A guide to Klingon Cuisine
Created by Captain Maritza Soran on Wed Apr 3, 2019 @ 8:21pm
A Guide to Klingon
Cuisine Table of Contents:
Introduction
Terminology:
Fruits & Vegetables
Dishes & Preparation
Beverages:
Non-Alcoholic
Desserts
Etiquette
Credits
A Klingon's high metabolism
makes eating and drinking an important activity and a Klingon meal may
consist of 4-5 dishes ("nay'mey"). Klingons take great
pride in their recipes and Chefs guard them vigorously. It is a misconception
that Klingons eat all their food raw or even live. Many recipes involve
cooking and elaborate preparations. The equipment needed for preparation
of Klingon food is minimal, consisting of pots/vats plus cutting and
stirring implements. Obviously most Klingon food consists of animal
matter; although plant matter is used frequently in food preparation
(i.e. seasoning) it seldom forms a dish in its own right.
Terminology: (plurals can be indicated by the use
of either –mey or –Du’. Although –mey is more common)
General Terms:
'aqnaw: all-purpose knife that seems to be able to cut through practically anything'atlhqam = fungus
baghenQ: spoon
Bal: jug/jar/bottle - used to store liquid (usually liquid from bal is poured into HIvje' (beverage container), but it is not considered uncivil to drink directly from the bal) holds cook's ever-present supply of chanDoq (marinade)
bargh: most frequently used pot - large with a flattened bottom
blQ: water [water is used as a symbol of weakness and distain]
bo'Dagh: scooping implement similar to a garden trowel, used to remove food from a pot
chab/chabmey: pie/pies, tart/tarts or dumpling/dumplings
chanDoq: a marinade
chanDoq jeD: thick marinade, sauce
chech: be drunk, intoxicated
chop: bite
choptaH: gnaw/continually bite - reference to how nuts are eaten
chom: bartender (vutwI' may mix drinks in small restaurant)
chuch: ice
chuvmey: leftovers
Dargh HIvje': teacup
DuDwI': mixer, a stick used for stirring (also 'un naQ: pot cane)
Duq: smaller bowl from which diner consumes food poured from maHpIn
'elpI: platter, usually metal
‘ep: to eat soup
'eyHa: edible but not particularly delicious, i.e. the intervention of a cook has caused it tocease being delicious
ghem: midnight snack (not a snack as humans see it, but a fourth meal)
HaH: to soak or drench with a marinade
He': aroma (to emit a smell)
HIq HIvje': liquor glass, usually tankard/stein for beer or ale
HIvje': beverage container from which drinks are consumed
HuH: bile, gall, or slime
'Ib: square or rectangular tub used to hold food while it is fermenting
‘Im: to boil
‘Iw: blood
'IwHIq HIvje': bloodwine glass
jab: to serve (food)
jabmeH: "In Order to Serve" (a cookbook by J'puq)
jabwI': server
je’: to feed someone
largh: to smell (sense odors)
leng Soj: voyage food - at many restaurants it is possible to order food to be packaged in boxes to be eaten elsewhere. It is unwise to order a food that should be eaten live as a leng Soj
maHpIn: serving bowl
megh: lunch
mIQ: to fry food, deepfry
mum: to taste, sense flavors
nay': dish/course
nevDagh: pot with v-shaped handles, termed DeSqIvDu' ("elbows")
ngawDeq: a DuDwI' or 'un naQ with a flattened out, paddle like end
ngop: plate
nIQ: breakfast
noS: to eat small mouthfuls, to nibble
'oj: to be thirsty
pID: to season or coat with herbs
poq: indigestion
pub: boil
puq chonnaQ: fork, it is unadvisable to ask for a fork
qa'vIn HIvje': coffee mug
ghevI': a thick sauce used when preparing qagh (gagh)
Qe': restaurant
Qenvob: the process of steeping dried plant or animal parts in boiling water
Qep’It: gas produced in the stomach, commonly expelled in a belch (ruq)
qettlhup: a special sauce, often a thickened chanDoq
Qev: to stew
ragh: decay; decayed food is not good to eat, though sometimes given to animals
raS: table
rogh: ferment
roghmoH: to ferment food; one way to ferment food is to mix it with a fungus ('atlhqam), usually scraped from the bottom of certain animals' feet, though it also grows on trees
ruq: to belch
runpI': teapot
SIjwI': slitter, a knife used for finer work
SIp: gas produced in the stomach, commonly expelled in a belch (ruq)
Soj: food
Soj jaD: He/She throws or hurls the food in the manner of a projectile (considered a reasonable pastime)
Soj tlhol: raw, unprocessed food, i.e. straight off the carcass
Soj woD: He/She throws the food away (a regrettable activity, i.e. the food has decayed)
Sop: to eat
suy: menu
surgh: to skin
tach: bar / cocktail lounge
taj: knife
tlhutlh: to drink
tuy’: to spit (to spit liquids – bItuy’; to spit solids – bItlhIS)
'uH: be hung over
'un: pot
'un naQ: pot cane, (also DuDwI': mixer) a stick used for stirring
'up: disgusting, repugnant
'uQ: dinner
‘uS: leg
‘uSu’: a sauce used in the preparation/serving of tlhath (gladst)
vut: to prepare food/beverage (no heating involved)
vutwI': cook (preparer of food) - server and cook likely to be the same in small establishments
waH: to taste or try food
warjun: large, extremely sharp, square-bladed chopping implement (but for its short handle, it would probably be considered a kind of 'obmaQ [ax])
wech: to serve fermented food at its peak
yIv: to chew
yuch/yuchmey: chocolate/chocolates; apart from Shakespeare, considered one of the Human race’s key contributions to the galaxy
yuvtlhe’: lid or cover
Animals & Animal Parts
‘aD: vein
Boqrat: A type of animal
borghel: a very small bird whose eggs are considered quite tasty
Bregit: a classification of animal similar to reptiles and salamanders
burgh: stomach
chej: liver
Da’nal: a bird of prey know for it’s unpredictable behavior
Dir: skin, often still attached when meat is served, though sometimes it is removed and served as a dish on its own
ghab: a chunk of the midsection of an animal, including any organs that may have remained attached
gham: limb
ghargh: worm
ghew: insect
ghIch: nose
ghISDen: scales
ghot’l: fish, general term for a fish like creature
HajDob: leg (served as food)
Ha'DIbaH: meat of any kind; animal (also used as an insult toward another person)
Hom/HomDu’: bone/bones
Hugh: throat, neck
ighvah: an animal who’s liver is used to make a soup
jajlo’Qa: a noisy animal known making a ruckus at dawn
jat: tongue
lem/lemDu’: hoof/hooves
lIngta': a type of animal
luH: intestines
lung (loong): a type of lizard
mIl'oD: sabre bear
mIn: eye
nach: head
namwech: paw
neb: beak or bill
pach: claw or talon
pel'aQ: egg shells
Qaj (Kradge): a type of animal who’s tail is served as a food
Qagh (gagh): serpent worms
Qa'raj: A type of animal with claws that can be served as food in a number of ways.
qevpob: cheek/jowl
QImmey: eggs--not really eaten as food, except when used in sauces, including the shell (pel'aQ) for flavor and texture
qogh: ear
QoghIj: brain
Soj tlhol: raw, unprocessed food, i.e. straight off the carcass
Somraw: muscle
tagh: lung
tangqa’: an animal species with both genders resembling a Terran bull
Targh (targ): A Klingon mammal with characteristics somewhere between Terran canines and wild boars. These animals are hunted, although some are kept as pets. The heart and lungs are considered delicacies.
tel: wing
tIq: heart, might be a dish in its own right
tlhagh: animal fat
tlhuQ: tail
tIqnagh (Tknag): A thick skinned, predatory animal native to Taganika. The Tknag beast is an animal highly prized for it’s hooves
to'qaQ: ligament/tendon
veD: fur
volchaH: shoulder
wuS: lips
yab/yabmey: brain/brains
My sources listed a large number of Klingon birds with various characteristics. However only those with either food related or unique definition were listed above. The remaining fowl are as follows:
bo’Degh, cha’bIp, cha’Do’, cha’naS, cha’par, cha’qu’, Da’vI.’, jajlo’Qa’,lIr, lotlhmoq, notqa’, pardIng, qanraD, qaryoq, qaryoq’a’, qa’rol, raw’, toQ, ‘uSgheb vem’eq, vIlInHoD, waqboch,
Fruits & Vegetables
naH: any part of a plant that may be eaten; translated as fruit or vegetable
naHlet: nut; literal translation is “hard fruit”
naHlet yub: nut shells
naHjej: thistle; literal translation is “sharp fruit”
naHnagh: pit,or large seed; literal translation is “fruit stone”
na'ran: type of sweet fruit, naran [Some Terrans drink the juice of the na'ran for breakfast. Klingons find this an odd practice.]
na’ran rur: resembles a na’ran, also a sweet fruit
qurgh: bean
‘oQqar: root/tuber
peb'ot: a Klingon torpedo-shaped fruit
tIr: grain
tlhatlh (Glasht): Dark and leaf-like, it might not be a vegetable. tlhatlh is often served with a sauce (‘uSu’), think mushroom soup only with palm-sized slices.
tlhImqaH. (Zilm'kach): a Klingon food. An orange colored fruit (similar in appearance to an apricot) served in sections as a side dish.
vIno’va’ qurgh (Finova bean): a type of bean that is deadly if not prepared properly.
vIychorgh: a plant's sap or juice
yub: husk, rind, peel
bIreQtagh (Bregit Lung): This dish is not actually the lung of a Bregit. In this case lung (pronounced loong, as in Dr. Soong)is a classification of animals that includes reptiles and salamanders in tlhIngan Hol , the Klingon language created by Marc Okrand.
boqrat chej Qevlu'pu'bogh (stewed bokrat liver): must be prepared from a freshly killed boqrat as the difference in taste is very noticeable.
chatlh: a thick soup or broth
Daghtuj: mixture of animal parts (might not be from the same animal)
Duran lung DIr (Durani lizard skins): A delicacy served dried and thinly sliced. This dish was discovered by a Klingon military unit stranded on Durani I without supplies for six months.
ghaw’: ighvah liver soup
ghod toDbaj HajDobDu’ (Stuffed toDbaj legs): The todbaj is a small animal which has a lot of legs, and usually a tough skin. Once in a year, at the time of QI'lop (a Klingon holiday) the todbaj expand their bodies. To allow for the expansion, the todbaj's skin gets soft and less thick. During the holiday, tradition dictates that a meal of soft stuffed todbaj leg is brought to the house of the host. After the meal the guest is allowed to take one, non-sacred, item home. Each Klingon house has a special recipe for the preparation of todbaj legs.
Hurgh: a food dish made with marinated peb'ot fruit.
jagh tIq (Enemy's Heart): Literally the heart muscle of a sworn enemy.One doesn't eat the heart of a soldier killed in combat for the Empire, a Blood Oath ('Iw 'Ip) has to have been made naming the individual enemy. ("Blood Oath" [DS9])
This is always fresh, as it is best taken from the chest of the fallen enemy while he still breathes his last. The heart is shared among the surviving members of the Blood Oath.
jat moQ char (Slimy tongue balls): A klingon food commonly served as an entree.
Owon Eggs: a delicacy served as omelet, deemed unpalatable by Humans, but Klingons love them.
pIpyuS pach (Pipius claw): A traditional food dish. It is not served cooked but neither is it served live or just killed. Chefs carefully guard their recipes for tearing the creatures apart and marinating the various pieces in some sort of animal fluid to add flavor and chemically alter the texture.
Qaj tlhuQ (Kradge Tail): a Klingon delicacy who’s method of preparation varies from House to House. (see etiquette)
Qagh (pronounced Gagh): a dish of serpent worms, best when served alive. In preparing the dish, the worms are fed diluted animal blood, which the worms find unappealing and will eat only when they are starving. Just before serving, the now ravenous worms are placed in a thick sauce (ghevI'). The worms eat the sauce, including an herb ingredient that is toxic to them and kills them in just a few minutes. Since the great joy of the dish is being consumed while they are still alive, it is important to only combine the worms and sauce until just before serving--also important to eat as quickly as possible. When referring to the serpent worms themselves, before being prepared as food, the tlhIngan Hol word is ghargh. It is also served with m'ressa twigs. qagh is killed in one's mouth and the blood is savored. Some Klingons say that they don't care for the taste of qagh, but like it for the fight it puts up when eaten. There are reportedly at least 51 distinct "flavor" varieties of qagh (other small animals, bugs (ghew), etc., are also enjoyed by the handful while alive)
qagh tlhIq (qagh stew): Leftover qagh is served as a stew.
QaraDa HajDobmey (Karada legs): The broiled legs of a Klingon animal, that resembles the teran octopus.
- Variations:
wamwI' QaraDa (Hunter’s Karada): simply qaraDa servedwith ngat (which is made from granulated cartilage and grain).
Qeyvaq Ha'DIbaH (Kayvak's Meat): A fermented meat dish named for a famous ancient warrior for now forgotten reasons.
qompogh: a common dish made by mashing a mixture of various types of naH, with or without some animal matter, into a lumpy paste and then letting it rogh (ferment)
qul DIr (fire skin): cut up pieces of animal skin are soaked in a strong liquor, then removed and set afire just before serving.The dish is eaten quickly, while the pieces are still burning.
raHta' (Racht): A Klingon food using a type of worm similar to qagh that is also best served live.
ro’qegh’Iwchab (Rokeg blood pie): A traditional dish. Blood pie is difficult to prepare properly and chefsprotect the secrecy of their recipes fiercely. A blood feud was precipitated between the House of Rengat and the House of Dor when warriors of each house claimed to have the better recipe. Rokeg blood pie consists of animal meat and blood baked into a pie.
Scrag: The roasted haunch of the predator (able to bring down a grown Klingon) garbat that is marinated in its own blood and treated with ten different spices. This is concidered one of the finest achievement of the Klingon culinary arts. Is completely indigestible by humans.
Soj qub: a meticulously prepared dish for only the most formal of occasions. (literally translated as “rare food”)
Su'lop: a number of different kinds of food mixed together along with flavorful herbs and then fed to an animal. Reclaimed as quD
- at the right time the animal is killed, its parts used for various dishes, and the contents of the stomach (the now partially digested Su'lop) are removed and used as a sauce (quD), served with great flourish
- this sauce may be prepared artificially with chemicals ('un quD = pot quD) as opposed to the 'natural' way (burgh quD = stomach quD); although nutritionally identical, the natural method is preferred
**(I didn't make this up, so, you can go and blame Paramount's art department for this.)
tIqnagh lemDu’ (Tknag hooves): an extremely rare delicacy. Many warriors have died in battles over the recipe for this dish. Usually served only at the grandest of occasions. If you ever see this dish at a feast, prepare to fight to the death over it.
tlhIq: a stew made from any number of meats or animals.
tlhombuS: a deep fried food where a block of animal fat is coated with a mixture of ngat (herbed granulated cartilage) and tIr (grain) and then briefly immersed into boiling fat, just until the coating hardens
toqvIr lung QImmey: small eggs of the Tokvirian skink, often eaten whole by the handful
voDleH Ha'DIbaH (Emperor's Meat): a dish where older meat may be marinated (HaH) in any of a wide variety of concoctions, including 'Iw (blood) and/or vIychorgh (sap) as a base, along with assorted animal parts.
wamwI’ Ha’DIbaH (Hunter’s Meat): fresh animal matter may be coated with herbed granulated cartilage (ngat) mixed with some kind of grain (tIr) - this process is called "pID";
In Klingon culture, water is the antitheses of blood. Blood is strong while water is weak. Therefore, Klingons seldom drink plain water. Their choice of beverage operates under the concept that the less water-like, the better.
Alcoholic beverages (Hiq)
Baqghol (bahgol): a native Klingon alcoholic tea-like beverage; consumed heated and out of surprisingly small glasses.
Chechtlhutlh: A strong alcoholic beverage. The word is derived from the tlhIngan Hol verbs tlhutlh "to drink" and chech "to be drunk." The loose translation would have chechtlhutlh something one drinks for the sole purpose of getting drunk.
‘Im gharghHiq (boiling worm wine): a strong alcoholic beverage.
‘IwHiq (Blood wine): A native beverage that is very popular in the Empire. It is very dark red in color and best served at body temperature(porgh Hat), and is not for the faint of heart. Bloodwine is known to be highly intoxicating, to the point that most non-Klingons are scarcely capable of handling it; it is twice as potent as whiskey. The first Human known to consume the beverage was Jonathan Archer, while he awaited the verdict of his trial on Qo'noS.
- Klingon captains and generals are known to carrying several barrels of their favorite vintages to celebrate victories.
wornagh (Warnog): This beverage is mentioned in Star Trek TNG: Rightful Heir.
Nonalcoholic beverages (there is no single term that refers to all of them in general)
awje': a popular effervescent drink, black in color (frequently, though inaccurately translated as "root beer") made from, among other things, the marrow (melchoQ) taken from the bones of a teghbat considered relatively mild, even for a Klingon nonalcoholic drink
Dargh (tea): most Klingon teas are vegetable based, though some are animal based. Usually made with Qenvob: a dry mixture for the making of tea - often thorns, leaves, petals,or seeds from a plant that are immersed in water (brackish water (biQ na') is best) and boiled.
- The Klingon Tea Ceremony, a tea that is somewhat toxic to Klingons but is deadly for humans, is prepared and consumed according to certain ritualistic procedures. The tea is drunk in groups of two or more, partly as a test of bravery and partly as a reminder of the Klingon maxim that "death is an experience best shared."
- Variations:
Klingon’s do not share the
same concept of following a meal with anything resembling, what many
races would consider, a dessert. Therefore do not expect to find
anything resembling such a dish at a Klingon meal or feast. Now while the Klingon word chab translates to the terran words: pie, tart, or dumpling; the contents of a Klingon chab are completely different. However out of respect for or to honor their guest(s) a Klingon host may offer something along the lines of a dessert based on their guest(s) species. However
you should hope it’s replicated, because most Klingon chefs won’t
know how to prepare a dessert, unless they are experienced in non-Klingon
foods. Although on the whole Klingon’s do have a fondness for
chocolate (yuch)
- food must be eaten as served--nothing like saltshakers will be on Klingon tables, although some foods may be served with a separate vessel for sauce from which one can use as little or as much as one desires
- eating is done with hands only
- food is grabbed from 'elpI' with hands and put on one's own jengva'; it is perfectly acceptable to reach across the table or to walk around to a more convenient position to access the food; you may use two hands to break off a slab of desired fare
- it is acceptable to grab a plate from a pile, but not to ask someone to pass you one; if there is no pile of plates, none will be furnished--it is improper to ask for one
- if food affects one in an especially positive way, one may say "DoQ Soj" (the food stabs him/her) or "jej pach" (the claw is sharp)
- unless one is dining alone, a meal is typically quite noisy, with a great deal of talking (and often singing) accompanied by the clattering of plates and bowls; this is particularly true of a 'uQ'a' (banquet/feast)
- when nuts or other foods are eaten, where the shell is cracked and discarded, the shells (naHlet yub) are to be spit out (thlIS),
- sometimes at a nearby diner as a gesture of sociability
- if one eats too neatly or if one does not eat with gusto, it will probably be assumed that one is not enjoying the food
- by the end of a meal there should still be a good amount of food scattered about, but not on one's plate - there should be plenty of food that has been spilt, dropped, or thrown
- at the end of a meal one should avoid picking bits of food out of one's teeth - to do so is an insult to the cook as it implies the food was not well prepared and that the eater wants to get the flavors out of his mouth
- The following dishes
have specific methods of preparation and it is frowned on to ask questions
about the preparation because it shows your cultural ignorance; conversely,
to ask whether it has been naturally or artificially produced shows
knowledge and interest in Klingon cuisine:
- bIreQtagh: bregit lung
- targh tIq: heart of targ
- Qaj tlhuQ: kradge tail
- Soj qub
- tlhImqaH
- menu will be posted in restaurants; most patrons know regular fare and ask about specials including the DaHjaj gheD (today's prey)
- the server (or cook, in a small establishment) does not record the orders he takes - he is expected to remember, and if he remembers incorrectly (qawHa') the patron may reject (lajQo') the dish
- if the patron rejects a dish that the server believes has been properly remembered, the misunderstanding may develop into a minor combat; for other diners, this may be regarded as an exhilarating diversion
- if anything additional is required during a meal (i.e. more food or drink) the patron shouts, "jabwI'!" ("Server!")
- leng Soj= voyage
food - at many restaurants it is possible to order food to be packaged
in boxes to be eaten elsewhere
- it is unwise to order a food that should be eaten live as a leng Soj
- there is no tipping in Klingon restaurants
- tlhol: raw
- qub: rare
- ngal: chewy
- char: slimy
- tlher: lumpy
- wIb: sour, bitter
- na': salty, brackish
- 'ey: delicious (can also describe music)
- tlhorgh: pungent (to non-Klingons: rank/gamy)
- wIb: be sour, bitter, tart
- ghoQ: fresh, just killed
- Baq: fresh, just picked, just fallen off the tree/plant
- DeH: ripe/overripe
- QaD: dried out (of vegetable/fruit) [baQ - just picked - not as favored]
- ghlH: sloppy (while Klingons care little for presentation, this can be attributed to ill-prepared food)
- nglm: putrid, food only fit for animals
- Qop: to be dead (referring to food) [slang] usage meaning to be worn out]
- rotlh: tough, hard (again implying ill-prepared)
- tlhorghHa’: to be bland
This Guide was compiled by Chris Arnold from various online sources as the result of years of sim activity and includes information from the "Food" section of Klingon for the Galactic Traveler by Marc Okrand. Term verification and translation was done by using online translation sources, the Klingon Dictionary by Marc Okrand, and the Klingon Language Institute (Works cited by the KLI: Star Trek: Klingon, Power Klingon, The Klingon Dictionary, The Klingon Way: A Warrior’s Giude, and the HolQed all authored or coauthored by Marc Orkand,
Categories: Treknology