Ganome

A ganome (also ganomé, via Gaullican, or more rarely ganomë, to show pronunciation) is an establishment that typically serves non-alcoholic beverages and meals to the local community and travellers, originating in Dezevau. They are best known for their drinks, and may be considered primarily a kind of coffeehouse or teahouse; they are also important community centres as far as they provide a gathering point, serve food and also often provide accommodation to travellers. They tend to be located at street level in permanent buildings, though often with seating outside as well as inside, and owned and operated as small, local businesses.

The ganome is distinctive of Dezevauni culture, not only for its usual cuisine but also as far as they tend to carry on the custom of communal cooking and dining. Food and drinks are generally affordably priced, and it is common for a ganome to be involved in community activities, particularly as a venue before and after meals. Ganome usually acquire their furniture from local craftspeople. The ganome's authentic presence outside of Dezevau is mostly due to the Dezevauni diaspora. Some establishments, however, mainly in Eastern countries, do represent themselves as ganome on the basis of their cuisine, while not necessarily functioning socially as such (sometimes they are owned by large chains); other establishments, even rarer, function on the ganome model, but mostly do not serve cuisine related to that of Dezevau.

History

Origin

Traditionally, communally-run villages in the Dezevauni countryside had a single kitchen where all the cooking was done, which would save on labour through the economy of scale; this style of dining is believed by some to be related to the manner in which hunter-gatherers ate, possibly because of the unique Dezevauni agricultural context.

As trade grew throughout the region, these kitchens would commonly also serve those travelling through who chose to stay in the village; as they were empty at night, they were also suitable to giving accommodation to travellers. In the daytime, as more serious public business was conducted elsewhere, the communal kitchen tended to host lighter public activities such as singing, dancing, art or games, for children, the elderly and those otherwise indisposed to work. A cow would often be kept for milk at the ganome, possibly originally to help feed children. This kind of place was the first to be termed a "ganome" in its modern sense.

Urbanisation

Community centres and the serving of food and beverages had various traditions in various urban centres during pre-Aguda Dezevau, when city-states dominated. However, the general trend of migration to cities (because of their wealth, growth but high death rates and low fertility) introduced the concept of the ganome. In particular, higher class clubs which were adept at the preparation of recreational beverages began to merge with the ganome, as the middle class and its interconnectedness with the agricultural villages of the countryside grew.