Birch Syrup
Birch Syrup can be collected from birch trees, but only with the permission of the Birch herself. This sweet liquid comes from tapping, and partially draining, the sap of birch trees during the early Visna (Spring), which is then boiled down into a syrup. Often eaten with Blini.
Manufacturing process
The Birch Syrup collection process requires a very specific ritual. Any deviation from the ritual angers the Birch, who will curse the offending party ( Bestow Curse ).
Birch Syrup Ritual
- Tie a crystal bottle to the tree with a silver thread.
- Drill a hole into the trunk with a silver tool.
- Insert a silver tube into the hole and put the other end into the bottle.
- Wait for one day. In this time, silver bell flowers must be planted at the base of the birch tree as a token of gratitude.
- Take the bottle and thank the birch, in case the same tree is needed for the ritual again.
The rules
- Do no harm to the tree - only make small incisions.
- Never choose young trees for syrup collection because they cannot consent.
- Bandage the branch with a silk ribbon after collecting its syrup.
