Tigris’s Bread Pudding from The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes | Hunger Games Inspired Recipes

What’s Up, Hungry People

I’m finally reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes – and perhaps even more surprisingly, I haven’t seen the movie yet either. I know, I know. I’m behind. I’ve managed to avoid spoilers (so far), which puts me in the unique position of experiencing the book without any influence from the film. This bread pudding scene is straight out of my own imagination – exactly how I imagined it being served in the book!

BEFORE YOU READ ON BE WARNED! THERE WILL BE MILD SPOILERS FOR THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES IN THIS POST!

I had to stop reading the second I hit the scene with Tigris’s bread pudding. In the book, Tigris steals some stale bread from one of Fabricia’s parties and turns it into a sticky, custardy bread pudding – one of Coriolanus’s favorite desserts.

This particular recipe hits at a weirdly emotional moment in the book. Snow takes some of the pudding, wrapped in a handkerchief, to Lucy Gray – only to find out it’s also one of her favorite desserts as well.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to The Hunger Games, set 64 years before Katniss Everdeen’s story begins. It follows a young Coriolanus Snow, long before he becomes the ruthless president of Panem. At just 18 years old, he’s assigned to mentor a tribute in the 10th Hunger Games – Lucy Gray Baird, a member of the Covey from District 12 with a rebellious spirit and a flair for survival.

As Snow navigates the crumbling Capitol, political ambition and his growing fascination with Lucy Gray, the Games begin to evolve from a brutal punishment into the twisted spectacle we know from the original series. Through food, song, strategy and survival, Ballad reveals the early cracks in both the Capitol’s control and Snow’s morality.

The movie follows the book super closely – and I think it’s definitely one of the best book-to-film adaptations I’ve seen in years!

What Would Capitol-Era Bread Pudding Actually Taste Like?

Getting this bread pudding right means thinking like someone living in the Capitol ten years after the war – when food was still scarce, luxuries were rationed, and everyone was pretending things were better than they actually were.

According to Suzanne Collins, the Capitol sits somewhere near the Colorado Rockies. It’s not yet the polished, over-the-top city we know from Katniss’s time. Instead, it’s battered, gray, and still clawing its way back to decadence. Food is more about survival and saving face than true indulgence.

If you compare this period in Panem’s history to the real-world Great Depression, the ingredient choices start to make a lot of sense. Eggs would have been a rare, precious commodity. (Honestly, based on current prices, I’m about to start bartering for eggs myself.) Buttermilk shows up a lot in the book – Coriolanus drinks it frequently – so we know dairy products were at least accessible if you were resourceful.

Sugar would have been much harder to come by, which is why we’re using corn syrup instead. During the Depression, corn syrup was a shelf-stable sweetener that families could store long-term – exactly the kind of thing Tigris would have had tucked away for emergencies.

Butter might have been skimmed from milk or bartered from District 10. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) could have been sourced from District 3, salt from District 12, and a rare, smuggled-in Class II Culinary Enhancement like cinnamon might have come from somewhere like District 11. I don’t even want to know what Tigris had to do to score that cinnamon.

In short, this version of bread pudding isn’t rich, extravagant, or covered in fancy toppings. It’s practical, resourceful, and just sweet enough to feel special – a Capitol luxury made from scraps. Exactly the kind of thing you’d whip up to remind yourself you’re still somebody… even if you’re eating stale party leftovers while the world falls apart outside.

Here’s What You Need:

To make the most accurate version of the bread pudding as possible, we’ll need to consider what ingredients would have realistically been available to Tigris given her status in the Captiol.

• Eggs: A luxury. Tigris might have bartered or stretched what she had left. (Also: can we talk about the cost of eggs right now? Throwing hands!!!!)
• Buttermilk: Coriolanus drinks it often, so we know it’s available. We’ll use it as our base dairy.
• Corn syrup: Cheap, shelf-stable, and historically accurate as a Depression-era sugar substitute.
• Butter: Maybe skimmed from milk, or traded from District 10. We’re being generous.
• Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda): Manufactured, maybe from District 3.
• Salt: Let’s say District 12 pulled through for us here. We know from Peeta’s cheese buns that salt is available.
• Cinnamon: A “Class II Culinary Enhancement,” likely smuggled in from District 11. I don’t even wanna know what Tigris had to do to get her hands on it.

Let’s Cook

Grab a large mixing bowl and whisk together your eggs, warm buttermilk, and corn syrup. Then add in your melted butter, a pinch of salt, a little baking soda, and a sprinkle of cinnamon if you have it – though knowing how hard it was for Tigris to get her hands on cinnamon, you might want to use it sparingly for the most accurate version (or just pretend you live in the “modern” version the Captiol and season away!).

Whisk everything until it’s pale and lightly frothy. We want the mixture smooth and airy, but not whipped.

Prep the Bread

I’m using some leftover French bread that’s been sitting on my counter for a day – way too hard to eat otherwise, which makes it perfect for this. Slice or tear the bread into cubes, roughly the same size, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Remember, this is supposed to feel a little scrappy.

Toss the bread cubes into the buttermilk and egg mixture and give everything a good stir. You want every piece of bread coated and soaking up all that sweet, tangy goodness.

Let the bread soak for at least 10–15 minutes, stirring gently once or twice. We want the bread to get as soft as possible – when you press on a cube with a spoon, it should feel almost like a sponge. That’s how you get a smooth, custard-like texture after baking.

Bake Until Golden

Once everything is nice and soaked, transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish. Level off the top a little so it bakes evenly.

Pop it into a 350°F oven and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes. You’re looking for a golden top with a little jiggle in the center – think soft and set, but not dried out. I turned off my oven and let it cool inside for a few minutes with the door cracked to ensure that the bread pudding stayed fluffy and didn’t sink. If the bread cools too quickly it may become dense and chewy rather than light and custardy.

Finishing Touches

Right before serving, drizzle warm corn syrup all over the top and let it soak in. It’s not fancy — but it’s exactly the kind of sweet, humble comfort food that would have felt like a treasure in a recovering Capitol.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Capitol-Era Bread Pudding

• Use day-old or stale bread. The drier the bread, the better it will soak up the custard. Fresh bread will just fall apart.
• Warm your buttermilk slightly. You don’t want it hot – just warm enough that it helps blend smoothly with the eggs and corn syrup without shocking the mixture.
• Let the bread really soak. If you have time, let it sit even longer than 15 minutes. A full 30 minutes will give you an even softer, more custardy pudding.
• Grease your baking dish well. Use butter, oil, whatever you’ve got – it helps crisp up the edges and makes it way easier to serve.
• Cool it slowly. Don’t skip cracking the oven door open when it’s done baking. Cooling too fast makes the pudding collapse and get heavy.
• Customize it carefully. If you want to stay true to the book, keep it simple. But if you’re feeling a little Capitol-extra, you could sprinkle a few raisins or a dash of extra cinnamon over the top.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tigris’s Bread Pudding

• Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk? Yes, but it won’t have the same tangy flavor. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can fake it by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes before using.
• Can I substitute sugar for the corn syrup? Technically yes, but corn syrup gives the pudding a smoother, silkier texture and a clean sweetness. Sugar would make it a little grainier and slightly different in taste – plus, using corn syrup fits the Depression-era survival theme better.
• What kind of bread works best? Any rustic, hearty white bread works great – French bread, Italian bread, or even basic sandwich bread that’s gone stale. Avoid very soft breads like brioche unless you want a much richer (and way less book-accurate) result.
• How do I know when it’s done baking? The top should be golden brown, and the center should still have a soft jiggle if you nudge the dish. If the whole thing is stiff and dry-looking, it’s overbaked.
• Can I make it ahead of time? Absolutely! You can bake it the night before and reheat it gently in the oven. Just don’t add the corn syrup drizzle until you’re ready to serve, so it stays nice and gooey on top.

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[COMING SOON!]

Honestly, I’m convinced Suzanne Collins is secretly a food blogger. She wrote an entire dystopian series just to get to the recipes at the end, and honestly? I respect it.

Our Hunger Games series will continue next week with a recipe inspired by Sunrise on the Reaping, so be sure to drop your favorite Hunger Games foods in the comments below. I’m also looking for a Mockingjay-specific recipe – even though there aren’t a ton of food moments in that book, I want to wrap up this series with a recipe from each part of the story. If you have a good idea for Mockingjay, let me know – or else this series is ending on a cliffhanger.

And of course, if you have any suggestions for other fictional feasts I should tackle next, leave them in the comments too!

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