Balihran Cuisine

The flatlands and heaths of Balihr produce few obvious resources, especially in regards to cuisine. But the well-trained Balihran can craft a meal from what would appear to any other folk a desolate flatland.

Ingredients

The soil in Balihr is very poor and not suitable for most crops. Plants such as wheat, corn, and other typical food staples cannot find enough nutrients in the heathlands. However, great success can be found with root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, and onions, and with legumes like potatoes. These roots provide a healthy and nutritious base for any Balihran meal. Likewise, barley and buckwheat grow very well on the moors with enough moisture, and are the staple grains of the region.

The expanses of Balihr are also a great habitat for wild game. An abundance of grouse, hares, and the occasional deer frequent the area, appealing to hunters of all kinds. This supply of meat is supplemented by the large flocks of sheep kept by folk across the moors. Mutton and lamb are popular features in many Balihran dishes.

These flocks of sheep graze on the heather and gorse of the heathlands, and provide not only meat to their keepers. Sheep's milk is very nutritious and is used by the Balihrans either in its raw form or made into rich butter or cheese.

The heather of the moorlands also provides an abundance of flowers for the bees that live there. Many Balihrans take up beekeeping, as the wax and honey are both very useful. The heather honey is especially sought after in other parts of the world for its unique jelly-like quality when left still.

There are no spices that grow naturally in Balihr, so most food is left unseasoned. Balihrans living near the sea may use sea salt on their dishes, but otherwise the flavor of the dish relies on the main ingredients and the way the meal is cooked.

Coastal Balihrans also fish and use seaweed, shellfish, and other seafood in their dishes.

Techniques

The traditional method of cooking in Balihr takes advantage of the abundance of clay deposits in the region. Clay ovens are fairly easy to make and can keep heat in very effectively. Many dishes are baked in these ovens, whether slowly over low heat for a long period of time, or quickly roasted in high heat. Balihrans also use clay pots to cook stews and other broth- or soup-based dishes, and flat slabs of slate or clay to fry or bake things over a flame.

Because wood is hard to come by on the moors, most Balihran cooking uses dried bricks of peat as fuel. This gives most dishes cooked in peat-fired ovens a distinct rich and smoky flavor.

Traditional Dishes

A staple of the Balihran diet is a dense, chewy flatbread made from ground barley and buckwheat. This flour is mixed with water and fried or baked until it is crusted a dull brown. This bread is difficult to chew when dry, and is thus always paired with another dish in which to dip it.

Balihran cuisine also centers around smoked meats, slowly cooked in underground pits on a bed of hot stones and peat bricks, then layered with vegetables and heather, and finally the hole is covered in mud and clay and sealed off for several days.

Stews are fairly popular, made from an abundance of vegetables and chunks of meat cooked in a milk and grain mixture to produce a thick, rich dish. This is served with flatbread on cold evenings in winter and fall.

From honey, Balihrans craft a strong mead to accompany their dishes. Most Balihrans of any age drink this, although it is watered down significantly for children. Balihran mead is coveted across the world, regarded as some of the best because it is made from heather honey, and there are several distilleries across the country which focus entirely on crafting the best mead possible.