Fresh Licking Food

[RobertScorpio]

I was watching DS9 last night, and had watched TNG the day before. In both cases Klingon Food was featured. The Klingon cafe on DS9 and Riker aboard the Klingon ship to be more precise.

Well, I was wondering, when is food Replicated and when isn't it, and why even bother? I suppose, on Quarks, the Klingon cafe can store it somewhere. But then, how did it get there?

And what about those Klingon ships. Kurn didn't seem so happy to be eating replicated food, making me think that they probably don't, even on their ships.

And then, sometimes, you'll hear characters saying wine isn't as good, or the food...SO WHY BOTHER? Why not just eat fresh food? I think I already know the answers, I'm just wondering what some of you think the answer is...

Rob Scorpio

 

[WillsBabe]

It's story articfice. They eat replicated food and drink when the writers want it to be all sf-y, or maybe don't want eating and drinking to be a plot point. The characters bitch and complain about replicated food and drink not being as good as the "real" stuff when they want some human dynamic to the scene.

I remember reading in the TNG Nitpicker's Guide about Riker bitching about the food in Sickbay being terrible. The author of the book wondered why it would be: wouldn't it come from the same replicator as all the other food.

 

[flightmech73]

I remember reading in the TNG Nitpicker's Guide about Riker bitching about the food in Sickbay being terrible. The author of the book wondered why it would be: wouldn't it come from the same replicator as all the other food.

This from the guy that made eggs only Worf could eat. But I think its more a story thing from the writers.

 

[greenmystik]

Storing fresh food might not be good because they don't know when their next shipment would be so if it all went bad then they would have nothing to eat. Though they could use an arboritum or hydroponics area for vegges, meat would probably harder to keep fresh. Plus Klingon food is usually live when eaten (or semi-alive) so I doubt a ship would want a farm.

 

[T'Ressa Dax]

It's story articfice. They eat replicated food and drink when the writers want it to be all sf-y, or maybe don't want eating and drinking to be a plot point. The characters bitch and complain about replicated food and drink not being as good as the "real" stuff when they want some human dynamic to the scene.

I remember reading in the TNG Nitpicker's Guide about Riker bitching about the food in Sickbay being terrible. The author of the book wondered why it would be: wouldn't it come from the same replicator as all the other food.

Maybe the replicators in sickbay are programmed to make only very bland food!

 

[steevo]

^ Or Riker was just making a small joke as he always did, realizing that sickbay, indeed, probably uses the same replicators as the rest of the ship.

 

[MorganScorpion]

Maybe replicated food is similar to pre-packaged meals, perfectly edible and very convenient, but somehow just not as good as the real thing?

Think of it, why do so many people today live on tins and packages when home cooking using natural ingredients taste better and are much healthier?

Our technology may change, but I think human nature will be much the same.

 

[Joemac]

wasn't there an episode of Enterprise where they went into a kligon ships kitchen and found a barrel of fresh Gagh and live animals?

 

[M'Sharak]

wasn't there an episode of Enterprise where they went into a kligon ships kitchen and found a barrel of fresh Gagh and live animals?

"Sleeping Dogs", I think it was.

Edit: Yep.

 

[Joemac]

Thanx M'Sharak that had me bugged. I also recall several episodes where the freshness of the gagh was dicussed. including when riker was 1st officer aboard a klingon cruiser. It's obviously an important part of the Klingon culinary etiquette to have fresh food on site no matter where they are.

 

[Myasishchev]

I've always wondered it was that made replicated food worse? Is it the lack of bacteria?

Or, more likely, can replicators simply not refine matter into what, say, a fried chicken leg would be, that is a mass of muscle tissue with every cell membrane burst from thermal expansion covered in yummy breading and savory transfats?

In the Klingon case, I think the lack of fresh food is out of necessity. Storage space of a BoP might be rather limited, especially since you need food for the food.