View source for Meatball

{{languages}}
{{comestible
  |color=brown
  |tile=[[image:meatball.png]]
  |name=meatball
  |cost=5
  |nutrition=5
  |turns=1
  |weight=1
  |conduct=meat
}}

A '''meatball'''  is a type of [[comestible]] that appears in ''[[NetHack]]''. It is [[fleshy]] and not [[vegetarian]] or vegan.

==Generation==
Meatballs are not randomly generated, and can only be created by [[zapping]] a [[stone to flesh]] [[spell]] at [[rock]]s, valuable [[gems]], [[gray stone]]s, or [[statue]]s that depict tiny-sized or non-fleshy monsters.

==Description==
When [[eaten]], meatballs grant 5 base nutrition and take 1 turn to consume. Like [[tripe ration]]s, meatballs are considered a [[treat]] for [[carnivorous]][[pet]]s, and they can be thrown to tame carnivorous [[domestic animal]]s.

==Strategy==
Meatballs are easily gathered by smashing [[boulder]]s and larger [[statue]]s and casting the spell of stone to flesh at the leftover rocks: [[Healer]]s always start with knowledge of the spell, and [[Wizard]]s and [[Priest]]s can also start with the spell. As they provide little nutrition, the most direct use of meatballs for a [[hero]] is to feed them to carnivorous pets, which is done to increase [[apport]] for [[stealing from shops]], or else to maximize tameness if they plan on using a [[polymorph trap]] to turn it into an [[inediate]] pet. They are also useful in a pinch for taming hostile domestic carnivores.

Meatballs make excellent [[polyfodder]] for obtaining lightweight food such as [[lembas wafer]]s, along with other uncommon comestibles such as [[tin]]s of [[spinach]] and/or [[tengu]] meat and [[cockatrice]] [[egg]]s&mdash;distribute them carefully in order to avoid accidentally creating a [[flesh golem]]. This can also be used to deliberately create flesh golems in order to try obtaining resistances from their [[corpse]]s, or else to tame one and turn it into a stronger [[stone golem]] using a cockatrice or their corpse.

==History==
The meatball is introduced alongside the spell of stone to flesh in [[NetHack 3.3.0]].

==Variants==
===SlashTHEM===
In [[SlashTHEM]], meatballs can be randomly generated, and can be sold in general [[store]]s and delicatessens.

==Encyclopedia entry==
{{encyclopedia|
Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some would eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
Sae let the Lord be thankit.
|[ Grace Before Meat, by Robert Burns ]
}}
{{nethack-367}}
[[Category:Comestibles]]