Kemrian Cuisine

Kemrian cuisine is the culinary traditions, practices, and specific food and drink of the Kemrian region of Sparwood Minor, a territory controlled by the Principality of Novoros within the Autokratoria of Sirradra. It includes foods from both the island-city of Kumaur, as well as the foods eaten on the Kemrian mainland.

Due to Kemria's small size, there is little diversity between the foods of islanders and mainland residents of the region beyond more fish and rice in the diet of people in Kumaur vs more grain and meat on the mainland. However, because of the generally isolationist and borderline xenophobic nature of its people, there is surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly) little influence from the neighbouring regions such as Aezenfjord or Interland, with only Eisenland and their potatoes finding their place in the Kemrian diet. However, Tovarishan and Gertek cultures have seemed to find their way in regardless, most commonly through ethnic and cultural ties from the citizens of the region.

Etiquette
Like the strictly structured legal and clan systems of Kemria, dining and food culture is equally stratified, both by social standing and formality. Food plays a large role in sociocultural interactions (especially in the loosely defined 'upper' class), and even something as innocuous as seating arrangements at a formal dinner can be an open statement from the host of such a meal. Because of this, formal occasions (and to a much lesser degree casual dining at home) are often very stiff affairs, with dozens of unspoken rules that often may make foreigners confused.

As a general statement, in any situation where one is confused while dining in Kemria (especially on their island-city of Kumaur, where the rules are the strictest and formality is more common), observing what others are doing is always a viable option; for non-Kemrians to ask how to do something properly is generally received with appreciation for the acknowledgment of cultural differences and expression of interest in Kemrian culture.

Hospitality & Guest Right
The simplest of Kemrian customs is the idea of guest right, especially on the mainland (as outsiders are less common outside the port district of Kumaur). When a guest eats the food and drinks the drink off a host's table beneath the host's roof, guest right is invoked. When invoked, neither the guest nor the host can harm the other for the length of the guest's stay. For either to do so would be to break a superstition that is believed to invoke the wrath of the gods. A host with a unsheathed weapon across their knees is a traditional sign that they are denying guest right. While it is not necessarily law, breaking guest right is considered extremely inauspicious and will bring misfortune on the acting party, be it guest or host. At the barest minimum the guest is usually offered a cup of tea or weak beer, bread, and salt.

It is sometimes customary for a host to give guest gifts to the departing guests when they leave the host's dwellings; this usually represents the end of the sacred guest right. In addition, visiting guests will sometimes offer their host guest gifts as gratitude for giving them food and shelter. In formal settings, it is even moreso common to present the host with gifts, often used as a political tool by clan and house leaders to display their wealth (or how much they are willing to suck up) to the other participants of an event. The value of a gift is often governed by the price or material value in such occasions, and leaving the price tag on is not carelessness, but a deliberate act in many cases to demonstrate the value of the gift.

In terms of other expected behaviour, it is common for the burden of politeness placed on the host, whose main duty it is to welcome their guest and treat them with great respect and kindness. In fact, guests are generally encouraged to make themselves at home and do as they please, though of course, a guest would not engage in any socially unacceptable behavior.

In Kemria, refusing something, whether it is being accompanied to the dock, a seat or another dish of food, is merely considered a politeness — a sign of not being greedy or not wanting to put the host to any trouble. Whether what is offered is wanted or not the guest would still be expected to refuse once or twice at least. Whatever is being offered will be usually be made available at least two or three times before a refusal is considered serious.

Bigger is also seen as better, more as superior, so hosts particularly may feel obliged to offer guests more than they can eat or even carry in order to display the required level of generosity. A repeated refusal may be a relief to the host sometimes, but acceptance of a generous gift on the other hand an honor, and a symbol of a good relationship. (This is reminiscent of certain street vendors who persist in offering the same thing again and again, especially if it is refused. However, this is not to do with host and guest culture, but Kemrian bargaining culture, which requires a refusal to be made in order to start the bargaining. If you don’t want to buy, ignore the vendor completely.)

Tables & Seating
At the home, square or rectangular table is the most common, while at banquets or large gatherings, a round table will usally be used instead in order to facilitate the use of lazy susan style turntables to allow for sharing of dishes. Formal and casual occasions both will have the majority of dishes shared communally with only few exceptions. Traditional Kemrian tables are quite low to the ground and chairs are instead replaced with cushions for sitting, while a resturant or bar in the port district of Kumaur, where most foreigners are permitted to visit, may have tables and chairs styled like those from other countries. Sitting positions are dictated by gender and also formality of the occasion. In casual settings, men usually sit cross-legged, while women usually sit with both legs to one side (both of these are common practice, as compared to a hard rule), however, in formal situations, everyone (unless prevented from doing so by factors such as injury, age, pregnancy, etc) is expected to kneel at the table. Position around the table is equally important. The honoured or eldest guest is seated at the central point of the table farthest from the entrance, a practice that stands in both casual at-home dining and formal dinners or eating at a resturant. The host sits closest to the entrance, with their back to the door. Guests are then arranged in order of status and relation to the host- this is determined by the host, and these decisions are often used by leaders of clans and houses as both a show of respect to some guests and a assertion of power over others. The exception to the heirarchal seating arrangements are spouses (in polygamous relationships, this is the most senior partner in a kes'vireh marriage) and/or young children. It is common practice for the host's partner to sit to their left hand side, regardless of the arrangement of the rest of the table, and at the same side of the table if it is square or rectangular, unless there is only room for one person (such as if the table is rectangular and narrow). The spouses of other party members may either be arranged as the normal seating arragements dictate or will sit together as well, with the socially 'lower' partner sitting to the right of the socially 'higher' partner. Children under the age of 6 are expected to sit with their parents, either on their lap when very young, or to their side. If both parents are present, the child will sit between the parents. Older children until the age of 16 will also be placed between the parents and expected to also follow the rules and customs of proper behaviour, though young children are often exempted, and mistakes are often gently corrected, much to the amusment of all adults present. After 16, the child will be seated according to their status as well, though often this ends with them still next to their parents.

At a formal banquet with many tables, the table farthest from the entrance is the table of honour, while the ables on the left hand side of the tables of honor are, in order of importance, second, fourth, sixth and so on, and those on the right are third, fifth and seventh. Guests are once again seated according to their  status and degree of relationship to the host of the banquet. The table of honour will be long and rectangular with guests sitting on one side. The host and (if applicable) guest of honour will sit at the center of the table with the guest to the left of the host.

Table Settings
A basic table setting at home would consist simply of a cup (usually for tea or warm water), bowl, a set of chopsticks, a soup spoon, and sometimes a medium-sized plate. As simple as it seems, like most aspects of Kemrian dining etiquette, formality dictates much stricter rules, uniformity, and careful auspicious placements of each dish.. There are two main styles of formal table settings.

In the first, ao e'kiri (lit. 'dine together'), where dishes are served communally, table settings often are designed in order to take up as little as space as possible to accomodate other diners. The typical setting will consist (similarly to everyday dining settings) of a personal bowl set on a plate, a smaller soup bowl and spoon to the upper left, small dish(es) for sauce, a teacup, and sometimes a smaller cup for rice wine or a large cup for other alcohols (depending on the occasion) placed above the main plate and bowl. Chopsticks are placed closest to the diner and parallel to the edge of the table and propped up using a small holder or stand on the left side to elevate the tips from the table's surface. The second type of formal table setting in Kemrian culture is known as ao e'ima te (lit. 'dine smaller'). This is usually only used for formal meals in small groups, for example a clan leader and her spouse(s) hosting a dinner for the Commissioner and his partner. Ao ima is considered more intimate than ao kiri, but conversely is more formal despite foods often being simpler (exemplifying the Kemrian mindset of temperance). As dishes are not communally served and instead presented to each diner in small pre-planned portions by course (is there are miultiple courses. Each person eating will recieve a personal tray with their dishes on it. The minimum is usually 5 bowls, small enough to be held with one hand, of descending size from rice/starches to soup, to side dishes. The main course is usually served on a small plate. In terms of arrangement, standard arrangement dictates that the rice bowl should be placed at the lower right, closest to the diner, while the soup is placed to its left, with the main dish placed to the upper left, and the remaining side dishes, tea cup, and any dishes for sauces arranged to the upper right, next to the main dish. Chopsticks, like in ao kiri are placed parallel to the edge of the table at the bottom of the tray and held up on the left side by a stand.

However, there are always exceptions, and dining setups will vary depending on the type of meal or courses/dishes served, but this is the general rule of table settings. More common exceptions could be hot pot or sushi.

Mealtime Manners
Despite the fact that the Kemrian Engineer Korps are famed for the irreverence for "common human decency" (with regards to their lack of concern for collateral damage, the dubious ethics of their experiments, and willingness to mutilate themselves in the name of the Korps), proper dinner table behaviour is not lost on them. It is often said that the only time you will ever see a unit of engineers (especially their researchers and reaver units) working quietly and coherently outside of the battlefield or lab is at mealtime, which only serves to emphasise the importance of manners and etiquette in Kemrian culture. As is everything thus described, one's behaviour at the table is filled with rules and regulations.

As chopsticks and spoons are the main utensils used in dining in place of forks and knives, Kemrian foods are usually served in bite-sized pieces or soft enough to be pulled apart easily by a diner using chopsticks. It is considered impolite for chopsticks to be used to point at people, pick teeth, bang the bowls, move the bowls, or to be chewed on or waved around. They are held so that the ends are even, and never separated in any way (such as holding one in each hand). Using chopsticks to spear the food is also frowned down on in most circumstances, often to the frustration of foreigners (and amusement of other diners). It is also considered extremely rude to place the chopsticks vertically into a bowl as they resemble incense sticks in ash, a common offering to the dead (inauspicious for the living). Traditional perceptions dictates that the chopsticks are held with the right hand, though exceptions sometimes are made for people who are left-hand dominant. In communal dishes, a serving spoon or serving chopsticks will be provided, and it is considered rude to use ones own chopsticks to take shared food or pass food to others (excluding if one is feeding their young child, in which case parent and child can share chopsticks, or while dining at home with family or very close friends).

It is considered extremely rude to dig for a choice food morsel or cut on the serving plate instead of picking up the piece that is closest, which would demonstrate fairness and sharing with others. Likewise, it is impolite to hoard or take most of a dish until it has been offered to everyone and the others present have had a chance to sample it. For this reason, it is common to take a smaller amount from the dishes on the first round, and to keep the other diners in mind when taking a larger second helping. The last piece of food on a communal dish is never served to oneself without asking for permission. When offered the last bit of food, it may sometimes be considered rude to refuse the offer.

If a lazy susan turntable is present, it is typical for all the dishes for each course to be brought out together and placed around the perimeter of the lazy susan. If the turntable is large, a decorative centerpiece may occupy the center, since any food placed there would be out of reach of a seated diner. Alternatively, shared table condiments such as soy sauce, hot sauce, vinegar, or sesame oil may be located at the center. If the dishes come out one at a time or if there is some special delicacy, they are typically served to the guest of honour first and then rotated clockwise around the table. The host will often wait to serve themself last. Dishes are typically not removed from the turntable and placed on the table: at most, a person is expected to hold the dish aloft while serving and then return it to its place on the tray. People try to avoid moving the lazy susan even slightly when someone is in the act of transferring food from the dishes to their plate or bowl.

When dining, it is most common to hold the rice bowl with the non-dominant hand to bring it closer to the mouth in order  to scoop rice into the mouth using chopsticks with the other hand. The bowl should not touch the mouth except when drinking soup. Eating without picking up the bowl is traditionally perceived as improper table manners, though this is not particularly serious in terms of dining rules. However, plates are never to be picked up. Usually, food will be placed on the plate, then when preparing to eat, held over the rice with both lifted to the mouth to prevent dripping of sauce/juices.

Condiments, such as soy sauce, chili paste, sesame oil, etc are sometimes served in small shallow dishes to allow pieces of food to be dipped as desired. They may not be routinely provided at high-quality restaurants or extremely formal occasions, as the assumption is that perfectly-prepared food needs no condiments and the quality of the food can be best appreciated as intended by a skilled chef. It is also customary to eat everything on your plate (including every grain of rice, as leaving them in the bowl is considered bad luck). Being a picky eater is frowned upon, and it is not customary to ask for special requests or substitutions at restaurants as it is considered ungrateful, especially in circumstances where one is being hosted. Good manners dictate that one respects the selections of the host. However, exceptions can be made for those with health conditions such as allergies, religious views preventing the eating of certain foods, and/or specific dietary requirements for one's species, though it is polite to inform the host ahead of time, or the resturant before ordering.

After eating, try to move all dishes back to the same position they were at the start of the meal. This includes replacing the lids on dishes, and placing one's chopsticks sideways across the plate or bowl when they are finished eating. The bill for the meal (when dining at a resturant) is presented at the end of the meal, after all the food and drinks have been served. There is no tip expected unless it is explicitly posted. Usually, if there is a tip required, it will already be added to the bill. It is a common sight for families or friends to dispute over who pays the bill, as the person paying thereby demonstrates generosity, sincerity, and dominance. If somebody organizes a meal and invites the guests, that person is usually accorded the honour of paying for the event

Plants
In terms of hardiness zones for plants, Kumaur itself would be considered zone 6 or 7, while the Kemrian mainland varies wildly, with Kairos being between 7 and 8. However, due to the geothermal activity of Kumaur, plants that would otherwise not survive on the island are able to be cultivated in extensive underground gardens, allowing for the growth of plants native to much warmer climates and more productive cultivation of other crops. The mainland does not have the same geothermal traits, and these underground gardens are thus absent in the agricultural practices, with the main crops produced there being grains (such as wheat, barley, oats, and rye), potatoes, and other root vegetables. During the peak harvest season, secondary schools and factories may be temporarily suspended, with all available labour being directed towards ensuring the maximum amount of food is harvested and processed in order to minimise waste.

Rice
Rice, or aru has hisorically been the staple food of the Kemrian people, however its use as a staple has not been universal. Notably, in northern areas (Kairos), other grains such as wheat, barley, and rye are more common. On Kumaur itself, with its rich volcanic soil, rice is grown in terraced paddies on the hillsides of the island. It is planted in the spring and harvested in the mid summer and again in the late fall after the mid-autumn festival. To facilitate this second (smaller) harvest, instead of being completely cut, the rice stubble and roots are left behind, allowing the plant to regrow and bear fruit again. Rice is planted and harvested manually by hand.

Kemrian itearu rice is usually half-milled (has haiga), removing the bran but not the germ, leavng the rice somewhere between unmilled (sak haiga) brown rice and fully-milled (haiga) white rice, with a clavour, texture, and colour closer to white rice but with more nutritional value. White rice is usually reserved for special occasions such as weddings, funerals, and festivals. The removed bran can be used to make rice bran oil, livestock feed, fertiliser, or enriching foods with more fiber. Besides foods, rice is also used to produce rice wine, beer and vinegar.

Animals
The most common livestock in Kemria are the semi-domesticated reindeer raised on the mainland. These deer are raised and herded loosely by collective groups of families known as sidda, in which members have individual rights to resources but help each other with the management of the herds. These sidda are nomadic as compared the the sedentary industrial population of Kumaur and the agricultural society of Kairos. The reindeer herds technically fall under the jurisdiction of the Kemrian government and must follow certain regulations, and wages to the sidda are also provided by the government. Sidda also raise other livestock such as yak-cattle crossbreeds suited to the cold climate, horses, sheep, goats, and pigs. Horse and reindeer are used as pack animals and for labour.

Households often keep smalll birds (such as sparrows, pigeons, quail, and bantams) or rabbits (meat and fur breeds). Additionally, large dogs are bred and raised for hunting large prey such as boar, bears, and wild deer or for herding and guarding the animals kept by sidda.

Slaughtering of animals is done as quickly as possible, while trying to preserve as much of the usable material as possible. Blood is almost always collected and used for other dishes, and organs are cooked or fed to other animals such as dogs. Organ meats and less 'traditional' cuts such as cheek meat, tongue, brain, and stomach are eaten while intestines are often saved to make sausages. The eyes are always discarded, often buried where the animal was killed. Bones are used, either for food (stock making or bone marrow), tools (sewing needles, buttons, and other such small items) or art (scrimshaw and jewlery), as is the fur or skin.

Wild Plants
Wild plants grow well in most of Kemria, with Kumaur's rich volcanic soil and Kairos' temperate climate. Things such as wild nuts, butterbur, chervil, wild garlic, mushrooms, ferns, mustard, and various wild berries are available at various points of the year, while along the seaside wild seaweeds are harvested for various cullinary uses.

Seafood & Fishing
Kumaur, the core of the region and it largest population center, is heavily influenced by the sea, considering its location on an island. Naturally, fish and seafood have been a large part of the local diet. The port, while popular with travellers and merchants heading north from Novoros and western Silvay, is also teeming with fishing boats coming back, and conversely, fishmongers determined to sell their goods. Along with the various open sea fish, there are also a variety of fish caught along the rocky shores of Kumaur, and an even greater variety of shellfish in the region. Mussels, oysters, abalone, crabs, and sea urchin are all easily gathered by anyone with some mild effort and willingness to get wet.

Seal & Whale Hunting
Seal hunts are held twice a year in Kemria, once in summer and once in the winter. Both are highly regulated by the regional government, with strict laws around the number of seals able to be culled, with less in the summer, and more in the winter. Seal meat is a staple alongside reindeer, and the meat, if not eaten fresh, is smoked, dried, or salted for eating and use later.

The summer hunt takes place on the shore in the early morning, with young, recently weaned seals, and the winter hunt most often takes place on the water in small boats with harpoons or rifles to hunt the adult seals. The seals are killed as quickly as possible in order to prevent unecessary suffering, and failing a clean kill with a ranged weapon, they are dispactched quickly by slitting the throat or severing of the spine.

Whale hunting is a bit more complicated. During certain seasons, usually the summer and spring, the saezu hvalur, or whale driving, is permitted, though it does not happen every year. Hvalur only takes place when a pod of whales or dolphins enters the region of the eastern coast of Kumaur, allowing for fishing boats to drive the pod towards the small northeastern bay, which is then closed off by heavy nets. Young calves and nursing or pregnant females are not permitted to be hunted, and it is only considered acceptable to take at a maximum 25% of the pod. Once the whales are selected, the ones that have not been marked for slaughter are driven out of the bay once the nets have been lowered, and hunters kill the remaining whales after bringing them up onto the sand; by severing the spine and arteries using a specialised spear behind the blowhole. Afterwards, the animals are butchered and the meat is distributed as needed. To outsiders, hvalur is often seen as rather brutal, since the water of the bay is often dyed red for some time with the blood, but the slaughter is done as quickly and humanely as possible, and there is no active attempt to search for the whales. Some years they may be no hvalur, while in other years there may be multiple drives.

Similarly to seal, whale is also eaten fresh, as well as salted, smoked, or dried.

Cooking Techniques
The cooking techniques can either be grouped into ones that use a single cooking method or a combination of wet and dry cooking methods.

Wet
Wet-heat, immersion-based cooking methods are the predominant class of cooking techniques in Kemrian cuisine and are usually referred to as zhǔ. In fact, this class of techniques is so common and important that the term zhǔ is commonly used to denote cooking in general.

Combination
Several techniques involve more than one stage of cooking and have their own terms to describe the process. They include:


 * Dòng : The technique is used for making aspic but also used to describe making of various gelatin desserts
 * Simmering meat for a prolonged period in a broth ( Lǔ) or (dùn)
 * Chilling the resulting meat and broth until the mixture gels
 * Hùi : The dishes made using this technique are usually finished by thickening with starch
 * Quick precooking in hot water (tàng)
 * Finished by stir-frying (bào, chǎo) and shāo)
 * Liū : This technique is commonly used for meat and fish. Pre-fried tofu is made expressly for this purpose.
 * Deep frying ( zhá) the ingredients until partially cooked
 * Finishing the ingredients by lightly braising (shāo) them to acquire a soft "skin"
 * Mēn :
 * Stir-frying ( bào or chǎo) the ingredients until partially cooked
 * Cover and simmer (shāo) with broth until broth is fully reduced and ingredients are fully

Cookbooks
Cookery books are popular with some households, despite the general simplicity of common Kemrian foods and their relative flexibility and capability to be adapted to suit different ingredients and tastes. The current most popular cookbooks are The Practical New Book of Kemrian Cookery for Homemakers Volumes 1 and 2, by Vaesha es wir Corlyn, which showcases a variety of standard fare in Kemria and is both simple to follow and friendly on the budget. Some other examples of culinary literature include the (perhaps infamous) Encyclopedia of Dietry, Nutrition, and Health published by the Kemrian Engineer Korps, which is filled with healthy, though strange and outlandish recipies and information touted by the researchers in the medical branch of the Korps as cutting edge nutrition to increase health and energy, The Sensible Cook by Hai Linqing, which has been translated from Silvish as it was imported from Ryoujing, and The Everlasting Pleasure by an unknown author, containing recipies for what is considered higher end 'fancy' cuisine in Kemria, such as stuffed dormice in honey, whitecoat seal tongue, and various exotic songbirds imported from the south. Unfortunately for these authors (and perhaps fortunately for the stomachs of the Kemrian people), none of these publications have gained as much popularity as The Practical New Book, as the Korps seems to be incapable of creating anything appetising, Ryoujing's cusine is seen as bland and opulent, and the average citizen is simply not cooking things such as dormice frequently enough to justify purchasing an entire cookbook of recipes for it.

Ingredients
Display Content
 * Grains & Carbohydrates
 * Rice (short grain + sticky varieties)
 * Potatoes
 * Wheat, Barley, Rye, Oats, Buckwheat, Millet
 * Corn (limited, usually sweet corn)
 * Meats
 * Reindeer
 * Cattle/Yak
 * Pork
 * Sheep
 * Goats
 * Rabbits
 * Poultry (quail, pigeon/squab, geese, chicken)
 * Seal
 * Whale/Dolphin
 * Shark
 * Fish (salmon, eel, cod, mackerel, squid, herring, halibut, tuna, halibut, sweetfish, octopus, smelt)
 * Shellfish (clams, oysters, mussels, crab, lobster, shrimp, sea urchin, abalone, sea cucumber, scallop, sea snails)
 * Eggs
 * Wild Game (seabirds, wild hares, etc)
 * Fruit & Vegetables
 * Kelp, Seaweed, Seagrass
 * Radishes (red and daikon)
 * Garlic, Onions, Shallots, Chives, Calcot
 * Ginger
 * Stone Fruit (cherries, plums, apricots, etc)
 * Pear
 * Pomegranate
 * Persimmons
 * Cabbage & Mustard (most plants in the Brassica family)
 * Bamboo Shoots
 * Chili Peppers
 * Soybeans, Tofu
 * Sunflowers
 * Water Chestnut
 * Bamboo Shoots
 * Tomatoes
 * Misc. Wild Greens
 * Beans (white beans, red adzuki beans, mung beans, black beans, lentils)
 * Peanuts
 * Roots (parsnip, carrot, sweet potato, dandelion, burdock, parsley)
 * Mushrooms (wild & cultivated)
 * Berries (elderberry, jujube dates, chokecherry, blackberry, blueberry, wolfberry, dogwood, hawthorn, mulberry, currants, autumn olive, buffaloberry, cloudberry, gooseberry, hawthorn, kaskap, lingonberry magnolia vine, sea buckthorn, thimbleberry/raspberry, etc)
 * Nuts (chestnut, beech, pecan, stone pine, walnut, hickory, pine)
 * Rhubarb
 * Lotus (seeds, roots)
 * Citrus (mandarin/satsuma oranges, kumquats, lemons)
 * Melon/Squash (winter melon, pumpkin, bitter melon, cucumber, watermelon)
 * Dairy Products
 * Milk (caribou, cattle/yak, sheep)
 * Cheese (especially hard cheeses)
 * Yoghurt


 * Spices & Herbs
 * Chili Pepper & Peppercorn (dried, fresh, ground, oil)
 * Saffron
 * Cumin
 * Mustard Seed
 * Star Anise
 * Cinnamon
 * Vinegar (rice, black)
 * Cloves
 * Nutmeg
 * Sesame (seeds, oil)
 * Coriander Seed
 * Seaweed (dried or fresh)
 * Salt
 * Curry
 * Ginger
 * Lemongrass
 * Perilla, Mint
 * Garlic
 * Tangerine Peel
 * Bay Laurel Leaf
 * Cardamom
 * Ginseng
 * Galangal
 * Sugar/Honey
 * Basil

Rice (aru)
Ordinary Kemrian rice, or itearu, is the basis of the Kemrian diet and consists of short translucent grains. When cooked, it has a sticky texture such that it can easily be picked up and eaten with chopsticks. Glutinous or sticky rice, known as netaru, is used for making aru yashi (rice cakes), blood sausage, and special dishes such as te'jian seiki netaru. It is a short-grain rice, and can be distinguished from itearu by its particularly short, round, opaque grains, its greater stickiness when cooked, and firmer and chewier texture.
 * Goshen aru - rice topped with soy sauce and rice wine cured fish roe (most commonly salmon). Sometimes topped with other seafood, either raw or cooked, as well as flakes of dried seaweed, sesame seeds, and perilla leaves.KMR chazuke.jpg
 * Ochuze (lit. '[to] soak in tea') aru - rice with green tea or light broth poured over it. It is then topped with seafood, pickled vegetables, dried seaweed, and sesame seeds.
 * Ue'taaq aru - stir-fried rice cooked in lard or sesame oil with meat, vegetables, onion, egg, garlic, and soy sauce. Sometimes people will add scallions, ginger, chili, tomatoes and /or mushrooms.
 * Ue'cha aru (clay pot rice) - rice cooked in a clay pot with soy sauce, sausage, meat/seafood, and vegetables. The bottom is usually cooked into a crust.
 * Ue'ko aru - similar to ue'cha aru. This dish is made from rice cooked with saffron, eggs, and small peices of meat or seafood (commonly chicken) in a large pot. The bottom of the pot is cooked into a crust with a crunchy texture. It is sometimes served topped with herbs, nuts, and pomegranate seeds.
 * Imaru yashi (lit. 'little rice cake') - a popular desert made of glutinous rice shaped into a ball and filled with lightly sweetened fillings such as lotus seed paste, crushed peanuts with sugar, red bean, or sesame paste. They can be served on their own (dry) or as a component of other dishes (often in porridge).
 * Amaru'e - a common porridge-like dish made from partially fermented rice and sweet osmanthus flowers. It is served hot with imaru yashi and most commonly enjoyed during the colder months, especially winter holidays. It is mildly alcoholic (~1.5-2%).
 * Zhong cang - glutinous rice stuffed with meat, slices of sausage, salted egg yolk, water chestnut, mushroom, and bamboo shoots and then wrapped in bamboo leaves to be steamed or boiled. Fillings can vary, but they are almost always savoury.

Soups, Stews, and Porridges (ono, tau'e, & niang)

 * Herb Stew with Meat and Beans - a thick soup made of seared meat combined with sautéed fresh herbs, beans, and dried limes, then slowly cooked in a large pot over a fire. Usually served with rice or bread.
 * Ode ono - a type of hot pot, ode ono usually consists of a savoury broth filled with things like fish cakes, glutinous rice balls, tofu and tofu skin, meatballs, sliced radish, leafy greens, hard-boiled eggs, and other savoury treats. It is most popular during the winter months. Very similar to nabe ono.
 * Nabe ono - another type of hot pot, nabe ono consists of a spicy broth kept hot over coals. Raw ingredients are pre-sliced into thin sections that will cook quickly and consistently in the simmering broth. Some common ingredients are thinly sliced meat, leaf vegetables, mushrooms, vermicelli noodles, sliced potatoes, tofu, and seafood. It is usually served with dipping sauces on the side. Most popular during the winter months.
 * Saezu ono (lit. 'whale [meat] soup') - soup made with fatty meat (traditionally whale tail or tongue, but pork or seal is also common now), mustard greens, and thick chewy wheat noodles in a light stock. Some people may choose to add mushrooms, fried tofu, or chili pepper.

Dumplings

 * Khaashtuk - dumplings with a minced meat and vegetable filling. The skin is thicker than the other dumplings in the region, but fillings vary wildly between households. They can be served boiled, steamed, or fried, and are one of the common foods in Kemria.
 * Tsiao me - a type of dumpling filled with ground meat, green onion, mushrooms ginger, and spices wrapped in a thin sheet of unleavened dough and left open on the top with crab roe. The meat is most commonly pork, mutton, or reindeer, and they are served steamed with vinegar on the side for dipping.

Breads/Pastry

 * Pot Pies - a type of savoury pie filed with meat with a thick gravy and mixed vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and peas. During the seal hunting season it is commonly made with seal flippers, but otherwise rabbit and reindeer are both popular components of these pies.
 * Pepper Cake - Flaky pastry stuffed with heavily spiced meat and green onions and sprinkled with sesame seeds
 * Yuen lo - a sweet pastry stuffed with candied winter melon, almond paste, and sesame. These are popular snacks during festivals, or during tea.

Vegetables

 * Yuen te mun (lit. 'melon with sauce') - a crunchy cold side dish made from cucumbers with salt, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, chili oil + flakes, soy sauce, and black vinegar. Top with sesame seeds. A common side and usually accompanies hotpot or other hot foods.

Meat (muk)

 * Cured fat - smoked, stalted, or brined strips of fatback. It is usually seasoned lightly with herbs and spices. The fat used is most commonly from pork, winter seals, or whale. It is usually served thinly sliced with dark bread and meat, or otherwise used as an ingredient to add fat to other dishes.
 * Blood Sausage & Blood Cake- Most commonly made from reindeer or pigs. Blood sausages are made with congealed blood, suet, and a grain such as oats, barley, or rice, spiced heavily and stuffed into the cleaned intestines of the animal. Other ingredients may be added. Blood cakes are made from congealed, cooked blood and sticky rice that is steamed and cut into pieces, usually for soups and porridge, but sometimes it is battered and fried.
 * Cold Stewed Pig Ear - a cold side dish made from braised pig ears that have been sliced thinly and mixed with chili oil, green onion, broth, sesame seeds, vinegar, and soy sauce. The meat is soft with crunchy cartilege in the middle.

Seafood (sairan)

 * Mankubo te aru (lit. 'grilled eel with rice') - thin fillets of butterflied eel with the skin on that are first steamed, then coated with a sweet soy-based sauce and grilled over hot charcoal. They are then put over bowls of rice and more sauce is added to soak into the rice, then topped with Kemrian pepper flakes, sesame seed, and sometimes green onion. Popular at resturants in Kumaur especially, manku aru is best enjoyed in the early to mid summer, when the flesh is sweet and fatty.
 * Saikubo (lit. 'grilled fish') - fatty/oily fish salted overnight and grilled over hot coals. Smaller fish (such as mackerel, herring, and sweetfish) are grilled whole with the skin, bones, and organs intact, while large fish are filleted and cut into smaller pieces to be grilled. It is a popular light lunch or breakfast protein and usually served with fresh and/or pickled vegetables, rice, and a light soup.KMR squirrel fish.png
 * Ue'yu sairan (lit. 'fried sweet fish') - filleted and fried fish (such as bass or snapper) with sweet and sour sauce. A deceptively simple dish usually saved for special occasions like weddings. The fillets are carefully cross hatched, battered, and deep fried with the skin and tail still attached, and arranged on a plate with the (also fried) head. It is then topped with a thick sweet and sour sauce made from tomatoes, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt, as well as garnished with pine nuts, green peas, and fresh spring onion.

Dairy (kach'te)

 * Cha'te - cha'te is made from sweetened milk mixed with egg whites and cooked until forming soft custard. It can be flavoured with ginger or osmanthus or served plain. It is served hot or warm with fresh fruit, and has the texture of a very soft pudding or tofu. Cha'te is made primarily from reindeer or yak milk due to the high fat content.
 * Ue'te- milk thickened into a jelly or paste with starch, flour, and/or eggs, then cut into pieces that are then coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried until golden and crispy on the outside.
 * Ikach'te tsuehua (lit. 'ice milk snowflake') - a type of shaved ice desert. Blocks of frozen milk are shaved into fine flakes and then topped with things like sweetened condensed milk, fresh fruit, red bean, brown sugar syrup, and/or greenn tea syrup.

Pickled/Fermented & Preserved (tsai ko)

 * Danmuko & Takuo - pickled white radish. This comes in two forms, the sweeter white danmuko, and sundried or smoked takuo. Both are pickled in a brine with salt, sugar, and rice wine, and takuo also recieves the addition of dried persimmon peels, giving it a distinctive yellow colour. Takuo is more pungent when compared the the light and sweet danmuko.
 * Tsong le (lit. 'black egg') - eggs preserved in a mixture of of clay, ash, salt, quicklime, and rice hulls for several weeks or months until the yolk becomes a dark green to grey color, with a creamy consistency, while the white becomes a dark brown, translucent jelly with a salty flavor. They have a distinctive sulphuric smell and are usually served as part of cold dishes, but are also sometimes chopped up and mixed into hot savoury rice porridge.
 * Ya caiko - pickled mustard stems. They are first salted and pressed, and dried before being rubbed with hot red chili paste and allowed to ferment in an earthenware jar. The chili paste and excess salt are rinsed away before use and the mustard stems are sliced thinly. They have a crunchy, yet tender texture and a spicy, salty, and sour taste.
 * Gote ko - crunchy pickled burdock root. Burdock root is sliced into thin pieces and marinated in rice vinegar, salt, sugar, and water. It is often orange by including carrot juice or food dyes, and has a refreshing sweet and tangy flavour with crunchy texture.
 * Umeiko - sour pickled plums. Fruit is harvested while ripe and packed in salt, where they pickle for around 2 weeks. The salt is then mostly removed and the now fermented fruit is packaged in jars with brine and sold. Due to the sour and salty flavour they are usually eaten with rice and are a common staple in many households.

Dried (tsai ji)

 * Umeiji - dried salted plums. Similar to umeiko, umeiji is also made from salted pickled plums, but instead of being brined, they are dried. These salty, sour dried plums are often eaten as a snack, and are considered an easy remedy for nausea.

Desserts

 * Tao soh - a type of rich, crumbly shortbread cookie, they are usually topped with sesame seeds and almond flakes. They are most common during the new years festival held every spring, and the mid-autumn festival in the fall, though people might prefer that tao soh stay available all year-- no matter how unhealthy they are! Usually round but sometimes shaped into squares or triangles.
 * Ik'taaq (lit. 'fatty ice')- a whipped treat made from fat or oil (commonly seal oil or reindeer fat) mixed with berries and honey. It can be eaten as is (with a somewhat frosting-like consistency), or allowed to freeze in the colder months. It is sometimes also made savoury using ground up dried meat or fish, though the sweet version is much more popular.
 * Crystal hawthorne - hawthorne fruits that have been hollowed and filled with sweet paste (such as red bean or fruit pulp), then skewered and dipped in sugar syrup and let to harden. Commonly seen during the mid-autumn and winter festivals.
 * Sugar Painting - melted sugar used to create images on a metal or marble surface before being stuck to a small stick and removed with a spatula. Some are even made in the style of blown glass, and are instead three-dimensional representations. Common during holidays and festivals, and images are commonly animals, auspicious symbols, or flowers.
 * Sacheyashi (lit. 'syrup cake') - pieces of fried batter mixed with syrup until they form a sort of 'cake' which is then sliced into pieces and eaten. Sometimes includes sesame seed or curshed peanuts, and is also sometimes made with flavoured syrups.
 * Mooncakes - chewy pastry with a rich filling (usually lotus seed, red bean, taro, or jujube date) and a salted egg yolk. These desserts are usually made in heavily decorated molds, and are only made during the new years and mid-autumn festivals. Savoury types also exist, but have generally been passed up in favour of sweet mooncakes.
 * Almond jelly -  also known as almond tofu, it is a soft, jellied dessert made almonds, sugar, and gelatin. It is commonly served chilled and drizzled with sweet osmanthus syrup or honey.
 * Cha'an te - small flaky tarts filled with sweet egg custard and baked. Egg custard (cha'an) without the tart shell is also fairly popular.KMR taiyaki.jpg
 * Saiyashi [(lit. 'fish cake')- small fish-shaped cakes stuffed with red bean paste or other sweet fillings. These are made by pouring batter into pans cast to the shape of fish, leaving the outside crunchy. Popular during festivals, but not as common or well-liked as ayashi.
 * Ayashi (lit. 'ayahari [sweet smelt] cake') - another fish-shaped cake, ayashi are shaped like sweet smelt, a popular fish usually eaten during the new year. The outside is made of a thin layer of soft cake and stuffed with sweet sticky rice paste (though sometimes mixed with red bean paste), and the face stamped into the cake with a hot iron or drawn with chocolate or dark sugar syrup. Popular during festivals, but also sold as treats in bakeries and shops year round.Tumblr nf7cyt7TDN1t2rr2bo1 1280.jpg

Misc/Other

 * Imutet - food prepared for dogs. It is usually composed of a mixture of raw meat, organs, fish (raw or dried), raw eggs, milk, and small amounts of grains like barley. Dried meat and fish can be used as treats, while raw bones are often given to dogs to chew on.KMR konpeito.jpg
 * Sache tsao (lit. 'syrup pieces')- a type of colourful candy made from fruit paste, sugar, and various medicinal herbs. Despite the sweet taste, it is most often used as a vehicle for medicine and is commonly used to help reduce coughs and mild fevers, especially in children who may not take their medicine otherwise. They are surprisingly popular as a snack despite the mental association by most Kemrians to being sick. They are made in small round shapes with bumpy surfaces and come in wax-paper packets or small tins. This distinctive shape is made from repeatedly coating hot sugar syrup infused with herbs and fruit around a poppy seed until the desired size is achieved.

Drinks
During a meal, water and other non-alcoholic beverages may be consumed at any time. However, in formal settings, alcohol should only be consumed during toasts. A modest toast may be followed by a single sip of wine or swallow of beer, but more an exhortation to drain the glass. Ideally, glasses are refilled immediately following a toast in preparation for the next. It is not customary to pour oneself a drink; rather, people are expected to keep each other's drinks topped up. The person who pours in the glasses of others should hold the bottle with both hands simultaneously. The person who receives the pouring must hold the cup firmly with both hands as welll, and politely ask whether or not the person who just served would like to have the gesture returned. When drinking with a group, wait until each glass is filled before drinking. When hosts empty their glasses, others should attempt to do the same as well.

[Note: both 'traditional' green/leaf and herbal teas are popular in the region. This section will only discuss the former.]
Loose leaf tea, or ochuu, is one of the most popular drinks in Kemria. It is is consumed throughout the day, including during meals, as a substitute for plain water, well-being or simply for enjoyment. Kumaur grows a small amount of its own tea, but most tea leaves are imported from Valron, Ryoujing, or mainland Novoros. Offering tea to guests is a sign of hospitality, as well as respect, and some people may gift others with tea on special occasions, as an apology, or to show thanks. Hot water for tea is usually brewed in cast iron kettles, then poured into stoneware or lacquerware teapots, where it is brewed and served from. It is sometimes lightly sweetned with rock sugar or honey to the drinker's personal preference in order to offset the somewhat bitter earthy/herbal taste, but never served with creamer. Traditionally, and especially in upper-class families, having tea is often a specific affair in the afternoon between lunch and dinner, and a social occasion between close friends and family to unwind and enjoy snacks with tea. Snacks may include a variety of small sweets, rice crackers, and fruit. When entertaining guests, these treats may be decorated in the shape of flowers, small animals, and fruit.

Other Drinks

 * Och'taaq (lit. 'tea fat' or 'butter tea') - a popular hot beverage made by churning together tea, butter, salt, milk, and toasted barley flour. Almost as popular as plain tea, och'taaq is seen as more of the working man's drink, meant to provide warmth and the energy for hard work. Yak butter and/or milk is considered the best option for  this drink, and it is often served to guests during the winter as well as sold at small stalls in the port and market districts. It has a distinctive rich, salty taste that may be difficult for foreigners to enjoy.
 * Tet lun'te (lit. 'horse milk wine') - a fermented drink made from sweetened milk (most commonly reindeer, though cow/yak or horse milk are also used). It is somewhat sour, carbonated, and lightly alcoholic (1.5-2%).
 * Pat och'te (lit. 'spice tea milk') - another variation of tea, pat och'te is very different from och'taaq. Made by boiling spices like cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and saffron together in boiling water before adding tea leaves, cream, and sugar, it is served warm after being strained. Popular when the weather is particularly cold.
 * Rice Wine
 * Soy Milk
 * Beer/Ale, Mead
 * Sour Plum Tea
 * Spirits/Hard Liquor
 * Osmanthus Tea/Wine
 * Butter Tea/Milk Tea
 * Rice Beer (chhaang)
 * herbal tea
 * juiceKMR rice wine.jpg

Uncommon Foods
Ortolan Bunting/Songbirds, dormice, monkfish/Monkfish Liver, fish roe, bird's nest, wild mushrooms, horse meat, gink nuts, wild geese, imported game from cymrian novoros (peafowl, antelope,?), turtle, stugeon, pufferfish,