Grains and their products appear throughout the DreamWorks Dragons Franchise.
Description[]
"Grain" is a broad term referring to the seeds of a number of plants. They are characterized as being small and hard, making them extremely storable and shippable. Typically "cereal" crops are thought of when thinking of grains, such as wheat, corn, millet, or barley, among others. These grains all belong to the Grass Family, Poaceae.
Wheat (Genus "Triticum") has been cultivated for many millennia by humans, including some Vikings. Like other grains, wheat is a grass, with the seeds, or kernels, being harvested for food.
After the seeds are harvested from grain plants - specifically cereal crops - the stalks and leaves are left behind. These by-products can also be harvested and become what is known as Straw.
Function[]
The main function of grains in the Franchise and real life is as a food source. Grains can be eaten whole after cooking or ground into a fine powder, referred to as meal or flour. This in turn can be used to make a wide variety of dishes, including all types of breads, or eaten simply boiled as porridge.
“ | We need grains, too. And food from wheat, rice, oats, barley, or other cereals are considered grains. We can make a lot of cool foods from grains, like bread and oatmeal! Eating grains can help maintain weight and have a lot of important nutrients. | ” |
— Phlegma in School of Dragons |
Wheat is a staple of many cultures, and would be the source of the types of breads seen in the Franchise.
Straw has many uses as well, though it is not edible for humans. Straw can be a feed for herbivore livestock such as horses and cattle (which in the Franchise would be yaks). It has a low nutritional value compared to hay and fresh grass, however. Straw can be used as bedding for humans and animals, insulation, and roof thatch. It is also widely employed in decorative items such as straw dolls or figures, baskets, and also straw hats.
Sprouted grain seeds, typically wheat, can be harvested and eaten and is collectively called "Wheatgrass". Wheatgrass is high in nutrients and has been eaten for millennia, known as far back as ancient Egypt.
Appearances[]
Book of Dragons[]
A field of wheat is seen in this movie short. Bork the Bold tries his hand at farming, but the wheat field is burned down by a dragon.
Dragons: Riders of Berk[]
Grain products, specifically bread, appear often in the backgrounds of various episodes in DreamWorks Dragons: The Series, or as part of food on a table. Bread is seen in the first episode, "How to Start a Dragon Academy". It appears to be a wheat-based bread. Dragons seem to favor it and steal it from the Berk human residents, until Hiccup comes up with a solution to train the dragons out of the habit. More specific things, like a biscuit, are mentioned later on.
Dragons: Race to the Edge[]
Season 1[]
In "When Darkness Falls", Tuffnut mentions rice while muttering through his sleep.
“ | They like chicken. Chicken on a stick. Chicken a la mode... Chicken rice... | ” |
— Tuffnut |
Season 2[]
Loaves of bread are seen on a table of food that the Twins stole from houses on Berk damaged by a Berserker attack in "Team Astrid".
Season 5[]
Wheat is mentioned briefly during one of Tuffnut's many poetic speeches, in the episode "Dawn of Destruction".
“ | Watching these two reminds me of gazing upon the giant water Buffalord as they graze against the tender auspices of the wheat fields of yester-year. | ” |
— Tuffnut |
Multiple types of grains are seen in "Sins of the Past". A Chicken Feed Salesman sells corn, but also a red grain, a black grain, and a multi-colored grain. Corn does come in a variety of colors, but the barrels of grain are not specifically named. The barrel of black grain comes from Berk, and Snotlout does not like its flavor. He ends up purchasing the expensive "Archipelago Gold" corn chicken feed.
Season 6[]
A dish prepared with wheatgrass is seen in the episode, "No Bark, All Bite", when three traders cook for the Twins in order to determine which trader would become Berk's new trader, replacing Johann.
Dragons: Rescue Riders[]
Season 1[]
Grain is mentioned in the episode, "Home Alone", when Duggard the Decisive asks the Rescue Riders to help him find a new cave for grain storage.
Games[]
School of Dragons[]
Bread is also seen in a few player Quests. One Quest, "Preparing for the Big One", specifically mentions grains and their importance. The player then must retrieve some bread from Fishlegs to add to a store of food.
Dragons: Rise of Berk[]
Rice is mentioned by Fishlegs during a quest.
“ | OK, and I'll help with all the poor Eggs and cute baby Dragons. Why, they're no bigger than a sack of rice. | ” |
— Fishlegs |
Barley is mentioned in the description of a Windgnasher named Gnarley.
“ | Gnarley spends most of his time munching on barley ...and snarling away any Viking or Dragon that wants some too. | ” |
— Dragons: Rise of Berk |
A wheat field, named Field of Gold, is a seasonal decoration that was introduced in the game with the 1.50 update. It costs 50 Loose Leaves and requires 20 minutes to be built.
DreamWorks Dragons: Dawn of New Riders[]
The grain product 'porridge' appears as an attack boost for the player-controlled characters Scribbler and Patch.
References[]
Grain on Wikipedia
Wheat on Wikipedia
Straw on Wikipedia
Wheatgrass on Wikipedia
Grain uses Creative Commons Licensed content from the DreamWorks School of Dragons Wiki page Quest List. The list of authors can be found on the page revision history (view authors). |