Artifact ID: Driss pod

It’s been a while since our last Artifact ID post, but early May always makes me think of the Prequels, and in a bit of serendipity I was able to identify an obscure Episode I artifact while exploring an awesome plant nursery last weekend. Browsing through a display of seed packets, I noticed this gourd looked subconsciously familiar:

If you’re a Prequel aficionado like me—and have spent way too much time poring over DK’s Episode I Visual Dictionary — you might know where this is going.

How about now?

As you can see, the heirloom Cherokee gourd known as ‘Dinosaur’, ‘Maranka’, or ‘Caveman Club’ was used to represent an item of Tatooinian produce. I’m not sure if these were ever seen on screen in one of the Mos Espa market stalls, but perhaps someone with a Blu-Ray and sharper eyes than me can let us know.
Like the ‘sidi gourd’, the name of the ‘driss pod’ is a reference to the Tunisian Sidi Idriss Hotel, which served as the interiors for the Lars homestead in Episodes II and IV. I don’t know if ‘tezirett’ is a reference to anything, but ‘ahrisa’ is definitely a play on ‘harissa’, a typical North African spice mix.

While—aside from the breadballs—most of these foodstuffs don’t seem very appetizing, I appreciate that they do give us a better idea of what a Tatooine slave’s diet would be like. One of my complaints about the menu at the Galaxy’s Edge park is how everything seems like familiar Earth snacks, just with ‘Star Warsy’ names (the same way you might see ‘Gondorian Chicken Salad’ in a Tolkien-themed cookbook). It’s hard to explain, but I feel like if Disney wanted to make ‘Batuu’ a fully-fleshed out culture instead of a themed mall/food court, its food wouldn’t be so referential of the wider galaxy (or Earth dishes/drinks) but would have simpler local names for dishes, instead of ‘x Planet’ + ‘name of food’ (especially when places like Mustafar or Dagobah should not be well-known—particularly in culinary contexts!). For example, if the ahrisa (authentic local name) above were found on the Galaxy’s Edge menu, they’d probably be called ‘Mos Espa Bread Ball Poppers’, which sounds like something you’d order at Applebees, instead of find in a slave’s hovel kitchen.
At the end of the day, however, I shouldn’t be surprised since it’s a casual, family-oriented theme park eatery. Perhaps meals on the starcruiser hotel will be more immersive or culturally-specific? We can only hope!