A Thanksgiving Look At Great Meals In Star Trek History November 26, 2008
by TrekMovie.com Staff , Filed under: List , trackback
Many cultures celebrate what are called Days of Thanks or Harvest Festivals, from Erntedank of Germany to Thanksgiving in Canada and the United States. This Thursday, the US celebrates its Thanksgiving Day with parades, time off from school, holiday decorations, and most especially with food. Today TrekMovie takes a look at some of Star Trek’s greatest feasts.
Mmm Mmm Trek
We at Trekmovie agree that food shared with family and friends is the best feature of Thanksgiving. Because Star Trek represents the real human experiences as much as it does future science and alien worlds, it is no surprise that big banquets and shared meals are a staple of the various episodes and movies. Many of the dinner scenes from Star Trek are used to show cultural differences and have good characters moments. While Trekmovie staff and readers cannot all sit down for a meal together to express thanks for our shared friendship and love of Trek, we could offer the next best thing. Here is a list of some of the best food moments in Star Trek history as way to say thank you to fellow fans around the world.
MOVIES: Klingons come to dinner
(Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
Perhaps no other meal time scene in Star Trek has the symbolism and meaning than when Kirk and the crew have the Klingons over for dinner on the Enterprise. The meal itself was impressive from its variety of foods from both cultures, but it was the conversations that were the most delicious. The themes discussed during the dinner scene echo through the entire film and is an important setting for the movie. The scene beautifully illustrates the differences, yet also the commonalities, of the Klingon Empire and the Federation. From a character point of view, Captain Kirk and Chang get into a verbal confrontation (with Kirk delivering his debate-winning line of "Earth. Hitler. 1938.") Meanwhile, Spock and Gorkon try to salvage the dinner with diplomacy. The table itself is colorful with blue fish and bright flowers. Although it was on a starship and full of exotic foods and aliens, anyone with large extended family gathering for a meal can relate to some of the tensions at Kirk’s table.
TOS: Ambassadors Reception
("Journey to Babel")
What is not to love about the "Journey to Babel" dinner scene? It has everything that makes TOS unique and fun. It has weirdly shaped and colorful fruit, and ice cubes that look like play dough. It was aliens galore, including little copper colored men, Tellarites, Andorians, and Vulcans (including Spock’s father). The scene has great banter between Spock and McCoy and we learn much about the Vulcan culture.
TNG: Kurn’s dinner
("Sins of the Father")
Down in Whoville, Picard carves the roast beast! This is another culture clash dinner scene that also reveals something about the characters, and it is one where the food takes center stage. Especially good is Kurn’s dismissal of the food as well prepared yet not very tasty, as he picks up the roast beast and studies it. It also good to see characters following traditions such as the "father" carving the meal, and its nice that it is Picard in that role. The setting is vibrant, with a great floral display (good thing Evorian Regent Cuzar from Star Trek: Insurrection wasn’t there).
DS9: Jake brings a date to dinner
("The Abandoned")
"She is a Dabo Girl. She’s dating my son. I don’t want to like her." While not a lavish event, this dinner scene shows that a shared meal can bring people together. Ben Sisko, the most culinary of Trek’s captains, invites Jake’s girlfriend Mardah to dinner where he made Creole shrimp with Mandalay sauce which he said "has bite to it." Through the meal and conversation, Ben learns more about Mardah, and to his surprise, things about his son, including that Jake likes to write. A great scene with nice father and son moments that shows that a good meal can break through barriers and get people to understand each other better, and what could be more Star Trek than that? And besides, who wouldn’t want a dinner prepared by Ben Sisko?
VOY: Dinner of lost civilizations
("Year of Hell, Part 2")
A great scene from one of Voyager’s best moments, this dinner shows some good conflict between Tom Paris and Chakotay, and complicates the villain Annorax. The buffet features foods from many different worlds, some lost because of the Krenim timeship. The use of the Malkothian culture’s drink by Annorax to explain his mission is excellent, as is the use of the drink to solidify his and Chakotay’s cooperation.
ENT: Archer, Trip and T’Pol’s first meal
("Broken Bow")
It is the character interaction and moments that make this a great scene, not the sparse and intimate table setting. Like TUC, this scene helps to show the differences between aliens, here between Humans and Vulcans. It also establishes the conflicts between Archer and Trip with T’Pol. We are reminded in this scene that Vulcans are vegetarians, and T’Pol’s artistically arranged salad is in stark contrast to Trip’s steaks. The moment where T’Pol cuts her breadstick in half and uses a fork, while Trip is using his hands to eat, is classic.
And from all of us at TrekMovie.com, have a great Thanksgiving
Thanks to Trekcore.com for the images.
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Comments
Happy Thanksgiving everyone
I could eat up this subject with a spoon!
Mmm…. food sounds good right now.
Peace & Happy Thanksgiving
Good to see thanksgiving in star trek, hey anthony how about a discussion about canon and the timeline.
Happy Thanksgiving from your Canadian neighbors.
I remember last month’s turkey…mmm
As a Canadian, it’s like celebrating twice because our Thankgiving is in October.
The problem is what do you do when you outlive your friends?
Spock must be lonely, that’s why he went back in time.
hmmm… where can I find some Romulan ale to help me get that much sleepier after eating all that turkey..?
Happy Thanksgiving from another Canadian neighbor.
I guess on a slow night I can finally post something! TrekMovie.com, I enjoyed the selections you served tonight! Happy Thanksgiving to the Star Trek Universe!
Happy Thanksgiving.
I could use Charlie Evans to make a real turkey appear in my oven, sure would save time and effort!
I just came back from Canada. Great food there. Happy Thanksgiving.
On a quiet night let’s talk about canon and the timeline and how, there could conceivable be no canon for the new movie because the future would have been altered by Kirk and co and Picard and co going back in time. It’s like the butterfly effect. For example, just going back in time with the Borg blowing up the missile site would effect the future, forget about what Picard said to Riker about finding a quiet place to live and getting out of histories way, it’s too late. Cochrane knows the future, has seen 24th century Starships, knows about his legacy, it would all change the timeline and the canon, that’s why the changes in the new Star Trek movie all fits together so well.
I guess you guys had to pick a great meal to represent each series, but honorable mention should go to Riker’s supper with the Klingons in which he manfully gulped down some Gagh!
Happy Turkey Day, everyone!
Sorry, EU friends, we Americans will be sleeping late, watching our football, a parade, and eating and drinking too much on Thursday, and spending our remaining cash on Friday.
Enjoy work! ;-)
A great list , however there is one glaring omission of note .
Commander William Riker’s pre-transfer feast before transfering over to the Pagh , while Captain Picard and Doctor Pulaski did their very best not to get sick from seeing and smelling all the Klingon foods in the second season episode “A Matter of Honor”
I’m thankful that after 40 years we are still quoting and debating minutia about this show. Yes, it’s a franchise owned by a huge multi-media corporation, but it is also a heartfelt creation from many talented people. We should all be so lucky to leave such a legacy.
Best meal was TNG’s “Family.”
“The crew has to eat synthesized meatloaf, I at least want it to LOOK like Turkey.” Capt. James T. Kirk-Charlie X
Best quote ever :) Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Annorax’s line in Year of Hell, as mentioned in the article, about the meals coming from races wiped form history was one of the most potent lines of the series, IMO. Very effective and eerie.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, Anthony, and all of the rest of trekmovie.com!
Happy Thanksgiving to all in the Trek family and to all Live Long and prosper.
hey, what happened to the brazilian and spanish article??? you guys censor it??
or was it Italian? Well, whatever the article is gone. what happened to it???
You know what was another great food scene in TNG? That episode with the 3 ambassadors onboard, and it turned out that they were assigned to experience different human emotions, and the guy that was assigned to experience pleasure became absolutely fixated on dessert.. :) Good times.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
For those desiring a real Thanksgtiving turkey, hold off until May 2009. :D
All too easy. But, in the meantime…
Happy Thanksgiving from Dark Matter, Champion of Earth Zero.
Beware Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in, Bear’t that th’ opposed may beware of thee.’–Hamlet Act I Scene III
Now I’m hungry …
Hungry for the new Trek Movie!
Anthony Brooks Fellows
final warning for trolling and thread hijacking
comments to http://trekmovie.com/about/feedback
RE: Italy article
There was an article that was posted briefly but I determined that due to the translations from english to italian and back to english too much was lost, I am having it looked at and will hopefully repost.
Happy Thanksgiving and Frohes Erntedankfest!
“Note to the galley: Romulan ale no longer to be served at diplomatic functions.”
26
I don’t think that was TNG… I think it was either Voyager or Enterprise… I wish I could remember it’s bugging me…
Oops… nevermind it was TNG, the episode “Liasons.” There was one in ENT or VOY with some kind of ambassador or someone obsessed with food, tho…
i love your articles, Anthony. Truly.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody. So grateful to share cyber space-time with all of you here.
You, too, Iowagirl.
#34
Thanks, Bob, for your kind separate post just for me, endorsing that I’m not “everybody”…:D
Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Pass the qagh…
Totally unrelated, but here is my version of the new trailer. It’s my project at college:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ounWaXWbaw&fmt=18
My favourite trek meal:
Beans cooked with a secret ingredient to a time honoured recipe by generations of McCoys – topped off with a fire, good friends, marshmellows and row row row…
@Iowagirl
Multi-Linguistik????
Hmmm…interesting!
#31 Shane … it was indeed TNG – seventh season’s “Liaisons.”
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Anthony, many thanks to you for maintaining this site, a terrific daily indulgence! Well done!
“I could use Charlie Evans to make a real turkey appear in my oven, sure would save time and effort!”
Yeah, but if you’re not nice to him, he’ll either make you go away or turn you into a turkey and make you appear in your own oven. LOL
hey did anybody notice that the dinner scene in Star Trek 6 was a redress of Ten Forward Lounge from TNG? If you look carefully at the windows from both those scenes in Star Trek VI and TNG’s “Sins of the Father”, you’ll notice that they’re identical.
26; 31 & 32:
The “Liasons” indulgent ambassador plotline *was* completely reused for Voyager’s “Someone to Watch Over Me”, featuring Scott Thompson of The Kids in the Hall as the “wacky ambassador” this time.
If TNG and (and all shows and movies after), truley were “canon”, wouldn’t they all have “play-dough” food?
Just “food for thought” :-D
Happy Turkey Day!
Wow, this is one stupid, contrived, forced, uber-geeky thread.
43
Thank you! That’s the one I was thinking about.
#39
Yeah, I’ll make it or I’ll die trying…:D
I am thankful for this site so that along with the latest information I can get my daily dose of irritation from reading the comments of Star Trek XI cheerleaders! :)
Happy Thanksgiving
Another Thanksgiving. The years seem to grow shorter and shorter between them.
I wonder if there is a “Thanksgiving” day that is celebrated in the Trek future as a result of the Humans first contact with Vulcans. The parallels are similar.
Morning, Bob and Anthony. And a Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. The wife and I are preparing to armor up and throw down in the kitchen for the next several hours, in order to feed spawn, grandspawn, and spawn-in-laws. LOL This year, Tom Turkey is getting charcoal smoked over a pan of German white wine and a heap of hickory wood. Mmmmmmm…….
What about Riker’s omelettes that Worf loved?
Or Riker trying Klingon food for his time on the pagh…
Today, Archer and Trip will no doubt sit down with two big steaks while T’Pol eats her celery and leafy greens.
Scotty will sit down with a Kelvan, overstuff him with food, and drink him under the table
Kirk will enjoy a chicken sandwich and coffee, or a pizza and Michelob
Riker will sit in the crew mess with 10 Klingons, eat everything, and finally go for the girl that keeps staring at him across the table.
Picard and Data will share stinky Romulan soup together
Neelix will whip up something horrid from produce acquired on the 8 last away missions
Spock and Chapel will share some Plomeek soup
Picard’s guests will skip the fish course and eat the floral arrangements.
etc.
Have a great day, everyone!
Shatner’s Canadian, I wonder if he celebrates twice.
Might explain the girdle.
I’m kidding, don’t torpedo me.
BTW, the Boston Legal thanksgiving was very good. It’s about time Shat gets to act like a human being, rather than a caricature.
Denny Crane!
You know, mentioning Spock and Chapel…
It would be really cool if (and its a big IF) if Spock is truly trapped in the past and he winds up on a date with Majel…
That would be a killer after credits tidbit. Nurse Chapel finally gets her man, er Vulcan.
Happy Thanksgiving
One thing Im Thankfull for. Is a New Star Trek Movie and new Episodes of Star Trek Phase 2. Also A Big Thank you to J.j and Bob And Alex for making the new Star Trek. You guys have a happy and peacefull Thanksgiving and you to Anthony. You have a happy one as well.
Hey Anthony, here is ideas for “What are you Thankful for?”
I’m Thankful for:
A) A new President
B) A new episode of STNV, “Blood and Fire”
C) A new ST Movie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
D) New ST Toys
E) A new NCC 1701 toy.
F) A new set of ST Non sport cards
G) Re-opening of ST The Experience
H) A new cell phone that sounds and looks like a ST phone.
What about proper meal like young lamb on the spit? ;)
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/6500/slike1103023fs8.jpg
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Enjoy your turkeys, vegetables ( for Vulcans) and resequenced-protein turkey-substitutes!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
I’m going to have my drinks today with blue playdoh ice cubes. And my turkey with home made chili con queso. Now THAT’S Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving all.
You left out Trelaine’s beautiful, but bland feast
http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/1x17hd/thesquireofgothoshd352.jpg
Happy Thankksgiving! Now lets all go out there and stuff ourselves silly. I know I will living here in the Northwest. Oh man now im drooling on myself.
Happy Thanksgiving you bunch of baboons!!!
#9 “…where can I find some Romulan ale …”
Taco Bell, it would seem…
http://christianziebarth.com/images/tacobell1.jpg
Happy Thanksgiving, all!
@50: That sounds insanely delicious, Viking. *drools*
@65: Yuck. That looks so nasty, I think I’d rather stick with the play-dough ice cubes.
“What is it?”
“Well, it’s . . . it’s green.”
Fun story. But UGH… Voyager = terrible. By far and away the catalyst for Star Trek’s most recent decline in quality and popularity.
Classic and real and refreshing scene: TFF. Campfire. Beans. Secret ingredient. Marshmallow dispenser, etc.
Happy T-Day!
Happy Thanksgiving Anthony Pascale, Bob Orci, all the team at Trekmovie and all the posters here.
Thanks for having me here and I’ve enjoyed the discussions (and rants) on here.
Have a great time and I hope your in a nice place with those you love.
No Thanksgiving in Scotland :-(
Best wishes to all,
Sc00ny
Let’s not forget the episode of Voyager where the Doctor takes over 7 of 9 and indulges with her captor by going through the entire database of food and drink and ends up sprawled out on the furniture!
Now THAT is what reminds me most of Thanksgiving!
Have a great day all!
awe, I am thankful Bob Orci and Anthony are such nice and talented guys and have provided us with our much loved star trek entertainment. hugs all around! i hope everyone is enjoying thanksgiving with family and friends all across the galaxy!
do turkeys gobble in space, i wonder?
Saw Trek VI on the big screen with Nick Meyer in the audience a few weeks ago, it was awesome! And that dinner scene was great!
“I’m Thankful for:
A) A new President”
‘be careful what you wish for…..’ – Uhura Trek III
I have never been thankful for any politician, things people should be thankful for are:
Family
Friends
Health
General Well Being
Mental Stability
Food on the table
Financial well being
and most of all- 800 hours of Star Trek available on VHS and DVD!
“do turkeys gobble in space, i wonder?”
Negative, there is no air in space and it is a vacuum, they would die before they had a chance, and we could not hear them anyway…
Happy Thanksgiving, all…
Here’s to ya!
68. CarlG – got three bottles of Liebfraumilch (one for the bird, one for the table, and one for the cook LOL), the Orion smoker is stoked and waiting, and I just found out the step-son is not only doing a ham to go with everything, but he’s also roasting a DUCK. (In my best Homer Simpson voice) Mmmmmm…..roast duck. If anyone lived within fifty miles of me, I’d invite you over – between the three of us, I think we’re cooking enough to feed the whole neighborhood. Our kitchen looks like the mess hall from my army days – I gotta wait ’til my wife takes five so I can go finish Mama Viking’s signature stuffing recipe.LOL
You know one day we should all get together and have a Trek Thanksgiving (of course before the actual holiday)
Happy Thanksgiving to trekmovie.com and its readers.
Here’s a little TOS Holiday fun from me:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14757468@N04/3063419205/
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving all!
Thanks for the quotes #21 & 69–Perfect!
Happy Thanksgiving too Bob Orci and Anthony and all My fellow Star Trek fans!
”
“I could use Charlie Evans to make a real turkey appear in my oven, sure would save time and effort!”
Yeah, but if you’re not nice to him, he’ll either make you go away or turn you into a turkey and make you appear in your own oven. LOL”
Or even take your MOUTH away!
What a strange article…
thank you all for your comments, I appreciate all the commenters at this site as you make the site more interesting and entertaining.
And of course please remember it isn’t just me, but a whole team here.
86
Thanks Anthony, to you and the team.
One question. Will Star Trek ever attempt to establish again a full web presence, a la Star Wars?
Right now, you rule, and the official web presence of Star Trek is scattershot at best.
What’s the plan?
What about the episode Matter of Honor where Riker shares a meal with Klingon officers?
Wes:
In space, no one can hear you gobble……
Thank you #52, for mentioning “Kirk will enjoy a chicken sandwich and coffee”. That moment from “Trouble With Tribbles” would be my choice for favorite food moment.
Get this- I have actually gone out of my way to make myself a chicken sandwich and coffee.
Ok, who else?
And I’m thankful for this site. A healthy and fun addiction.
Anthony & Co.- keep up the great work!
“I will try your burned, replicated bird meat!”
the meal with Khan in TOS is missing.
What about when counselor Tori is introducing all the desserts to the Iyaaran ambassador Loquel in the episode “Liaisons.” mmmmmmmm all those cakes…I have a sweet tooth…..a big ass sweet tooth.
I WILL TRY SOME OF YOUR BURNED REPLICATED BIRD MEAT