Belder Leaves

Travelers frequent the many roads and paths which connect the four kingdoms of Merical. Travel by train can be expensive and sea travel can be quite treacherous. Travel by foot and horse are still the preferred modes of transportation across Mercial. While on travel, there are many different plants and roots which can be consumed to sustain any curious travelers. The most desired leaf is from the Belder plant.

Description

Belder plants are easy to spot while traveling. The Belder is a type of bush which appears to stuck in the autumn season, all year round. The Belder leaves are varying autumn colors of orange, yellow, and dusty brown. Despite the autumn appearance, the leaves are full of moisture and soft to the touch. Belder leaves are easy to remove and the main bush is quite resilient.

Applications

Bread: Grinding the Belder leaves down into a fine powder (via mortar and pestle), it can be mixed in with yeast. Bread mixed with Belder helps increase stamina and endurance along the long roads!
Tea: Travelers can tear the leaves in halves. The halves are thrown into boiling water in tea kettles. The boiling brings out the healing properties. The Belder Tea tastes of mint and their unique colors turn the tea into a colorful mix of yellow, orange, or light brown! Belder Tea treats bruises, sore feet, toothaches, and can even alleviate pain from minor injuries.
Seasoning: Tearing the leaves into small slivers, the Belder leaf can be used as seasoning. Slivers of Belder can be cooked in the pan along with fish, deer, cow, and pig. Animal grease melts into the Belder, negating the minty taste. Instead of mint, the cooked Belder brings about a savory, buttery taste to the meat.

Prevalence

Travelers can spot Belder plants growing along the side of most roads. Belder tends to grow more in Blomst and Astra. The colder temperature of Caledonia and magical properties of Trefoil cause the Belder to be less prevalent.