Food Floods

Eat nowhere but the home.

"What are you doing?! You can't eat that here. You'll get us all killed. Just couldn't wait for lunch could ya?"

The Beast Below

In the Graran county of Ostad, food and dining culture is believed to have influence on the water levels of the Rising Lake. Specifically it is thought that if anyone transports prepared foods, the waters will rise and wreak havoc on wildlife and infrastructure. Deep within the Rising Lake there is a slumbering beast and that when food is transported the smell reaches the beast's senses and it writhes, causing the lake to flood.

Sitting Down to Eat

The origins of the myth may be obscured by time but its effects are clear. The people of Ostad always sit down to eat, they never leave any leftovers, and they never take lunch to work - unless it is specially prepared. This also results in there being no food markets - except those that sell uncooked foods such as raw fish, flour, and vegetables - or food stalls in the entire county. Sit-down restaurants are common as they offer a safe place to prepare food and consume it.
Some foods that can be sold and transported are in a state that can be eaten, such as fresh fruits. These items are not considered tabboo but eating them on the move is. It is safe to eat an apple while standing and talking to the person it was purchased from but not while walking to the next shop. Harvesting berries and putting them into a basket to take home is allowed but eating them between the bush where they were found and the house is not.

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The Exception

While transporting cooked food is rude - and dangerous - there is one exception to the rule; smoked foods. They say that the beast of the lake cannot tell the difference between the smoke of a fire and the smokiness of the foods. As a part of the preparation of smoked foods in Ostad, a special local herb is added to the food. This herb is said to also obscure the senses of the beast and contributes to the distinct flavour and aroma of Ostan cooking.
This caveat to the norm in Ostad often gets the few that travel there into trouble with the locals. Seeing food moved around makes them think it is alright to prepare meals for the next leg of their journey but don't understand the specific context.

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