From Hyrule to the table: The Legend of Zelda and the rise of game-inspired food culture

This article examines food culture in gaming fandoms through the latest two instalments of The Legend of Zelda video game series and its fans and players. Specifically, it explores how food has been integrated into the games, how Zelda players engage with the various food-related features, and how these mediate their gaming, everyday life and fandom experiences. Additionally, the commercialization of Zelda foods is examined to showcase the potential that video game foods have for generating increased revenue and exposure for businesses. Relying on conceptual frameworks of resonance theory, affordances, immersion, projective character, participatory culture and the food meaning diagram (FMD) and drawing on participant observation on social media platforms (Reddit, Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube), media interviews with game developers and in-depth exploration of the game and its content, I demonstrate how video game foods support players’ passions for gaming, creativity, cultural exchange, self-expression and cooking. Exploring fan experiences both in-game and on social media I describe how they are shaped by the prominent presence of food in the latest Zelda games. The key findings reveal a new and complex kind of a relationship emerging between players and the Zelda franchise grounded in the in-game food cultures and implementation of immersive food-related features.