OK so picture this: you are traveling through Westeros, then taking a ship to Essos, and finishing things off going further east into disputed/free lands. What is it you are going to be eating? Whether you are up in Northern Westeros at Winterfell, in Qarth on the far east, or Dorne back in Westeros in the deep south, you will definitely be eating a variety of different foods. Let’s explore your culinary journey to come!

The North (Winterfell) – Roasted Aurochs with Winter Vegetables

When the King (or Queen — shout out to Sansa!) in the North isn’t busy defending Winterfell from invaders, they’re chowing down on this.

In “A Clash of Kings,” Bran Stark admires a feat before him, complete with roasted aurochs and leeks. Since this is the North, winter veggies also fit in.

Aurochs were a type of cattle that are now extinct. Winter vegetables usually refer to root veggies, like carrots, parsnips, and potatoes.

The Iron Islands (Pyke) – Salted Cod and Seaweed Stew

Nothing says the Iron Islands like a hearty seafood stew. You could buy fresh cod pre-salted, if you don’t want to do it yourself.

Since the people of the Iron Islands make do with what they’ve got, it makes sense that they’d use seaweed — though it can be salty.

If you’re making this at home, use the seaweed sparingly. This meal is similar to kandara jiru, so you can follow a recipe for that.

The Riverlands (Riverrun) – Trout Wrapped in Bacon

This is another meal taken straight from “A Clash of Kings,” where Brienne of Tarth (our favorite lady knight) eyes some bacon-wrapped trout.

Trout are also a type of freshwater fish, spending much of their lives in rivers. The people of the Riverlands would undoubtedly eat a lot of it.

The recipe isn’t too difficult — simply season your fish with lemon and thyme, before wrapping in bacon and baking in the oven.

The Vale (The Eyrie) – Honeyed Chicken with Roasted Root Vegetables

While this particular meal was mentioned in “A Game of Thrones” and eaten by Ghost, Jon Snow’s direwolf, it’s well-suited for the Vale.

Root vegetables are hardy, and are recommended as a mountain crop. Since the Vale is a mountainous region, it makes sense that they’d eat these.

To make, you need to create a honey sauce for the chicken. Recipes can vary, but some use apple cider vinegar, honey, and mint.

The Westerlands (Casterly Rock) – Venison Pie with Red Wine Sauce

If you binged Game of Thrones, you’d know that Casterly Rock is the Lannisters’ home. After a day of hunting, it’s easy to imagine them eating this.

Venison refers to deer meat. You don’t have to hunt down the deer yourself, but it is best if you purchase the meat from a hunter.

There’s plenty of ways to make red wine sauce, but many people make it with shallots, beef broth, butter, and olive oil.

The Reach (Highgarden) – Lemon Cakes and Mint Tea

Lemon cakes were first popularized by Sansa Stark, who absolutely adores them. In season three, she and Margery Tyrell of Highgarden strike up a friendship.

Lemon cakes aren’t too difficult to make. Here’s a cake hack: top these with candied lemon slices and bake with lemon zest.

Since House Tyrell supplies Westeros with crops and fruits, they’re bound to have delicious mint teas. The mint’s freshness pairs well with the lemon cake’s tartness.

Stormlands (Storm’s End) – Stuffed Peppers with Spiced Lamb

The Stormlands are aptly named. Known for their heavy rainfall, they have a warm, humid climate that lends itself well to growing things.

Peppers are among these crops. Honestly, who doesn’t love a good stuffed pepper? They’re not that hard to make, either, even if you’re a kitchen novice.

For this meal, you’ll want to use ground lamb. The spices vary depending on your tastes, but we suggest oregano, paprika, pepper, and rosemary.

Dorne (Sunspear) – Spicy Stuffed Grape Leaves

Grape leaves are a popular food in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Seeing as Dorne was based off of Moorish Spain, stuffed grape leaves are fitting.

The stuffing can differ from region to region, but rice is the most popular. You can also stuff them with a ground meat of your choosing.

To spice it up, add some paprika and pepper. Lemons are also used for seasoning, making for a slightly sour dish.

The Crownlands (King’s Landing) – Pigeon Pie with Golden Crust

Remember the Purple Wedding, when Joffrey finally got what was coming to him? Well, if you’ve got a really great memory, you might remember the pie.

That’s right: the centerpiece at Joffrey and Margery Tyrell’s wedding was a pigeon pie, though theirs was hollowed out and filled with (mostly) live pigeons.

If you want to make this at home, you don’t have to go with pigeons. You can use quail, Cornish hen, or just plain chicken.

Dragonstone – Smoked Dragonfish with Seaweed Salad

This castle belongs to the Targaryens, and is located on an island. So, you can bet that they’d be eating seafood.

As the House of the Dragon, it’s only fitting that they’d be munching on dragonfish! They may look menacing, with their fangs, but they’re actually quite tasty.

As a more exotic fish, they’re harder to cook at home. However, a refreshing seaweed salad isn’t. Top with soy sauce and sesame seeds, and you’re set.

Essos

Braavos – Seafood Paella with Saffron and Mussels

Keep the seafood dishes coming! You’ll remember Braavos as the home of the Faceless Men, but as a city comprised of small islands, they’ve mastered seafood dishes.

Flavoring and coloring the rice with saffron perfectly complements the mussels. If you want, you can add paprika and shrimp to your dish.

Paella is best prepared in a large cast-iron pan. It’s an incredibly flavorful dish, complete with chopped tomatoes, onions, and garlic.

Pentos – Roasted Quail with Figs and Honey

Another one of the Free Cities, you might remember Pentos from season one, the place where Daenerys and Viserys hide out before traveling with the Dothraki.

This recipe is loosely based on one found in the official Game of Thrones cookbook. This one incorporates figs, however, and roasts the quail.

It’s difficult to make — it’s a meal fit for a queen, after all — but worth the effort. For maximum flavor, serve the figs with balsamic vinegar.

Volantis – Spiced Fire Pods (Hot Peppers) with Grilled Pork

Volantis is one of the most powerful Free Cities. Known for its scorching heat, it’s also a hot spot for worshippers of the mysterious Lord of Light.

Firepods are an Essosi plant. Since they don’t exist in real life, you’ll have to swap them out for hot peppers when making this meal.

We suggest using poblano peppers for a Mexican-inspired dish. As for the meat, you can use pork chops or pork tenderloin.

Lys – Sweetfruit Tart with Candied Lemon Peel

Lys is known as a land of luxury, so they’d specialize in all things sweet. You can opt for whichever sweet fruit you like best.

Start by making a custard with cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste. You’ll top it with candied lemon peels, but you can experiment.

Strawberries, blueberries, and kiwis are all popular toppings on fruit tarts, and will make your dessert a little more sour, if that’s what you’re looking for.

Myr – Myrish Fire Wine with Assorted Cheese

Myr is a classy city, known for its fine lace, glasswork, and other artistic products. A classy wine and cheese night is right up their alley.

Myrish fire wine is a digestive aid. Since it’s (obviously) not real, we’ll go with the next best thing: red wine. Apparently, red wine has similar properties.

As for the cheese, we have several suggestions. Cheddar, pecorino, and gouda all work, depending on the type of red wine you choose.

Norvos – Stewed Rabbit with Juniper Berries

This stew is hearty, flavorful, and easy to make in a slow cooker. You’ll need a variety of ingredients aside from the rabbit meat and juniper berries.

You’ll want onions, carrots, celery, and rosemary for flavor, texture, and added nutrients. For the broth, you’ll want red wine, olive oil, and tomato paste.

You should also include chicken broth and olives. This one won’t take all day to make, thankfully. You’ll only need to cook it for an hour or so.

Qohor – Wild Boar Ribs with Dark Ale

Qohor is an Essosi trading hub known for its blacksmiths, who work with precious Valyrian steel. All that hard work demands a filling meal!

Luckily, wild boar ribs with dark ale do the job nicely. Since it’s hard to get a hold of wild boar meat, regular pork ribs will do.

You’ll want to soak the ribs in a dark ale to tenderize the meat. This is best accomplished with a slow cooker.

Lorath – Baked Lobster with Butter and Herbs

Lorath is in Northern Essos. Like Braavos, it is made up of a group of islands. They make most of their money from fishing and whaling.

A simple lobster dish fits the Lorathi people perfectly, and is absolutely delicious. Instead of baking the whole lobster, go for the tail instead.

Garlic is a must-have when it comes to seasoning your lobster, along with lemon and pepper. As for the herbs, go for parsley.

Tyrosh – Pear Brandy and Salted Almonds

Tyrosh is a harbor city as well as a free city, its in fact its really an island and is north of the Stepstones. Being a harbor city, alcohol is a hot trade.

Much like Lannisport, Oldtown, and King’s Landing, Tyrosh is a harbor city and brandy in fact is a major business of theirs. The almonds accompany them well.

While not much time in the shows is spent in Tyrosh, we do know that they have high walls and a very large fleet that is referred to frequently.

Meereen – Honeyed Locusts (A Delicacy)

Ancient and glorious is Meereen! Meereen as we know has much history to it as well as a lot of culture and different structures that help make it the well-known place it is.

Meereen is the largest city of Slaver’s Bay and is ruled by the great masters. They aren’t well known for cuisine, really whatsoever.

Meereen actually who’s people are mainly Ghiscari love to eat dog! Yep, that’s right, dog…
It’s pretty rough to consider but Meereen is not paradise.

Beyond the Known Lands

The Dothraki Sea – Grilled Horse Steak with Fire Peppers

The Dothraki sea is considered a vast region in Essos, remember that Dothraki do not travel anywhere their horses cannot.

So some people love to ride horses, some people like to pet them, and some people apparently eat them too. The Dothraki do love their horses.

Now we still want to know if the Dothraki will make it to Westeros, but if their horses can make it on “wooden horses” then it is possible!

Yi-Ti – Fried Calf and Rice

Yi-Ti is about as far in this universe as you can get. In fact, there have been rumors of a cartoon show that could come out based in Yi-Ti.

Yi-Ti is considered one of the oldest civilizations. Its also near impossible to get to. Yi-Ti has been noted as a place Corlys Valryon, the Seasnake visited.

There is not a great deal known about Yi-Ti due to the lack of visits and the fact that Yitish records are guarded heavily.

Asshai by the Shadow – Exotic Fruit Platter with Black Rice

Sometimes referred to as the Shadow, is a very creepy and bizarre port city, with not too much known of it.

There is somewhat of an ominous reputation given to Asshai, especially with the people, the Asshai’i.

The origins of the city are actually lost, their own people do not know its origins. This explains why you will likely be served a variety of foods.

The Summer Isles – Roasted Parrot with Tropical Fruits

OK so you are off to the Summer Isles, whats going to be eaten? Well considering its an island, your options are limited.

You will eat the fowl and fruit that comes from the island. The Summer Islanders are a very adventurous and capable people after all.

Considering the powers of the Summer Islanders in a military sense, they are good hunters. They also are not considered violent people.

Qarth – Spiced Wine with Roasted Goat

Qarth is an ancient city. We actually spend a fair amount of time in GoT at Qarth, in Season 2. Qarth is called the Queen of Cities.

They are known to be a bit of a lavish city. It does include the Thirteen as well as the house of the undying. Warlocks live here as well.

Qarth is a very interesting place, and known to be a bit strange. Your meal will be no different! It will likely still be delicious.

The Red Waste – Lizard-Lion Stew with Wild Herbs

To the Red Waste…Here we are south of the great Dothraki Sea. The abandoned cities within it are fascinating and its a very vast land.

The problem however with the Red Waste is the lack of forage. You aren’t able to get much. So A Lizard-Lion stew is a very likely meal you could have.

The Red Waste used to be considered more “fertile” however it really is just a barren dessert. Much of the region was sacked by the Dothraki over the years.

The Bone Mountains – Mountain Goat Kebabs with Barley Bread

If you travel to the Bone Mountains, you may be lost. It travels over a far distance. The food is mountainous like the region itself.

This is an area that much of the Dothraki passed through. So maybe horse, but goats live heavily in these mountains, get ready for some!

Funnily, the famous Lomas Longstrider had actually believed when he was in the Bone Mountains that he was at the end of the earth!

The Land of Always Winter – Iced Blueberries in Sweet Cream

The Land of Always Winter is about as north as it gets. It goes beyond the wall, and is where the White Walkers reside.

Its a bit of an odd choice, but their may not be much else to eat other than berries and the frost that comes from the cold air.

If you are going to go to the Land of Always Winter, make sure to steer clear of Thenns and White Walkers!

Sothoryos – Jungle Fowl Roasted with Spicy Mango Chutney

The name of this place is helpful when giving direction-Sothoryos. Sothoros as is a content southeast of Westeros.

Sothoryos is filled with jungles and is incredibly unexplored. A few cities are known like Yeen and Gorosh, but not many…

There aren’t many to compare Sothoryi to. The Brindled Men are large and some Sothoryi are known for cannibalism.