Cram (Middle-earth)

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In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, cram is a fictional biscuit-like food made by the Men of Esgaroth and Dale, which they shared with the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain. It was very nutritious, and was used for sustenance on long journeys, for example by Bilbo Baggins and the Dwarves in The Hobbit.

It was not appealing, unlike the Elvish equivalent, lembas. It was described sarcastically as "more of a chewing exercise" than enjoyable to eat. According to Gimli when they left Lórien, lembas tastes better than cram. However, like lembas, it is probable that Tolkien modeled cram on hardtack.