Can demons eat human food?

Summary

• Demons cannot eat human food as it would make them vomit quickly, much like the ghouls of Tokyo Ghoul.
• Lady Tamayo and Yushiro are the exceptions, who are able to consume at least some human food thanks to their body modifications.
• Demons can eat animals in a pinch, but human flesh is still their best choice.

Warning: The following text contains spoilers for the Demon Slayer manga. Demon Slayer is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

IN Demon Slayerthe demon's main diet consists of human flesh and blood. One of the biggest and most terrifying changes a person experiences when they turn into a demon is the urge to consume people. The compulsion is not just for desire, because demons need to consume human flesh and if they do not, they will eventually starve to death. But is human flesh really the only way to satisfy the demon's hunger and prevent him from starving? Could a good bento or a plate of sushi be enough to keep the series' biggest threat to the Japanese at bay?

It's hard to imagine that they can, because then some demons would probably have done it already. Of course, it would also be a stupid answer to the biggest and darkest threat in the Demon Slayer. But it's still an interesting question to ponder, and rest assured there is an answer.

Can demons eat human food?

And if not, is the human diet poisonous to them?

Demons cannot eat normal human food, and if a demon tried, they would find themselves revolting and quickly regurgitating it, much like the ghouls of Tokyo Ghoul they are. Unfortunately, in the anime and manga, there is no instance of a demon eating human food and vomiting it up. The only reason this fact is known is because it is written in Official fanbook of Kimetsu no Yaiba 2.

That said, you probably can't poison a demon and kill them by force-feeding them human food. Even if the food somehow manages to get into their bodies without throwing it up, they'll probably only get indigestion, but nothing close to fatal. Also, if you push, the demon can literally tear open their stomachs and physically remove the food from their bodies, so human food won't even pose a choking hazard to them, unlike when a human eats something they shouldn't. . Anyway, they can easily regenerate the gaping hole in their body back. This means that demon slayers unfortunately can't just attach a carrot to an arrow and shoot it at a demon to kill them.

Lady Tamayo and Yushiro, the exceptions to the rule

Lady Tamayo and Yushiro are probably the only demons who are at least able to eat some human food. Due to the modifications she made to her own body, Lady Tamayo can now survive without having to eat human flesh, but a lesser known effect of these modifications is that she can now drink tea without regurgitating it. Yushiro should be able to do it too since Tamayo used the same modifications on him.

There is an argument that Nezuko can eat human food because, like Tamayo, she resisted the urge to consume humans. However, her body has never been altered by any mods and she hasn't shown any particular desire to eat regular food, so it's hard to say if she can.

Can demons eat animals?

It's probably not their preferred food, but surprisingly, it is

Surprisingly they can. A demon is seen eating an animal Demon Slayer: Tomioka Giyuu Gaidenconfirming that animals do not vomit when they eat them. However, this fact makes things interesting because it begs the question, what exactly is in human food that makes them rebel against demons? Maybe they are just pure carnivores and every bit of vegetables, fruits, spices and other non-animal products in their food triggers something in their bodies? Or is cooking possible for them and they can only eat raw meat?

Another possibility is that Muzan just decides what is and isn't edible for them. Maybe he just allows them to eat animals as a last resort if they're ever in a pinch. In any case, it doesn't seem like the Demon Slayers can rely on feeding the demons' livestock, as human flesh is still their number one priority when it comes to food.

Does every human's body taste different than demons?

Or do they all taste the same?

Okay, so demons don't really have a very varied diet, but is there at least some variety in the tastes of the people they eat? Well, it's hard to say if each person's taste is different, but apparently some people have more “nutrition” for demons in them. People with Marechi blood like Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa are very desirable to demons because their blood is like a delicacy to them.

It's unclear exactly what “more nutritious” means, as it could be that their meat just fills the demon out more, but there's also the possibility that they actually taste better. Demons are so addicted to Marechi's blood that they can become intoxicated with it and lose focus in battle. Even Upper Rank Demons are susceptible to this, which happens during the Infinity Castle Arc.

Demon Slayer is now available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix. The release date for the next season of Demon Slayer, the Infinity Castle Arc, has not yet been announced.