Alright. I haunt restaurants, so they thought me best for writing a short description of the cuisines of various lands.
Food, of course, is quite an important part of everyone’s lives. Not only do we need it to live, but it lends itself to being an incredibly social event – I think it’s the only basic function that we tend to perform in front of people on a regular basis.
Most food that we eat is either cooked by our own hands, or taken out as
cates. Cates, of course, are restaurant food of any sort, and in the fine cities, such as Aranor, Selarum, Jalpa, or Liramelle, one can taste the foods of all the provinces.
Here in the Old World our native cuisine is rather dull. A kind word of description would be ‘hearty’, but it is heavily influenced by traditional Northern cooking, which is based around the stew. Thickly cut meat, root vegetables, rough-ground wheat and oat breads, and fish make for a variety of soups and meat steaks.
Lantrielle has contributed delicate flavors, with thinly cut vegetables and fish prepared in cream sauces or delicate, herbed oils.
Masalla, of course, is famous for pastas paired with ground meat or fish. Sauces are also liberally used, most with a tomato base, and the use of olive oil and dark vinegars is common. Anything Pies, as well, hearken from this land.
Jedda gives food prepared with various salts and vinegar marinades, often grilled delicately, with strongly flavored vegetables, light meats, and fish playing the major roles. Lightly flavored soups are also a part of the diet, as well as various delicacies prepared with an artful hand.
Japura has added spice to the mixture by virtue of its cuisine, which leans strongly on heavily grilled and spiced fish and meat, combined with gelatins, fiery spices, and sharp, pungent flavours.
Lastly, Moraithe has given us fruit soups and glazes, perfumed or candied fruit, and meats which are grilled with the sweet addition of purees and thickened juices.
The combination gives modern Old World cuisine a delightful variety that will tempt anyone’s palate. The streets are liberally scented with all told of above, as well as the smells of pastries and cakes (courtesy of Lantrielle), confections and chocolates (Moraithe), and new inventions created by artful combinations of native cuisines.
Drinks are either spirited or not. Those lacking spirits include cream, various juices, and provincial waters, which wax and wane in popularity. These are waters from special springs in various of the provinces – some feel that certain of them bestow this quality or that upon the drinker. I myself swear by water taken from the Shatira spring in Lantrielle – not only does it possess a clear, crisp quality and a subtle taste reminiscent of vanilla, but it brings radiance to my features and keeps a youthful look to my skin.
Spirited drinks include wines, each of which is produced by a certain family possessing the recipe and right to the name. Lady Lydavia, for instance, produces Grande Royale in Neraha, and no one else has the right to produce it or name a wine such.
Ales, on the other hand, are made by the principle of Common Recipe, which means a certain ale, such as the awful Sereg’s Tongue, is actually a recipe that is traded among brewers. Thus, your Sereg’s Tongue from Selarum might differ slightly in flavor or body (I cannot believe I’m using these words to describe an ale!) from a Sereg’s Tongue produced in Jalpa.
Liquors are various drinks distilled from grains or harsh berries – most are overly strong and used only as flavorings in other drinks.
Liqueurs are sweet liquors, often still strong but drinkable on their own. Many come in delightful flavors, such as almond, cream, or peppermint. Some favorites are Maya’s Cream and Chicory.
Finally, cordials are sweet desert liqueurs, most often of berry flavors or fruit flavors. Pear, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, and apricot are a few favorite examples. All liquors, liqueurs, and cordials are of Common Recipe.
I’ll be writing reviews of restaurants for Illumination, so look for my articles to get a first-hand description of the tastes and flavours of the world!
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