Creating a Royal Wedding Feast (+ Giveaway)

(Check here for the full blog tour schedule!)

As I said in my post last year for the Scarlet blog tour, I love the Lunar Chronicles. It's an incredible series, one that's imaginative, exciting and extremely well-written. I enjoyed the unique twist on Cinderella in Cinder, and fell hard for the whimsical twist on Little Red Riding Hood in Scarlet. But it is Marissa Meyer's take on Rapunzel in Cress that has simply blown. me. away. completely. It is so, so wonderful, and that's why I'm so excited to be a part of this blog tour!

Without further ado, allow me to welcome Marissa back onto the blog for another guest post. (And this one's guaranteed to make you hungry!)

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The Royal Wedding Feast

By Marissa Meyer

Some of the most enjoyable research I conducted while writing Cress was in reference to wedding traditions from around the world, because I am a sucker for all things weddings and symbolism. I am also a sucker for all things food, which made the planning of a wedding feast menu particularly enticing!

Unfortunately, when I spent two entire pages describing the wedding feast in salivating detail, one of my beta readers pointed out that it was a tad bit gratuitous, so I shortened the descriptions to a mere paragraph. But hey, that’s what blog posts are for! 

Here is the complete menu of the royal wedding feast in Cress, for those of you who, like me, enjoy reading about food almost as much as you enjoy eating it.

An Eight Course Menu for a Royal Wedding in the Third Era

Because the wedding between Kai and Levana takes place in the Eastern Commonwealth, which is itself an amalgamation of multiple Asian countries, I wanted the feast to represent many different cultures and traditions. I decided to go with an eight-course menu in which each course holds special significance for the marriage, which at least one source said is traditional in Chinese wedding banquets (although I’ve since heard contradictory accounts).

First Course: A Quartet of Sashimi (Japan)

A light course of thinly sliced raw yellowtail, red snapper, blue fin tataki, and salmon start out the festivities, each platter garnished with a chrysanthemum flower to represent the Commonwealth’s emperor and the history of the enduring monarchy.

Second Course: Imitation Shark’s Fin Soup (China)

Shark’s fin soup is a classic delicacy in China and is often served at weddings, but its desirability has led to unsustainable, and often inhumane, fishing practices. New regulations on shark harvesting have been passed in recent years, and I figure that in my futuristic society they would have stopped the practice altogether. Not wanting to fully give up tradition, though, imitation shark’s fin soup has become the replacement.

Third Course: Braised Pork Belly with Green Mango Relish (The Philippines)

I chose a pork dish to represent the Philippines as many big celebrations serve lechon, or whole roasted pig. At a wedding, this impressive dish symbolizes prosperity and abundance for the couple. 

Fourth Course: Potol Posto on a Bed of Banana Leaves (India)

Indian wedding cuisine can vary greatly depending on what region of India you’re in, but delicious vegetarian dishes are almost always present, which is why I chose potol posto, or pointed gourd with poppy seeds, for the vegetarian course. Beautiful banana leaves are often used to cook and serve Indian food (among other Asian cuisines). The banana tree itself is an emblem of prosperity and fertility.

Fifth Course: Shellfish Curry with Coconut Milk and Kaffir Lime (Thailand)

This dish was inspired by one of my favorite Thai dishes—but then, anything with “curry” and “coconut” in the description makes me hungry. It would be served with white rice, which symbolizes love.

Sixth Course: Whole Peking Duck (China)

Peking duck is a traditional course served for Chinese wedding banquets, in part because of its red color (red symbolizes happiness), and also because ducks mate for life. Often the entire bird is served whole, including the head and feet, signifying completeness.

Seventh Course: Short Ribs and Kimchee on Endless Sweet and Spicy Noodles (Korea)

Marinated short ribs, or kalbi, are a common dish served at Korean weddings, but the symbolism from this course mostly comes from the noodles, or kook soo, the length of which represents a long life for the couple.

Eighth Course: Lapis Surabaya (Indonesia)

My western sensibilities feel that it’s not a wedding without cake, so I was so happy to learn that Indonesians feel the same way! The many layers baked into this traditional wedding cake are meant to symbolize the ladder that the bride and groom will have to climb to have a successful life and marriage.

So, on that note: Who’s hungry?

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I am! I have to say, the feast that Marissa has planned for Kai & Levana's wedding sounds pretty darn delicious. Of course, I don't want them to get married, but I would love to eat all of these dishes (especially the lechon, which I love). 

Ahem. Before I get distracted by looking for a snack, it's time to talk about the giveaway! 

PRIZE: Thanks to the generosity of Macmillan, I'm giving away a Cinder paperback, a Scarlet paperback and a Cress hardcover to ONE lucky winner!

(Please note that this giveaway is US/CA ONLY.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Here are a few more fun links for you to check out:

• Become a fan of the Lunar Chronicles on Facebook!
• Become a fan of Marissa Meyer on Facebook!
• Follow Marissa Meyer on Twitter!
• Become a fan of the Lunar Chronicles on Tumblr!
• Pre-Order a copy of Cress to get a free comb! Details here. (US Only)
• Join the Scarlet Readathon! (please be sure to use the link provided. Thank you!)
• Get more fun Lunar Chronicles links and info on the MacTeenBooks blog!
• See Marissa Meyer on tour!