'stole' a win from.
I'm sure it tastes heavenly... Little fun fact: I was going to cook this for new years because I but then forgot about it. I'll do it one day but I also feel bad because it's lamb (。· v ·。)
The recipe I linked is only missing the lavender in it, but I liked the visual of that one more.
mushroom risotto
The next dish is a bowl of thick, glistening rice, dotted with rich brown mushrooms. He lifts a spoonful to his mouth—
grilled figs with whipped goat cheese and honey
Still, when no one’s looking, he snatches a few grilled figs topped with creamy cheese and drizzled with honey. At the end of the night, he must’ve gulped down half a dozen
(I want to try this so bad you guys don't even know...)
Honorable Mention
-- but the first bite nearly cracks his teeth. He coughs, spits into his napkin. In it, a polished black stone, smooth like coal stained glass. He prods at the bowl. More stones surface, gleaming among the grains.
(he ends up losing teeth biting something else anyway)
Haymitch eating rocks for an impromptu asmr mukbang in District 1:
CAPITOL
truffle arancini
“What’s that?” he asks, pointing at something that looks familiar. “Looks like fried biscuits we used to have back home.”
“That’s…” Effie leans in, picks one up delicately, and slices it in half with a small knife. “Ah! Truffle arancini. You have to try it.” (Chapter 10)
In comparison to the fried biscuits Haymitch talks about: I meant in shape, size, color, not that they’re exactly the same, I hope that was clear... (they looked similar enough to me...)
(Left: truffle arancini, Right: fried biscuits)
aspic aquarium (basically)
He’s just about to ask about another dish —blue jello with pieces of something he can’t tell trapped in?— when a younger woman approaches. (Chapter 10)
So… it’s aspic. But with blue jello to resemble an aquarium. Just look at this recipe -- only thing is Capitol's using real small sealife for the fish of course
raw octopus
They say it at the same time. Haymitch snorts, following Effie as she moves on to inspect a plate of twitching ocean creatures. (Chapter 10)
I find myself relucant to add a photo ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀) I already pushed my limits with Moonshine I fear...
Honorable mention - DISTRICT 12
The district crowd, Peacekeepers, and Capitol crew are all shouting, voices and orders, screams and uproar crashing over each other as Haymitch sinks his teeth into the wrist of the Peacekeeper holding him down. (Chapter 13: Human Dissatisfied)
He hears something crack.
aaand there goes Haymitch's teeth! Yikes.
THE END
Hope you enjoyed this very long, but equally mouth-watering post! Haymitch and I definitely did!
At least up to a certain point when the food started becoming inedible… and then stopped being food altogether....
But what a fun thread this was... I might do something similar for LD chapters. I don't know what yet, feel free to suggest anything, asks are always welcome!
maysilee and merrilee’s grandmother was a full-blown covey fangirl in her youth.
grandma donner was a regular at their hob performances, at front-row and lightsticks in both hands, yelling fanchants--who then took her favorite singer lucy gray's disappearance very personally and to the heart
and she named her granddaughters after songs she heard from her as a girl--perhaps barbara ellen with its "all in the merry month of may" --and no one can convince me that when she found out it was twins she wasn’t like “oh wait this actually works out perfectly” because not only she has two granddaughters, she gets to use both names she came up with
grandma donner absolutely treated the covey's “nothing you can take is ever worth keeping” like it was sacred text. that was not just a lyric to her, that was a life philosophy she passed down to generations through her bloodline
she got her heart broken by a no-good boy and a night in the hob listening to lucy gray belt it out healed something in her
honestly i just know half the girls in district 12 were out there getting their hearts broken listening to the song for the first time and going “actually… y'know what? nothing he gave me was worth keeping anyway. him included. that covey girl's right i deserve better”
covey music was basically emotional support for teenage girls in district twelve and probably caused at least a few breakups with mediocre boys and i stand by that. lucy gray really left a hole in the girls’ need for a pop star to sing their feelings out loud
so, over time, it went from being about grandma donner’s own boy problems to real advice for her granddaughters. before tucking maysilee in at night, whenever the little girl got scared or threw a tantrum, grandma donner would whisper it like a little secret to life, reminding her that she’d always have what really matters, and no one can ever truly take it away
turnnoffyourmind
amandla
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prguitarman
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