[WORLDBUILDING] - MONTHLY PROMPT NOVEMBER 20 - Food

[Zenthis]

https://homebrewdeviants.com/forum/Thread-WORLDBUILDING-MONTHLY-PROMPT-OCTOBER-20-Witches-Wizards-and-Darkest-Night <- Previous thread

This is a thread to discuss and ask questions relating to the monthly prompt from the current month's (November 2020) newsletter. Please do this here and not in the discord, as it will be easier to reference old topics here. The reasons we chose this topic are fairly simple: food is an important and fun worldbuilding element that we don't have nearly enough detail on. Whether it's about feasts, culinary trends or individual dishes, we think that with y'alls help, we can get some real cool things put together here!

[victorianflorist]

What are the culinary trends of each team members various regions? Like does solitude favor really plain and bland foods to avoid evoking strong emotional responses?

[King-Clod]

What is each species' culture around food and eating together? Do some cultures emphasize eating together with family, while others see it merely as a way to quickly get sustenance, and spend their time together not around food but something else?

[King-Clod]

What are the most cost effective meals (that others may look down on) in different zones ?

[skinstealer]

What are the culinary trends of each team members various regions? Like does solitude favor really plain and bland foods to avoid evoking strong emotional responses?
(some answers were given in species form)

Solitude has more simple dishes to help promote a restrained lifestyle, the most you get is more creamy/savory comfort food dishes along the lines of mashed potatoes/shepherd's pie- but still not a lot of exciting flavors going on. Silverware is considered necessary.

Consumption has mainly meat dishes due to the fact that even native flora tends to be at least partially made of flesh, with most actual vegetables and fruits needing to be imported or raised in greenhouses kept safe from the hostile wildlife. Dishes are heavily spiced to keep this from getting monotonous, and due to the large variety of meats, there’s a large butchery industry.

Hearth has a huge melting pot of different cultures’ dishes due to being the central point of Taverne and a hub for construct species, prone to new dishes being developed, and lots of restaurants at every income level are present.

Bluster had a big hunting culture both for sport and for sustenance pre-zone death, with any produce being imported from nearby regions.

Wonder has lots of comfort food that’s similar to Solitude at first glance, but with significant amounts of more flavoring and spices. The few major cities that exist have a lot of innovation going on, and weird dishes are known to crop up here and there.

Pre-zone death, what most people “traditional” Whimsy dishes were very delicate and more akin to what you’d see at a tea party- pastries, cakes, etc. What many people overlook when it comes to Whimsy dishes are richly flavored pastas and soups, especially ones with meat sauces and broths.

Precipice has lots of local restaurants with a focus on personalized recipes, not a lot of commercialized chains, and a big focus on food you can eat cleanly with the hands and drinks that you can use to beat the heat/dryness of the region.

Hoopla has lots of sugary meals/drinks and commercial chains, not a lot of health restrictions around anywhere, and saucy and almost overly spicy meats are common.

Hunting is also big on Fallow’s Island, but not for sport- it’s very culturally important and done only as much as a family needs, and all parts of the kill are used for food- if not for the hunter then for the rest of the community or preserved for later. No part of the kill is considered too “gross” for a meal. Teas and herbal dishes are also very common.

Monte tends to be very picky about finger foods unlike most regions, and most traditional families prefer dining at the table with a fork and knife. Family dinners are incredibly common and have a certain strict etiquette to them. Holidays are treated very grand and require the wealthiest in the extended family to host more often unless feuds between relatives cause one not to appear. Fast food chains are somewhat frowned on by elder folks and rarely allowed to develop on Monte, especially those from overseas. Saucy meals are really popular and for the de’moneres population implementation of coal is common among those with notable wealth. Recipes from Fallows Island are still seen in Monte but saved for special occasions usually due to their cultural significance

Luxson’s food culture is incredibly DIY, most people are capable of cooking or have someone around who is able to cook. Lots and mom and pop restaurants and diners catered toward those who are working during the day. Very community driven environment means successful food joints tend to be very in touch with the people around them, and it's not uncommon for other resources such as thrift stores or medical assistance to be in the same building as food joints. Protein is a mixture of beans, fauna and flora brought over and domesticated from Fallow's Island, and seafood. Ports are also very busy and bring over food from overseas constantly.

In Paradise, most food products come from the food type TCP population, which means there isn’t a whole lot of cohesion in what food is available at any given time. Most commonly this means the most basic food item available is a “bundle”- a bunch of food type material contained in a simple paper or cloth wrapping. Due to the majority of the population being TCPs without conditions or modifiers requiring them to eat food as well, there isn’t much reason for food to be consumed, leading food to be considered, at most, a medical necessity over a recreational or cultural one outside of those who have been educated otherwise during their sessions. They are capable of eating natural foods available in Paradise as well, the same things they are able to feed the tameable wildlife there.

Morbitian TCPs, however, are prone to eating recreationally even if their health does not require it, as the social and comfort element of eating is often taught to them from the other complex species around them.

Prospitans value vegetables and cheese heavily in their culture, and have a good variety of nuts and seeds for snacking. They especially value wood fired ovens, and save preparing meat for special occasions. They have a strong family culture in modern times that translates to a weak restaurant scene in Neo Prosperity, but their food culture can be best described as weird, cheap, spicy, and cheesy, and does ridiculously well overseas- leading to a large Prospitan diaspora. 

Model 3’s do not eat, but will sometimes take to sugar.

Paper dragons eat light.

Borses can be best described as “sugar snobs”, and enjoy fruit.

Shealas enjoy dishes like fish chowder and butter coffee, with their most common livestock’s milk being nearly as fatty as whipping cream and usable for creamer and ice cream (even better with the fruits and nuts they receive from borses.) With that said, elder water-dwelling shealas do not agree with cooking as a concept, and believe that it will lose its nutrients and gain harmful chemicals. 

Mesquites love juice. 

Restaurant culture in Plaza is big due to a combination of tourists and many of the younger citizens of the region living incredibly on the go lives. Various sea foods are particularly popular as a form of protein due to the coastal nature of the area. Lots of fishing. Savory dishes are also incredibly popular. Due to the large region-wide festivals and the popularity of the area as a tourist spot there's quite the large abundance of seasonal recipes ranging from main courses and sides to treats and pastries. Also due to it being an island, most livestock consists of small poultry, and eggs are common. Many Dopples in particular swallow the boiled eggs whole as a parlor trick.

Pre-escape in Cage, the only notable trend would be that more 'complex' instruments from the planes, such as gyroscopes, or circuit boards would be considered delicacies that are either saved for special occasions or as a comfort snack.
Post-escape there's been an influx of what amounts to actual real food but with metal in it, because they can eat actual food, but their bodies can't absorb the nutrients very well, so it’s mostly for taste. It's not too commonplace, and mostly is done by gremlins who live outside Cage, or in Cage during holidays or feasts.

Octrus has a lot of robots/more abstract species that either don't eat normally or don't eat at all, so restaurants in general are more scarce. There are still enough so that someone there wouldn't go hungry, but the ratio per town is greatly diminished. For example:  You might have 2 in a small town as opposed to 10 or so. And of those two, one might be like... a convenience store that happens to have an oven in the back, but you have to wait for them to turn it on and set it up, because they haven't had anyone ask for food in a couple of days.
Likewise, grocery stores stock less food and more general supplies, same with convenience stores, etc. There's still enough for what you need, but a lot slimmer selection/less choices.
What restaurants do exist are often very catered to tourists or the few locals that happen to actually eat food.

Mainland Doloria, because of the arid climate, lotta wheat farms around, therefore, lotta bread. local food still varies from area to area, as a whole southern-style food is popular on the mainland. As for Devotion, it’s a huge city, so it’s got a huge mishmash of all kinds of foods.


What is each species' culture around food and eating together? Do some cultures emphasize eating together with family, while others see it merely as a way to quickly get sustenance, and spend their time together not around food but something else?

Karacels are not particularly fond of eating together in formal settings, and are prone to eating wherever feels best in the moment, be that outside or somewhere in the house- but they do generally enjoy eating together.

Mothlies enjoy eating together in large group settings, especially in old fashioned feasts, but these are hard to organize in modern times and most cannot find locales for these to happen. 

The Selected typically have formal family dinners in Solitude, with a very heavy focus on manners and decorum, and a very rigid structure with courses. They are typically less formal in wonder, but still prone to sitting at a table and finishing a proper meal.

Pockitts have no real stigma against eating alone once in a while, but there is some worry if you don’t have company consistently.

Snuglins that live at SnugCo still have structured mealtimes in a cafeteria setting, and then have to adjust to whatever culture they blend into when leaving the company if they manage to get out of it.

Eating for corvice was a simple affair without much fanfare, with not a lot of emphasis on it and it went by quickly, more like a lunch break than a friendly affair. 

OBJ had a lot more familiarity with people during mealtime after the change in culture post-mutation, a lot more casual and with a focus on chosen family. 

Mealtime with beatfoxes is very familial and friendly, and tends to get noisy quickly, often involving roping friends and neighbors into visits.

Combers are not particularly inclined towards social gatherings beyond what’s convenient in the case of overworking tendencies being present, but some families do like occasional family dinners.

Centinels are very fond of casual gatherings where people are allowed to come and go as they please, but eating alone is very uncommon.

Eating alone is most common for masques in modern day due to low population numbers, but those that remain will try to fit into the species cultures around them.

Not many Fallow’s Constructs remain, but those that do tend to enjoy meals with their loved ones.

Food at the table is especially common for de’moneres, family expects everyone to eat together. There's a very strict sense of courtesy. Conversations may happen depending on the household and lean toward discussing what productive activities members of the family have done through the day as well as future plans.

Ruffnecks eat together, tend to prefer to eat outside if they have access to it or around a form of entertainment like radio or the television. 1st course is divided up but any excess and leftovers are a free for all, especially when it comes to kids and teens in a family. 

Dopples are very laid back, may choose to eat together or eat by themselves in private in a family setting. Going out for food together however is a common social event that leads to a lot of after meal conversation. In general there's a lot of discussion after whenever eating at a table is involved with a certain sense of vulnerability between people often on display.

Being invited into a Prospitan’s home in Prosperity is more likely than finding a restaurant if you’re touring the area, welcomed into a large family home. 

Paradise TCPs prefer to eat to quickly gain sustenance, with Morbitian TCPs varying wildly based on zone and their own personal experiences. 

Barebones do not actually eat, they just recharge.

Gremlins rarely eat alone, as they are rarely alone to begin with. Under most circumstances, Gremlins will snack throughout the day rather than doing any proper sit down meals. However, this is not the case during Gremlin holidays, most of which are big feasts that last a long time with many participants.

Since Doloria doesn’t have a set species, it really depends on the species' area and their own customs, and how heavily they stick to their species' original norms. There is a bit of a stigma around not eating dinner together (as in "you're a poor family who has to work instead of sitting down together to eat") but nothing too interesting.


What are the most cost effective meals (that others may look down on) in different zones ?

Hearth- wraps of various fillings, both standard and dessert
Bluster- dried meats, unspiced
Precipice- chilis
Hoopla- fast food, especially made with processed donor meat
Wonder- rice and beans
Whimsy- some kind of soup with a meat broth
Consumption- typically a meal involving some kind of poultry equivalent or flesh-vegetation, served with beans 
Solitude- meat pie
Luxson- sandwiches, particularly grilled, literally the only food thing luxson and monte can agree on
Fallow’s Island- stews
Monte- basic sandwiches with cheese or some kind of spread

Doloria- toast sandwich, canned spaghetti
Devotion- oatmeal bars

Prosperity- foraging is common and poverty meals are also common but some Prospitans just eat bark
Shealas- hunting (but typically not seen as lowbrow)
Borses will occasionally just eat grass- not because it gives them any energy, but just because it suppresses hunger.
Tolfirs- canned whole chicken

Plaza- beans

'Cost effective' as a concept isn't really a thing in Cage, as they do not use money for anything other than trading with other zones. However, outside of Cage, a cheap meal for Gremlins would be either stealing cans out of recycling bins or buying some bolts or washers or screws or something in bulk from a hardware store.

[Shifter55]

What food specialities have become difficult to get in some regions/zones? And what are common gift foods?

[skinstealer]

What food specialities have become difficult to get in some regions/zones? And what are common gift foods?

In TCP Paradise, food remains rare- there are different plants and animals based on what’s created in sessions versus what’s naturally available on Morbit along with what’s available via TCP types, so you can usually tell when it’s Morbitian food versus Paradise food. As for gift foods, nothing too specific. TCPs there don’t tend to eat much, so gifting food isn’t common.

Most imported foods are relatively difficult to get in Respite, due to a lack of safe and friendly trade routes. Gifts of food are not uncommon, and are traditionally home made, but there aren't any that are particularly more common than others.

Due to the entire region of Modicium being at war with itself, trade can be messy between factions. Thankfully the war hasn’t progressed to the point of non-militarized trade being completely disrupted. Seafood is not viable in this region at all due to the huge amount of horror radiation in the ocean, and has to be imported. Synthetic meats are common on Descant, because it’s a literal flying island and it's hard to sustain food that way.

In Plaza, lots of meat from larger livestock has to be imported due to farmland mostly being reserved for vegetation. Common gift foods consist of sweets or salty snacks in a tin.

Luxson and Monte have a large trading scene that gives them access to practically every kind of dietary need.  In Luxson homemade meals are common as a gift to display care for someone. In Monte, de’moneres tend to gift high quality gems from overseas for major occasions both as a display of wealth and as a treat.

While food is not a problem for gremlins in Cage, gremlins outside of Cage can have trouble when it comes to obtaining a decent amount of materials for healthy consumption. For gremlins, the most common gift food is complex parts of machinery/electronics, whether scavenged or built by hand.

A lot of different kinds of flora and fauna on Fallow’s Island went extinct due to the Luxson Horror Plague either due to having terrors eat them or them being horrified to the point of becoming dangerous to eat, or something new and overly hostile (both plant and animal alike). Common gift foods include homemade meals, especially those homegrown or hunted.

Not a whole lot is difficult to get in Hearth due to a lot of trading going on, and gifts foods range from new, trendy things found on the market to inventions made yourself. 

Vegetation was near impossible to get in Bluster, homecooked roasts were the way to go for gifts.

Hoopla is very, very swampy so anything that's hard to grow in a swamp is hard to get here naturally, common gifts are sweets and alcoholic beverages/candies.
Anything that won't grow in a desert is hard to get in Precipice, common gifts include meat dishes and non-perishable things like jerkies.

Farming is very common in Wonder and there isn't much you can't get there in terms of basic needs, with rice and chili-like dishes being common gifts.

Not a whole lot grows in Whimsy because of the cold now, before there wasn't a lot you couldn't get due to the good trade system, pastries were common gifts.

Things that cant survive the cold winters won't grow in Solitude, fancy meals are considered ideal gifts versus particular food items- it's the entire affair that counts.

Anything that can't survive the Literally Hostile Wildlife won't be in Consumption, "delicate" or hard to obtain food items are choice gifts as a result.