Epel’s Favorite Food and Why

When asked what his favorite food is Epel is happy to explain his love of yakiniku (written as both “grilled meat” and “barbecue” on EN):

Back home, we’d have barbecues where all the neighbors would turn out, grown-ups and young-uns alike. We’d take big ol’ hunks’a meat and grill ’em over a charcoal fire. Finger food don’t exactly make for fancy eatin’, but BOY HOWDY is it a mighty fine meal! And then there’s all the fresh veggies. They’ve got a natural sweetness to ’em. You can eat em straight off the grill without puttin’ anything on ’em, and they’re already perfect!

Realizing he is saying something that Vil would not approve of Epel then follows with, “Well, I do have one thing I like even more. It’s, ah, macarons. They’re…cute. And sweet! And they come in lots of different flavors. They’re not very filling, but still.”

Having a supposed love for macarons seems to be one of the ways Epel is learning to adapt to Pomefiore: when Epel first admits to Vil that his favorite food is yakiniku Vil rejects his such a response and orders him to come up with a favorite food that better suits Pomefiore.

Interestingly, Epel seems to have actually come up with the cover for macarons prior to his vignette with Vil: in Ace’s ceremonial vignette, timed to take place after Vil has physically beaten him into submission but before their conversation at the dorm, it is possible that we see Epel come up with macarons as a response he assumes would be expected of him.

And he is proven right, with Ace saying that he gives off the vibe of someone who would like macarons, and laughing aloud when Epel follows with “and yakiniku” for being in such a contrast to his appearance.

When Vil decides to get Epel macarons as a souvenir from the Fairest City Ace is surprised to hear that macarons are supposedly Epel’s favorite food, saying that Epel has said he likes “more filling stuff,” and especially barbecue, to which Vil responds, “Epel. Loves. Macarons. It seems he hasn’t been forthcoming with that information. Well, that won’t do. I’ll have to have a talk with him when we’re back at school.”

When Epel is offered macarons during Glorious Masquerade he is less than thrilled, confusing Azul, who says that according to his “intel” macarons are supposed to be Epel’s favorite food.

This was possibly a reference to Jade’s ceremonial vignette where we see him provide Azul with a registry of all the first-year students, and take it upon himself to also procure information such as “home countries, hobbies, tastes, least favorite foods, and worst subjects.”