- "Excellent lamprey pie. Where you slaving away in the kitchen all day?"
- ―Tyrion Lannister, sarcastically pointing out that his sister Cersei isn't doing much work.
Lamprey pie is an expensive delicacy eaten by the nobility of the Seven Kingdoms, particularly the royal court at King's Landing. It is a meat pie made using the flesh of lampreys.
Tyrion Lannister dines on a lamprey pie while discussing preparations for the upcoming Battle of the Blackwater with his sister Queen Cersei.[1]
In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, when Tyrion hears the protesting prophet in the street, he starts by speaking out against how "brother and sister fornicate in the bed of kings" and the product of their incest is the evil Joffrey - the street protestor also appeared in the TV series and made these accusations in "The Ghost of Harrenhal". However, in the books, he went on to criticize the corrupt current leaders of the Faith of the Seven, particularly the High Septon - a man so obese he could barely walk much less ride a horse and had to be carried about in a litter, who grew fat even as thousands of peasants and refugees from the war were literally starving to death in the streets of the capital city (this High Septon was later torn limb from limb during the Riot of King's Landing). Among the protestor's complaints about the High Septon were: "Even the High Septon has forgotten the gods! He bathes in scented waters and grows fat on lark and lamprey while his people starve!"
In real life
Lamprey has been a highly appreciated food since the time of Ancient Rome, and was considered a delicacy by the nobility of Western Europe during the real-life Middle Ages.
Even in the modern era, sometimes as a continuation of centuries-old aristocratic haute couture cuisine, lamprey is considered an expensive delicacy across regions such as France, Spain, and Portugal. It is also prized by the remaining monarchies of Europe, where it is frequently served at coronation and jubilee celebrations. Queen Elizabeth II was herself served lamprey pie at her coronation feast in 1953. Elizabeth II was also recently served a specially prepared lamprey pie at the celebration of her diamond jubilee in 2012.
Ironically, lampreys are considered a pest in North America, because throughout the 20th century sea lampreys spread up man-made canals until they reached the Great Lakes. With no natural predators, lampreys in the Great Lakes underwent a population explosion, and devastated the entire Great Lakes ecosystem - they are officially one of the worst invasive species in the entire continent, and their ecological and economic impact is held to be at plague-level proportions.