Warning, a bit rough due to my internal voice shifting multiple times and the fact that I "jumped around" while writing it:
A Epicure's Guide to Halkegina
/Head Siesta prologue/intro
The countries of Halkegina each had their own specialties. Famous items, food, and other cultural icons gave each nation, no matter how big, or small for that matter, a sense of individuality and pride.
What may surprise many is the sheer number of "nations" there are.
This "Continent of Magic", as they call themselves, or more appropriately this "Domain of Humans" does not have four or five nations within it, but a multitude of them, all grouped into major "regions" or to the connoisseur, "flavors".
This giant peninsula has five major "Kingdoms", "Realms" if you will, of five charismatic lines of leaders. As the nations within each region developed, their products and culture inevitably became tied to the "Atmosphere" and "Feel" of not only the larger state, but the ruler as well.
For the rich and curious epicure Halkegina is a land of wonder and richness, of diverse plenty that will be sure to please your palate. Don't let the geographical nearness fool you! These regions are as different as they come.
Take for existence...
Germania
A "Barbaric" empire, with many states all united in military and monetary power. Right up against the unforgiving desert and within a stone's throw from elven territory, this robust region is filled with contrast. From rocky mountains to dense forest, or white sand beaches to icy cliffsides; in one word, the Germanian empire is "Different".
Different from all the other regions, where nobility is based on birth above all, Gold can buy land and make nobles in this vast region, the largest percentage of Halkegina under a single ruler. But underneath that ruler, it is the Merchants who "Rule" the lands. A hidden prerequisite, you can say, of the noble class. Each Lord and Lady, if to be successful at keeping ahold of their lands, must be a merchant, a businessman/woman to ensure they aren't "Bought out". Lands change hands many times as people move in, out, or just about the states that make up this empire, further diversifying this already multi-cultural region. Yet for all their differences, and often because of them, the Germanian people, and their food, share a common link.
"Spicy".
Hot-headed, passionate, complex. These three words describe both the dishes and the residents of this militant empire perfectly. Be it in food, in battle, or in pleasure, Germania demands large portions. Not Gourmet, but Gourmand! Many historians and travelers say that the typical common dinner meal speaks volumes of the region as a whole, but especially the women who cook it. If so, then Germanians must be big, bountiful, and ever so feisty. And the description could not be more apt. Like their women, Germanian food is chock-full of a spicy kick, a characteristic brought about by their mercantile and militaristic system.
The Halkeginan saying "Germanian hordes hoards spice" isn't exactly right... but it's not too wrong either. Enamored with their way of life... or just too drunk on Germania's fine Hard Liquor, many merchant caravans merely stop in the capital of this great empire, never going onward to the other regions. This means that Germania the place with the most plentiful and diverse selection of spices, and because of that, Germanian food often is suffused with a multitude of spices... and to the discerning palate could be Overly used. But it is here where you will come across complex flavors and delicacies, like Birds of Paradise or Wurst. Each of these dishes has a unique, if alebit heavily spiced, character. Just like their food, the drink of Germania is heavily spiced too. Mulled wine and spice liquor dominate the taverns and tables come feast-day, but here, Beer is king.
Whether made with the relatively recent "Hops", the traditional Gruit, or any other number of adjuncts, Germanian beer is as varied and delectable as all the localities within the Empire. Each region has it's own distinct batches of Flavors, or "Brews", and thanks to the innovation of a Water and wind mage couple centuries past, shipments of these beers have allowed each region to be known throughout the land for their special taste. It should also be no surprise that the descendants of this couple, the Hapags, would come to preside over the most popular regional-flavor of all, the Dunkel. While it is not my "cup of tea" per se, the meaty and complex flavors are surprisingly smooth, and it is a great compliment to any meal.
But why is it this way?
As an Empire, a strong and intimidating military is needed to maintain order and quell rebellions, but more importantly to deal with one of their neighbors: the Elves.
And it is through Elven lands these trains of spice must travel, paying the various tribes tithe to ensure safe passage. With a strong military and pressure upon the elves, Germania is able to make the accosting of Caravans "beneath" the ever proud elven race, and therefore ensure a cheaper (and "safer") trip for the said caravans. But of course, this projection of force also draws ire, and so Germania is the country that fights the most conventional battles with the elves. And they like reminding their other neighbors of that fact... by displaying what they have "learned" from their most recent forays against an inhuman enemy against the easier pickings.
Of course... that is the most "Conventional Battles" with the elves. There is a region with... "Unconventional battles", its covert ops honed against the elves and wielded under a masterful guise allows it to keep tabs and manipulate events in all of the other regions. I am of course talking about the Seat of Religion, the region known as...
Romalia
"The Holy Nation", in reality a state barely held together by deceit, subversion, and greed, yet it's people will never fall apart due to their pride, and all the outsiders can see is a wall of solidarity behind the concept of "the seat of the pope". Completely different from the "godless" empire of Germania, the only region not ruled by a "holy ruler", Romalia is presided over by the holiest of them all, the pope, a priest that follows in the tradition of the founder of Romalia, Brimir's apprentice.
For those of us lucky enough to travel to far off lands and enjoy the wondrous spices within, Romalia is the region it's at. Forget Germania with it's overspiced meat and liqour. Romalia has Style. Flair. With the warmest weather and therefore widest range of herbs, vegtables, and meats give birth to delectably eclectic dishes from many traditions. Being the religious center of Halkegina, and through its residents' wide-reaching connections, crusades, and covert operations, Romalia has a diverse population, and an even more diverse well of knowledge to draw upon.
There are many tales and legends that one can tell of this diverse area, but as you will soon come to learn, it is hard to determine just which ones have that grain of truth. Here, what's real is what's in front of you and what you hold in your hands at that moment. Nothing else. Even though it is a place of faith, Materialism is king in the "Heart of Religion".
Being both the seat of the Main religion of Halkegina and "ground zero" for its competitors highlights the wondrous duplicitous nature of Romalia, as can be seen by their food. Many dishes do "Double duty", like their extremely hard wheat flour noodles, "Pasta", found in both Soup and Salad, as well as a multitude of other places. Another such example is the tomato, a plant once thought to be poison, but miracuously delicous and nutritious as long as you did not cook the roots and vines along with it! Remember: the duality is not because of the food, but the people itself. While everything seems wonderful and welcoming at the surface, a true Romalian will be sure to be thinking other thoughts beneath the surface. Do not be lulled by your sense of wonder and awe in the face of the people, food, and architecture of the Holy State. For many of those who live and work here, Gold is their God. And they profit off of everyone else. Especially unaware travelers.
But this "Dual Nature" of the more metaphorical sense leads us into our next region, who also has a two-sided nature. But this time, it's a bit more... physical.
Gallia
Of two staves and one crown. The land of twins. For some reason, moreso than in any other region, the rate of multiple births is the greatest in this country, often double or even triple that of the other regions. So it would be no surprise that the royal line of Gallia too has a history of twins.
A sad and bloody history, I am sorry to say.
The legend goes, that far off in a distant time, the world and lands were far more unforgiving. Having two sons, born identical, was seen as a good omen by the then King, they grew up and their family expanded, but the King had to choose between the two princes.
And so he did.
Abel, the elder twin, a water mage, and Cain, the younger, an earth mage, were told to put their "best foot forward" and claim the throne. Abel went around noble houses and obtained supporters, trading favors and more. Cain, however, went into the countryside, where he used his Earth Magic to improve the land, and mediate disputes between commoners and the nobility. Seeing the compassion, and the diplomatic skills of the younger, the king named Cain the crown prince.
However, in the months before the crowning, rumors and reports of Cain's misconduct and impropriety spread throughout the land. Atrocities were being committed in his name. Villages burnt, children drowned, and nobles killed. So many claimed that he was the one, when his supporters knew it not to be true.
The Queen and King denied the charges, but the nobles were outraged. Even though some of them knew Cain was unable to do such things, the evidence kept piling higher. And so Cain was hung, but something went wrong. The rope, too short and thin, slit open the former crown prince's throat as he spasm and drowned in his own blood, twitching like mad. It was done. Or so everyone thought. Abel was now the heir.
Then, on eve of coronation, disaster, or in a twisted sense Justice, struck. The truth came out.
Suspicious that so many would claim that Cain was the perpetrator, the Queen had a revelation during her mourning. There was one person that looked exactly like her fallen child. One person that could have impersonated him. One person who had everything to gain... and little to lose.
Abel.
That night, she confronted her son, and demanded to know why. A commotion was made and by the time the guards and family rushed in, it was too late. Abel had killed the Queen, using forbidden water magics upon his own mother, eviscerating her from within, but not before she branded him with "Stigma", the fabled spell of the Royal Family, used only on traitors to the crown.
And so everyone knew. The then-crown prince was apprehended, tears of rage streaming down his cheeks, knowing that despite being so close, all was now lost.
This is the legend behind Two Staves and One Crown, why when there is a set of twins born to the royal line, one must be killed, or branded and exiled upon reaching majority.
It is also the origin story behind the famous Wines of Gallia, colloquially known as "The Blood of the Crown".
The children's rhyme referencing the epilogue exemplifies the typical link between this story and the origin of wine.
The body of Cain lays in the armsOf Mother earth's warm embrace,
Who else but Abel to do him harm,
All to take his place.
Blood and tears water the soil,
from the corpse sprout the vines,
Dutiful maid there to tend and toil,
From sorrow comes the Wine
The maid here is the twins' nursemaid, and the queen's favored handmaiden, Maenad, also known as the "Maid of Wine". The story goes that among the fields that Cain had help tend to, was a plot of land that held his favorite fruit: Grapes. The purple globes of juicy sweetness was beloved by the crown prince, and from these plants came his idea to foster a better relationship between commoner and Noble. To celebrate the prince officially became the heir, the vineyard he helped crushed their grapes into juice to allow for easier transport over the long journey to the capital, along with a grape seedling to celebrate his kindness. Maenad planted that seedling at watched over it during the following months of turmoil. When the prince was executed, for his perceived crimes, instead of being buried with the rest of the royal family, he was given a small plot at the foot of his grape vine. After his name had been cleared, Maenad took a jar of the forgotten juice to share with Cain's spirit before he was moved. To her surprise, while not sour or spoiled, the juice had changed. From her first tentative sip, her body was warmed, and it felt as if Cain was alive once again, smiling at her like when he was a child.
Make no mistake. As haunting as the rhyme is, it holds the pride of the Gallian people. The "Blood of Royals" holds flavor and terrior unlike any other region, and truly is something "worth dying for". Especially Eaux de Vin, or "Water of Wine", an aged distillation of the very essense of another particular wine of the region: "Abel's Tears", a near undrinkable concoction once only drank during fasting, penance, or mourning.
An interesting tidbit is that the Fortified Wine, "Deux Vin", the most exported wine among all the wines of Gallia, is known as "Vin des Frères", or "Wine of the Brothers", as it is made with the acclaimed wine "Blood of Cain", fortified with the brandy distilled from "Abel's Tears".
And just like its wines, Gallia's food has a richness, a history behind them. Each dish brought to your table will undoubtedly have sordid tales, have been eaten by kings centuries ago, invented by Generals upon the battlefield, or just created by some mad culinary genius who managed to obtain renown. Unlike Germania where large portions and big food is the norm, Gallia is a region of "Gourmet". Germanian tourists complain of the "specks of food" upon their plate... but they'd be damned if it wasn't the richest and most sensuous speck that ever entered their mouths. Here small on size does not mean small on flavor.
Speaking of small, the smallest region of all is where we're headed next. It's so small that there are only four major nations of people upon it, and even then they're remarakably similar. Of course, being on a lone island, suspended in the sky means that outside influences are rare. I am, of course, talking about the White Country,
Albion
Enveloped in a curtain of white mist, the floating Island in the Sky, surrounded by Air and Water, it is no surprise that Drake and fish dishes have no equal. Smaller and less intelligent cousins to the dragon, the Mist drakes and Ocean drakes of Albion is a great example of how once-nuisances become now-delicacies. A dish that perfectly captures the essence of Albion is Sky Chowder, made from the meats of Mist Drakes, skyfish, and scallops, all brought together in a creamy broth filled with Albion's realm-acclaimed diary.
If you come to Albion, there are three things you must try. First, as mentioned earlier, Sky Chowder, a soup that captures the country's flavor perfectly, alongside a good Drake Roast.
Second is an Albionese breakfast, with their acclaimed cheeses and butter, but be sure to get a glass of fresh milk. Without it, you will never know just how wonderful the flavors can meld and be. Normally reserved for farmers or rich noblemen, Milk is something that while not rare, is just hard to get unspoiled. But here, in Albion, there is plenty to go around. The cool climate and prevalence of diary farms makes it so that everyone can partake in this creamy beverage. And because of that, not only is food tailored and paired with wine and beer, but certain dishes are made to go with milk. I certainly suggest trying the "Woodsman's Breakfast", a popular style of breakfast originating from the forests of Westwood.
Now, what could the third dish be you may ask me? Let me go off on a tangent.
Albion is an isolated island, and with it's remote location and need for windstone-powered ships, very little trade is fostered between it and the mainland. Therefore spices are expensive and rare in this land in the heavens, and it shows in their food. What they do have, though, is fresh herbs and Salt. Surrounded by the sky-sea on all sides, unlike other regions where Salt is a precious commodity, here they have no shortage of it. Every time a ship sails down to the mainland, or to float upon the sea, the wings and sails become caked with dried brine, which is then shaken or picked off, and then stored to bring back to port. Salt is also Albion's main culinary export, and it shows.
The only complaint I have with the cuisine of this pastoral island is, frankly, the salt. Unlike Germania who has too much spice and no salt, Albion has too much salt and no spice. A flat flavor, and meats that fall apart due to oversalting and overcuring. This mistake is especially egregious in their porridge, hams, and preserved meats. It is said Albionese bacon is so salted, there is more salt than meat, and if you hung it on a ship's mast and sailed the seas for a year, it still would not be wet enough to spoil. While the second story may be exaggeration, when you eat the meat, it doesn't feel like much. But sometimes, too much salt... is a good thing.
The third dish you must try is not actually a dish. It is a distinctly Albionese method of cooking. The Salt Dome.
Drake hatching, air-fish, sea-fish, even just large cuts of meat. By using fresh herbs and the ever-plentiful chunks of salt, Albion's cooks are able to create a hard shell that concentrates the flavors within the meat that when broken, reveals a fresh, succulent, and amazingly flavorful dish that frankly cannot be had anywhere else. Unless you are able to obtain herbs with that distinct sweetness and fragrance from being grown in the rocky soil of Albion, drake or fish as fresh or as flavorful, and the sheer amount of salt. Even imitating one part of this trinity is hard enough. To do all three requires more gold than needed to buy a castle, or for you to be here, in Albion.
As you can see, these three dishes highlight and celebrate how different, distant, far-removed Albion is from the Rest of Halkegina. However, historically Albion was very close to another region, so close that had it been centuries ago I would have classified them as one and the same despite their differing rulers. But barely a century ago, two of Albion's princes became entangled with a young girl from the mainland in a most embarrassed royal scandal. Disgusted by his family's response and his younger brother's conduct, the heir to the throne abdicated and left to go live in the said girl's homeland, and it took all of the goodwill on both sides to calm things over. There the former crown prince of Albion became the Lord of Tarbes, the owner of the fields and ports closest to his homeland, in the land of our next, and final, region to cover.
Tristiania
As mentioned earlier, Tristania once would have been considered a part of the same region as Albion, but what close cultural ties they had from an elevated level of trade and free movement to and from each other's ports took a sharp turn centuries before even the incident with the Lord of Tarbes.
Albion and Tristania were extremely close because, frankly, the port of La Rochelle and albion's movements due to the moons lined up just perfectly all while staying the closest point on the mainland of Halk to the floating island in the sky. But a few centuries ago, Tristania began to change. After a skirmish with Germania was followed by a Gallian attack, the already small and weak country lost much of its land, and became meek and scared. It closed off its borders as best it could and tried to recover. However, a few years later, to the shock of even some Tristanian nobles, King pushed back and reclaimed the lands once lost. This signaled a new era, an era of prosperity and development, a "renaissance" of sorts. But to understand this revolution, we must look at what Tristania is, instead of what it was. And in the words of the Gallian Gourmet Grimod de La Reynière, "Quelle meilleure façon d'apprendre que nos bouches et les estomacs vides?", or "What better way to learn than with our mouths and empty stomachs?"
Tristania is the "Jack of All Trades". It has less salt than Albion, less Spices than Germania, less "Richness" than Gallia, and less diversity than Romalia. Yet it manages to strike that quaint balance, which is quite evident in traditional Tristanian cuisine. Each dish comes with a history, not a dissertation, and while unique in its own way compared to the rest of the menu is not outlandishly out of place either. Not oversalted or overspiced, but not underseasoned either.
Tristainian food is complex in its simplicity. It, like their wine and drink, gives you a sense of clean refreshment. Not overdone, just done right. If you are to go across Halk, nay, across the world in search of culinary pleasures, of be-wonderment of the buds, of a sensational sensuous sophistication... come home to Tristainia. Come home to simplicity at its best. To Cookberry pie, to fried-then-baked pillows of delight, to crispy yet soft lattices with cream and syrup. Beyond breakfast holds simple meats and cheeses upon relativity simple vehicles of delivery. Dinner consists of fresh fish or meat seasoned slightly to bring out the natural flavors. There are, of course, more complex and flavorful dishes enjoyed by the populace, but compared to the other regions of the world, it is still wonderfully simple. Nothing is quite like it.
But in the words of the great Gourmand Von Nezburg,
"Simplicity is Simplicity after all,
admist countless repetitions you'll tire,
when the cold wind blows heralding fall,
Germanian Beer is what you'll Desire!"
While perfectly cooked Tristainian food gave many a Gourmet a revelation of culinary truth, in the end, it was nothing to write home about.
A few hundred years ago, that is. But of course, a few hundred years ago the idea of "Gourmet" and "Gourmand" did not exist. What changed the situation so much? What caused our view of food and culture to change so much, and for Tristanian cuisine to become the perfect balance, the standard everyone is compared too?
To quote the children of Tristania:
"And then along came a Maid..."
To be Continued...
(MaouyuuXZnT - HeadMaid Siesta prolouge end)
Announcing, in celebration of maouyuu's recent updates, a new snip series...
With the premise: "What if HeadMaid was Siesta's anscestor?"
Alterations: Outside of the usual, Headmaid was summoned X hundred years ago, so that Siesta is some generations down the line. Long ago, Headmaid was eventually picked up by the Tristainan royal family, and faithfully served them well (after the end of Maouyuu. Which I won't spoil for you). She... bore some children, and those children were (or eventually were) "crossed into" the Tristanian royal line, but from Headmaid's guidance and certain political pressures, the line of maids merely served their masters faithfully. Each generation has at least one Maid, with the best becoming the next "HeadMaid". Tristania changes... for the better?
Cue today, where Siesta, Head Maid-in-training (not HeadMaid in-training, that's a rank upwards ) is faithfully serving her "Master", Henrietta, by watching over the Tristainian Academy of Magic (not too far from the castle, mind you) and ensuring that it puts the "Right foot forward" for Tristania on an international stage... in reality, she's there to watch over their shared childhood friend, Louise.
One year of tears, secret support, and barely restrained fury later, it is the eve of the most important day of the trio's life. What happens tommorrow at the summoning scene will determine Louise's life from that moment on. And all the master-and-maid pair can do is wait...
Right?
(Also, before you religious "experts" get up in my case about Cain and Abel, I chose to reverse the "killer" on purpose. If you read the story of cain and abel through a more analytical eye, you'll see that it is a condemnation of technological and sociological development. Cain, who tends the land and is "settled", is inferior to Abel, who lives a pastoral lifestyle and is "closer" to a hunter-gatherer. I wanted to tie that back to who they were (so why one's an earth mage, and one's a water mage) and sort of change things up in Halk, much like how Foquet and Colbert's roles were somewhat changed)