# In the 24th Century, Do They Know What an Omelet Is? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 13, 2020, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485 "2020-11-13T02:48:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/81 "2020-11-16T22:40:13Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I love that scene for how completely unfazed Picard and Riker are As opposed to the other guy. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2020, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/82 "2020-11-16T23:17:15Z")
As a professional cook, what bothered me most about that scene was the bizarrely awkward way Riker was holding the whisk while scrambling the eggs. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/83 "2020-11-17T00:27:30Z")
On board a ship or at any land base, weapons are kept under lock and key and heavily guarded. Security doesn’t depend on service personnel like pastry chefs. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/84 "2020-11-17T11:47:28Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I don’t think the doc is confused. I think Riker has no goddamned idea what an omelette is. Two more pieces of evidence that Riker’s just a terrible cook (I know I’m being ridiculous, I own it): 1. When he sees everyone’s faces, he doesn’t say, “Oh no! Are they overcooked? Not enough salt? Please tell me I didn’t use rotten eggs!” Nope: he says, “A cook is only as good as his ingredients.” His first move is to spout some sophistry nonsense to protect his ego and avoid responsibility for screwing up the meal. 2. _Who serves a pile of scrambled eggs as the entire meal?_ There’s no fruit, no bread, no meat, no vegetable, no sides whatsoever on those plates: just blobs of unseasoned scrambled eggs. Riker has no clue what he’s doing, and no clue that he has no clue. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/85 "2020-11-17T14:36:19Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Yep, he has an “atomic stomach” (or something like that) that burns food. And if he eats something that doesn’t agree with him, he gets atomic ache. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/86 "2020-11-17T14:46:10Z")
🤣 I wonder what happens at the other end? 🤔🤨 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/87 "2020-11-17T15:44:23Z")
^ I don’t have a joke for this; well, I’ll bidet-mned. 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/88 "2020-11-17T15:54:58Z")
Your question implies that humanity will survive the next 300 years. I admire your optimism. In any case, if it does, we will definitely have omelets and soups and anything made by simply mixing things into other things. The meals that won’t survive would be the ones that are either complex to make or the ones that require hard to get ingredients. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/89 "2020-11-17T15:57:09Z")
In theory, though, any hard-to-get ingredient could be made in the food replicator. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/90 "2020-11-17T16:00:16Z")
True, but I remember the episode where Riker (I believe) was making his own omelet and, upon being questioned about it, said something to the effect that replicated food just couldn’t match the real natural thing in terms of flavor. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/91 "2020-11-17T16:00:59Z")
Are you suggesting Chicken Paprikás and Bouillabaisse won’t be around in another 300 years? 😲 God forbid! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/92 "2020-11-17T16:03:07Z")
I think that was Troi talking about chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/93 "2020-11-17T16:03:46Z")
Bouilla - what?! 😳 ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/94 "2020-11-17T16:06:46Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I think that was Troi talking about chocolate. [**Riker makes an omelet.**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C-i7J9ZLuM) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/95 "2020-11-17T16:09:19Z")
What’s that got to do with the price of eggs? 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/96 "2020-11-17T16:16:23Z")
Actually, that’s a very good question for another thread. How would the replicator affect prices? I mean, if you could replicate virtually anything, what would that do to the concept of “worth”? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/97 "2020-11-17T16:25:01Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Actually, that’s a very good question for another thread. How would the replicator affect prices? I mean, if you could replicate virtually anything, what would that do to the concept of “worth”? In theory, the Federation has no economy. There is no material means of “worth.” In practice, many civilizations in the Alpha Quadrant trade in gold-pressed latinum, since latinum can’t be replicated. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/98 "2020-11-17T16:27:44Z")
It destroys it. Which is why there is no money in the Federation, and no one has to work. They can just do whatever they think will make their lives more fulfilling and try to improve themselves. If you believe this and you’re not stoned, I have swampland in Florida you might be interested in. 🕶 ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/99 "2020-11-17T16:59:39Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Actually, that’s a very good question for another thread. How would the replicator affect prices? I mean, if you could replicate virtually anything, what would that do to the concept of “worth”? I would think that people will always value “work” and the things that have any worth at all are the things that people put effort into. While a replicated meal will be perfectly acceptable for a weeknight meal, if you were to have people over for dinner you would probably only replicate raw ingredients and then put effort into cooking and presentation. Even if the finished result happens to taste worse than what the replicator could make, I suspect the people you cooked for would value it much more. I would expect people to devote far more time to creating art, writing, playing sports and music. I think on the Enterprise you’d probably have a bartering system of some sort to trade whatever unique items or skills are available on the ship. I think people would tend to do anything they could to gain some advantage and standing over others and have something unique that can’t be recreated in a replicator. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485/100 "2020-11-17T17:18:20Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Bouilla - what?! 😳 Bouillabaisseball - a popular sport on Gordon Shumway’s home planet of Melmac that involved throwing fish parts at each other. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-24th-century-do-they-know-what-an-omelet-is/925485.md?page=6)