Food Quote by Jack Campbell
““Desjani pulled out a ration bar. 'Hungry?' she asked Geary. 'I had something earlier. Is that a Yanika Babiya?' 'No. It’s . . .' She squinted at the label. 'Spicy chicken curry.' 'A chicken curry ration bar? How are they?' Taking a small bite, Desjani chewed slowly, pretending not to be aware that everyone on the bridge was watching her instead of staring at the representation of the alien hypernet gate. 'It’s definitely got curry in it. Spicy, not so much. Some of the other stuff tastes like chicken.' 'That doesn’t narrow it down too much, does it?' Geary said. 'Every kind of meat in a ration bar tastes like chicken, Captain,' Lieutenant Castries suggested. 'Except the chicken.' 'You’re right, Lieutenant,' Desjani said. 'Real chicken in ration bars tastes like, what, mutton?' 'Ham,' Yuon tossed in. 'Bad ham.' 'So this can’t be chicken because it tastes like chicken,' Desjani concluded.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Science Fiction Short Story, 2021
Characters use humor and speculation to describe an unfamiliar ration bar, highlighting uncertainty in alien technology.
In simple terms: People guess the flavor of an alien food.
Key Takeaway
Use humor to cope with unknowns.
Themes
curiosity
humor
uncertainty
Mood
lighthearted
skeptical
Type
narrative
dialogue
When to use this quote
- space travel
- food testing
- first contact
- team dynamics
Key Concepts
speculation
cross‑cultural misunderstanding
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions do we make about alien tech?
- How does humor affect team morale?
A Different Perspective
Humor may mask serious safety concerns.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
