The Official Halo Cookbook Releases This Summer (Yes, Really)

"Halo" remains one of the most popular and beloved video game series since its inception in 2001. If you've ever wanted to know what food in the "Halo" universe tastes like, you're probably not alone! On April 5, the official "Halo" Twitter account announced an equally official cookbook published by Insight Editions, saying, "Time to upgrade your armory right alongside your pantry. Announcing, the official Halo Cookbook from @insighteditions! Available for pre-order right now, releasing in August."

Halo/Twitter

An official cookbook is probably not the first thing any "Halo" fan would think about when picturing Master Chief's fight against the Covenant in outer space — but hey, Spartans need to eat. Others on Twitter seem to agree, and even the cookbook's author, @PixelatedVicka, chimed in to celebrate, saying in a tweet, "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to expand on the Halo universe. This was such a fun project to work on!

We don't know what a Covenant Elite tastes like, but we may soon find out. "Halo: The Official Cookbook" releases on Kindle for $13.99 and as a hardcover book for $39.99 on August 16. The cookbook will include more than 70 recipes, and it sounds like it'll cover everything from snacks to full meals. If you're not interested in the food, the "Halo" cookbook could still very well become a collector's item in its own right.

"Halo: The Official Cookbook" follows many other video game-themed cookbooks. One of the most widely known is "The Elder Scrolls: The Official Cookbook," which arrived in March 2019 with a bunch of recipes for food found in the related game. Similar companion cookbooks have been released for everything from the Star Wars universe to "Fallout," "World of Warcraft," and beyond.

With that said, "Halo" doesn't inherently pique the same level of culinary curiosity as universes like that of "The Elder Scrolls." Food isn't mentioned very often in the sci-fi world, so it remains to be seen how the author ended up working these recipes into "Halo" lore. There are, of course, plenty of planets to find out there in space, and they may just as well have interesting ingredients of their own. Or, at least, something to that effect.

Regardless, it's a good time to be a "Halo" fan. "Halo: The Official Cookbook" is just the latest in the franchise's merchandising rush, given that the new "Halo" TV series is now streaming on Paramount+. Speaking of the new TV show, here's where you can watch the first episode of "Halo: The Series" for free. The cookbook and TV show also come shortly after the recent release of the sixth mainline "Halo" video game, "Halo Infinite," which launched on Xbox consoles and PC last December.