Although I’m getting a little old to openly admit this, there’s nothing I love more than curling up on the couch to watch Harry Potter. And as the foodie I am, I obviously tend to pay special attention to any scenes surrounding food. From pumpkin juice to Butterbeer, to dinner in the Great Hall to Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, there are plenty of unforgettable Harry Potter food experiences unique to JK Rowling’s wizarding world.
Here are some of the most iconic Harry Potter food moments from the eight movies that probably shaped your childhood. Beware: They’ll probably renew your hopes that you’ll be getting your Hogwarts letter any day, make you hangry, or both.
1. Hagrid’s Birthday Cake for Harry — “Sorcerer’s Stone”
Incorrect spelling and being slightly squashed aside, it’s the thought that counts. Too bad Dudley pigged out on the cake before Harry could have a bite. He got what was coming to him, though.
2. Buying All the Sweets from the Trolley — “Sorcerer’s Stone”
As Harry’s first foray into the world of wizarding sweets, this scene always made me wish that I could try Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans and collect chocolate frog cards. Luckily, now they’re on sale for avid fans at Universal Studios the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park.
3. When Dumbledore Makes Food Appear — “Sorcerer’s Stone”
I think eating a meal in the Great Hall is a dream of every foodie’s. Just imagine returning to Hogwarts starving, and Dumbledore waves his hands and every food you can imagine appears. Ron shoving drumsticks into his mouth is basically me at every potluck.
4. The Halloween Feast — “Sorcerer’s Stone”
Being an avid fan of everything pumpkin flavored in the fall, I really wish I had the opportunity to try pumpkin juice. I imagine there were plenty of other fun sweets laid out for students at this Halloween Feast that was cut short by Professor Quarrel and the troll in the dungeons.
5. When Dobby Drops the Cake — “Chamber of Secrets”
As an amateur baker, a dropped cake is my absolute worst nightmare. This scene always makes me cringe for Harry and almost feel bad for the Dursleys, but not quite.
6. The Refilling Plate of Sandwiches — “Chamber of Secrets”
Although this scene just occurs because Ron and Harry are in massive trouble, I can’t help but wish I was there with them. It’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet without having to get a new plate every time.
7. The Inedible Feast at Nearly Headless Nick’s Party — “Chamber of Secrets”
I don’t know how long I would have lasted at Nearly Headless Nick’s deathly celebration. There’s nothing worse than a huge table of food that I can’t eat, especially if it’s smelly.
8. Cupcakes that Drugged Crabbe and Goyle — “Chamber of Secrets”
Honestly, only Crabbe and Goyle would be gullible and hungry enough to eat mysterious floating cupcakes. Lucky for Harry and Ron they did, though, or else the Polyjuice Potion plan wouldn’t have worked.
9. When Lupin gave Everyone Chocolate — “Prisoner of Azkaban”
I’m always looking for an opportunity to eat chocolate, so if it helps combat sadness when you’re around dementors, that’s a valid excuse to me. Although, I think I’d also practice my patronus charm, just in case.
10. Exploring Honeyduke’s Sweetshop — “Prisoner of Azkaban”
Honeyduke’s is every candy-lovers dream candy shop. I’m sure that every candy not only tastes delicious, but has an amazing magical twist, like chocolate frogs. Maybe except for vomit flavored Bertie Bott’s, which you can try for yourself at Universal Studios.
11. Hagrid’s Rock Cakes — “Goblet of Fire”
Rock cakes are one wizarding food that I’m glad I didn’t have the pleasure of tasting. Poor Hagrid doesn’t even know how bad they are in this scene when he offers them to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Fortunately, muggles have invented a more tooth-friendly copycat recipe.
12. When Everyone Simply Said their Order — “Goblet of Fire”
Although this part was left out of the movies, I had to include it because of how amazing it would be for a dinner party. At the Yule Ball, each attendee simply said their dinner order from the menu and the plate appeared in front of them. Talk about fast service!
13. The Weasley’s Skiving Snackbox — “Order of the Phoenix”
Although the side effects of this Weasley Wizard Weezes product are no fun, at least they’d get you out of class. I always especially loved the scene in the movie where Filtch eats a whole box of the candies and gets red boils everywhere.
If you want to try this Weasley product without the magical side effects, it’ll set you back $40 at Universal Studios.
14. Slughorn’s Dinner Parties — “Half-Blood Prince”
I would have loved to be a fly on the wall at the Slug Club just to hear the stories. Add in the delicious-looking meal with multiple courses and it sounds like the perfect evening to me. That’s if I could put up with Slughorn’s blatant favoritism.
15) Drinking Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks — “Half-Blood Prince”
In the books and movies, Butterbeer is always a warm drink. In one scene from the Goblet of Fire, Hermione suggests they stop by the Three Broomsticks for three Butterbeers to warm up on a cold day in Hogsmeade. In this scene, the golden trio is just trying, and failing, to enjoy a drink in peace.
16. Ron Mistakenly Eats Chocolates Spiked with Love Potion — “Half-Blood Prince”
This part of the movie is just a series of unfortunate events for Ron. Not only does he eat a whole box of chocolates spiked with love potion intended for Harry, but then he drinks poisoned whiskey with Slughorn.
17. When Ginny Feeds Harry — “Half-Blood Prince”
I live for every Harry and Ginny romance moment, and I especially loved the delicacy with which Ginny feeds Harry mince pie in this scene. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for them to have intimate moments around the entire Weasley family.
18. When Kreacher Started Cooking — “Deathly Hallows Part I”
Although Kreacher started off so hesitantly, he ended up being a huge help to Harry, Ron, and Hermione after he received the locket that once belonged to Regulus Black.
He was an amazing cook, specializing in traditional British fare like breakfast rolls, steak and kidney pie, and french onion soup.
19. Tea and Hot Chocolate Heals All — “Dealthy Hallows Part II”
Watching this part of the movie, I was hit with so many feels that I felt like I needed a heart-warming cup of hot chocolate. It’s used throughout the series as a pick-me-up, but it was probably needed the most in this scene from the Battle of Hogwarts.
If you’re feeling especially tortured by these Harry Potter foods experiences that you can’t technically have, you can either head to Universal Studios or make your own versions of these treats. Dare I say, in some cases, I’m betting muggles can make them even better?