Gfiewish cuisine

From CWS Planet
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Gfiewish cuisine refers to the cuisine of Gfiewistan. It is characterized by a large amount of geographical variety, usage of indigenous animals and plants, especially buckwheat, as well as foods later introduced by overseas traders, chiefly from South Baredina, Nevira and Balakia in the 18th and 19th century.

It shares many similarities with Lufasan cuisine from neighboring Lufasa, especially in the north. The cuisine of the southern regions of Gfiewistan also has many dishes in common with northern Osteria. A differentiating characteristic compared to both is the frequent usage of a clay or stone oven.

History

Paleolithic and mesolithic Gfiewistan

Fish on the coast and elk meat in other parts of the country alongside wild berries such as blackberries or sea-buckthorn, herbs like savory and mushrooms formed the bedrock of the earliest diet of Gfiewish people. Animals were hunted with spears and nets and then roasted over an open fire, later in a simple clay or stone oven to better protect the food and fire from the often cold and windy temperature.

Buckwheat

Agriculture was introduced by Lufasans in the 7th century, who mostly cultivated buckwheat. Once Lufasa fell under Gfiewish influence, the practice of farming spread across most of the country, especially in the warmer and more fertile parts in the north and center, and buckwheat porridge became the traditional staple food of the general population, made with buckwheat groats or coarse grits. Flour was historically very expensive due to mills being owned by the nobility and wealthiest merchants which restricted their use or required fees that most farmers and artisans could not regularly or at all pay. As a result, buckwheat flour was originally associated mostly with historically fancy foods such as elaborate pancakes, other cakes, cookies, buckies and pudding, which were reserved for holidays, the nobility and the wealthy. Each region developed its own pancake recipe, although they are usually divided into four groups.

Gfiewish baking traditions originated from baking meat and vegetables to shield the cooking fire from the elements. Fuel was available plentiful due to much of the land originally being covered in forests that were carefully preserved. Later, when the contact with Lufasans introduced agriculture to Gfiewistan, baking was adopted for many flour-based foods, and over time this meant that in the northern parts of the country forests were being cleared for fields and fuel was imported from the south instead. The fields predominantly were used to cultivate buckwheat.

Other indigenous crops

In the northernmost regions millet was also being grown early on, or imported from the parts of Ystel even further north, such as South Jute or LufasaIt was mostly only used to cook porridge, with only few high-prestige dishes developing and due to lack of trade networks it was not available in much of the country.

Beets and sorrel are two of the most important traditional vegetables. They are grown all over Gfiewistan where the climate allows it.

Sunflower seeds and hemp seeds are another important complimentary crop indigenous to Ystel. Sunflowers, introduced by Maponics, were initially particularly grown in the northern and western regions, whereas the center and south of Gfiewistan are traditional hemp growing regions, where local conditions permit. Sunflower seeds were either added whole to foods, or used as a source of oil. Hemps seeds were added whole to foods and doughs, or ground into flour, turned into a spread or a milk-like beverage. Extracting oil was less common and had more niche applications, such as in soups and as medical remedy. Hemp plants also were valued for their many other functional uses, such as providing raw material for ropes and insulation.

New foods

As contact with overseas began to increase after the build-up of subarctic trade networks and the first official contact with the empire of Nevira on the other side of the Saru Sea in the 1300s, new foods started to gradually appear. Among the first were chives, the cultivation of which in the late 1300s jumped across the islands of the Dark Sea southwest of Gfiewistan and eventually made its way up north. Onions took a similar route, and first appeared on Gfiewish markets in the 1700s. Both soon became a crucial part of Gfiewish cooking and baking. Tea had already arrived in the 1500s with Neviran merchants, but due to its exorbitant price never made any headway outside of the royal court and the homes of the wealthiest nobility and merchants until the end of the 20th century. The same went for cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, which all were brought by traders from Nevira as well.

It was however the 19th century that saw the introduction of many new foods and crops. Exchange with overseas empires and their traders grew exponentially, especially as they were for a while also controlling large parts of Ystel north of Gfiewistan. Some of these were quickly adopted into the local cuisines of Ystel, such as dried garlic and split peas in the mid-1850s. Pickled garlic and pea flour, originally used to preserve meat or fish, or to make pea cakes that could serve as nutritious provision on trips.

Some other new foods only became common ingredients after they were used in particular recipes. Among those were peanuts, brought in by overseas merchants from the other side of the ocean, the country of Tfianeng. Sales didn't take off, and offering peanuts as peanut butter didn't help at first either, as it was at first seen as a subpar replacement for butter for those who couldn't get fresh butter from actual milk. But after a baker invented a peanut butter cookie and called it a "Tfianmeng Treat", the for Gfiewish people unusual, rich and "exotic" flavor made peanut butter hugely popular and almost a staple ingredient, becoming prized as a largely non-perishable food that can replace dairy and be used, for instance, with pre-roasted buckwheat meal.

Corn, brought in by Nevira as well, did not get popular at first. Buckwheat grows much better in cold, low-fertility fields, does not require nitrogen fertilizer (in fact, using it reduces yields according to Wikipedia) and so can be farmed more cheaply. Cultural and historical reasons (established privileges and interests of the nobility to control the food supply) also played a role in Gfiewish farmers sticking with buckwheat as their main crop. And lack of applications made imports for a long time not worthwhile. A niche use was Gfiewish pasta, a soup or stew that formed a regional speciality of the old seat of the royal court of the then Kingdom of Gfiewistan, which used corn flour or local buckwheat flour and various vegetables. The original dish brought in by Balak merchants had featured wheat, which however didn't grow well in the cold, less fertile soil of the country and the lack of pre-existing trade networks with wheat made its import difficult and prohibitely expensive.

Following an expedition by South Juteans, rice was first brought to the country at the end of the 19th century from Loheta, a country located on a different continent far away in the north, four seas away. Despite its popularity owing to its association with adventure and exotic locations, its high price prior to the 1960s meant it was only used rarely, mostly for noodles and rice pudding.

Industrialization

The most lasting change to Gfiewish cuisine was however the advent of industrialization in the early 20th century, increasing yields by means of mechanization which made farming and especially milling and transport much cheaper, and so buckwheat flour went from an expensive holiday or luxury ingredient to a cheap and ubiquitous everyday ingredient. New buckwheat products were also being marketed for the first time, such as buckwheat flakes, allowing for porridge to be prepared much faster, be turned into an instant food useful for work and travel, as well as into buckwheat flake bread.

Simple buckwheat flatbreads, based on pancake recipes but with no egg or fat added, became increasingly common, especially due to being used to feed a growing urban workforce in a cost-effective manner. Many Gfiewish factories and businesses often built ovens of their own, similar to how castles of the nobility used to have them, other companies chose to buy from a supplier, depending on their size a large factory or a neighborhood baker. A few businesses kept using porridge instead, mostly those that spend a lot of time on the road, rivers etc., and/or are located far away from bread suppliers and using an oven is not an option. Flake porridge bread might be made instead.

Thick steamed panbread or pieces thereof, made using the same recipe as baked flatbread, but much thicker and steamed on a bed of heated, salted water under a lid, are in use in certain large modern kitchens that want to save on time and labor costs, since more bread can be produced at once compared to regular dry baking of flatbread in less ovens.

Aside from that, many new pancake and panbread variations, fried in a pan rather than baked in an oven, were invented during that period as well, usually by Lufasan bakers and cooks. These dishes allowed for fast and affordable home cooking for those not fed by industrial kitchens as well as flexibility and easy preparation for travelers and street food vendors, requiring much less time than many traditional dishes eaten by farmers, such as buckwheat groats. They could also accommodate almost any choice of ingredients, and usually did not need plates or bowls. Instead, panbreads or baked flatbreads from the previous day could be used and filled with simple hot fillings immediately before serving.

For holidays and the growing middle-class, bakeries and street food vendors also developed new, more elaborate sweet and savory buckwheat pastries and patties fried in pans, some of which have become common throughout the country, using various local fillings such as peanut or almond butter, other ones remaining local specialties.

The industrial revolution also made millet become more established as an alternative due to a variety of cost-savings becoming available. Millet is like buckwheat also a low-fertility crop, which however responds well to fertilizer. Aside from porridge cake there are few high-prestige millet dishes, however, and it is mostly used as simple dessert or breakfast. In some regions corn also began to be planted in larger amounts, having become more economically feasible, and the important and subsequent growing of potatoes started.

During that time, as buckwheat flour was now becoming much more affordable and accessible for the general population, corn flour, first mostly existing as an obscure alternative flour unpopular due to its expensiveness and negatively connotated foreignness, started instead being seen as the fancier and more refined flour precisely due to its relatively high cost, but also due to its subtler, less “earthy” flavor which set it apart from buckwheat. Gfiewish pasta spread throughout the country and corn flour was used to bake tortillas and various cakes and pastries, often modeling on buckwheat recipes. Efforts to make these corn flour tortillas more transportable and a snack in its own right (rather than just a fragile base) resulted in the invention of tortilla chips when, inspired by roasted vegetables, tortillas were cut up in small pieces, and roasted in the oven in oil with seasoning. More expensive bags also have roasted and dried vegetables, dried fruits or dried meat in them, or are served in upper class restaurants with salads. Eating them plain with cheese on them is widely seen as unacceptable, and has been compared to putting ketchup on pasta in the media.

Regional cuisines

Coastal

Reaching from the Saru Sea coast to the Mewe and Hwleftemt rivers, mostly covering the states of Siortan, Slakkariew and Bjuwag, this cuisine is distinctive for its emphasis on saltwater and freshwater fish, which are fried, baked or in warmer months also grilled on open fires. Usually they are served with root vegetables like beets alongside buckwheat groats in a bowl, or wrapped into a flatbread. Rolled, baked pancakes filled with fish or meat with sauce were one of the favorite dishes of the royal court and are still seen as a local specialty.

Since the 19th century this cuisine has been influenced most heavily by various dishes and ingredients introduced from overseas, with Gfiewish pasta, an adaptation of Balak pasta into a soup or stew with buckwheat, corn or more rarely rice noodles, local herbs, elk meat and various vegetables, often also originally introduced from overseas, such as carrots, parsnips, celery root and onions, served with sour cream or sometimes cream cheese. Leftover stew or soup has often its liquid drained and served on its own, with the noodles, meat and vegetables fried in a pan.

Dillariewis

Located at the border to Osteria and towards the end of the navigable part of the Takenfa river, Dillariewis acquired a unique status in southern Gfiewistan as chief trading port, being in premodern times until the late 1800s the only city to regularly offer fruits and other crops from northern Gfiewistan and Lufasa. Combined with the influence from the coastal regions, Osterian cuisine and the culinary traditions of the southeastern parts of the country this led Dillariewis to produce an unique, rich cuisine using the biggest variety of ingredients and techniques. Even in modern times, some foods can only be found in few other places in the country, such as quail and gull eggs, and the spice and herb market is renowned even beyond Gfiewistan.

Particularly well-known throughout Gfiewistan are the cakes and pastries of the city which amazed even the monarchs from Slakkariew who would visit the city every year to try new recipes, and then showered the bakers with gifts, which allowed them to acquire more expensive ingredients and beautify the town. The most popular dish among those are rich, baked pancakes with many spices in the batter and curd cheese, various fruit such as plums or local berries and syrup as toppings.

Southeastern

Also known as the panhandle cuisine, it is found in the state of Galsnio and the southern parts of the state of Twilm. Dense forests continue to dominate the region, where similar to prehistoric times elks continue to be hunted and the meat eaten with locally grown root vegetables, often baked in similar clay or stone ovens. Sometimes freshwater fish from smaller forest creek is baked or boiled in a soup. Herbs, mushrooms, and berries complement any dish, either fresh, dried, turned into jam or pickled. Due to its remoteness and lack of fields, buckwheat is eaten less, as it mostly has to be brought in from other regions. Energy-dense pancakes and cookies with nuts and seeds and a lot of fat are preferred to help with the cold and the often physical labor of its inhabitants, as forestry is the main employer for most of the panhandle.

The southeastern cuisine is otherwise also particularly known for its herbal teas, made with woodruff or forest berries. Berries are also turned into expensive juices or liquors, such as brandies.

North and center

The largest culinary region of Gfiewistan has much internal variation, but use of lamb and dairy foods in most dishes is the unifying characteristic. Many of the dairy dishes are vegetarian, and use vegetables and fruits less available in the colder regions, often imported from Lufasa. The large variety of fruits is a point of pride and fruits are served with every meal, and the demand for fresh fruit by locals and the royal court throughout the year is credited with being one of the main incentives for developing trade routes beyond the sea as well as the first experiments with greenhouses on the continent. The fruits are also turned into priced juices and ciders, and often mixed with spiced ovine milk, all of which are local specialties.

Buckwheat is preferably eaten as flatbread, or as pancake, either fluffy ones leavened with baking powder (a capital area speciality) or Lufasa-style pancakes, known as Kementsa honeç ("Moonshine" or "moon meal") in Ohnaucan and Lufasas mestanixbun ("Lufasan bread made of egg") in Gfiewish.

National dishes

Some regional dishes have achieved nation-wide fame for a variety of reasons, and alongside other special dishes, often originally created for the royal family, are usually served and eaten on dedicated holidays, memorial days or for other special occasions, such as weddings or certain anniversaries. Many are characterized by the use of flour, which until the industrial revolution and era of republican government was very hard to obtain due to mills being owned by the wealthy elite, leaving most of the population with hand milling as the only option, limiting it to holiday meals, and the sparing use of eggs, since they were historically the prerogative of the nobility, leaving them unaffordable or outright unavailable for most everyone else.

Wedding cakes

Huge circular pancakes, made in specific ovens or assembled from several normal-sized ones are served with various rich toppings, savory on the outer parts and sweet in the center that is reached once enough of the savory parts have been eaten. They are common in both Gfiewistan and Lufasa and originate from an obsession with circles and circular foods that struck the royal palace in the 18th century, admired for their "perfect" cornerless shape that was deemed pleasant to the eyes and representative of then current beauty ideals that were over time increasingly widely imitated across the population.

Fojsatan crumble

Eaten at anniversaries of children moving out from home, the Gfiewish-Lufasan equivalent of birthdays, this is a very rich and crumbly cake made with milk, butter, flour and sugar mixed 1:1:2:2 and usually other flavorings added, such as jam. Traditionally made on a sheet pan, can also be made in muffin-like smaller containers. Modern recipes sometimes have eggs added to improve the stability and act as a leavening agent, other ones add baking powder.

Eaten with cream (whipped or sour), crumbled on any variety of lightly sweetened curd, or eaten mixed into milk, fresh or soured. Berries or hot steamed or baked fruit are the most common toppings. Dry leftovers or drier edge parts are often mixed into buckwheat porridge, or turned into a "crumble salad", which includes torn dry parts mixed with fresh and/or dried fruits cut into tiny pieces, topped with soured milk with honey. Mixes that exclude milk are nowadays also sold cheaply in bakeries or stores.