Local Cookery

There aren’t that many trees that grow comfortably in the Porter’s Bar region, so the locals have adopted cooking techniques bought over by the founders, and added their own unique style based on the foods and spices available locally.

There are two staple crops - Rice and Teff.

The Rice is generally boiled for immediate consumption or boiled (Boiled Rice) and then saved until later when it is fried (Fried Rice). Teff, is generally used to make a thin circular unleavened bread that is similar to a savoury pancake. Slightly thicker varieties can be used to scoop up stew etc, while the thinner version is used to wrap other food in to make a portable meal.

The main vegetables are ‘Greens’ which is actually the leaves of the Marsh Marigold lightly steamed, Onions which are generally sliced and Fried, or Beans which are often added to other dishes or served lightly fried or boiled. The locals also harvest a particular type of seaweed which can be finely shredded and fried to make part of a nutritious meal.

Most Inns will serve local fare to their clients and a meal will often consist of boiled rice, which includes slivers of onions and beans as well as either meat or fish. The most common forms are Game Rice (which will contain slivers of game meat bought back from the swamps) Fish Rice or Duck Rice. It will often be served with a side dish of greens or crispy seaweed and a portion of ‘Pancake’ bread.

Breakfast is often a round of bread perhaps - with an egg or two, or a portion of cold meat/fish etc. If nothing else is available it will be accompanied by a small portion of onion or greens.

Lunch is quite often a wrap- especially for those people working away from home. A thin bread is filled with a cooked bean and onion mixture - with perhaps game meat, fish or duck added, before it is rolled to make a sealed, but edible package. It can the be wrapped in cloth and carried to work or on a journey with the greatest of ease.

Common drinks in the area are cider, teff ale and some mushroom beer which has been imported from the dwarves. All are served fairly weak, but there are stronger versions available should they be ordered. The only spirit made locally is 'Apple Jack' and is distilled from the strongest of ciders.

More upmarket meals include Roast Beef, Pike baked with Apples, Weed Eel in Mint Sauce and Roast Swan. These are generally served with imported vegetables such as potatoes, carrots or peas.

The traditional local dessert is a form of apple pie - cooked sweetened Swamp Apple are wrapped in a teff pancake (a sweeter version of a wrap bread) and generally served hot. It can, of course be eaten cold if desired.

A natural sweetener caller Rice Syrup is made by fermenting boiled rice with sprouted teff - it is fairly sweet and can be used like honey in desserts and pancakes - sometimes it is added to the mix for Cider, to make a stronger brew.