Five foods from Studio Ghibli films that you can make at home

By Zoe Judilla

Photo by Zoe Judilla

In 1989’s “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” the young witch, whose job is delivering packages for people around town, arrives at a worried old grandmother’s house.

“The food I was going to have you deliver isn’t ready yet,” she says. “The oven temperature just won’t go up. Isn’t it strange?”

The young girl stares at a delicately-crafted, unbaked herring pot pie, an intricate creation meant for the old woman’s granddaughter. In an act of kindness, Kiki helps the woman navigate an outdated wood-burning oven, watching cautiously as the pie successfully shifts from a pale white dough to a golden brown wonder. The grandmother is endlessly grateful for the witch’s help, later baking her a cake in gratitude.

For film lover and Studio Ghibli fan Ryan Chang, the scene resonates deeply.

“That moment is such a great microcosm of what makes these films so wonderful,” he said. “It shows how food can be an expression of love.”

The beauty of food is a recurring theme in many Studio Ghibli films — the Oscar-winning animation mammoth founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki has since inspired creative renditions of its gorgeously animated dishes.

“Ghibli foods are sort of so iconic in that they are like the perfect version of what we’d like them to be,” Chang said. “You watch them and you realize: I am actually getting hunger pangs right now. That’s not real though. It’s not food as it actually is, but more like food the way that you want it to be — it’s almost hyper-real food.”

Whether you’ve drooled at the sight of the ultimate breakfast in “Howl’s Moving Castle” or screeched over the glories of ham like in “Ponyo,” here are five recipes from Studio Ghibli films that you can take from your screen to your saucepan.

The Ham and Egg Ramen from “Ponyo”

Image courtesy of “Ponyo” / Studio Ghibli, Photo by Zoe Judilla

The goldfish princess from “Ponyo” has two wishes: to become human and to consume all the ham in the world. When Sosuke’s mom serves the two young children her quick and easy ham ramen, they gape at it in sheer amazement — as will you.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 2 slices of thick deli meat ham
• 1 soft-boiled egg
• 1 packet of instant ramen (your flavor of choice)
• Chopped green onion for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
2. Once hot, place ham slices in the pan and fry until the edges are crisped. Remove the pan from the heat and set the ham aside.
3. Follow directions on the instant ramen packet to make the ramen.
4. Pour into a bowl for serving and top with the ham slices, halved soft-boiled egg, and green onions.
5. Serve to your son and his screaming goldfish friend.

Tip: For a perfectly jammy soft-boiled egg, place the eggs in a pot of boiling water for 6 minutes and immediately submerge them in an ice bath to halt any cooking.

The Salmon with Garlic Sauce from “Porco Rosso”

Image courtesy of “Porco Rosso” / Studio Ghibli, Photo by Zoe Judilla

While “Porco Rosso” may be about a bounty hunter pilot with a pig head, its appreciation for Italian food is deadly serious. Inspired by classic alfredo sauce paired with fresh-seared salmon, this original recipe will make you feel as bold and brave as the pilot pig himself.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 6 carrots, peeled
• 1½ tsp Italian herb seasoning
• Salmon fillet, 1 pound
• 2 tsp salt, divided
• 2 tsp black pepper, divided
• 2 tsp onion powder, divided
• 2 tsp garlic powder, divided
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, like Pinot Gris
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped green onion for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil over the carrots. Season the carrots with 1½ tsp Italian herb seasoning and 1 tsp of salt, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly.
3. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until tender.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
5. Season salmon with the remaining 1 tsp of salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder on all sides and place salmon flesh-side down in the skillet once hot.
6. Sear both sides about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your preference. Remove salmon from the pan and set aside.
7. Reduce heat to medium and melt butter in the pan.
8. Add garlic to the pan and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
9. Add wine to the pan and scrape the bottom with a wood spatula to deglaze the pan. Cook liquid until reduced by half.
10. Lower heat to medium-low and add half and half to the pan, being careful not to bring the liquid to a boil to prevent curdling. Simmer the liquid very gently for about 7 minutes, or until thickened to your preference.
11. Add parmesan to the liquid and stir until the cheese has fully melted in the sauce.
12. Season sauce with salt and pepper to your taste.
13. Pour sauce over salmon to serve, topping with green onions.
14. Serve to a pig-headed pilot with a glass of the leftover wine.

The Bacon and Egg Breakfast from “Howl’s Moving Castle”

Image courtesy of “Howl’s Moving Castle” / Studio Ghibli, Photo by Zoe Judilla

Arguably one of the most recognizable Ghibli dishes is Howl’s scrumptious breakfast, doused in a generous amount of grease and seasoning. When the dramatic wizard isn’t busy managing his magical castle or traveling through different dimensions, he takes the time to serve his best friends an easy (but wholly satisfying) breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 3 strips of thick-cut bacon
• 4 large eggs
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook strips of bacon on one half of the skillet until some fat is rendered and coats the bottom of the pan (about 3 minutes).
2. Once the fat has rendered, crack four eggs into the other half of the skillet.
3. Season the eggs with salt and pepper.
4. Cook the bacon to your desired level of crispiness and the eggs to your desired level of doneness.
5. Save any leftover eggshells for your fire demon friend to consume.

Tip: Serve with a hearty slice of sourdough bread and soft cheese of your choice. I recommend a double-cream brie.

The Sardine Bento Box from “My Neighbor Totoro”

Image courtesy of “My Neighbor Totoro” / Studio Ghibli, Photo by Zoe Judilla

“My Neighbor Totoro” is all about the bonds of sisterhood, and the dainty bento lunch Satsuki makes her younger sister Mei showcases such love in action. While bento boxes have a long history in Japanese culture, they are often associated with sharing creativity and care with their recipients, as seen in Satsuki’s rendition.

Ingredients:

*Note: Portions are dependent on the size of your bento box.

• Cooked jasmine rice
• Frozen edamame
• Sakura denbu seasoning
• 1 umeboshi (pickled plum)
• 1 sardine in oil, pre-cooked

Directions:

1. In a bento box, stuff cooked jasmine rice into ¾ of the entire box.
2. Carve a small hole into one section of the rice and place your umeboshi into the center.
3. Generously drizzle sakura denbu seasoning on ¼ of the rice, covering the entire top layer of the section.
4. Cook the edamame depending on packet instructions, making enough to fill ¼ of your respective bento box (approximately one cup).
5. Fill ¼ of the bento box with the cooked edamame.
6. Lay your preserved cooked sardine across the middle of the bento box.
7. Give to your little sister for school lunchtime.

Tip: Purchasing a bento box that comes with dividers is most helpful for sectioning your meals.

The Ultimate Chocolate Cake from “Kiki’s Delivery Service”

Image courtesy of “Kiki’s Delivery Service” / Studio Ghibli, Photo by Zoe Judilla

The cake of all cakes is a gift to the witch from the previously mentioned grandmother in “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” After Kiki helped the old lady with her pot pie fiasco, she decided to give her a perfect personalized cake as a token of her gratitude.

You can use any chocolate cake recipe of your choice; for this rendition, I used Baking Mischief’s small chocolate cake guide for a more petite, 6-inch base.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup very hot water or coffee
• Red and green food coloring
• Pillsbury® Chocolate Fudge Frosting
• Wilton® White Vanilla Fondant

Directions:

Cake Directions by Baking Mischief:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and “flour” your cake pans with cocoa powder and line bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes. Add hot water and stir until well-combined.
4. Divide batter between prepared cake pans. Tap pans on the counter once to remove any air bubbles in the batter. Bake on the center rack for 22 to 27 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs.
5. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the cakes and carefully removing them from their pans. Transfer cakes to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

Icing Directions:

1. Frost the top of one cake layer and place the second layer directly on top.
2. Carefully frost the entire outside of the cake using an offset spatula, making it as smooth as possible.
3. Before kneading the packaged fondant, reserve two small portions for what will be the tree and bow.
4. Add a small drop of green and red food coloring to the fondant reserved for the tree and bow, respectively
5. Knead and roll all fondant pieces until thin and workable, and until the colored pieces are completely uniform in color.
6. Using a sharp paring knife, carefully carve out the name “KIKI” and the witch outline from the white fondant.
7. Carefully carve out the tree and bow detail from the colored fondant.
8. Place all fondant elements on the top of the cake, using the image for reference.
9. Gift to a young witch.

While these are only some of the dishes among the vast array of Ghibli’s animated foods, the detail and care put into crafting such fictional dishes offers only a taste of what creative experimentation can offer.

“When the world is so crazy, you sort of need like these smaller things that you can control,” said Chang. “I know that I can make this bento box and that it’s portioned out in a certain way. I like that I have this small little space that is able to make me comfortable.”

Watch how it’s done below: