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Gastronomical Identification and Imitation or, How to Recognize and Reproduce the
Food of the Larger Races
by Aesi Winedotter
The honor of living and working with a Loenthran family for
the last thirty years has brought many good things into my
life. One of these is an appreciation for the culinary traditions
of many races. The master of our house is an unusually experimental
gourmand, and he delights in exploring regional specialties
both through travel and the teachings of visitors to the house.
In recent years, I have conducted a few inquiries of my own,
taking every opportunity to question traveling Gnomes about
food in distant lands. Our cousins in the Human Empire have
been particularly informative about the regional variations
among their hosts.
In the hope that others may take interest in these findings,
I present here what I have gleaned about these exotic practices.
Sample menus are provided to better illustrate how a meal
might be assembled in that particular culture. For the benefit
of those unfamiliar with the elegance of elven cuisine, I
include a section on that tradition as well.
Sylvankind Sylvan cooking is almost as refined as that of the
true Elves, in terms of presentation and flavor combinations.
The ingredients, however, are what set the dishes apart. The
central elements are gathered or hunted from the wild, never
cultivated or preserved. Particularly favored are fleetingly
seasonal items, or those requiring special skill or knowledge
to locate or prepare. Supporting these unusual items are many
of the same techniques and preparations familiar to anyone
who has dined in the elven cities.
Sample
Sylvan Menu: Informal Autumn Lunch
small round loaves of acorn bread
fennel butter
sorrel and rue salad tossed with a cider vinaigrette
persimmon and mushroom soup
a cattail flour torte topped with blackberry syrup
oak leaf wine
Dark Elves I am forced to rely upon the accounts of others when
it comes to the culinary preferences of the Dark Elves, as
this is the only style of food strictly forbidden in the house.
Through diligent inquiry I have been able to ascertain that
reptile meat takes a central role. The preparations are invariably
elaborate, with some of the more striking approaches making
use of the inedible portions of the beast as decorative accents.
Outsiders have not reported particularly pleasurable experiences
with this cuisine. Although they draw upon much of the same
flora and fauna, Dhe'nar and Faendryl preparations do differ.
The former cuisine plays up the dangerous aspects of the ingredients
used, and focuses on purity by using only one or two elements
in any given dish. The Faendryl, on the other hand, use food
as another way of signifying status and rank. There are detailed
prohibitions regarding ingredients and preparations, making
the arrangement of large dinners a logistical maze.
Sample
Dark Elven Menu: Dhe'nar-style Meal
toasted fire ants served in a tortoise shell
a prickly pear and salted skink salad
salamander and agave soup
an overlapping fan of roasted cave bats stuffed with
trafel mushrooms
scorpion tail pastries
snake venom in blue agave wine
Dwarves
The rustic meals of the Dwarves are charming for their simplicity
and satisfying for their heartiness. Although one would never
accuse them of subtlety in the kitchen, their food has a certain
tenacity which no doubt serves them well in their labors.
Trade with aboveground clans provides the cave-dwellers with
rabbit and mutton, bulb vegetables, wheat, and preserved or
dried fruits. Both meat and vegetables are generally cooked
for long periods of time. I'm told by the Aledotters that
a particularly dense bread studded with fruit known as sarak
can be found in the pockets of many Dwarves as they go about
their day. The Dwarves underground cultivate both lichens
and fungi, some of which are surprisingly good. I have found
the reddish-orange lichen to be the most palatable, provided
it is softened up through boiling or steaming.
Sample
Dwarven Menu: Family Dinner
fried oatcakes with grumbleberry jelly
mutton and leek stew
leek and potato soup
dark ale or draft cider
rhubarb pie
Giantman
The nomadic clans of this towering folk are fearless hunters,
and have been known to take down even the largest plains animals
single-handedly. This prowess is reflected in their cooking,
which often revolves around big game animals roasted all day
in a pit or over an open fire. As this is difficult to reproduce
in a civilized kitchen, the essence of giantman cooking can
also be approximated with smaller cuts of game grilled over
smoldering coals. Equally notable are the rather unusual infusions
consumed with meals and as tonics. Their pine needle tea takes
some getting used to, but its sharp flavor can be just the
thing after a long day's work.
Sample
Giantman Menu: Late Summer Festival
pit-roasted venison
grilled trout
fried squash blossoms
gooseberry bannocks
blue corn atole
Halflings
Spicy meats, stuffed peppers, kabobs, and goat milk are some
of the characteristic dishes in Halfling cuisine. Upon arrival,
guests are immediately served a fermented drink made from
millet, honey, and rice. A simple concoction of raw mutton
minced together with salt and water is frequently seen at
festivals, though it is rarely popular with outsiders. Dairy
products are abundant, and feature such unusual preparations
as an intoxicating churned sour milk (kumys), sun-dried curds
mixed in water during the winter, and butter that has been
boiled dry and preserved in sheep guts. Fish is considered
inferior food by all but the Brughans, and only eaten in great
extremity.
Sample
Halfling Menu: Spring Dinner
sour yoghurt and cucumber salad
potato and cabbage soup
pickled mushrooms
steamed dumplings filled with lamb and red pepper flakes
roasted marmot (left whole, gutted, stuffed with hot
river rocks, and cooked over coals)
green onion griddlecakes
salty milk tea
Humans
Culinary traditions vary significantly from one end of the
Human Empire to the other. The demarcations are not always
precise, and some may argue about where one style of preparation
ends and another begins. For the purposes of this piece, however,
a division of the region into five segments will suffice.
As the foods found within even a single barony or county may
differ, please take this merely as a rough guide.
Northern Turamzzyrian Empire
Jantalar, Mestanir, Talador, North Hendor and Riverwood
The primary grains found in the northern reaches of the Turamzzyrian
Empire are oats and barley, which make their way into a number
of local dishes. Oat meal and oat bread keep many a soul going
through the long winters, along with the liberally consumed
batches of metheglin and mead. Root vegetables such as carrots,
parsnips, and turnips are featured on most tables during the
colder months. Rivers provide eels, pike, trout, and the extremely
popular salmon, which is usually cooked over apple wood. Cattle
are bled as well as milked, to produce the thick blood pudding
much prized by locals. Badgers and goose eggs are considered
delicacies.
Sample
Northern Empire Menu: Picnic Lunch
chilled tomato soup
garlic-simmered baby eels
bacon and goose egg pie
sugared oatcakes
sloe wine
Western Turamzzyrian Empire
Seareach, Vornavis, Torre, South Hendor, and Oire
The predominant foods in the western part of the Turamzzyrian
Empire are vegetable, legume, meat and grain dishes using
olives, tomatoes, garlic, and basil as primary ingredients.
As one would expect, seafood is particularly prevalent along
the coast, with a lavish seafood soup being a star dish. The
large rivers that run through this region provide a bounty
of freshwater fish. Although meat is featured less frequently
here than in some regions, wine-braised versions of deer,
boar, and rabbit are particular standouts. Black truffles
are a local delicacy, and sage is one of the more common herbs
in use. Olive oil is used almost exclusively in place of butter,
though it is a more refined pressing than that which is found
in the south. Fine wines are appreciated, and enjoyed with
most meals.
Sample
Western Empire Menu: Rustic Lunch
unsalted bread served with olive oil and dark vinegar
diced octopus salad
split pea soup sausage and red wine
suckling pig seasoned with rosemary and sage
watermelon pistachio pudding
Oire rose grenache
Southern Turamzzyrian Empire
Selanthia, Estoria, Allace, Chastonia, Aldora, and Honneland
The southern reaches of the human empire enjoy a warm climate
and gentle terrain. The seaports of Ubl and Idolone provide
abundant fish and shellfish, while the inland cities are rich
in livestock and agriculture. All this has combined to produce
a bountiful cuisine redolent of the sun-kissed region itself.
Olive trees grow in the hills of Elstreth, and their pressed
oil is used in most dishes. In this area, the dark green first
pressing is preferred, whereas the Humans to the north make
use of a more refined version. The lamb raised in that area
is also immensely popular, and is served braised, stewed,
broiled, and even spit-roasted whole for major festivals.
Along the coast fish is served whole, with the head still
attached. Lemon trees are everywhere, and they explain the
ubiquity of a beautiful, golden lemon and egg sauce which
forms a base for many dishes. Marinated vegetables are quite
common, and in some places eggplant, zucchini, and spinach
take the place of meat as a central element. Meals finish
with cups of thick coffee and fresh fruits like melons, figs,
oranges, or apples. Desserts made from thin, layered pastry
drenched in honey are also common.
Sample
Southern Empire Menu: Casual Lunch
garlic-stuffed bread
artichoke, zucchini, and mushroom salad
steamed beets with garlic dip
lamb casserole in a cinnamon tomato sauce
fried red mullet
sugar-dusted almond cookies
coffee
Eastern Turamzzyrian Empire
Highmount, Bourth, Trauntor, and Dragach
Food in the eastern Turamzzyrian Empire tends to be heavy,
featuring sausages, boiled vegetables, and dense, rich desserts.
Pork is the most common meat, and the sheer abundance of it
requires a great deal of smoking and salting for preservation.
Herring is consumed in a variety of forms, inclulding raw,
pickled, smoked, and canned. Juniper is a traditional spice,
along with caraway, dill, and marjoram. Pickled eggs are eaten
as snacks, and guests are always offered coffee and cake.
The most surprising recipe I have seen from this region was
for snail chowder.
Sample
Eastern Empire Menu: Formal Summer Dinner
soft cheese with anchovies and paprika
chilled plum soup
sausage salad
rye bread
stewed red cabbage with caraway seeds
pork cutlets with apples and juniper
goose liver simmered in onions
a fruit-covered layer cake
sparkling wine
rum coffee
The Tehir
The desert dwellers have a cuisine all their own. Though not
agrarian themselves, they do trade with outsiders for cereals
and pulses to supplement a diet heavy in goat meat and dried
fruits. Spices are highly valued for their ability to both
preserve food and disguise stale or tasteless ingredients.
For a truly traditional Tehir meal, begin with strong mint
tea and finish with anise-laced goat milk sweets.
Sample
Tehir Menu: Spring Festival for Honored Guests
eggplant salad
green beans with onions, tomatoes, and mint
bulgur wheat and mint salad
roasted red pepper hummus
flat bread seasoned with thyme and sumac
cinnamon goat meat stew
steamed semolina with onions and turnips
sesame-covered fried honey cakes
sweet mint tea
Forest Gnomes
The Gnomes of the forests have a primitive approach to food,
though I've noticed that other races seem to consider it attractively
quaint. Gathered berries are made into compotes and preserves,
and used in combination with ground nutmeats and small animals
cooked in firepits. A few crops supplement the gathered food,
generally maize and wheat. Although the distinctive tied leaf
wrappers are only used when travelling, they can provide a
conversational element for those recreating the cuisine at
a formal dinner. There are some differences between the bloodlines,
with the Angstholm eating mainly freshwater fish, the Greengair
eating very little meat, and the Rosengift performing bizarre
adulterations on their meals.
Sample
Forest Gnome Menu: Traveller's Early Summer Feast
thornberry balls wrapped in mustard leaves
mixed bundles of pokeweed, ramp, and mallow tied with
pine needles
grilled minnows on a bed of dandelion crowns
seared fillet of trout
elderflower fritters
wild nettle tea
Erithi
Although the end result of a meal prepared Erithian-style
is underwhelming in its flavor, I can assure you that many
ingredients are employed. As a people, they seem to have an
appreciation for subtlety of taste that is lost on most outsiders.
When preparing erithian food, I suggest increasing the quantities
of some of the more flavorful items, to avoid the charge of
insipidity from guests. Leaf and flower infusions make their
way into almost every dish, from teas to breads to soups.
Presentation is always exquisite, and a poorly arranged meal
draws as much or more scorn than a poorly prepared one. Garnishes
are chosen as comments on the dish, to call attention to surprising
undercurrents or to amuse the diner with a symbolic connection.
Sample
Erithian Menu: Afternoon Tea
a nasturtium and chamomile salad on a bed of daylily
petals
honeysuckle biscuits served with apple blossom jelly
fingers of rice topped with cucumber and carrot fans
quail eggs in a nest of marigolds
veal consumme
a lilac-topped angelica spongecake
chrysanthemum tisane
chilled rice wine
Half-Krolvin My own experience with the food of the Krolvin and
Half-Krolvin is limited, but I have conducted a few experiments
in reconstructing meals that match the reports I have heard.
Almost all meat comes from the ocean, in the form of fish,
abalone, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and even whales. Shore
creatures such as seals and walrus are a mainstay, and from
time to time polar bears make it onto the menu, though I understand
that they are a rarity. The preparations are simple, with
most of the cooking done in seal or whale fat. Uncooked meats
are popular, but depend on extremely fresh cuts. Hunters and
other travelers subsist in between kills on strips of meat
that have been dried or preserved in salt and fat. In the
summer, great amounts of vodka are prepared and later infused
with an astonishing variety of spices and other flavorings.
Sample
Half-Krolvin Menu: Hunter's Welcome Meal
cress and mackerel salad with ginger dressing
sea cucumber rings fried in seal fat
marinated sailfish steaks
pepper vodka
whale blubber ice cream (seal fat may be more easily
obtained, and makes an acceptable substitute)
Elves
Centuries of tradition lie behind the great cuisine of the
Elves. The truly great chefs are able to respect this tradition
and provide innovation at the same time. A proper elven meal
is luxurious in every sense, from the table setting to the
rich ingredients to the wines. Heavy creams are used as bases
and sauces, and fine cheeses are presented with every important
meal. Each region produces its own specialties, with some
of the most popular being the goat milk cheeses of Nalfein,
the soft, ripened cheeses of Loenthra, the crumbly blue-veined
cheeses of Ardenai, the peppery, hard cheeses of Vaalor, and
the rich, tangy orange cheeses of Illistim. Elven breads are
also justifiably famous, and run the gamut from plump, round
loaves of sourdough to small, dark loaves of walnut bread.
Sample
Elven Menu: Formal Banquet
cream-braised endive in puff pastry
sausage, truffle, and pistachio brioche
pine nut and asparagus salad
smoked ham and wild mushroom crepe
codfish carpaccio with fried leek shavings
wild duck in a red wine sauce
local wines
cherries baked in sweet cream
apple brandy
Double Gyldemar, Butterfly Teorainn, and Sylvarraend
Gold cheeses
The true test of an imitated banquet is to fool even the
members of that race. To this end, properly gathered and prepared
ingredients are essential. When the traditional ingredients
aren't available, use local ones but employ methods and seasonings
that evoke the desired culture. Food holds deep memories for
most people, and there is nothing more satisfying than hearing
a guest exclaim, "This tastes just like home!"
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