The Magic of Cooking

By Alissa Juett

To cook is to pour the essence of yourself into an edible creation. Chefs who are tied to the magical realms can make a magnitude of dishes with a large range of magical effects.

It was first discovered to be possible by one of the cooks of the first King. Wishing to remain unnamed and let their meals do the talking, the person dubbed “The Magic Cook” created dishes that could warm up an entire room, heal the illest of patients or cause uncontrollable laughter to the most upset person.

It is well known that the people of Boii have always been very skilled when it comes to food so it wasn’t a surprise to anyone when the king decided that the cook who most proved themselves able was a Boii. The Magic Cook was known to be the best in documented history, known for his ability to “weave magic into his work”, and said work inspired most of the modern day cooking in his home region.

But was this magic or was it just an accurate study of ingredients, preparations and combinations? That is what we aim to try and solve here.

There are some foods considered aphrodisiacs, such as chocolate, pomegranate and oysters. It has been debated whether or not this is due to the structural components in the foods themselves, or whether magic is at play. The effects of love and happiness are said to emerge from the veins of magic running throughout the world and we already know that trees and plants can tap into that magic (evident in the forest of the Ambiani people). The idea that these foods have also sewn their roots into the magic flowing through the Earth doesn’t seem so impossible when we look at what entire forests can become.

If we lean into the argument that food can not contain magic, there are in fact some effects from The Magic Cooks food that can not be explained. Known to be the “Feast of Cold”, our first king had an entire buffet laid out in front of all of his guests to try and lighten the spirits of those who were feeling upset due to a heatwave at the time. The food itself was considered nothing extraordinary consisting of loaves of bread, meats, fruits, juices and wines. However, after all of the food was consumed, the guests were no longer feeling the heat.

Documented experiences reveal that guests saw that the food was “different”. Some explain it had a “red wisp-like aura to it” where others state “the smell coming from the food smelt hot, if something can smell of a temperature.”

One recount of the story passed down through generations states with certainty that the entire experience was magical. Some brought their own ingredients for the cook to use yet they had never tasted a meal quite like this one. On top of it being delicious, it raised everyone's spirits and temperatures. The Magic Cook truly was magical and his ability to cook was unmatched. Not only was this feast special,but mostly everything prepared by this man was. He had been able to change the King's mood from sad to happy with one bowl of soup, heal the sick Queen with just a few slices of fruit pie and most impressively calmed the heads of two of the wealthiest in the kingdom who were about to start a civil war with a loaf of bread.

Maybe it is possible to cook with more than just the ingredients given to us by the Earth. We understand that food can have its own effects on people but when paired with magic and the correct hands and mind the game changes.