He lived today, Freddie Mercury he would share his passions in music, cinema and literature on Instagram, like any self-respecting star. The interviews and memories of those who knew him tell us a lot about him, his life, his preferences. From the favorite singers, who went from Jimi Hendrix to Montserrat Caballé, to the actresses she adored, like Norma Shearer and Lana Turner. From the films he reviewed with pleasure, from Some like it hot to The mirror of life, to the books of Beatrix Potter and Richard Dadd peeping out of his bookshop. Of his eating habits, however, very little is known.

We discover his tastes

Of course, Freddie Mercury he loved champagne, especially if Moët & Chandon, and even the Belgian chocolates of Godiva, but how did he grow up? With which dishes did he plan to take energy for his concerts? One answer is given by Peter "Phoebe" Freestone, who shared the best years of his life with Mercury. A personal assistant, a fraternal friend and a stable presence in Freddie's life for more than twenty years, including the sad moment of illness, Phoebe told a lot about the singer's private life in the book Freddie – An intimate biography, which digs into the daily life of his London home surrounded by beloved cats and close friends. In another manual, this time dedicated exclusively to the kitchen, Freddie Mercury's Royal RecipesInstead, they collect the recipes which the star held most: "When I started working for him, Freddie loved spicy food, a good mix of spices," Freestone specifies on his blog justifying Mercury's favorite taste for childhood lived in Zanzibar, where there were plenty of spices. However, despite the excesses he's used to in his career, Freddie Mercury liked a simple, "homely" kitchen, as defined by Freestone.

"He always said that at home he wanted his mother cooked," insists his friend, while pointing out that even the deluxe kitchen was not far from the singer's habits. It seems, then, that he had convinced his personal chef, Joe Fanelli, to prepare a traditional roast every Sunday, in the heart of his home in Kensington. His other favorite foods were the "cottage pie", which was the English meat pie, and the sausage rolls that Mercury had brought to the recording studios to share them with his companions and other staff members. The problems began with the slow progression of the disease – as we know, Mercury was suffering from AIDS, which took him away on November 24, 1991 at the age of 45 – when his taste buds could no longer bear the strong flavors like spicy food. It was then that his diet went from the mix of spices and chili to scrambled eggs. "At the beginning he preferred the varieties of Indian cuisine because it reminded him of his youth, but in the last year, the only condiments that were allowed were salt and pepper," says Freestone. A legend with simple tastes.