Calotia
Calotia is the largest city on the coast of the northern Free Lands. It is an important node in the trades between Free Lands and Doujate and is famous for its good food, in particular for the laregni, a particular type of catri, the staple food of Free Lands.
Catri and Laregni
Catri is made from a salted dough of flour and water or eggs, cut and shaped into several different forms. Catri is divided into two categories, dried or fresh: the former is made with water, must be left to dry and can be conserved for more than a year, the latter is made with eggs and must be consumed within the day. Dried catri is exported in Doujate and Cajena.
Laregni is a type of fresh catri typical of Calotia. The dough is cut in flat layers, stacked one over the other, alternated with meats and tomato sauce. There are many variants to this simple recipe, varying with the specifically added spices, vegetables and cheese. After assembling, laregni are baked in an oven.
Laregni is so famous that once a year, on april 21st, the Laregni Festival takes place, attracting many nobles from Doujate and rich merchants from the Cajenian Archipelago.
Industry & Trade
A large part of the city economy is based on the exportation of dried catri.
At first, catri was only exported in Cajena: since the islands are small, the inhabitants needed a stable source of food (different from fish) and the catri was just right for them. Then, some Doujatar noble visiting the city tried it and decided to buy it, along with the spices used in many catri dishes, to impress others with their wealth back home. Quickly, the whole nobility began requesting it, essentially substituting their potato-based diet with a catri-based one. In a struggle to emulate nobility, also traders and other rich people started eating it. Finally, the folk too began to see catri as a noble food and ate it on special occasions.
It is said that in Calotia everything revolves around catri and everyone works on something which has to do with it: it is no exaggeration.
To maintain the catri dried during the travel, they pack it with straw paper and then they put many packs together into large wooden boxes, to avoid breaking it during transport (mostly due to rough sea). Many people work in the production of these materials. Other people cultivate the fields and grind the wheat at the mill into flour. Others prepare the dough and cut it into the required shape.
Some people do not work to produce or export directly the catri, but in something related to it, mostly regarding other ingredients, like tomato, meat and vegetables.
Founding Date
At some point during the Second Era
Type
Large city
Population
100000
Inhabitant Demonym
Calotino
Ruling/Owning Rank
Related Tradition (Primary)
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