Does Italian Food Exist In The Star Wars Galaxy? Maul - Shadow Lord Offers A Compelling Case

Minor spoilers ahead for the "Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord" episodes "The Dark Revenge" and "Sinister Schemes."

"Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord" has so far been a welcome return to the animated corner of the franchise for many fans. It largely focuses on Maul getting a new apprentice, itself a nod to one of George Lucas' best unused sequel trilogy ideas. But as is always the case with this property, there's much more going on. As such, fans would be forgiven for missing the way that "Maul — Shadow Lord" casually introduces what appears to be Italian cuisine to the "Star Wars" universe.

Let's check the tape. In the premiere episode, "The Dark Revenge," we see Looti Vario (who may sound familiar to "Star Wars" fans) having a meal with his fellow crime boss Nico Deemis (John Carroll Lynch). When the cover comes off Looti's plate, we see what looks very much like chicken parmesan, aka chicken parmigiana. (See below.) This is a classic Italian dish here on Earth, but what is it, exactly, in the "Star Wars" galaxy? That's a great question without a definitive answer for now.

Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm

Then, in the show's second episode, "Sinister Schemes," we catch up with the detective Brander Lawson (Wagner Moura) at home after a long night's work with his son Rylee (Charlie Bushnell). On their kitchen counter, plain as day, are a couple of food boxes that look suspiciously like the kind of pizza delivery boxes one would find on Earth. (See the image below). That's very much the sort of food that a teenager would eat while his workaholic dad was away on business, too.

Were there Italians in space a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away? Probably not. As such, we have questions.

Fans have long been fascinated with the specifics of culinary delights across the "Star Wars" galaxy. Blue Milk might be complicated to create, but it's been a "Star Wars" staple since the beginning. George Lucas and every other creative to touch this franchise has taken what they know from our world and tried to use it to imagine other worlds. Sometimes, there are going to be similarities.

"Andor" alone opened up a lot of culinary possibilities in the "Star Wars" universe, from appealing-looking cereal to blue noodles and more. And let's not forget Rey (Daisy Ridley) making some cool-looking instant bread in "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens." There are plenty of foods in this franchise that resemble foods we know, but with a twist.

In other words, "Maul — Shadow Lord" introducing food that resembles Italian cuisine isn't terribly surprising. What is surprising is that two Italian culinary staples (pizza and chicken parm) were seemingly introduced in the same show in such rapid succession. Of course, we can't say definitively that Rylee was eating space pizza, but it's very much a "What's in the box?!" moment where we're operating under the assumption that it absolutely is space pizza.

The implication is that Janix, the planet where the bulk of this show takes place, is heavy on whatever the "Star Wars" equivalent of Italian food is. Are the citizens of Janix the equivalent of Italians on Earth? Are we going to get more of their cuisine as the show unfolds? We shall see. Here's hoping for space lasagna sooner rather than later. It's all future fodder for the menu at Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland/Disney World, no doubt.

"Star Wars: Maul — Shadow Lord" is streaming now on Disney+.