Mutulese cuisine

Ingredients at a market in K'alak Muul

Mutulese cuisine began 9000 years ago when agricultural communities formed, domesticated maize, creating the standard process of nixtamalization, began to practice Agroforestry and swidden cultures, and established their foodways. After the establishment of Oversea territories in Ochran during the 16 and 17th centuries, the Mutulese cuisine began to include Vespanian influences, like foreign spices, rice, dumplings... Over the centuries, this resulted in regional cuisines based on local conditions. It's an important aspect of the culture, social structure and popular traditions of the Divine Kingdom.

In addition to staples, such as the Three Sisters and chile peppers, ingredients include tomatoes, squashes, avocados, cocoa, vanilla, and sometime even edible flowers. Tropical fruits, many of which are indigenous to Oxidentale, are extremely popular. The principal source of animal proteins are poultry and venison, with a wide variety of birds being raised for their meats, ranging from turkeys to ostriches and terror birds, alongside deer and sometime even dogs. The 20th century saw the "democratization" of meat in popular cuisines as the reduction of the production costs allowed for population that beforehand had a diet made entirely on grains, fruits and vegetables in various forms.

Main elements

Maize

The main cereal of the Mutul was and remain Maize which has become one of the symbol of the Divine Kingdom. Maize is never consumed as is: it is first dried, then mixed with lime in a process called Nixtamalization to create a dough that will then be used as the basis of many other meal and dishes, such as the ubiquituous Tobil. Nixtamalization releases niacin, a necessary B vitamin (vitamin B3) that prevents pellagra and reduces incidents of protein deficiency. Fermented, this dough will also be used in beverages and others, while it will mostly be used to make soups and stew when it's fresh.

Squashes

The earliest known evidence of the domestication of Cucurbita dates back at least 8,000 years ago, predating the domestication of other crops in the Mutul by at least 4,000 years. Uses for squashes and gourds were numerous and changed thourough history. Today, squashes and pumpkins are eaten as porridge, cakes, soups, or stews and are also used to prepare sauces. Pumpkin seeds are also used in Mutulese cuisine in some recipes.

beans

The main cultivar used in the Divine kingdom is the common bean. It is often use to accompany other dishes, or as filling inside Tobil. There are many varieties of beans being cultivated in the Mutul, but the most important ones are red and black beans.

Even to this day, Maize, Squashes and beans are cultivated together in a process known as intercropping, like they were in Norumbia.

Peppers

Smoke pepper

One of the most basic ingredient of Mutulese cuisine is the Chili peppers. Salt and spices are so common in Mutulese dishes that to go without them is considered to be fasting. It is one of the oldest cultivated crops in the Divine Kingdom with traces of its presence dating back to 6000 years ago. But Chiles aren't the only kind of peppers being used in Mutulese gastronomy. Varieties of peppers include other native from Oxidentale such as Fake Ochranese pepper, Xcatic pepper, bell pepper, Yjakab, but also other varieties from Ochran} such as Black pepper.

Poultry

Because of its historical lack of mammalian species, except for a few exceptions like deers, birds and avians has historically been the most important source of animal proteins for the Mutuleses, above even seafood. Turkey has been domesticated in the Mutul more than 2,000 years ago and remain the most popular form of poultry of the country especially since industrialized farming has made it very cheap for the amount of meat it produces. Other animals that were domesticated endogenously by the Mutuleses include ducks, pigeons, and geese.

With the historical expansion of the Mutul's influence in Mutulese Ochran, Mutuleses traders brought back with them many other avian species to be raised as cattle. These included Ostriches and Moa from Scipia and Malaio. All of these species are raised for their eggs, meat, and feathers.

Venison

Steaks, tenderloin, roasts, sausages, jerky, and minced venison meat are all common dishes in the Mutul. This is due to the country having large populations of both wide and farmed white-tailed deers which makes it an analogue to beef in other countries in the world.

Chocolate

See also: Mutulese Chocolate

Dishes

Tobil

Tobilob ready to be served

Tobil (plural:Tobilob) is one of the oldest documented dish of the Mutul and seems to have existed already during the Paol'lunyu Dynasty. They were used as easily portable food, for hunting trips, and for traveling large distances, as well as supporting armies. Gods are represented eating Tobilob and they are a universal dish, served at the tables of both commoners and royalty, possibly for two or three millenium now. They are often served at feasts and festivals. Tobilob come in many shapes and forms. For example, there are the Chak Tobil who owe their name to the tomato and annatto seed that give them their distinct red color. Another colorful Tobilob is the Ek Tobil made with blue corn and chocolate.

Because of their old age, Tobilob dishes have greatly evolved sometime diverging widely from the most "basic" and famous form. They can be sweet, "Mon Tobil" prepared from sweet corn and without meat, or small and firm like the "Tz'i Ok Tobil ("Small Dog Tobil", served with meat broth to be dipped in). Tzi Tobil are in fact a popular snack as their small size and plain taste make them perfect ingredient to be dipped in other foods such as soups, sauces, or beans.

Pibil

A plate of Ulum Pibil, served with rice, sauce, and small Tobilob.

For the verb "P'ib" ("Burried"), Pibil refers to the cooking method in which foods are wrapped generally in banana leaves, and cooked in a pit oven. Various meats are cooked this way, such as turkey (Ulum Pibil), chicken (Pol Pibil), dog (Ok Pibil), or even Ostriches (Nokmut Pibil) and Terror Birds (Sajal Pibil). Traditional Pibil involve marinating the meat in a strong acidic citrus juice, seasoning it Annatto seeds, and then roasting the meat while it is wrapped in banana leaf.

It is usually eaten with side dishes such as rice, refried black beans and fake Ochranese pepper.

Pok Chuk

Another common method to prepare poultry, especially in the provinces of the Xuman Peninsula like the Yajawil of Ekab, it the Pok Chuk ("Toasted and grilled"). The meat is prepared in citrus marinade and is then cooked over a grill. It's served accompanied with rices, fried black beans, and seasoned with fresh Bitter orange juice. It is often accompanied by a sauce called X'nipek (dog nostril) in Etaan.

Soups and stews

A Mutulese soup made from from bitter melon and smoked fish in coconut milk with spices

The Mutul possess a great variety of soups and stews, with influences from both local traditions but also from Ochran. They are typically broth and "clear soups" and are lacking in diary products such as milk or creams. They can be served warm or hot, depending on the specific soup, with some being served only cold for example. They are eaten as a dish of their own, and almost never as an entrée or a dessert. One of the most famous Mutulese soup is the Katun soup made of chicken, lime juice and accompanied with tomato, bell pepper and other ingredients.

While the Divine Kingdom is mostly famed for its clear soups, it has also taken the habit of using coconut milk to thicken them slightly, creating dishes such as Coconut Green Soup inspired from Vespanian cuisine.

Sauces

Sauces are a common ingredient in Mutulese cuisine, served as a condiment, stirred into soups and stews, or incorporated into tobil fillings. They may be raw or cooked, and are generally served at room temperature.

Many dishes are defined by their sauces and the chiles those sauces contain (which are usually very spicy), rather than the meat or vegetable that the sauce covers. For example, corn soups are classified as "red", "white", "black", "yellow" or "green" depending on the chile sauce used or omitted. Popular sauces include the X'nipek, made from acidic citruce juice, tomatoes, cinnamon, and allspice.

Another common condiment is the Chak Kutamik,lit. "red sauce". It's a type of spicy red sauce made of red tomatoes grounded with chile, salt, lime, and pepper to taste. It has many sub-types depending on its use: as a cooking sauce in which the ingredients are cooked and then ground, as a roasting sauce to be used on the zemet, or simply grounded directly with raw elements, ready to eat. A blender can be used for the grinding process. After the sauce is prepared, it can be cooked again in a pan with little oil.

Also an example of the color-based naming scheme so common among Mutuleses dishes, the Yax Kutamik (lit. "green" or "blue" sauce) is another type of spicy, but green, sauce based on small tomatoes and green chili peppers. Like its red brethren it can be used for cooking, roasting, filling, or as condiment for raw aliments.

Kaji

Kaji or Kahi, more commonly known as "Mutulese Curry", is a term that has come to be used for a number of sometime quite dissimilar sauces and marinades from the Divine Kingdom. Generally, a Kaji sauce contains a fruit, nut, one or more types of chili pepper, and such spice as black pepper, cinnamon, or cumin. The recipe can become very complex and involve as many as fourty ingredients, grouped into five distinct classes: hot (chili), sour (tomatillo), sweet (fruit and sugar), spice and thick (seed, nut).

Kaji generally present itself for sale in the form of a powder or paste that's the result of an extremely laborious roasting and grinding process which explains why many families have their own varieties of curry passed down for generations, with their preparation reserved for special events in large batches.

Beverages

Main article: Four Cardinal Beverages

Non-Alcoholic Beverages

Sah

an Hot bowl of chocolate-flavored Sah in the morning

Sah, also called "Sa" or "Saj" depending on the pronounciation, is a traditional hot corn- and juch'ul-based beverage. The traditional recipe include mixing the juch'ul (maize dough) with water, unrefined cane sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and optional chocolate or fruit (like pineapple). The mixture is blended and heated before serving. More specifically, it is made by toasting the dough on a griddle, then adding water that was boiled with cinnamon sticks. The resulting blends vary in texture, ranging from a porridge to a very thin, liquid consistency.

A very old recipe, Sah knows a multiple of variants. Most depend on which spices and fruits are used for flavor, but it is not rare to see the juch'ul replaced with Ch'aj, rice, or some other cereal. Ground nuts, orange zest, and egg can also be employed to thicken and enrich the drink. Even the water can be replaced by Coconut milk. Adding Chocolate to the Sah is a very popular variant.

It is traditionally served in the morning as a simple breakfast or as a late afternoon snack. It can be found as a street food in every city of the Mutul without difficulty.

Keyem

Sak Keyem ready to make the drink

prepared with boiled cornmeal and water in its most basic form, Keyem is the name of both fermented corn dough and the drink made from it. Other ingredients may be added to it, such as cocoa. It's a thirst-quencher drunk throughout the day or used as provisions for long journeys as it does not go bad easily. It as a special cultural status in the Divine Kingdom, as it is very cheap, high in calories, and drinking large quantities of it isn't associated with any sin such as gluttony, making it the perfect food for poor workers. It also has a role in traditional medecine, where it is used as a cataplasm against wound infections, and in religious ceremonies, as it's a common offering to the gods.

Today Keyem is very rarely prepared from just fermented corn dough and water. Cacao is almost always added to it, unsweetened. Salts and peppers are also very commonly added to the basic preparation as well as fruits like papaya or its grinded seeds. Various provinces of the Divine Kingdom consume Keyem differently, such as the Yokot'anob who prepare four different types of the drink, to the Mam who often stop at midday to take a bite of Smoke pepper while drinking Keyem, to quench the spicy taste of the pepper with the freshness and smoothness of the cold corn-based drink.

Ch'aj

Ch'aj in its powder form

Ch'aj is roasted ground maize, which is then mixed with a combination of cocoa, agave, cinnamon, chia seeds, vanilla, or other spices. The resulting powder is then used as a nutrient-dense ingredient to make different foods, such as cereals, baked goods, waj, and beverages. It is especially popular in the eastern regions of the Mutul.

Depending on the type of Ch'aj and the quality of its ingredients, pinole can be high in key vitamins and nutrients, including protein, amino acids, fiber, and antioxidants. Due to the large amount of fiber and the slow digestion of the maize, Ch'aj also has a very high satiety effect, leaving those who consume it feeling full for a longer period of time.

The Ch'aj found in rural markets is generally made by hand and sold as a powder in burlap pouches. A sugar-heavy, mass-market version can also sometimes be found in Rezeses supermarkets and in other countries where Mutuleses food stores can be found. If unsweetened, it is rather bitter. The drink usually has a rough, gritty texture. It is traditionally served out of a gourd made of the shell of the jicaro fruit but nowadays it is only done so in tourist attractions.

Alcoholic Beverages

Balché

Balché is a mildly intoxicating beverage that is very popular in the Mutul. The drink is made from the bark of a leguminous tree, the liliac tree, which is soaked in honey and water, and fermented. Since the majority of the beverage's fermentable sugar is derived from honey, Balché is often considered to be a form of Mead, although it is culturally closer to beer.

Rum

Rum is a liquor made by fermenting then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels.

Rum was first brought to Mocapaha and Southern Belfras by the Latins, alongside sugarcane. The secret of its production then spread to the Xuman Peninsula and then rest of the Mutul. When Mutuleses traders reached Ochran and the Vespanian Ocean, they also discovered other manner to distill sugarcane into alcoholic beverages. All of these traditions influenced the modern "Mutulese Rum", which was for all of the duration of the Mutulese Empire, the first and foremost alcoholic beverage taken on long-range expeditions to create Grog by diluting the rum with water and mixing the result with lemon or sour orange juice.

Dividing rum into meaningful groupings is complicated because no single standard exists for what constitutes rum. Instead, rum is defined by the varying rules and laws of the nations producing the spirit. In the Mutul there is a eight-month minimum ageing requirement, and a classification that distinguish between "molasse" Rum, which are often on the stronger side, and "cane juice" Rum, which retain a greater amount of the original flavor of the sugar cane and are generally more expensive. The number of distillations used to produce the liquor is also used as a distinguishing factor in the official convention. The Mutulese classification does not talk of Flavored rums nor of spiced rums because flavoring the beverage with fruits and spices at the same time is the norm in the Divine Kingdom rather than the exception.

Patpach'

Patpach' is a fermented beverage made from the peel and the rind of pineapples, and is sweetened either with piloncillo or brown sugar, seasoned with powdered cinnamon, and served cold. Despite its low alcoholic content (2%), Mutuleses authorities still classify it as an alcoholic beverages with the corresponding regulations on its production.