Fast food in runeterra?

usul1202·7/26/2019, 4:30:48 PM·19 votes·15,749 views

I generally count fast food as a pretty modern thing, and would associate it with some of the more modern societies in league lore, like Piltover. Recently learned I'm wrong about that, it's historically present in some form and even ancient Rome had fast food ( https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/romans-loved-fast-food-much-we-do-180971845/ for the interested). This got me wondering about fast food in Runeterra. Could Galio really be serving fried chicken in Demacia? Is Shurima into pizza enough to warrent Sivir's violent delivery methods? Do noxian happy meals have spikes on their boxes, and do those have a mortality rate if so? (weeding out the weak)

(generically qualifying fast food as drive-thru/quick takeout style food, although open to discussion about the bounds of that definition)

What kinds of fast food do you think are popular in the different areas of Runeterra?

52 Comments

RiotBioluminescence7/26/2019, 5:14:06 PM23 votes

I like this topic.

I think that, historically, 'fast' or street food was present less because people were in a hurry and had disposable money to spend on premade food, as it was about the fact that running an oven or other intensive cooking setup was very expensive and the majority of homes in many places and times did not have one.

That's why it used to be that bread was baked in a central oven in a settlement, rather than each home baking their own. Having an oven was a big investment, took a long time to get up to heat (which meant a lot of expensive fuel) and generally would only be used a few times a week - thus, not worth.

So look to nations where fuel would be expensive or hard to get a hold of, or where living situations favor smaller homes, or where heat (ovens generate a lot of it) is highly undesirable within the living spaces.

Without looking at my notes (which I've got a bunch of - we did a Thunderdome) I'd say look to:

Piltover: Apartment living is a thing, and having an oven in every apartment would be crazy. Also, it's a big city so getting fuel would be expensive.
Zaun: Similar problem with the added fun of open flames and smoke adding fun times in the often-smoggy, frequently-affected-by-gas-leaks, lower tiers.
Shurima: In the cities at least, communal cooking would probably be a thing, especially where fuel would be difficult to find.
Bilgewater: Populated by boom-and-bust workers unlikely to have a stable home situation, there are probably food options for every price range, depending on how your last monster hunt, theft, or trade went down.

The Iceborn7/26/2019, 4:46:01 PM7 votes

I hope that there is some tasty, fried poros as a delicacy at the Frostguard :)

LordRedStone Nr17/26/2019, 4:42:38 PM5 votes

You know about Tacos, right? So my vote is on Noxus.

Demacian food is mostly agricultural, so I don't think they would have something to eat on the go.

Piltover does have food stands - and probably Zaun too, though you don't want to know what you just bought.

Shurima is a bit tricky - it can only be a thing in the cities (obviously). While there is evidence of merchants selling food and water on the street (specifically water in Bloodline, but I assume food too), it's not clear if it's really fast food in the sense that it's "to go". You'd rather buy supplies that last long on your journey through the desert, and not something to eat right away. Most fast food also spoils very fast.

Bilgewater - maybe.

Ixtal, Freljord, Targon, Ionia - nah.

Jesi Oni7/26/2019, 4:47:59 PM3 votes

Ionia Ramen

HungryAngry2SPP7/26/2019, 10:15:33 PM2 votes

######Who has the best fast food? DEEEEMAAAAACIAAAAAAA!!!

Wait, what was the question?

AModestSaint7/27/2019, 3:35:14 AM2 votes

I like the idea of fast food being served street side. It's an interesting concepts that bring up a lot of new questions about the food of runeterra. Good thinking!

KatarinaIsPuke7/31/2019, 7:39:33 PM1 votes

Pantheon's Bakery is hiring!

SEKAI7/26/2019, 5:13:10 PM1 votes

People have been selling food that can either eat on the go or you sit in the shed and finish it in 3 min, for a long time already. In the western world there's the Ancient Rome's Thermopolium that is basically a fast food store that sold ready-to-eat food and funnily enough Ancient Rome were also the first inventors of hamburgers (soz Americans). Then you get quickie street food stalls that's one of the staples in Asian food culture which dates back however long. And I'm sure most cultures should have that sort of thing at least at some point in time.

Such infrastructure was often necessary because there needed to be ways to feed the hungry labouring force quickly (miners, fishers, sailors, etc; though for positions such as farmers, foragers and foresters, typically they have people who send food to the field so it's more about pre-modern UberEats than it is fast food), but also ofc being the money savvy many people are they were quick to set up businesses to cater to the demand and thus gave birth to fast food.

All in all, fast food joint/chain is modern, yes; but fast food as a concept, no not really.

............

Also fast food exists on Runeterra. it's called FEEDING.

14daysuspensionk7/26/2019, 6:11:42 PM1 votes

I wonder which ones Tahm eats.

Yordle Xayah7/26/2019, 6:44:38 PM1 votes

I love how you acknowledge that we don't have that kind of edible trash in Bandle City. Everything's fresh and prepared to order here.

IlyaK19867/28/2019, 1:46:19 AM1 votes

Oh, as for who has the best fast food?

I'm an absolute sucker for ramen. So Ionia pls.

GYLDA7/29/2019, 12:25:49 AM1 votes

Imagine eating some fried bilgewater rat ass damn that shit juicy