What We Should Be Eating on Chomby Day

As I was planning to write a story about the celebrations for the Times, I interviewed a group of Chombies I encountered on their way out of the Concert Hall and asked them if they were enjoying the revelries. They all responded politely that the day had been lovely, and they felt very honoured.

My reporter’s intuition sensed that underneath the politeness they were holding something back. Probing a little further, I asked whether they felt that there was anything that could be improved. There was a brief silence before one Chomby, who asked to remain nameless, explained that almost none of the food being served was vegetarian!

“It’s a well-known fact that we Chombies are leaf-eaters,” he said. “Unfortunately this seems to be forgotten on Chomby Day, and the celebratory foods that are served are things like sausage rolls and meat pies. We can’t eat them, so it’s a bit of a buzz kill in an otherwise great day!”

Shocked by this revelation, I assured the Chombies that I would do my best to create awareness of this gastronomic faux pas. I made a promise to them that next year’s Chomby Day would have an entirely different menu.

That is why I am writing to all of you now. Following an interview with the Chombies, I obtained a list of ten foods that they absolutely adore. I am now making it public in the hopes that Chombies will be able to celebrate their day next year with a delicious vegetarian feast that can be enjoyed by all.

Food #1: Blackberry Pie

“This is a Chomby-friendly alternative to the meat pie,” explained my sources. “We Chombies have always had a bit of a sweet tooth, and the sweetest blackberries in all of Neopia can be found in a hidden grove just south of the Tyrannian Plateau. When freshly picked and encased in hot pastry, this fruity treat will make the taste buds of any Chomby go wild!”

Food #2: Deluxe Lime Toffee Juppie

“These yummy treats are really easy to make,” my sources enthused. “All you have to do is dip a Juppie into a bowl of caramel, then drizzle it with a tangy lime sauce. Then comes the fun part – covering it in as many hundreds and thousands as you can! The contrast of sweet caramel and sour lime is great – it helps prove that vegetarian food doesn’t have to be bland!”

Food #3: Bubbly Harffel Fruit Juice

“Harffel fruit comes from Mystery Island, so we barely ever get to have any over here in Tyrannia. When we do, it’s a real treat! This fizzy juice is our favourite way to enjoy Harffel fruit. Each serving of juice is the perfect size for one Chomby to enjoy, so it would be great to serve on Chomby Day next year!”

Food #4: Cherry Scone

“These scones are perfect for an afternoon treat! To make them, lather freshly made cherry jam onto hot, buttered scones and serve with a generous dollop of the best double cream in all of Neopia,” one of my sources informs me.

“We Chombies can’t eat too many of these – they’re very rich and leaf-eaters have pretty sensitive stomachs,” cautions another. “However, the upside of that is that just one of these is enough to keep us happy for a whole day! You can’t go past these scones if you’re looking for a sweet treat that will please your Chomby to no end – and we would know!”

Food #5: Glitter Leaf Candy

“Chombies love sparkly things!” declares one source.

“This candy is the perfect blend of fun and vegetarian nutrition,” declares another.

“You simply can’t go past it – we love leaves, we love glitter and we love candy! This treat is impossible for any of us to resist,” concurs a third source.

Food #6: Apple Fruit Pancakes

“I love these pancakes!” declares a source that can’t contain herself. “They’re the best things ever!”

Explains another, more restrained source: “These pancakes are great for a healthy and tasty breakfast. You cook the pancakes until they are light and fluffy and then drizzle them in green apple puree. Finally, top them off with a few slices of fresh apple and voila! All Chombies love these fruity delights.”

Food #7: Leaf Biscuit

“I think these biscuits must have been made for us,” announces a source. The other Chombies quickly voice their agreement. “These biscuits are delightfully crumbly, and just the right size for a snack. Their beautiful leaf shape makes them even more appealing – it reminds us of our days spent grazing on leaves from the trees in Tyrannia (but these ones taste even better!)”

Food #8: Deluxe Chocolate Fondue

“Chombies love to share and eat together, and fondue is perfect for doing so! We usually arrange for each Chomby to bring a special ingredient to dip in the fondue – banana slices, nuts, strawberries and marshmallows are a few of our favourites. This deluxe chocolate fondue is the best fondue we have ever eaten – the chocolate is so smooth and creamy! This is a truly delightful treat that would be great to share on Chomby Day.”

Food #9: Banana and Kiwi Pizza

“This year, they served Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza to celebrate Chomby Day. While we like mushrooms, we can’t eat pepperoni so we weren’t able to enjoy eating any pizza,” one of my sources states sadly. “That’s why we propose to serve Banana and Kiwi Pizza next year. The smooth taste of banana combined with the sweet twist of kiwi makes for a pizza topping straight from Chomby heaven!”

“You really can’t go past it,” affirms another.

Food #10: Veggie Delight Omelette

“Coming from Tyrannia, we Chombies are big fans of omelette. Naturally, we think that the vegetarian omelettes are the best kind! We personally believe that you can’t go past the Veggie Delight Omelette for an explosion of delicious vegetarian flavour. Lashings of peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms are tossed together in a light, eggy omelette to create a taste sensation that leaf-eaters and carnivores alike will love,” raves one source.

“We just love it,” sums up another source.

So there you have it! These tasty vegetarian suggestions straight from the Chomby’s mouth will hopefully serve as a guide to those preparing the food for Chomby Day next year. I know that my mouth was certainly watering as I wrote them down!

I send my best wishes out to each and every Chomby in Neopia. I hope that you all have a fantastic year, and I hope to see you celebrating Chomby Day with a vegetarian-friendly feast next year in Tyrannia!