Fairy food folklore is found across many ancient European cultures. If you're looking to leave offerings for the fae, here's what legend tells us will make them happy.
In children's stories, fairies are often depicted as cute and friendly. At most, they are occasionally mischevious, but generally they're harmelss and adorable. If you look back in history, though, fairy folk were sometimes fearsome an down right dangerous. In fantasy literature from Shakespeare to modern day, they are manipulative and superior. Their attitude toward humans can be careless to the point of cruelty. And they have very clever ways to kill you.
If you consider that the archetype of fairies is as a manifestation of various elements of nature, it's no wonder that they can be fickle. Nature itself exists beyond our control and will fight fiercely for its survival. So of course fairies are more concerned with their own existence. What humans see as needlessly cruel may just be a misunderstanding of culture.
Many modern witches and pagans work with fairy energy in their practice, and one of the most common ways to appease or community with fairy folk is through food.
What foods do fairies like?
Broadly speaking, fairies are nature spirits, but there are specific legends for specific regions, so you may want to research nature spirits in your area to see if they have any particular preferences. I think it's safe to assume they would always appreciate anything that grows locally.
Much of our knowledge comes from Celtic traditions. If you want to work with the general energy of the fae, here are some foods they may enjoy.
- Apples
- Blackberries
- Butter
- Elder (berries or flowers)
- Honey
- Milk
- Rosemary
- Strawberries
- Thyme
Experiment with offering the nature spirits in your area different fruits, nuts, and seeds to see what they like.
How to give offerings
In order to develop a favorable relationship with the fae, you may want to leave them regular offerings of fairy food. And likely you'll want to leave them outside, as that's where fairies usually live. You may want to consider a few practical things before setting out your offering.
Be mindful of local wildlife. Don't leave out food that is poisonous or harmful to the birds, squirrels, and other animals in your area. It definitely won't win you favor with the spirits that guard them. Also consider the containers you're using. Maybe fashion a pate out of a large leaf or use a more natural material like ceramic rather than plastic.
You'll know your relationship with the fairies you're working with, but I think it's always wise to be very clear about expectations when it comes to working with these creatures. They generally love to be adored, and once you start giving them offerings, they may not like it if you stop.
If you decide to enter into a bargain or quid pro quo, be sure you know what you're getting yourself into. You will be held to your word.
Recipes for Fairy Energy
Whether you want to cook up a feast for your fairy folk or you simply want to create some fairy energy in your kitchen, here are a few recipe ideas using fairy foods that you and your fairy friends may enjoy.
- Whipped Feta on Toast - Top this with strawberries, honey, pine nuts, and other fairy treats.
- Apple Butter & Sharp Cheddar Grilled Cheese
- Cinnamon Whole Wheat Pancakes with Blackberry Brown Butter Syrup
- Old Fashioned Pound Cake - Use high quality butter and serve with fresh berries and whipped cream
- Goat Cheese Crostini with Macadamia Nuts & Honey
- Buttermilk Soda Bread - offer a piece to the fae with butter and honey
- Rosemary Potato Rolls
- Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad
- Garlic & Thyme Baked Camembert
I hope this has given you some ideas for how to feed the fae. Keep them happy, and hopefully, they'll be on your side. Of course, there's no telling with fairies. They do what they like. But even though they're fickle and fiendish, we love them anyway.
Check out The Coven of Awesomeness Podcast to learn more about working with fairies. Check out my Witchcraft Academy workshops to learn more about modern witchcraft and magick.
Leave a Reply