๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
๐๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: ๐๐ก๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐
๐๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ: ๐๐๐ข๐ง. ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ข๐ง.
๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐
๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง
๐๐ก๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
After several days of highly scientific investigation (opening cupboards, staring at shelves, and looking far too closely at what people leave sitting on tables), I believe I have begun to understand White Orchard's actual diet.
The answer, unsurprisingly, is apples.
An astonishing quantity of apples.
Apples baked whole. Apples in pies. Apples preserved. Apples drying. Apples waiting to become something else.
If White Orchard were somehow cut off from the rest of the Continent, I suspect its population could survive for several years simply by consuming apples in increasingly creative forms.
I have yet to determine whether this is admirable or concerning.
Potatoes appear nearly as common.
Baked potatoes are found regularly in homes and inns alike, suggesting they form one of the region's most reliable staples. Combined with milk, butter, cheese, or whatever scraps of meat happen to be available, they provide substantial meals for relatively little cost, dear reader.
One can easily imagine large pots of mashed potatoes accompanying roasted meats, or potatoes sliced into gratins and baked slowly near the hearth!
I suspect every household has its own preferred method. And every household is convinced theirs is the correct one.
The dairy situation is also encouraging!
Milk appears regularly throughout the village, which is hardly surprising given the number of cattle grazing nearby. Where there is milk, there is cream. Where there is cream, there is butter. Where there is butter, civilization survives.
Cheese is likewise common enough to suggest local production rather than exclusive reliance on trade.
I have begun making notes. Extensive notes. Perhaps, excessively extensive notes.
The cheese investigation continues. Bread appears everywhere.
This is not remarkable in itself, but it does confirm my earlier suspicions regarding grain cultivation. Most meals seem built around bread, potatoes, vegetables, and whatever protein happens to be available.
I have observed roasted chicken legs in numerous locations.
Chickens are plentiful throughout White Orchard, making them one of the most accessible sources of meat and eggs. Roasting appears common, likely because it requires little preparation and allows entire households to share a single bird.
Geese as well, too many have been caught lolly-gagging around the inn, mind you. One can imagine festive meals built around roasted waterfowl, perhaps stuffed with apples, onions, herbs, or dried fruits.
As a daughter of Toussaint, I wholeheartedly approve.
More interesting still are the numerous pigs. Not merely living pigs. Dead pigs. Hanging pigs.
Pigs suspended from hooks in a manner that strongly suggests active meat preservation.
This implies the existence of hams, cured meats, sausages, smoked cuts, rendered fats, and all manner of preserved pork products.
Frankly, if one raises pigs and does not make sausages, I begin to question one's priorities.
I suspect White Orchard possesses a thriving culture of preservation born from necessity. Rillettes seem plausible, pรขtรฉs even more so.
Various forms of smoked or salted pork almost certainly exist, especially considering the uncertainties brought by war.
When fresh food cannot be guaranteed, preserved food becomes precious. The forests surrounding the village likely contribute additional variety.
Rabbits seem particularly probable, hares as well. Deer and venison would not surprise me in the slightest, especially among hunters supplying nearby settlements and also the quantity of wolves hanging around.
A venison stew thickened with root vegetables and dark beer feels entirely appropriate for the region. Perhaps, adding beer to one would do the White Orchard vilageers some good.
I noticed, beer may be more important than it first appears.
The abundance of spirits and alcoholic beverages in both the inns and houses suggests that fermentation plays a major role in local food culture.
Not only for drinking, but also for cooking.
Beer can enrich stews, tenderize tougher cuts of meat, and create rich sauces. A village capable of brewing is a village capable of making surprisingly sophisticated food with otherwise humble ingredients.
And White Orchard, for all its hardships, strikes me as a place of humble ingredients elevated by practicality.
The drinks themselves are fascinating.
Homemade pepper vodka immediately caught my attention. The concept alone suggests people here have looked at ordinary vodka and decided it was insufficiently alarming... I respect the commitment.
Cherry cordial appears frequently enough to indicate access to fruit preservation and sugar or honey. Mandrake cordial is, admittedly, another matter entirely, I am still determining whether it qualifies as a beverage or an alchemical experiment.
The same may be said for several bottles I encountered whose labels inspired more questions than answers. There are also imported beverages.
Nilfgaardian Lemon, Redanian Herbal, Mahakaman Spirit, Dwarven Spirit... These suggest trade routes remain active despite the war, at least to some degree.
White Orchard may be rural, but it is not isolated.
Goods move, people move, recipes move... That is how culinary traditions grow!
Plums deserve special mention, now that I remember-... I have encountered them often enough to suspect they play an important role locally. Fresh plums are excellent, of course, but they also preserve beautifully.
Dried plums. Plum preserves. Plums soaked in spirits. Plums baked into pastries. Plums cooked alongside pork. Plums transformed into sauces.
The possibilities are extensive and, frankly, delicious!
Combined with the village's apparent abundance of apples, they provide a strong foundation for desserts! Simple crumbles, tarts, pies, baked fruits served with cream...
The sort of comforting food people make when they need reminding that life contains joys beyond war and monsters.
One final observation! Water is present. Milk is present. Beer is present. Wine appears occasionally. Vinegar almost certainly exists.
Which means White Orchard possesses all the foundations necessary for pickling, preserving, marinating, and extending the life of valuable ingredients.
The people here are not extravagant they are very much resourceful.
Every cupboard, every cellar, every hanging cut of meat tells the same story: Food is too valuable to waste.
And perhaps that is why I find White Orchard so interesting compared to Toussaint, or Oxenfurt, or even Novigrad!
At first glance it appears simple, but the longer I stay, the more I suspect its cuisine is built upon generations of people learning how to make abundance from uncertainty.
Also, I found another apple.
I felt it important to record this.
[๐๐: ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ, ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ , ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ "๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐."
๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก, ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ข๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ฌ, ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฑ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐ฌ "๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฐ?"
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง-๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ "๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ" ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ. ๐'๐ฆ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐๐ฌ, ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐.
๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ, ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฏ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ. ๐๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐, ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ. ๐๐ง ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฌ: ๐ฌ๐ก๐'๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ "๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฌ" ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ, ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ!]
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