Al'terra (Food and Drink)

## Food

The primary food staples for common people are goat meat and cheese, many grains the most common being barley, figs, some seafood (mainly fish), olives (and olive oil), goat meat, and bread made of wheat or barley. Vegetables were beans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, eggplant, and onions, of which soup is often made. Spices are tasty but mild including basil, oregano and thyme. Pomegranates and dried nuts are dessert style food, with honey as the natural sweetener as are nuts of many kinds with cinnamon. The use of diary products is traditionally uncommon with the exception of cheese. Game meat and beef is considered rarer, while any sort of poultry is a poor substitute but much easier to keep domestically. A much greater variety is found in the Pride which is imported. Most food is prepared so it can be consumed in bite size portions that have no need for slicing, due to the dining utensil of choice. It is considered rather barbaric to eat with the hands or to touch the food after it has been prepared. With thin soup, a small fished ladle is used and the food consumed with two hands until it can be drank directly from the bowl. Water is the most common beverage as is any citrus drink, sometimes sweetened or altered with fruit juice or honey, depending on individual wealth. Neither wine nor beer is made by Al’terrans, but by their neighbours in Galeez who they ship their grapes and barley to. It is not uncommon for some people to be vegetarian because meat is uncommon in their region. Chocolate is a typically Galeezian treat, as sugar cane doesn't grow in Al'terra. Typically it's kept as a liquid, as Galeez is hotter than Al'terra.

For breakfast it would be common to enjoy a variety of topping on cold break - fig slices with goat cheese, mashed olives and oil, honey and basil/ These are all called *incata,* all sliced and eaten by tresp. A mix of grains is served in warm milk, like a warm cereal but not nearly as thick as oatmeal, called *rorrin* which is usually enjoyed plain or with honey, or stirred with a cinnamon stick.

A typical dish served in Tantus is the 'Dish of Nine' which is a three by three square dish which each one has a different type of food. The most traditional version has three types of dish starting with fish - a cross hatch of sardines, a diamond cut of a rich salmon, and a rolled cylinder of white fish - moving to goat - served as a heavily peppered stew, a cube speared with cheese and two basil leaves, and a round cut of broiled steak - and lastly vegetables - a fresh salad of herbs and lemon, soft cooked peas and diced tomato tossed in spice, and lastly very thinly sliced single potato. This dish is done in variation from rich to poor, from inlsnad where chicken is substituted in for the fish, or deserts are included.

Potato dishes are more common to the easy including the cold potato mix called *nallsla* or the mix of mash that is heavily spices called *aldran* or slices of potato that are interspersed with available meat or veg, served in pattern, enjoyed as *yirn folds*.

Deserts would be unlikely in most instances, but based on honey and cinnamon with analogues to baklava and jalebi. The most famous of these in a full 8 x 8 board of cheese, set out as squares of *palvala* which is an even softer pastry and nut desert, off set with squares of hardened honey candy It's impressive in its own right.

As for candy, spears of hardened honey are sold, semi soft honey on a stick dipped in flavoured powders (cinnamon, white sugar etc) - these are considered Al'terrian, while melted chocolate, balls, letters are all Galeezian, as well as more traditional sugar cane sweets that are imported at a cost. In general, sweet things are expensive.

Food is not important in personal life, feeding oneself, but becomes important in hospitality, in parties, and social events. People are more likely to go out than invite people in. Most of the aforementioned dishes are not something the average person would know anything about how to make.

There are only two meals in a day - morning and evening.

It would not be uncommon for some people to be vegetarian - this does follow religious faction but is also just a choice.

Taboo foods include Cat (huge taboo) and hrose (it's transport) but otherwise includes nearly anything - yes including dogs

## Drinks

They drink a lot of water. Water with lemon or any sort of herb is common. This falls under the general blanket of ‘tea’ when drunk either hot or cold which it is frequently. This can be taken at any time of time but it would be within tradition to take something hot in the morning and cool in the evening  Fruit drinks are taken in small portions, lemon or orange being the most common, berries following after that, more exotic flavours following that such as apples from Septavia and Mangoes from Galeez.. A fruit drink would be found accompanying a large meal, lunch or dinner, and always to a special guest.  Concentrates and extracts are used to mix drinks –coffee and honey falls into this category – as people might mix cocktails, and although bitter contrasts are used, none of it is alcohol. Going out for a drink would be common, as would being able to mix your own. Of course some people make this into a bit of an art form, but most aren’t that great. Sam is creative and knows what she likes, but isn’t that good at it for other people. Damien happens to have a good idea of taste. If they were given alcohol, given the amount of bitter tastes added to drink, it might not be a surprise, but the affects of drunkenness would completely ridicule most people as they like control. One notable exception worth mentioning is the fact that it’s very unusual to have milk with everything therefore coffee and tea would both be taken ‘black’. You could get milk, but it’s quite expensive. Milk has been used for specialty imports like chocolate from Galeez. Another thing of note is that a lot of medicine are liquid, stored as liquid, or taken as liquid, since drinks are already so readily available, the thought of pills wouldn’t make sense.

## Cooking

The country is quite divided on cooking - some people cook for themselves, others go out to eat routinely and therefore have next to no cooking space in their house. Not classist either way. Chidlren and young adults are cooked for, hands off as time goes on. You can cook over open flame, typically buying the fire starter yourself in a very brick like form, but as with the lights, there are two powders that can be mixed to create heat - this are placed in a metal dish which acts as the 'element' for when pots and pans need to be cooked.

Food can be prepared with hands, knives, utensils and so on, with the ideas things are eaten wtih a tresp and therefore dished out on very flat plates, or dliberately in bowls to be drunk.

## Establishments

You can find several types of establishments in Al'terra to partake of food and drink. These are open to all classes of people although they are gated by the fact you need enough money, so for the lowest of the low, this is not feasible.

*Drithav* - This is a light eats type establishment, usually based mostly outside in a courtyard set up, with food and drinks served at all hours of the day. This  would be a common meet up point for people.

*Akz* - An indoor facility open for regular meal hours only, either to pick up food, or to sit and enjoy food.

*Ordior* - Things a bit like cafes - small, private, and catering specfically to new, trendy food. People come here if they are into food quality, dishes, classics as well as experimentations.