Thursday, June 10, 2010

Food and Culture, pt 2

Goblins: Goblin culture is ENTIRELY about eating. The goblin diet consists of primarily of meat, though, in a pinch, the goblins will eat any organic material they can fit in their mouths(which are quite large for their size). Food preparation is entirely unheard of amongst the ever hungry goblins, though they do prefer rotten food(the more putrid and vile, the better). Goblins, thus, do not preserve food, nor do they have any sort of agricultural process. Food is either stolen or acquired by hunting, though theft is the preferred method.
Hobgoblins: Like their smaller cousins, the Hobgoblins have iron stomachs. Unlike the Goblins, hobgoblins can't go as long without feeding, and their appetites(though still large in comparison to that of humans) are much smaller. Where a single goblin can eat 3 full grown cattle in a single sitting(and still be hungry again an hour or two later), a hobgoblin will only eat the equivalent of 2 human-sized meals. Their preferred diet is meat, with horseflesh being the choicest of all meats. The diet of the average hobgoblin however consists of large 1 pound loaves known as Hobgok(literal translation is "Warrior-food"). Hobgok is made of whatever flour is available(either stolen or made from things like acorns) mixed with sawdust, ash, water, bonemeal, and whatever else happens to be at hand when the tribe makes it(the entire tribe participates in the process, which usually occurs after a major battle/raid or, if the tribe has been at "peace" for awhile, once a season). Hobgok is a foul-tasting item that is consumable by most humanoids but not for the long term. Another common food item, usually made when Hobgok stores are running low, is Pazgrek(literally "bits-stew"). Pazgrek is made up of the parts of enemies, and other normally less than edible bits, as well as stale/moldy pieces of Hobgok.
Bugbears: Bugbears have the strictest dietary requirements of the goblinoid races. They only eat meat, and they require a lot of it. Their appetites are greater than that of a hobgoblin, but less than that of a goblin, perhaps 4-5 times that of an average human in a single sitting. They prefer their meat bloody, fresh, and raw, but if the meat has cooled to around room temperature or if it's eating a creature that isn't all that appetizing(like say, a goblin), bugbears will cook the meat. The preferred method of cooking is over a spit, though in leaner times or when the meat goes bad, like hobgoblins, they will make stew.
Orcs: Orcish appetites are less than that of a hobgoblin, but greater than that of a human. Like bugbears, orcs prefer raw meat, but are fully capable of consuming anything a human would be able to eat. Orcish agriculture consists primarily of stealing livestock from other races(usually from humans), or overseeing slaves while they tend to certain, very hardy crops. Slaves end up on the menu as often as anything else. Of special note is orcish alcohol. It's the one thing they make themselves, and is only made following a great battle. Orcish Blood Ale as it's called by humans, is made of the blood of captured or slain orcish foes(though more than a bit of orc blood goes in as well, after all, why let it go to waste). The blood is mixed with certain herbs and foul items only an orc would think(or know) to add, and allowed to ferment. The result is a thick black syrupy drink(with chunks) whose smell you wouldn't mistake for anything else, and whose taste is only tolerable by orcs(and some very deranged other creatures with stronger than average constitutions).

More to come!

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