Rudusu Bread

Rudusu bread is made from the roots of the rudusu plant which grows well in shallow saltwater. It thrives in cold, nutrient rich water which is plentiful in the harsh climate on the island north of Kos. The roots are ground into flour and mixed with eggs and sheep milk to make the dough. The bread is unleavened because the cold temperatues aren't suited well for yeast. The dough is rolled out into large disks before being placed in a napoto which is a pit oven. It cooks for twenty minutes until the cust is golden brown. The inside is fairly dense, and it's traditional to either eat it as is or to cut it in half lengthwise and fill it with jam, cheese, meats, or to be dipped into spreads. In many places, the first loaf for the day is given to the temple as an offering which goes towards feeding the poor. The bread keeps well in cold conditions, and even stale, it's commonly broken up into pieces and put into soup. Rudusu bread is nonexistent elsewhere in the world. However, it's considered a staple food along with fish, and the islanders are heavily dependent on it. No one knows exactly when rudusu was first cultivated, but it's been considered a traditional source of food for many generations. During the summer months, there's a variant where the dough is rolled into balls, and imported honey is drizzled on top to make it sweet. It's customary to have it on the summer solstice, and people put little beads in the rolls for good luck. There's the belief that if you find the bead, then your next wish will come true. Of course, there have been many cases where people accidentally swallow the bead instead. Rudusu bread is also commonly given to cure hangovers because people believe that the denseness of the bread helps soak up the alcohol. For many young adults, a drunken night out is first remembered by friends all showing up with a loaf of bread to give to the drunkest person.