The long-awaited Dune: Part Two was released earlier this month. The much-talked-about film—which generated more than $180 million in its first weekend—has captivated movie theater-goers all over the world, with reviewers calling the epic sci-fi sequel “immense,” “awe-inspiring,” and “absolutely gorgeous.”
The films are based on the books of the same name by Frank Herbert, and imagine a universe where different planets are struggling for power over a desert planet called Arrakis, its people (the Fremen), and its abundant supply of the profitable psychedelic drug Melange (often referred to as “spice”). As you might expect, the desire for wealth and control ultimately leads to war—and this is what we see unfold in Part Two.
If you’re yet to witness the cinematic spectacle that is the sequel and you’re planning a pre-viewing feast in honor of the occasion, we’ve listed a few different dishes you might want to serve to your fellow Dune fans below. They’re also great choices if you’ve already seen it, but just want to immerse yourself back in the fantasy world. Or maybe you’re just a fan of the movie’s star-studded cast, which includes Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, and Florence Pugh, and are interested in their favorite foods (spoiler: one of them is grilled cheese).
Or maybe, you’re just hungry. Regardless of your feelings, we’re confident you’re going to love the selection we’ve gathered. And everything is vegan, of course.
8 dishes perfect for your Dune: Part Two celebration feast
1 ‘Spice’ Cinnamon Sugar Churros
Melange is the reason for all of the events we see in the Dune novels and books, so, of course, we had to start this list with something spice-inspired. In the story, Lady Jessica (the mother of Chalamet’s central character, Paul, who is played by Rebecca Ferguson), reveals that her first try of the drug “tasted like cinnamon,” hence why we’ve picked these delicious vegan cinnamon sugar churros. They’re deliciously crispy, golden, sugar-dusted, and best served with rich chocolate sauce.
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Plant Based Folk
2 Middle Eastern Maqluba
Much of Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two were filmed in Jordan’s Wadi Rum, an area of protected desert wilderness (now likely to become a popular tourist destination). So, in honor of the country that gave us real-life Arrakis, we felt it was only right to include one of its most-loved dishes, maqluba, on this list. The Middle Eastern dish, which is also eaten across Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq, consists of vegetables and rice that are layered in a pot before being flipped over before serving. Find out more about its origins and how to make it below.
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Gina Fontana
3 Zendaya’s favorite grilled cheese
Zendaya, who plays Fremen warrior Chani, is a big fan of In-N-Out, according to a recent interview with Elle. But as a vegetarian, she’s not after the burgers. “I always go get my grilled cheese,” she said. “I know people are like, ‘Wait, aren’t you a vegetarian?’ Grilled cheese. They’re bomb.” Unfortunately, the popular fast-food chain doesn’t offer a vegan version of the actress’ favorite, but you can make your own vegan grilled cheese with our recipe below (and with pumpkin, pear, and candied pecans, we think it’s even better than the In-N-Out version, sorry, Zendaya).
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Ooh La La It’s Vegan
4 Water of Life Kamikaze shots
In Dune, Water of Life is not to be messed with. This blue liquid is a concentrated form of spice and can be poisonous if used in the wrong way (to find out more, you’ll have to watch the movies or read the books!). This fun, vibrant, tangy blue shot from Ohh La La It’s Vegan would make the perfect Water of Life shot for any Dune-inspired party. It isn’t poisonous, but it is alcoholic, so enjoy it in moderation.
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Canva
5 Vegan bagels in honor of Timothée Chalamet
We don’t know much about Chalamet’s diet, but we do know that like any true New Yorker, he loves bagels. In 2018, he told Frank Ocean in an interview for V Magazine that he always heads to Tompkins Square Bagels in the city for the “best bagels.” If that’s a little far for you to go to stock up, you can find more of our favorite brands below. Eat one for you and then another one for Chalamet, go on, you deserve it.
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Sarah Bond
6 Desert Dulce Date Leche Popsicles
Keeping cool is essential in the desert, and while Herbert’s version of Arrakis might not be stocked up on popsicles, that doesn’t mean your Dune party can’t imagine that it is. These delicious leche popsicles are also made with dates, a favorite food in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where much of Dune was also filmed.
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Lowly Food
7 Florence Pugh’s proper full English breakfast
Pugh makes her Dune debut as Princess Irulan in the second movie in the series. Celebrate her role in the franchise by munching down on one of the British actress’ favorite meals: a full English breakfast. In a recent video for Vanity Fair, she told her fellow castmates that her go-to hungover breakfast consists of “sourdough, beans, bacon, fried egg, a little bit of spicy thing on the side. Some tomatoes, sausages, English sausages, ketchup, HP sauce, runny yolk.” Pugh’s version, of course, isn’t vegan, but it’s easy to make a delicious plant-based English breakfast, as this recipe from Lowly Food demonstrates.
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Marie Laforêt
8 House Atreides x Fremen fusion: Cinnamon Rice Pudding
Paul and Lady Jessica both belong to House Atreides, the ruling house that moved from the planet of Caladan to Arrakis to take over Spice production. For that reason, we think a fusion of their cuisine with the Fremen’s would look something like this cinnamon rice pudding. The cinnamon is, of course, the Spice, but the rice part is also important—on Caladan, House Atreides cultivated a type of grain called Pungi rice.
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This post was originally published on VegNews.com.