Melrath Cuisine

The Food of Melrath

Melrathi cuisine varies depending on the city or village you visit. As this is the case I will be specific to each location moving forward.

Raelia:

There is perhaps no greater variety of food in Melrath as is found in Raelia. As a port city as well as the home of much of the country’s wealth, people here enjoy the finer tastes in life. Seafood is the primary staple here due to a booming fishing trade. Those in the lower and middle classes tend to enjoy meals that might include steamed clams, shrimp, grilled salmon, as well as deep water fish such as tuna.

The upper crust of Raelia enjoy food from the ocean and rivers as well though they have more discerning tastes and also are known to eat the finest cuts of fish raw, prepared with seaweed, spices, and flavor infused oils. Known to Raelians as ‘Rhianshi’ only the wealthiest can employ chefs that know how to correctly prepare these delicate dishes.

Aside from seafood, the rich of Raelia will quite often pay handsomely for fresh produce and game meat to be delivered from the southern Wilds. Things such as elk, venison, and pheasant are quite popular, allowing opportunistic hunters to make a pretty penny when visiting the city.

Fensalir:

The majority of the residents in Fensalir eat a mostly vegetarian diet that is based mostly on the bounty found within Myrkvior Forest. Fried and grilled mushrooms are incredibly popular, as are leafy greens and baked root vegetables.

Nuts roasted and baked with honey and cinnamon are a popular children's treat. More than a few booths line the central square of Fensalir serving sweet treats like this to the youth of the city. Berries and fruit are also plentiful here and part of nearly every meal.

Game meat is typically seen at least during dinner, mostly in the form of quail, duck, or venison. The people of Fensalir consider life sacred and ensure that they never upset the delicate balance of the Forest. So when animals are hunted for meat, it is done with respect and an understanding of environmental impact.

Noatun:

Much like the city of Raelia, this little fishing village has a deep rooted love of seafood. Some claim that the rustic fare of Noatun even rivals the delicacies such as Rhianshi found in Raelia.

Batter fried cod and haddock are very popular among the locals, and is typically served with a dash of vinegar and a side of vegetables such as peas or potatoes. A couple street vendors are always working at the beaches and docks of the village, selling fried fish and potato wedges. Nearly every sailor and fishermen pays a visit to these carts at some point during their week making it the most common food in the settlement.

Calamari is also beloved as is grilled sea bass and baked trout. Some are known to hunt in the nearby Myrkvior Forest, though many people in the village avoid the forest as much as possible simply out of superstition concerning the Night Vixen.

Alivilda:

In the home of brewing and ale-craft the people of Alivilda also specialize in baking a wide assortment of breads, pastries, pies, and cakes of all kinds. With good access to grain from their farms, there isn’t a trial that passes that one does not smell the scent of fresh baked bread or blackberry pie wafting through the air.

Beyond their baked goods, the citizens of Alivilda take full advantage of their access to the Vynmur River. Fish such as rainbow trout and salmon common fare, and are typically baked in stone fired ovens.

Verimeer:

As one would expect in a Mer colony, fresh water fish from the Lochs are always on the menu. Often eaten raw or wrapped in delicate leaves, the Dwynmer people are experts at preparing the rare Rhianshi cuisine. More often than not these Mer are sometimes hired to serve as chefs in the distant city of Raelia for this reason alone. This food is robust in flavor due to a mixture of oils and spicy herbs which infuse the raw fish with flavor.

Vorkund:

In the unforgiving landscape dominated by Mount Ymir, the people of Vorkund rely heavily on their huntsmen and women. Vegetables and fruits are very rare here, although in the spring and summer sometimes tubers and root vegetables can be found growing wild on the mountain or in the valleys. Things such as sweet potatoes and yams are highly prized when sold at market. Due to their limited access to produce most of their diet consists of game meat such as elk, goat, venison, and even caribou. Many locals keep cattle and goats so dairy products like milk and cheese are very common.