I'm writing about this in the hope that all of your curiousity about this new park matches mine.  I have found myself wondering about this park on an abnormally frequent basis - what will the rides be?  Will there be people walking around in costume?  What will the gift store sell? How will the buildings look (relative to the ones I have lodged into my memory with the unique devotion of a religious Harry Potter fiend)?  And - especially after seeing pictures of the movie cast testing out samples - what Harry Potter food will be offered?

Not as easy to find online as one would think - the food and drink menu is not, for example, offered in full on the park's website.  But (again with that unique devotion!) I searched on, and eventually found reviews of food at the park written by those who have been lucky enough to visit.  This is not the menu in full, by any means, but it was enough to (at least partially) satisfy my curiousity.  I hope it does the same for you.

A List & Description of Menu Items from the Harry Potter Theme Park in Orlando, FL:

1. Butterbeer:  This seems to be the prized menu item of the park, for not only is it one of only 3 items described on the website, but it also seems to have reviewed quite good reviews from those who have tried it.  Completely non-alcoholic, this "beer" comes in 2 forms - frozen or liquid, the first being a light brown in color and the second being a deep orange.  Both beers are extremely sweet, and taste much more like desert than beer - a combination of caramel, shortbread cookie dough, butterscotch, and vanilla creme. The liquid option is one part liquid (or frozen liquid, in the case of the alternative option), and the liquid is topped with a foamy froth that has a slightly different (but well-blended) taste.  Despite its being extremely sweet, this drink has been reported not to be so rich that it fails to hydrate after a hot day around the park.  The frozen version is of an ice-cream-like consistency, and is as equally refreshing and hydrating as the liquid version has been said to be.

2.  Pumpkin Juice: This appears to come second to the Butterbeer in terms of hype, but nonetheless received awesome reviews across the blogging board.  More of an actual (nonalcoholic) drink than a desert, this has been reported to taste like "pumpkin cider", tasting as cinnamon-y and spicy as regular cider, but featuring pumpkins instead of apples as the central taste-point.  Unlike cider, as well, this drink is not warmed up - it is only served at a cold temperature.  This could well only be the case, though, because of the phenomenally high temperature that pretty consistently haunts the Floridian arena.  Guests can also choose the "pumpkin fizz" option, which is the same as the juice but...well...fizzy, duh!

3.  Fish & Chips: To me, the idea seems a little bit less Harry Potter than it is simply British.  I suppose, though, that because of this there was at least one point in the 7-part story that Harry and his friends dined on this dish in the Hogwarts dining hall.  OK, that said - apparently, for Americans, this fish & chips dish is done quite well.  Anyone who has tried classic American theme park fries knows exactly what to expect in trying the chips (hey, we USA peeps know our "chips", just ask our good citizen Mickey D), and the fish comes divided into nugget-like bites with a light, crispy, perfectly salted battering.  The meal comes with dipping sauce, too: a tar-tar sauce flavored with lemon zest.

4.  Cornish Pastries: Sticking with the British (as opposed to strictly Harry Potter) theme, these pastries are another supposedly well-done American version of a treat deriving from the UK.  Smaller than the real things, these pastries are more bite-sized than fist-sized, these pot-pie pastries are filled with minced meat, vegetables, and potatoes.  The pastry layer is not so thick that it takes over the taste of its insides, and it is cooked to a perfect golden-brown crisp.  One British blogger reported these pastries to have a slight twist in flavor, as he felt he tasted an somewhat random orangey taste as an extra addition to the traditional recipe.  As opposed to being served with a side of fries, these pastries come with a side of salad and a choice of dressing - the salad is better quality than other theme park salads have been known to be, and comes with enough dressing to ACTUALLY cover the whole thing (so that it is edible).

5.  Shepherd's Pie:  The same British blogger mentioned in the report for #4 reported this dish to be an absolutely perfect model of what the dish should be.  All of the expected ingredients (meat, vegetables, and mashed potatoes) are layered appropriately atop one another, and they are drenched with a deliciously-seasoned gravy, along with additional well-chosen herbs and spices for an extra kick in flavor. 

6. Rotisserie-Smoked Chicken, Chargrilled Ribs, and Turkey Legs: These are pretty basic "feast" foods, and despite their lack of British origin seem just as well-adjusted to the park's overarching theme.  These dishes seem pretty self-explanatory, and for the time being I will have no choice but to go ahead and assume they just might be - while I could find listings of them on certain websites, it seems that detailed and/or trustworthy reviews have yet to be written (one day, perhaps it will be ME who is the first completes this task!).  The chicken and the ribs are served alongside both roasted corn and roasted potatoes, while the turkey leg comes with British-style wedge fries.

7. Children's Menu (for persons 9 years old or younger): In an attempt to be healthy (we all remember how we probably used to get as kids at theme parks at one point or another), every kid's meal has been appropriately portioned so that it consists of a total of only 300 calories or less.  Not bad.  Every meal comes with a side of grapes and applesauce instead of fries, except for the kid-sized fish & chips option, which includes a few fries in addition to only grapes.  Besides the kids' fish & chips, kids' options include chicken legs, chicken fingers, and mac & cheese.  Well, yeah - I guess they don't know the difference, anyway, because they're too young to have read Harry Potter yet. Sigh - kids ruin everything for adults.

8. Soup & Salad Combos: Another successful attempt towards health, guests are able to purchase soup and a side salad for a total of $6.99.  Soups come in two (British-associated) flavors - potato & leek or split-pea & ham - and side salads come with any choice of dressing.

9. Rotisserie-Smoked Chicken Salad: This seems just a combination of the side-salad and chicken dish options.  Presumably, if the side-salads are good (and they are, supposedly, with the aforementioned plentiful portions of dressing as well as fresh cucumber, lettuce, and tomato, a hint of garlic, and herbs such as coriander and parsley), then this dish is probably very satisfying while sticking very well to the health code we all try to follow as best we can.  The chicken is reported to be very high in quality, very soft, and very moist.

10.  Side Items: These items are further attempt at theme-park health, and so (with the exception of wedge fries) successfully steer clear from the fryer.  Besides wedge fries, guests at the park can supplement their meals with a baked potato (topped with sour cream and butter upon request), garlic roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, fruit cups, or the side salads (previously described).  Side salads cost $3.50, but all of the other sides ring in at about $3.00 - not bad for an Orlando park, by any means.

11. Strawberry Peanut-Butter Ice Cream:  This dessert is strawberry-based with thick peanut-butter swirls running through it.  It is apparently a perfect blend of flavor, balancing the two very separate tastes very well.  This ice cream is apparently taken directly from the Harry Potter novels, but for those who wish to refrain from being too daring there are also plain chocolate and vanilla options.

12.  Cauldron Cakes: These are just like frosted cupcakes, but they are baked into what is reported to be a pretty accurate cauldron shape - they even have a thin handle rising in a semi-circle above them. Served with chocolate drizzling, they are supposed to taste absolutely fantastic.  These are not offered in the "Three Broomsticks" Restaurant but, rather, the "Honeydukes" Sweet Shop; other items include scones, pumpkin tarts, rock cakes, and treacle fudge (now, I as an expert can confidently attest to the fact that discussion of treacle tart CERTAINLY occurred within the various HP novels, at least twice). Again, if you'd prefer to get a slice of cake or pie without sticking to theme, there are also apple pie and chocolate trifle (layered chocolate cake served with fresh berries and cream) options.

13. Hog's Head Brew: While they decided against serving "Firewhiskey," the park will stay true to the American tradition of theme parks before it by serving beer to those adults who have been tugging small hands around all day in the blazing sun.  It's just a draught beer with a special name, but still - the effort at keeping the theme is there.  There will also be a domestic brew option for $0.50 less.

Then of course there's the usual suspects, previously created without the park specially in mind - Bertie Bott's Every-Flavoured Beans, chocolate frogs, and so on.  I can only imagine what they are selling at the gift store.

What would you order at the Harry Potter theme park, if you were to visit?  Do you think you will?  What would you add to the menu if you could?

My GOD I love the New York Times so much.

The psych world has done it again - another brilliant study completed.  Like most of the choices we make on an everyday basis, which foods we like/choose to eat give great insight into our subconscious, and by way of the transitive property, our personalities as well.

Apparently, tastes are formulated in a greatly Pavlovian manner.  Good and bad experiences, even if they are barely noticeable or slight, regularly create aversions or preferences to food; if I notice rice in my throw-up one time, for example, I may stop liking rice, or if I eat apple pie on Thanksgiving every year and I absolutely love Thanksgiving, I may tend towards apple pie when it comes to choosing dessert.

And then there are less obvious experiences that we may not always be aware of having - hedonics, which is the field of psychology that studies feelings, is greatly tied to factors involved with tasting food as well.  Besides gustatory (taste) and olfactory (smell) aspects of food, cognitive perception (our knowledge of what we are eating - things like nutritional value, smell-evoked nostalgia, craving, and associated conditioned response characteristics) is also part of our tasting experience.

Dr. Alan R. Hirsch conducted the study I'm about to describe.  He is a neurologist/psychologist, and runs the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.  He is an acclaimed "smell and taste expert," and has exercised this skill on CNN, "Good Morning, America", and the Oprah Winfrey Show.

The study is fascinating.  800 volunteers (both male and female, with a median age of 45 and an age range of 17-77) underwent a series of tests pertaining to their personalities (various tests used frequently in psychology for diagnoses).  They were then asked to answer questions about snack food preferences, as they applied to six specific foods: potato chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, snack crackers, cheese curls, and meat snacks. Their spouses were asked to complete all of the same tests.

Personality tests and preference surveys were then combined for analysis.  This is what Hirsch found (in sum) about the personalities associated with the people who tended towards each food:

POTATO CHIPS

• ambitious, high-achievers, successful in both business and family life
• prefer for their loved ones to be highly successful as well
• accept nothing less than the best in people, and have high expectations
• detest inconveniences of any kind
• always prepared for opposition/competition

TORTILLA CHIPS

• perfectionists - won't be satisfied unless all things are as best they can possibly be
• great concern for the feelings and well-being of all others around them
• great house guests 
• very much concerned with the injustices and inequities of society and/or their communities

PRETZELS

• big flirts, and very comfortable with looking as attractive as possible
• "the life of the party"
• lively and energetic, and very easily bored
• constantly need to change things up both at work and home
• love a challenge
• think very abstractly and tend to find everyday routine very mundane
• move from task to task very quickly, often leaving things undone
• overcommit to one thing at a time, cutting out others (for example, work vs. family)

SNACK CRACKERS

• contemplative, thoughtful, insightful, introverted
• avoid confrontation for fear of hurting someone else's feelings
• tend to be involved in multiple projects at a time, and have to divide their attention accordingly
• prefer to be alone and value private time immensely
• likely to get involved in a romantic relationship via the internet

CHEESE CURLS

• formal, always proper, conscientious, well-mannered, and very firm about maintaining high moral standards in all aspects of their lives
• treat everyone equally, regardless of factors such as status or position within a company
• always prepared for the future, in any situation - and tend to expect the worst
• tend to maintain a spotless house

MEAT SNACKS

• gregarious, social, outgoing
• so generous that they tend to put the needs of others in front of their own, and often put themselves at huge disadvantages to help out
• loyal, true, trustworthy, honest
• overtrusting, and therefore prone towards being quite emotional with those they love
• need to avoid rebound relationships

They might start using food preferences as factors in diagnosing psychiatric disease.  This is so awesome.

Which snack do you prefer - and do you feel like the personality description fits you?

To follow up my "Best Jingles" post, I'm doing one on the characters associated with different products.  Watching a ton of old commercials in my previous search for jingles reminded me of all of these characters, and I decided that they need some recognition!!

So here they are - the ten best ones.

1. RONALD MCDONALD

2. TONY THE TIGER

3. THE COCO POPS MONKEY

4. THE LUCKY CHARMS LEPRECHAUN

5. THE CHEETOS TIGER

6. THE FRUIT LOOPS TOUCAN

7. THE M&M CREW

8. THE KOOL AID GUY

9. THE BURGER KING

10. SONNY BOWLING

11. THE TRIX RABBIT

12. COUNT CHOCULA

13. THE PILLSBURY DOUGHBOY

14. THE KEEBLER ELVES

15. THE HONEY NUT CHEERIOS BEE

16. SNAP, CRACKLE, AND POP

17. HAMBURGLAR

18. CHEESE-OSAURUS REX

19. THE SOUR PATCH KIDS

20. THE NESQUIK RABBIT

Who are some of the other commercial food characters that you've known and loved?