There are plenty of games with cooking, and even dedicated cooking sims, but there are only a few menu items that many gamers know on sight. Some are delicately crafted pieces of cuisine art while others have become popular because of their meme status. In most cases though, the most iconic dishes derive their fame from how connected they have become with the games they belong to.
Cheese - Skyrim
Skyrim’s cheese wheels have been a source of endless entertainment for fans since the game’s release. With Skyrim mods, players have found ways to make it rain cheese whenever the word "cheese" is said aloud, and console commands have allowed players to build towers of cheese. The simple menu item can make a good plate, but has also been the source of memes, Easter eggs, and further recognition across pop culture.
Cake - Portal
The cake used to entice test subjects in Portal has entertained since the half-truth was revealed. While the encouraging treat was only used by GLaDOS to get subjects to complete tests its place in gaming culture is undeniable. Memes and references to the “the cake is a lie” wall writings of Doug Rattmann have been used since GLaDOS’ cake was revealed. The cake’s place as a reward might not have been a lie, but the idea that test subjects would get to taste the delicious treat certainly was.
Golden Apples - Minecraft
Golden Apples have come a long way in the last decade. While incredibly rare for early players with how Minecraft has grown, they have not only become easier to find but to craft as well. Over the years, other health items have been added to the game, and players can even resurrect themselves with totems now. Though the Golden Apple might not be as valuable as it originally was in Minecraft, it continues to be incredibly useful for restoring health and combatting hunger.
Sea-Salt Ice Cream - Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts 2's sea-salt ice cream likely has one of the more unique flavors that fans can find when it comes to food from games. The salty-sweet treat looks appetizing in its pastel blue color and draws inspiration from a real-life treat that is served at Tokyo DisneySea. Most people would likely find the flavor like that of a soft salted caramel where the overall sweetness is highlighted by the salty notes throughout. While it has become somewhat of a running joke in Kingdom Hearts, it's difficult to not be enticed by the appearance that the sweet treat has on screen.
Nuka-Cola - Fallout
Nuka-Cola draws clear inspiration from Coca-Cola, but the Fallout beverage has a little more radiation than most people want from their soft drinks. The beverage can be found throughout the different environments of the Fallout series, and like most sodas in real life, it has featured a variety of flavors. When Fallout 4 launched, fans could also buy Jones Soda’s Nuka-Cola Quantum flavor from Target stores to get their not-so-rad-filled post-apocalyptic fix for a time. While the soda does have benefits for health in-game, it also doubles as a resource thanks to soda caps being the main currency of the different games in the Fallout series.
Spicy Ramen - Destiny
The Destiny franchise might not incorporate food as heavily as other series, but spicy ramen has developed a reputation within the game. The dish gained popularity in recent years through internet challenges, but its importance in-game was due to the beloved Hunter Vanguard Cayde-6's spicy ramen coupon. While Cayde has since been killed, the spirit of the snappy hunter lives on through the ramen emote, his remaining voice lines in older content, and his memorial in the Tower. Fans can still pay respect to Cayde and his quirks by slurping down a big bowl of spicy ramen with the neon-colored emote in Destiny 2.
Mushrooms - Super Mario Bros.
Mushrooms are quite possibly the original iconic videogame food. While portabellas and oyster mushrooms might not be the most appetizing to some people, the mushrooms of the Super Mario universe are a different story. The super-powered food allows for instant growth and increased health, which often makes them a necessary part of many Mario games. New power-ups have been introduced since the original Super Mario Bros. game, but the mushroom continues to remain prominent across the series’ many installments. It has seen revisions – and even doppelgangers – but it continues to be synonymous with Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom.