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, but 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.

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.

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. 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.

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 muk'an 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.

Ingredients
Display Content
 * Grains & Carbohydrates
 * Rice (short grain + sticky varieties)
 * Potatoes
 * Wheat, Barley, Rye, Oats, Buckwheat, Millet
 * Corn (limited, usually sweet corn)
 * Meats
 * Caribou
 * 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, octopus, shark)
 * 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
 * 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, thumbleberry/raspberry, etc)
 * Nuts (chestnut, beech, pecan, stone pine, walnut, hickory, pine)
 * Rhubarb
 * Lotus (seeds, roots)
 * 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
 * Star Anise
 * Cinnamon
 * 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

 * Plain rice, or aru. Often eaten with other foods, as the staple grain/carbohydrate in the region.
 * 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
 * Ojaze aru (lit. '[to] soak in tea'] - rice with green tea or light broth poured over it. It is then topped with seafood, pickled vegetables, dried seaweed, and sesame seeds.

Drinks
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.

Tea, Fermented Caribou Milk (kumis based?), 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, juice

Uncommon Foods (Seasonal & Special Occasions)
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,