This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure.
For this installment of Stitches, Dishes & Stories, we’re brewing a fragrant, revitalizing Elvish cordial known as miruvor and crocheting a glowy, lacy, ivory-hued triangle shawl. Let’s head back to the fantastical land of Middle Earth in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings with a focus on the ethereally beautiful, regal, and wise Galadriel.
Welcome to my third installment of Stitches, Dishes & Stories! (You can find the first installment here and the second here.) This is a series on An Edible Mosaic where I choose a classic work of literature and use it as the inspiration to make a crocheted item and a recipe. If you’re a reader, crocheter, or home cook, we can nerd out together over timeless stories, yarn we love, and good food and drink to go with it.
The Story: The Lord of the Rings
After crocheting my Arwen-inspired shawl, I decided I wanted to make one inspired by Galadriel. If you’re interested, I talk about why I love this book so much in my last installment. (Spoiler Alert: It doesn’t end here, friends. I will be sharing one more LOTR-inspired shawl soon!)
To Frodo, Galadriel is wise, fearless, strong, fair, queenly, “tall beyond measurement, and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful”.
But I think Sam’s description is even more eloquent and descriptive of the paradox that is Galadriel. Here’s how Sam described her to Faramir…
Beautiful she is, sir! Lovely! Sometimes like a great tree in flower, sometimes like a white daffadowndilly, small and slender like. Hard as diamonds, soft as moonlight. Warm as sunlight, cold as frost in the stars. Proud and far-off as a snow-mountain, and as merry as any lass I ever saw with daisies in her hair in spring-time. … But perhaps you could call her perilous because she’s so strong in herself. You, you could dash yourself to pieces on her, like a ship on a rock, or drown yourself, like a Hobbit in a river. But neither rock nor river would be to blame.
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
And we learn more from Unfinished Tales…
Her (Galadriel) mother-name was Nerwen and she grew to be tall beyond the measure even of the women of the Noldor; she was strong of body, mind, and will, a match for both the loremasters and the athletes of the Eldar in the days of their youth. Even among the Eldar she was accounted beautiful, and her hair was held a marvel unmatched. It was golden like the hair of her father and of her foremother Indis, but richer and more radiant, for its gold was touched by some memory of the starlike silver of her mother, and the Eldar said that the light of the Two Trees, Laurelin and Telperion, had been snared in her tresses. (emphasis added) Many thought that this saying first gave to Feanor the thought of imprisoning and blending the light of the Trees that later took ship in his hands as the Silmarils. For Feanor beheld the hair of Galadriel with wonder and delight. He begged three times for a tress, but Galadriel would not give him even one hair. These two kinsfolk, the greatest of the Eldar of Valinor, were unfriends forever.
J.R.R. Tolkien, Unfinished Tales, edited by Christopher Tolkien
And of course there’s Gimli’s legendary conversation with Galadriel asking for a strand of her hair…
‘And what gift would a Dwarf ask of the Elves?’ said Galadriel, turning to Gimli.
‘None, Lady,’ answered Gimli. ‘It is enough for me to have seen the Lady of the Galadhrim, and to have heard her gentle words.’
‘Hear all ye Elves!’ she cried to those about her. ‘Let none say again that Dwarves are grasping and ungracious! Yet surely, Gimli son of Glóin, you desire something that I could give? Name it, I bid you! You shall not be the only guest without a gift.’
‘There is nothing, Lady Galadriel,’ said Gimli, bowing low and stammering. ‘Nothing, unless it might be — unless it is permitted to ask, nay, to name a single strand of your hair, which surpasses the gold of the earth as the stars surpass the gems of the mine (emphasis added). I do not ask for such a gift. But you commanded me to name my desire.’
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
The Stitch: Lacy Triangle Shawl in a Creamy, Ultra-Light Blushing Ivory Color
When I think of Galadriel, I think of light. Soft and angelic, yet strong and resolute. Shimmering, ethereal, and illuminated in such a way that her light shines out from within. With this in mind, I wanted to crochet a piece that pairs feminine elegance with practical functionality in a simplistic way, and I decided on a shawl.
The Yarn
I turned to my yarn stash for this project. I had a few packs of Expression Fiber Arts’ “Reticent Hues ‘ALPACA SILK’ LACE KIT”, and the lightly speckled blushing ivory color in the kit was calling my name. This yarn is a 50:50 mix of baby alpaca and mulberry silk. It’s super-soft, slightly shimmery, and works up to have a hazy, glowy look because of the ever-so-slightly fuzzy halo. What I love most about this yarn is that it has a rosy glow when the sun hits it. It makes the perfect garb for a royal elf, if I do say so myself.
Lacy Triangle Shawl Pattern
I used Delia Creates’ crochet triangle shawl pattern for inspiration. After the first few rows, the pattern alternates between three rows of different stitches. It has an open, lacy design but is easy and surprisingly fast to crochet. Here are the changes I made:
- I used lace-weight yarn instead of DK-weight yarn. I crocheted together two strands (of 2-ply) at a time to get a thicker 4-ply weight.
- After I finished crocheting the shawl, I crocheted a border of single crochet stitches all the way around to tidy up the edges.
- Delia’s tassel details are a lovely element to the piece, but I left them off here in keeping with the simplistic elegance I was going for with this project.
The end result is a lovely piece that you can easily dress up with a summery skirt or a nice pair of pants, or dress down with jeans. It’s soft, flowy, and feminine without being extravagant, and a great finishing element for an outfit where you want the option of an extra layer, but not a heavy extra layer.
The Dish: Miruvor, an Elvish Drink From LOTR
Onto the food! Or in this case, the drink. I went with the iconic miruvor.
What is Miruvor?
Similar to a modern-day energy drink, miruvor is a reviving cordial made by the Elves in Rivendell. (Side Note: I took a little creative liberty here, as Galadriel is the Lady of Lothlórien and didn’t live in Rivendell.) It’s warm, fragrant, clear, and colorless, and serves to renew the drinker’s strength and vigor. Also called the “cordial of Imladris”, miruvor was inspired by the elixir of the Valar called miruvórë, which was made of nectar from flowers in the Gardens of Yavanna in Valinor. Elrond gave a flask of miruvor to Gandalf before the Fellowship set out on their quest from Rivendell. (You can read more on Tolkien Gateway and LOTR Fandom.)
We can better understand the effects of miruvor from this LOTR excerpt when the Fellowship was traveling through Caradhras:
‘Give them this,’ said Gandalf, searching in his pack and drawing out a leathern flask. ‘Just a mouthful each – for all of us. It is very precious. It is miruvor, the cordial of Imladris. Elrond gave it to me at our parting. Pass it round!’
As soon as Frodo had swallowed a little of the warm and fragrant liquor he felt a new strength of heart, and the heavy drowsiness left his limbs. The others also revived and found fresh hope and vigour. But the snow did not relent. It whirled about them thicker than ever, and the wind blew louder.
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
My Version of This Drink: Honeyed Jasmine Miruvor
I wanted to make something floral and sweet, but well-balanced. I decided to start by steeping jasmine for its intoxicating fragrance and sweeten the infusion with honey. A splash of champagne vinegar adds acidity for balance and crispness, and also lends a fermented component as a wink and a nod to the original fermented drink described in LOTR. Lastly, a little orange blossom water nudges the aroma over the edge.
The resulting beverage is a yellow nectar that’s part tisane, part shrub, and completely enticing. It’s a balancing act between sweet honey flavor and floral aroma that’s laced with a touch of tartness from vinegar and a subtle grassy bitterness. On the backend you’re left with floral fruitiness. You can enjoy it hot or cold, and easily turn it into a cocktail if you like.
At some point, I think I’ll try my hand at making a jasmine-scented mead (mead is also known as honey wine, and is essentially fermented honey water). However, for a quick and easy version, this tisane/shrub blend is uniquely fragrant and flavorful.
Non Alcoholic Miruvor Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Water – We need hot water (around 175F to 185F) to steep the flower buds. Don’t use boiling water or you run the risk of scorching the jasmine and having it turn bitter.
- Food-grade dried jasmine buds – The star of the show. Jasmine is extremely fragrant and makes a lovely tisane (herbal infusion).
- Honey – Honey adds a lovely floral sweetness. To keep this vegan, use agave nectar instead.
- Champagne vinegar – Lends a touch of crisp, tart flavor for balance. (If you’ve ever tried a shrub or drinking vinegar, then the idea of adding vinegar here probably won’t seem so strange.)
- Orange blossom water – Also called orange flower water, this is a liquid distilled from the fragrant petals of the bitter orange tree. Along with rose water, it’s frequently used as a flavoring in Arabic desserts. It adds the perfect finishing touch to this miruvor recipe!
Adult Beverage Tip: Make a Miruvor Cocktail Perfect For a Lord of the Rings Drinking Game
The piney, earthy, herbal, slightly citrusy flavor of gin is a particularly lovely pairing with the flavor profile of this drink. To make a miruvor cocktail, add 4 ounces of chilled miruvor and 1 shot (1.5 fluid ounces) of gin to a cocktail glass. You can add ice if you like (or a single large ice sphere). Lastly, to really gild the lily and bump up the floral component, you can optionally add a shot of elderflower liqueur (or another fragrant, flowery or fruity liqueur).
Instructions
- Steep. Add the hot water, jasmine buds, and sugar (or honey) to a medium glass bowl; stir. Let it sit (uncovered) at room temperature until cooled, about 1 hour to 90 minutes. Cover and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours.
- Strain. Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined mesh sieve, discarding the buds.
- Finishing touches. Stir in the vinegar and orange blossom water. Taste and adjust the flavorings if desired.
- Serve. Serve chilled or warmed.
Storage
Store in a covered glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tips
- My favorite way to serve this drink is chilled with a mix of 2 parts miruvor to 1 part sparkling water over ice.
- If you have access to fresh, food-grade jasmine flowers (which can be a bit of a white unicorn to come by), you can use them instead of dried flowers here. Use 1 cup of fresh, food-grade jasmine buds and gently rinse them under cool running water. Add 3 cups of room temperature filtered water and the prepped jasmine flowers to a medium glass bowl, agitate gently, cover, and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours. Proceed with the rest of the recipe, adding the honey (or agave nectar) later along with the vinegar and orange blossom water. (TIP: If you’re serving this cold, gently warm the honey to help it dissolve before stirring it in.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the original miruvor in LOTR was likely alcoholic, as it was described as a “warm and fragrant liquor”.
The version we’re making is made from steeped (not fermented) flower buds, honey, and water (at this point, the drink is essentially a honey-sweetened tisane or herbal infusion). A splash of vinegar adds a tangy, crisp, fermented flavor and transforms this drink into something similar to a shrub. And last but not least, a touch of orange blossom water enhances the soft floral flavor and aroma. At this point the drink is non-alcoholic. However, if you want an LOTR inspired cocktail, a shot of gin and/or a fruity or floral liquor is a lovely addition.
Also called “honey wine”, mead is a fermented alcoholic drink made with honey, yeast, and water.
Elven mead is the general term for any kind of honey wine made by the Elves.
No. Miruvórë is nectar of the Valar made in Valinor and poured at festivals there. Miruvor is an elvish version made by the House of Elrond in Rivendell renowned for its rejuvenating properties.
Interestingly, the magical elixirs in The Lord of the Rings don’t end there! In Tolkien’s world, the Dúnedain, the Orcs, and even the Ents had their own life-renewing draughts with other-worldly properties. And although it didn’t necessarily possess revitalizing qualities, the Hobbits also had their own famous brew, Bralda-hîm (Brandywine ale).
More Recipes With a Floral Element
- 5-Minute Vanilla Rose Latte
- Lavender Shortbread Cookies
- Persian Love Cake
- Arabic Rice Pudding
- Orange and Toasted Almond Saffron Rice Pilaf
Let’s Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!
LOTR-Inspired Honeyed Jasmine Miruvor Recipe
Email This Recipe
Get this recipe link emailed straight to your inbox!
Ingredients
- 3 cups hot water (around 175F to 185F; NOT boiling)
- 3/4 cup food-grade dried jasmine buds (see Notes for fresh)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar)
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon orange blossom water
Instructions
- Steep. Add the hot water, jasmine buds, and sugar (or honey) to a medium glass bowl; stir. Let it sit (uncovered) at room temperature until cooled, about 1 hour to 90 minutes. Cover and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours.
- Strain. Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined mesh sieve, discarding the buds.
- Finishing touches. Stir in the vinegar and orange blossom water. Taste and adjust the flavorings if desired.
- Serve. Serve chilled or warmed.
Notes
- Storage: Store in a covered glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 2 cups total, or 4 (1/2-cup) servings.
- Serving Tip: My favorite way to serve this drink is chilled with a mix of 2 parts miruvor to 1 part sparkling water over ice.
- To Use Fresh Jasmine Flowers: Use 1 cup of fresh, food-grade jasmine buds and gently rinse them under cool running water. Add 3 cups of room temperature filtered water and the prepped jasmine flowers to a medium glass bowl, agitate gently, cover, and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours. Proceed with the rest of the recipe, adding the honey (or agave nectar) later along with the vinegar and orange blossom water. (TIP: If you’re serving this cold, gently warm the honey to help it dissolve before stirring it in.)
- To Make a Miruvor Cocktail: Add 4 ounces of chilled miruvor and 1 shot (1.5 fluid ounces) of gin to a cocktail glass. You can add ice if you like (or a single large ice sphere). Lastly, to really gild the lily and bump up the floral component, you can optionally add a shot of elderflower liqueur (or another fragrant, flowery or fruity liqueur).
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
Share it with me on Instagram and leave a comment to let me know your thoughts!
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
