A Digital Feast

It’s midnight on Planet Akila, the second planet in the Cheyenne system—though "midnight" happens to be around 10 p.m. Earth time. This digital world, part of Starfield, the galaxy-spanning role-playing game released in 2023, is built to look familiar: there’s an abundance of water, lush flora, alien fauna, and—of course—falafel pita.

Falafel pita isn’t a real thing on Akila; it’s code rendered into something resembling food. You don’t eat falafel pita, or the patty melts, spaghetti carbonara, or beef Wellington you'll have as part of your spacefaring journey. But as you stare at the immaculate pita bread and the perfect dollop of tahini, it’s hard not to wonder: 

When did virtual foods start looking better than the real thing?