The local agricultural sector
produces a small range of grains fruits and vegetables. These include maize,
barley, potatoes, cabbages, beans, peas, onions, grapes, apples and plums. Chicken,
milk, cheese and eggs are available as well as lamb and mutton from the sheep
farms, game meat from hunters and a couple of different types of fish caught in
the lake.
For most people breakfast is
liable to be a bowl of Grits (maize porridge) perhaps with a little fresh or
preserved fruit. The wealthier people might get an egg and a piece of bread
afterwards to round it out.
The mid-day meal is another light meal
- perhaps some bread, onion and a boiled egg. A more expensive meal might include
some cold meat and a piece of fruit.
The evening meal is the main meal
of the day. At the bottom end of the scale it could be a stewed vegetables
while slightly wealthier households may well find some meat or fish to add to
the dish. At the top of the range a banquet could consist of two or three
different types of roast meats, roasted and steamed vegetables, different t
types of fish dishes, fruit with honey and other desserts.
Most Inns are liable to serve simple
meals to their guests. These could be grits with a plum preserve for breakfast,
a pack lunch of Bread, cold meat and an apple, and a stew of some sort for the
evening meal.
Tea: Dried leaves, steeped in
boiling water for a minute or so. This weak tea does not have milk added,
although some people have been known to add a little honey. (Think of Chinese green
tea, or fruit teas - just a light hot beverage)
Fruit Juice - In this region apple and
grape is available, however pure fruit juice is expensive as it
can take 25 apples to make a pint of apple juice.
Small Ale is made from the second or
third fermenting of a mash, and is a light ale that contains about 1-2% alcohol
by volume. It is the most commonly drunk of the ales,
Ale
is the first fermenting of a
mash makes a full flavoured ale that contains about 4-5% alcohol by
volume. Most ale is made at the Inn, although many people brew
their own ale at home.
Cider
is a cloudy greenish drink
made from apples; it is a bit stronger than ale and contains about 6%
ABV. Cider is generally made on the farms where the apples are
grown
Falmar Wine is a medium flavoured rose wine, of about 10% ABV. It has
a fairly thin flavour and is considered an every-day table wine. All wines and spirits are made by the winery in Hapsburg.
Thunderbird Wine has a fruity flavour and is much stronger than ordinary
Falmar wine, grapes are fermented with plums and then spirits are added to
strengthen the brew. At 15-20% ABV it is considered to be an occasional drink.
Grappa is a fiery spirit made from grape skins and
stems left over from the wine making process. It has a ‘fiery’ taste and contains 55-60% ABV.