Dwarven diet

The diet of the dwarven race is unique to all other races in Thedas, owing to the majority of dwarves living their entire lives underground. The diet of those living in the thaig of Orzammar is the most documented, as opposed to the unknown diet of the more secretive dwarves of Kal-Sharok. As a result of living underground, a dwarf's diet relies heavily upon foodstuffs harvested, and animals found, in the Deep Roads.

Harvested Food
Dwarves make use of all edible items that can be scavenged in the Deep Roads, some of which are hazardous due to their proximity to Lyrium, and the darkspawn Taint which pervades the entirety of the Deep Roads.


 * Lichen: Can be made into a bread.


 * Deep Mushroom: Growing in close proximity to the darkspawn taint, nevertheless these mushrooms are considered by dwarves to have a "unique flavor and intoxicating scent."

Food Animals
Dwarves both catch and breed animals as food sources.


 * Nug: A small animal that appears as a cross between a pig and a rabbit. Its flavor has been described as an "unholy union of pork and hare." It is favored as a food source by poor and wealthy alike.


 * Bronto: Selectively bred by the Shaperate as beasts of burden and food sources.

Known Dwarven Liquor

 * Valenta's Red, the "Paragon of Ales"


 * Brakien Brew: A beer with a heavy head and a deep, rich taste.


 * Mosswine: A toxic wine brewed from moss.

Surface Goods
Surface food products are necessarily in high demand in Orzammar due to the limited availability and few choices of food produced by the city itself. Due to their great expense typically only nobles are able to purchase these goods. Surface goods in Orzammar include liquor too, such as honey mead, served in Tapster's Tavern, traded from a surface family who ships it every month.

Known Cuisine

 * Old cheese and shredded dried meat: Used as a spread.


 * Nug pancakes: Favored food of children.


 * Nug-gets: Favored food of children.


 * Seared nug: Seared on a hot metal plate and finished in the oven-and dressed in a cream sauce flavored with deep mushrooms.


 * Fried mush

Trivia

 * Paragon Varen discovered the edibility of nug while lost in the Deep Roads.


 * Tapster's Tavern serves 52 types of ale, 17 meads and 12 imported wines, a testament to the dwarves' long-standing love of hard drink.


 * As noted by Ohgren, Orzammar ale tastes like dirt in comparison to Ferelden ale, as dwarves put dirt in it.


 * Nug-wranglers catch nugs to sell, and may also practice some form of nug farming to breed the animals.


 * Dwarves farm mushrooms for food.


 * Ohgren's gift, the Beard Flask from Feastday Gifts and Pranks, is fashioned from a nug stomach to facilitate hands-free drinking.