Náhas ad Midri - Moon Soup

"Are you going to take your fingers out of the soup?!" Rilba shouted when she caught Athril and his friend Ggildes in the princely kitchen.
"Even though you're our little prince and I know that the soup is one of your favorite foods, there's no snacking here! Troll you, the soup won't be served until tonight!"
"But dear good Rilba...", Athril ensnared the palace cook in a schmaltzy, sweet voice: "... just a little spoonful. I, uh, we won't tell anyone. Word of honor!"
The way the two of them stood in front of her and stared at her with big children's eyes, Rilba couldn't really be angry with them. So she took a small wooden spoon from the hook, ran it through the soup and gave everyone a small sip.

Scene in the palace kitchen at 2,678 AEC-

Honoring of the moon god

Moon soup is a rare dish that is prepared only during the Midrâdi Midrâdi festival and the Leafe Changing Festival on the 1st of Êtâdi.

The soup is eaten in honor of the moon god Tâmid and is the symbol of clear senses and wisdom that should be maintained throughout the year.

The judgment also represents the beginning of a new "life", as Midrâdi is the first month in the Brictaelgian calendar and the Mid-Autumn Festival is the first major festival of the year. Additionally, the Mid-Autumn Festival heralds the end of the dark season of Nhinswán, so that the cycle can begin again.

Tâmid, brictaelgican God of the Moon by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney

Náhas ad Midri was first mentioned in the cookbook “Food from Western Wadrivi”. The recipe was written down by Vinda, a night goblin from Îdrusci in the 3rd millennium BEC. She served the soup on the occasion of the inauguration of the sanctuary to the moon god in Midhvaert to distinguished guests who took the recipe home with them and it slowly spread throughout Brictaelgis. The dish has been an integral part of the Moon Festival and the Brictaelgican Six Dishes since around 2,500 BEC.

Náhas ad Midri is a very full-bodied, slightly milky soup and many goblins count it among their favorite dishes. This led to the Moon turtle's population becoming very decimated around the turn of the millennium (BEC/AEC). In order to prevent the extinction of the Brictaelgian turtle species, the Goblin Council passed a law that the soup may only be eaten with turtle meat on the two festival days. However, the Âdocôdix are inventive and so during the rest of the year they replace the meat ingredient with goat buffalo or grass hare, both meats that are in abundance.

The main ingredients

Moon Berries

Moon Berries by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney

by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney

Moonberries grow on a bush about 50 cm high in the higher elevations of Brictaelgis in the three great mountains. The shrub only blooms during Nhinswán, so the white-pink flowers are pollinated by the wind.

In Midrâdi, the white, juicy berries, whose taste is spicy and sweet, are ripe for harvest. They can be used fresh and dried.

Moon Turtle

Brictaelgican Moon Turtle by Blie Fairy 74 via Midjourney

by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney

This species owes its name to its crater-like shell and its habitat - the sandbanks of the Toiáninh ad Midri (Sea of the Moon).

The meat of moon turtles is very white and has a firm consistency. Primarily the meat of the arms, legs, stomach and back areas is processed. It tastes slightly salty and of green algae paired with a pinch of earthy anise.

Moon Herb

Moon Herb by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney-Collage

by Blue Fairy 74 via Midjourney

Moon Herb is a buttercup-like 20 centimeter tall plant with silvery-green leaves that grows throughout Brictaelgis. During Brictâdi it bears silvery-blue flowers from which small pearl-shaped silvery seeds are formed.

The leaves and seeds have a fresh and slightly spicy note due to the mustard oils they contain. They are used in many salads, sauces and to refine breads.

During Midrâdi, the Âdocôdix' use fresh berries and dried moon herb, which gives the soup an aromatic spicy taste. In contrast, the Náhas ad Midri, which is served during the Leaf Changing Festival, caresses the palate with a spicy, sweet aroma through the use of dried berries and fresh leaves.

The soup tastes a little different in each country of Brictealgis, which is partly due to the additional ingredients used and the cultures' preferences but also to the different soils on which moonberries and moon herbs grow. The soup in Âdocôris tastes more floral, while in Rax Evari it has a sour note.

Brictaelgican Moonsoup
by Blue Fairy 74 - Midjourney-Collage

Ingredients

2 moon turtles each at 1.5 ônul
4 cloves of sulfur - 5 nul herb lard
1 ônul moonberries - 2 vai herbal broth
3 ônul hanging tatos
1 ônul sun lentils
1 êlbo salt & pepper - 20 nul moon herb
moonberry vinegar - ant honey

Recipe for 10 servings

One day before the actual preparation, kill the turtle with a cut in the neck, hang it up and let it bleed for about 3 vâr. Then make a hand-width cut into the back of the stomach and gut the turtle. Afterward place the tank in a trough with fresh water overnight.

The next day, remove the meat from the shell and bones. Cut the usable portions of meat into thumb-thick strips. Additionally chop the sulfur cloves into small pieces. Then fry the meat with the cloves of sulfur and the herb lard.

Add salt, pepper and the moonberries and braise until a roast and berry juice is formed. Deglaze everything with the herbal broth and cook the soup on a high heat for half a var.

Cut the hanging tatoes into cubes and add them to the soup together with the sun lentils. Stir occasionally to prevent the soup from burning. Cook the soup on half heat for another half a vâr.

Before serving, finely chop the moon herb and season the soup to taste. Then remove the pot from the heat and stir the herbs into the steaming soup. Traditionally, moonberry vinegar and ant honey are served with the soup, so that everyone can refine the soup to their own taste.

Difficulty level: easy
Preparation time:
release meat 2 vâr
cooking 1 vâr

Quantities:
nul - pepples (5g)
ônul - chunks (1kg)
vai - jar (1l)
êlbo - acorn cap (1/2 teaspoon)
vâr - hour

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In response to Moonflower Writing's unofficial challenge

Food, Glorious FOOD! Unofficial Challenge - Soup