List of Food and Drinks

The following is a list of food and drinks along with Traditions involving food and drink.

Traditions and Ceremonies involving Food and Drink

Minbari

During the Minbari's demonstration of the Rebirth Ceremony in 2258, small pieces of red fruit were passed around and consumed.

The Minbari followed rituals and traditions in preparing a meal for honored guests. The food would be sanctified during each of the fifteen stages of cooking. The spices would be blessed and a specific prayer spoken when they would be used. Each spice could only be used once, and only in the correct order. If an error was made, the entire meal would be abandoned and begun again from scratch. The cook would not sleep until the meal was complete and to remain pure, would only consume water and bread.

The host and the guest exchanged bowls, in a gesture of welcoming. Then, they would both offer a portion of their meals to the one who prepared it as a gesture of thankfulness. It was tradition for the guest to set aside one piece of flarn in the memory of Valen in the place that is set aside for his return. In between bites, each person would meditate.

Centauri

The Cenaturi Thanksgiving Ceremony involves an elaborate banquet or feast that can last up to a week, during which the participants are encouraged to continuously eat, drink and purge until they become one with their inner self, pass out, or both.

When two or more members of the Couro Prido reunite, they celebrate by drinking Brivari from ceremonial chalices multiple times until all the Brivari is consumed. According to Londo Mollari, his friend, Urza Jaddo, had an "almost legendary" capacity for the drink.

Narn

During the Days of G'Quan, Followers of the prophet aren't allowed to consume any alcohol.

On G'Quan's hatching day, a ceremony takes place where one Narn would bring one vegetable to put in a large boiling cauldron to create a communal soup, symbolizing the reunion of all Narns during the Shadow's occupation of the planet where food was scarce and broods were hoarding their resources for themselves.

Food

• Almara Meal: A traditional meal from the Almara Archipelago on Minbar that bears a resemblance to Earth couscous and is traditionally served with cooked Ulabon.

• Bacon: Cuts of salted and cured pork from Earth pigs. Often served at breakfast as a side dish to eggs.

• Bagna Cauda: Literally meaning "hot bath", Bagna Cauda is an Earth dish from Piedmont in northwestern Italy.

• Beeba: A plant that produces an organic oil, broadly comparable to Earth olive oil and which has similar culinary uses.

• Breen: A Narn ground meat delicacy which is identical to Earth Swedish meatballs and Centauri Prime's Roopo balls.

• Chudomo seed: A bean-like seed pod from Minbar akin to Earth haricots vert.

• Eggs: An organic vessel in which embryos can develop. Eggs from certain animals like chickens are often consumed as food by humans.

• Flarn: A soft green Minbari food, created by Valen himself and traditionally served in small cube portions to honor visiting guests.

• G'Quan Soup:A medley of various vegetables that is traditionally made communally and consumed to honor the hatchday of G'Quan. The precise ingredients aren't considered important, only that each brood member bring one vegetable.

• Gal'sha: A plant native to Minbar whose hard, oily seeds are similar to Earth hazelnuts.

• Glivinn: A traditional Minbari dinner of the Third Fane of Chudomo that may only be prepared and eaten on Valen's Day.

• Glomo Fruit: A Minbari fruit that can be compared to an Earth courgette.

• Gollif: An edible fleshy fungus-like organism native to the Narn Homeworld that has similar culinary properties to an Earth open cup mushroom.

Ambassador G'Kar preparing a Grout head for his dinner.

• Grout Head: A meal served for dinner that consists of a cooked grout's head.

• Kili grain: A type of crop grown on Shir-shraba as early as the Earth year 1442, sold in bulk to Drazi traders for the Dark Moon ceremony on Zhabar.

• Kreebish: A type of pink dessert, usually served fresh.

• Japoti: A Centauri sweet pastry dish that is considered an excellent accompaniment to hot Jala.

• Jurbeen: A Centauri recipe, popular among minor functionaries of the Royal Court, that features chunks of smoked Treel in a cheese and rikling sauce.

• Pinaldi: A Centauri savoury pastry dish filled with a variety of cheeses, foolash and irradiated watsuls. It was known to have been a particular favourite of Emperor Turhan.

• Poksh: A heavy steamed, if somewhat bland sweet-bread produced on Beta Colony.

• Roopo balls: A Centauri dish, identical to Narn breen and Earth swedish meatballs.

• Se n'kai: A Minbari ceremonial fruit.

• Snicks: A Centauri confection made from sweetened doola nuts and flibies (tree nuts) with a crispy coating.

• Spoo: A gray meat dish and a staple of Centauri cuisine, preferably aged. The Narns, on the other hand, prefer it fresh, while Humans generally find it unpalatable.

• Swedish meatballs: An Earth ground meat delicacy which is identical to Narn Breen and Centauri Prime's Roopo balls.

• Treel: A Centauri meat dish from a green and white fish-like creature. Served encrusted with pasta in a tawloo fat sauce.

• Y'Tzeem: A type of Drazi candy traditionally given to children during the 'Transcendence of Dro'shalla' ritual.

• Yogtree: Fried tree worm, eaten as a delicacy.

Drink

• Bor'Kaan: A very potent and (to humans) nasty Drazi alcoholic drink beverage. Human can only safely drink Bor'Kann after first taking an alcohol blocker. After Commander Susan Ivanova became 'Green Leader' for Babylon 5's Drazi population during the selection of a new Shadak, the local Drazi created a new drink in her honour called "Bor'Kaan Volshool Ivanova". They claimed to have made it palatable for her by "diluting" with Russian vodka.

"...you understand Brivari, yes?"

• Brivari: A Centauri alcoholic drink and the official celebratory drink of the Couro Prido society. The beverage must maintain a constant temperature or its very delicate flavour can be destroyed.

• Comet Tail: An alcoholic drink of human origin. Somewhat more potent than a Jovian Sunspot or Brivari, but not quite as incapacitating as Taree or Hot Jala. Normally comes with a recommended two drink limit to avoid passing out.

• Hot Jala: A hot Centauri beverage of sweet green and frothy liquid made from Jala.

A Jovian Sunspot.

• Jovian Sunspot: A human drink made from cream of coconut, cranberry-apple juice, vodka and orange juice that originates from Zeus, a little dive of a spaceport bar on Station Io. Susan Ivanova has claimed to have been one of the drink's creators by suggesting to Floyd (the bartender at Zeus) that he add vodka into the mix. John Sheridan and Abbut both had a particular fondness for Jovian Sunspots.

• Kompa: A potent Llort alcoholic drink which shares its name with the drinking game by which it is consumed.

• Kriul: A very potent Narn drink that is lethal to humans, but can be used as a disinfectant.

• Orcha Juice: A Markab drink blended from a mix of fruit juices, mostly venda juice and something similar to Earth ginger ale. It was a favourite of Dr. Franklin who introduced it to his father in 2259.

• Peetcha: A Grome drink made from a tasty concoction of fermented fruit.

• Rmm*zzq!wwx: An extremely incapacitating pak'ma'ra drink that roughly translates as "Roadkill Malt". Humans are advised to avoid sampling at all costs.

• Sha'chai: A non-alcoholic drink of Minbari origin. While it has no intoxicating effects on Minbari themselves, to humans it is very potent and its consumption requires proof of medical coverage.

• Sha'neyat: A potent and strictly ceremonial Minbari tea (loosely translated as death destroyer) distilled from a combination of flowers, fruits, and grains. Though harmless to Minbari, Sha'neyat is a deadly poison to Humans.

Ambassador G'Kar enjoying a glass of Taree.

• Shirley Temple: Non-alcoholic Earth cocktail. Vir enjoyed drinking them. When Lennier met with him to say goodbye on the Zocalo, he asked what it was he was drinking. When Vir told him, he took the name of it literally believing it to be a real temple that he intended to visit the next time he went to Earth.

• T'm'lai'na: A very potent Abbai drink that has been known to dissolve human intestines and corrode metal.

• Taree: A Narn ruby-coloured wine drink flavoured with a variety of fruits and klaga bark spice.

• Traxian ale, an beverage served in Arterial Blockage restaurant in Fortune City on Cestus and at Doug's Dugout sports bar on Babylon 5.

• Zima, a human produced alcopop.

Notes

• Although Flarn is established as a Minbari food, in ("The Parliament of Dreams"), Catherine Sakai told Commander Sinclair that she had just bought "Antarean flarn." Whether the Minbari exported flarn to the Antares sector or if the Antares sector produce their own version of Minbari flarn is uncertain.