Food has played a big part in many episodes of Friends, especially with Joey loving to eat, Monica being a chef, and Rachel being a notoriously bad cook. Often, these food-focused storylines and moments are played for laughs and can end in hilarious consequences, but there are some instances where these food moments actually bring the main six friends closer to one another.
Sometimes, the food can be a sign of how much one friend means to another. Other times, it's the food itself that is the cause of bringing the friends together. Either way, these food scenes remain memorable in many fans' hearts.
The First Thanksgiving
Each season of Friends has a Thanksgiving episode, and the first season sees Monica attempt to tackle a Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. But when being locked out results in the meal being ruined, it's not long before the friends are arguing with one another.
Whilst the meal was a complete disaster, it was the start of a new Thanksgiving tradition for all of them, where they would all spend time with each other for the next ten years. Even Thanksgiving-hating Chandler says "I'm very thankful that all of your Thanksgivings sucked" because they wouldn't have all been together. To this day, it remains one of the sweetest moments of friendship in Friends.
Joey Temporarily Gave Up Meat For Phoebe
When vegetarian Phoebe becomes a surrogate to her brother's babies, she discovers to her horror that she is craving meat whilst pregnant. At first, meat-loving Joey shows her the best ways to enjoy meat, but when that doesn't curb Phoebe's guilt, he then offers to give up meat until the babies are born, so "no extra animals die."
Considering how much of a food lover Joey is, especially when it comes to meat, giving up meat for Phoebe is one of the sweetest things he has ever done for a friend. He does, however, break this rule when in London saying "We're in another country, so it doesn't count."
The Meatball Sub
One of Joey's most memorable food moments was when, as Chandler put it, he risked his life for a sandwich. In a car backfire, it was assumed that Joey dove in front of Ross to protect him from the assumed bullet, greatly upsetting Chandler. However, it turned out that Joey's meatball sub was next to Ross and he was trying to save that instead.
What makes this a special moment is that to show Chandler how much he means to him, he lets him have a bite of the meatball sub. Considering the very memorable "Joey doesn't share food!" quote in season 10, this scene certainly proves how much Chandler means to Joey.
The Stolen Cheesecakes
"The One With All The Cheesecakes" is perhaps the first food episode that comes to a lot of Friends fans' minds. It sees Rachel and Chandler enjoying baked vanilla cheesecakes that weren't meant for them.
Whilst they did have a disagreement when Rachel is caught eating the dessert without him, it certainly bought the two friends together. Throughout the series, Rachel and Chandler do not have many storylines together, and the cheesecake misadventure is not only their most memorable but it's a rare moment that shows them bonding as close friends.
Ross And Rachel Share An Oreo Cookie
Towards the end of the very first episode, Ross and Rachel are alone together for the first time in the living room, and the first thing they do is split the last Oreo cookie that was out. It's here that Ross confesses that he had a crush on Rachel, and asks if he could ask her out sometime. Rachel says yes.
It's an understated moment but the sharing of the Oreo cookie is a good moment for both Ross and Rachel individually and together. They each started the pilot on a low note, and most importantly, it's perhaps the first key step in what is perhaps the biggest "will-they-won't-they" relationship in television history. On the whole, it is an episode guaranteed to hook new Friends viewers.
Rachel Gets The Pizza Girl's Number For Ross
Ross' inability to flirt with pizza delivery girl Caitlin is a cringe-worthy moment for many viewers and it's unsurprising when Caitlin promptly leaves after another pizza order uninterested. But it works out when Rachel talks to Caitlin and convinces her to give Ross her number.
Considering how jealous Rachel can be when Ross dates someone, this is a very big step for her, especially as she went out of her way to catch up with Caitlin to ask. What's more, it's a nice moment of peace in the rather turbulent Ross and Rachel relationship timeline.
Spaghetti On The Floor
Season 6 sees Rachel move in with Joey for the first time. Whilst Rachel was initially reluctant, the two gradually form a very close friendship over the course of the series. The start of this is perhaps when Rachel accidentally spills spaghetti on Joey's carpet.
Joey tells her it doesn't matter and deliberately drops spaghetti on the carpet too to prove it. Rachel is naturally delighted, having been used to clean freak Monica for years, and she soon starts having a lot of fun living with Joey, both in this episode and beyond. Although their romantic relationship is a Friends storyline fans would like to see cut, their friendship is one of the best in the series.
They All Eat The Trifle To Spare Rachel's Feelings
Rachel's half trifle half shepherd's pie remains one of the most unforgettable food moments in Friends. To spare Rachel's feelings, everyone tries to eat it in front of her but leaves to secretly dispose of it (except Phoebe, who is vegetarian and gleefully gets out of trying it). The only one to enjoy the weird accidental disaster is Joey, who ends up eating everyone else's portions.
They all know how terrible Rachel is at cooking and she was very anxious about messing up the dessert. So although they didn't really eat it, this was an act of kindness on everyone's part, and Rachel was actually touched when she learned the truth.
The Accidental Erotic Cake
For Emma's first birthday, Rachel orders a birthday cake shaped like a rabbit. However, on arrival, it turns out to be a mix-up and the cake is shaped like something more suited for a bachelorette party. Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, and Joey all want to leave the party for different reasons and are frustrated when they can't go because Rachel leaves to swap over the cake.
Yet, the cake mix-up ultimately brings the six friends together when they all return to the party to learn that Emma can count how old she is that day. It was exactly what Rachel wanted for her daughter's first birthday and whilst brief, it's a very touching moment.
Monica Wearing The Thanksgiving Turkey
The image of Monica wearing the Thanksgiving turkey on her head, complete with big sunglasses and a fez hat, remains one of the most iconic images in the series. It is not only funny and recognizable but it pinpoints a key moment in the Monica and Chandler relationship timeline.
Monica had put the turkey on her head in an attempt to cheer up Chandler after a revealing Thanksgiving story. It works, and Chandler says "I love you" to Monica for the first time.