Ruica

"How'd you ever get so strong, little ma'am?" "I eat my ruica."

- Organa claims eating ruica makes her strong

Ruica was a blue plant which could be boiled and eaten. Seeds were transported from the planet Broest to the planet Alderaan so that ruica could be grown and eaten there. During her childhood, Princess Leia Organa did not like the taste of ruice, but was persuaded to eat it by her adoptive father Bail Organa, who claimed it would make her strong. After the destruction of Alderaan by the Galactic Empire, the Princess was reminded of Alderaan and her father when Evaan Verlaine gave her ruica to eat.

Description
"Mmm. Boiled ruica."

- The Human pilot Evaan Verlaine enjoys some ruica

Ruica was a blue plant which grew from seeds. It could be boiled and eaten by members of the Human species with a fork.

History
{{Quote|Brave star-pilots hauled seeds all the way from Broest just so farmers could produce something to help children grow up strong.|Bail Organa persuades his adopted daugh At some point prior to the early years of the Galactic Empire's reign over the galaxy, ruica seeds were transported from the planet Broest to the planet of Alderaan where farmers grew the plant for food. During her childhood on Alderaan, Princess Leia Organa was served ruica but did not like the taste and complained about eating it. Her adoptive father Bail Organa persuaded her to eat the food by telling her about the effort that had been made to bring the plant to Alderaan and that it would make her strong. While later sparring with a partner, the princess's opponent asked how she was so strong, and Leia claimed it was due to the ruica in her diet.

Following the destruction of Alderaan by the Empire, Organa&mdash;now a member of the Alliance to Restore the Republic&mdash;ate ruica with the Alliance pilot Evaan Verlaine while the pair traveled together on a T-1 shuttle to the planet Naboo. Verlaine enjoyed the dish but Organa was at first hesitant to eat it, being reminded of her lost home and father. When the pilot asked if the Princess liked the dish however, she claimed she liked it just fine.

Behind the scenes
Ruica first appeared in Star Wars: Princess Leia, Part II, a comic book written by Mark Waid and illustrated by Terry Dodson which was released in 2015.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Princess Leia, Part II