Judikael Cuisine

Judikael Cuisine refers to a branch of cooking techniques and recipes that originate from the Judikael people who reside on the Fionnbarra Mountain Range in Kepia. They are well known for a number of Kepian peasant food dishes, as the Judikael have always been a hunter-gatherer society. Most of their meals are nutritionally dense and made from plants and animals abundant to the Fionnbarra area. As of recent times, a number of Judikael dishes have become popular in upper class society.

## Nisculor Tea Soup

A soup whose base is made by boiling Nisculor tea leaves which are native to the Arsenius Plateau. The leaves are

white, and will become translucent once boiled, all the pigment draining into the soup, which gains a color similar to milk. Often made with a variety of other vegetables, and occasionally meat.

Nisculor tea leaves have a very strong, medicinal flavor. They are very aromatic, but taste very bitter. They are traditionally brewed together with Rock Berries, which are extremely sweet, to counteract the extreme bitterness.

## Seared Snow

A dessert made using rock berries which are native to the wall. Rock berries grow from the wall directly, sticking onto the cliff through a short but thick root which anchors it into the cliff face, similar to how buildings are anchored. It takes a significant amount of effort to acquire rock berries due to how difficult they are to distinguish from the cliff face itself, but its extreme sweetness and almost indefinite shelf life allows what small amounts exist to last for long periods of time.

Rock berries are very brittle, and can be crushed by hand into a white powder similar to sugar. When placed onto a heated surface, it will expand by a large amount, becoming fluffy in texture (like cotton candy). The taste can be described as fruit-like but many times sweeter, almost as if one were condensing a large amount of honey into a very small piece of fruit. It is a popular though somewhat expensive dessert often consumed during festivals.

## Braised Ember

A meat dish made from the Marion Goat native to the Arsenius Plateau. Marion Goats are heavily infused with fire magic, and do a great job in raising the body temperature of those who consume them. They are a staple ingredient during the harsh blizzards of Aglaea.

The abundance of fire magic essence in the meat of the Marion Goat essentially gets rid of any flavor it would otherwise have. It can be prepared in a number of ways, but it will always taste like nothing in the end, so many recipes will simply treat it as filler material. The most popular method to prepare Marion Goats is to lightly fry it before stewing, typically in Nisculor Tea Soup.

Aqua Insitus is well known for its ability to hold onto water, but it can also do the opposite. After releasing any stored water, Aqua Insitus can retain heat for extended periods of time, typically for hours if not days depending on the size of the stone. By putting it inside a fire pit for a period of time, it can effectively act as a hot plate or frying pan. Braised Ember is typically made using Aqua Insitus to fry the meat.

Due to the tastelessness of Marion Goat meat, a yearly festival is held to see who can make the best dish using it as the main ingredient. The winner’s recipe is typically shared with the viewers in return for a reward of some kind.

## Grilled Fog

The Cress Groundberry is a type of plant unique to the Pyrrhic Ascent. It grows inside of rocks, which must be broken

open to gain access to them, though they often cluster together, so if you can find a single one, then the nearby rocks are likely also harboring the berry. The berries themselves are small, soft, spherical orbs that are light pink in color.

When introduced to high heat, groundberries dissolve, changing into an extremely thick and viscous fog-like substance. If disturbed too much, the fog can dissipate, becoming air, and so the dish must be eaten slowly and carefully. When consumed, the dish considerably restores one’s magic reserves, almost as much as a lesser mana potion would. It is eaten by monks of the Phyrrus Temple, often during ceremonies.

The preparation of Grilled Fog requires a very specific heat level, thus needing lots of practice to make. If the heating is too hot, the berries get burnt. Too low, and the fog won’t form, ruining the batch. In the latter case, Groundberries can still be converted into a jam for other purposes.

## Aether Sorbet

The Oblant Hedge is a carnivorous plant native to the Arsenius Plateau. It mainly eats ants and bugs, and produces a berry with a sweet scent to attract them. Although sweet smelling, the berry has little to no nutritional value, and tastes like nothing, as it is only meant to act as bait to get insects to come closer.

The Hedge blooms during fall, and its berry has a long enough shelf life to last well into winter. Often, the berries are stored until winter, when they get frozen by the snow. They can then be mixed with small amounts of rock berries and mashed into a sorbet-like consistency. Often, when food stores are low, they are eaten to give the illusion of consuming actual food. Aether Sorbets are also very popular in larger cities, where they are sold as a diet food that helps curb cravings.

## Thunder Basil

Thunder Basil is a type of plant unique to the Arsenius Plateau and the wall. It grows off of rocks, and can be incorporated into a large variety of recipes. When consumed, it provides a significant energy boost, and is very popular amongst the laborers. Outside of Judikael, Thunder Basil is often treated as a substitute for coffee. It can be incorporated into drinks, soups, jams, tarts, etc.