Can’t get enough of the Dune franchise? We don’t blame you. With these 20 foods either from or inspired by Dune, we’ll transport you to Arrakis.
Spiced Bread
Everything the Fremen eat is chock-full of spice. While spice melange isn’t a staple on our home world, you can try to mimic it in your own recipes.
If you’ve baked bread before, then this Dune-inspired recipe won’t be too difficult. The key is to infuse it with your homemade spice.
You’ll want it to have a kick, so a mix of cinnamon and chili powder could do. Try playing around with flavors to see what works.
Fremen Stew
The Fremen make stew out of meat and root veggies. This one’s from the Dune Encyclopedia, though you don’t have to make it by the book.
As for the meat, hares or birds are usually used. This is a great dish to eat with spice bread. If you didn’t bake it, though, that’s fine.
You can instead opt for a flatbread, another staple of the Fremen diet. It’s good for soaking up the stew, and can be used like a utensil.
Dates
Dates are a huge food in the Dune franchise. They’re the staple fruit of the Fremen, and are mentioned by name in the book series.
These dried fruits are super nutritious and can last a long time, making them ideal for desert living. If you want, you can eat them as is.
That’s not the only way to eat dates, though. They can also serve as a side to any of the foods we’ve mentioned.
Desert Jerky
As you probably guessed from the dates, dried foods reign supreme in the desert. Given that the Fremen drain water from humans, it’s possible that they did so with animals, too.
Plus, jerky keeps well, especially if you’re traveling for long periods of time. If you’re making this at home, then any kind of meat will do.
To go all out, you could get your hands on some hare jerky, to pretend like you’re chewing on a desert hare. We get if you’d rather pass.
Spiced Coffee
One thing about the Fremen: they love their coffee. Spiced coffee is another food item on this list directly referenced in the Dune franchise.
Of course, recipes differ IRL. Not everyone agrees on how to best mimic spice melange. However, cinnamon is a common ingredient, since that’s what spice smells like.
You could try making your own cinnamon syrup, to focus on that flavor. For a more complex recipe, try using cardamom and cloves.
Thumper Cake
Unlike the previous few, this one is inspired by the Dune franchise, not from it. I don’t think bake cakes modeled after their thumpers (though you never know).
If you want to surprise the ultimate Dune fan in your life, though, then this is how to do it. There’s a couple ways you could approach this.
If you’re not a master cake decorator, then bake a regular cake, with a small thumper prop on top. Alternatively, you could make a thumper-shaped cake with black fondant.
Muad’Dip
No, you don’t have to cook a mouse. A play on the word “muad’dib,” this Dune-inspired dip will be a total hit at your next watch party.
It’s pretty easy to make, too. Simply spread some hummus onto a plate, chop some red bell pepper, and slice up a cucumber.
Then, you’ll want to arrange the cucumber slices into the shape of a sandworm. The pepper in the back, according to Kitchen Overlord, is a sietch opening.
Sandworm Sausages
So, you want to model your sausage dish after Shai-Hulud. While it can be difficult to make a sausage version of a godlike alien creature, never say never.
First, the sausage. You’ll want to go with something like kielbasa or a frankfurter, because of their length and thickness. Next, the mouth.
Sandworms have gaping mouths filled with rows of sharp teeth. To copy this, carve a mouth at one end of the sausage, and fill with bits of toothpicks.
Crispy Sandtrout
These aren nothing like the trout you’re used to. Sandtrout doesn’t refer to a traditional fish — they’re actually sandworm larvae. And they look nothing like fish.
They’re gross blobs that absorb a ton of water. If you were to compare them to an animal here on Earth, a banana slug would be apt.
The Fremen don’t eat them in the Dune franchise, but that doesn’t mean you can’t. You could technically cook a slug, but please don’t.
Fremen Flatbread
As we mentioned earlier, flatbread is a staple of the Fremen diet. You can’t make a stew without including delicious, warm flatbread to eat it with!
We recommend modeling your Fremen flatbread recipe after injera. Popular in both Ethiopia and Eritrea, this African food will soak up all your stew’s flavors and juices.
To make, you’ll need on some teff flour, sourdough starter, and baking powder. Specific levels of water and steps differ, but those are the basics.
Wild Rabbit Tongue
This one is a deep cut. It’s a direct reference to a scene in the first book, when House Atreides hosts some bankers.
Lady Jessica arranges for a meal of wild rabbit tongue, served with mushroom-yeast sauce and red wine. If you’d rather cook other parts of the rabbit, that’s okay, too.
To top it off, make a mushroom sauce with nutritional yeast. You could also add the red wine to it, instead of drinking it on the side.
Spiced Chutney
While spiced chutney wasn’t directly mentioned in the books, it can flavor a lot of these foods. Chutney is can be served in a myriad of ways.
Before we get into serving styles, let’s go over how it’s made. You’ll need to include cinnamon, of course, so the other ingredients will be dictated by that.
Since fruits go well with cinnamon, go for a refreshing fruit chutney! You could go down a traditional route and use apples, or make it with dates.
Melange Porridge
This is probably one of the easiest meals you could make from the Dune franchise. Got some oatmeal and cinnamon? You’re good to go.
If you want something closer to what the Fremen might eat, skip out on the specialized oatmeal. I’m guessing here, but I don’t think their porridge has dinosaur eggs.
Those who prefer thick porridge should opt for steel cut oats. If that doesn’t describe you, then you might like farina. Either way, top it with cinnamon.
Cactus Salad
If you want a light meal with more veggies, then this is it. Cactuses, being one of the few plants on Arrakis, make for a perfect Dune-inspired salad.
Cactuses are actually a big part of Mexican cuisine. Called nopales in Spanish, it’s pretty common to see salads made out of them.
So, if you’re going to make this at home, follow along one of those recipes. They typically include chopped onions, tomatoes, and cheese.
Desert Honey
Yes, desert honey is a real thing. If we have it here on Earth, then it’s probably on Arrakis, too, especially since their whole planet is a desert.
Whether or not there are bees on Arrakis remains to be seen. On Earth, though, desert honey comes from wild flowers in the Sonoran desert.
Put a bit of this in your spiced tea or coffee, and you’ll feel like the Fremen in no time. The only thing you’ll need is a stillsuit.
Spice-Crusted Meat
Like we mentioned previously, the Fremen are known to munch on wild hare. So, regardless of what you choose for the spice, hare meat would work best.
Rabbit meat also works (it’s probably easier to obtain, anyway). Slather the meat in a mock-spice dry rub before putting it in the oven to roast.
You’ll want a flavor that’ll pair well with the meat. Cinnamon and chili powder still work, but you can add other ingredients, like ginger or nutmeg.
Sietch Brew
This is another term for “spice beer,” but sietch brew sounds cooler. If you’re into beer, this is a great way to experiment with different flavors.
We don’t know exactly how they made it in the Dune franchise. However, there’s a popular recipe online (by “How to Drink” on YouTube) you could follow.
He makes his own spice syrup with cinnamon sticks, gentian root, wormwood root, orange blossom water, and demerara sugar. He then mixes it with club soda.
Water of Life Cocktail
No, you don’t have to drink worm pee. With the right ingredients, though, you can make your own Water of Life cocktail that looks just like it.
Blue Gatorade is your best friend here. It might not seem “classy,” but it’s the perfect ingredient for that electric blue hue. The liquor is up to you.
If you want to go all out on the blue, we suggest blue curacao. Add something tart, like lemonade, and you’ve got the Water of Life.
Tabara Cakes
Tabara cakes are directly referenced in the Dune books. They’re a special Fremen dessert, made with dried fruits, nuts, and (of course) spice.
If you like light, airy cakes, then this one isn’t for you. It’s pretty dense, and is eaten in small pieces — never in one sitting.
As with most foods inspired by the Dune franchise, you’ll want to put cinnamon in the batter. Honey and tabaroot (a root vegetable on Arrakis) are other key ingredients.
Sandworm Roulade
A roulade is the perfect meal to mimic a sandworm (and it’s flavorful, too!). And before you ask: yes, this dish will also include cinnamon.
You don’t have to include meat, though we suggest that you do. It’ll make the meal more filling. You can use chicken or rabbit.
For the outside, you’ll need puff pastry sheets. Thankfully, you don’t have to make them yourself — lots of places sell them pre-made for roulade.