Cooking hour

In the plains of Syndal, wood is notoriously hard to come by. The tribes only have so much. To combat this, they have a specific time every day where they cook everything, cramming all the food together to make the most of the heat.

Cooking Hour is an Orcish cooking tradition that is integral to their way of life, used throughout the entirety of the diverse culture.

History

Cooking Hour has been in use since the dawn of Orcish culture, crucial to their survival in an area where wood is scarce and people must utilise as much heat from it as possible.

Execution

In Cooking Hour, stacks of tinder are laid flat on an empty space in the ground and have food that is to be cooked laid on them, the food so close that it is touching. The fire set alight using friction. A small number of people, usually two, are left to tend the fire, ensuring that it does not spread. Despite this, fires going out of control are quite common, water being hard to move quickly with their technology. In some of the colder areas of Syndal, people use the heat of the fire to dry clothes and socialise.

Components and tools

Wood is typically used as fuel, with crevices filled with dry grass to make it easier to light. However, whatever flammable materials that can be found are used, and it is not unusual to see the use of other fuels, such as charcoal and shrubbery. Fat is also a commonly used material, often replacing wood entirely.

Observance

Cooking Hour is generally done an hour or two after midday, although this varies between areas and clans. Many of them hold Cooking Hour in the morning instead.

Primary Related Location

Syndal

Related Ethnicities

• True Orcs