Blackroot Slaw
Blackroot Slaw is a crisp, vinegary dwarven salad made from shredded blackroot tubers, stone-cabbage, and sharp ash-apple vinegar. Served chilled or room-temp, it provides a cleansing bite alongside fatty meats, bone stews, or forge-fried mushrooms. The blackroot gives it a dark, almost ink-like streak through the slaw, while firepepper and sour herbs give it a refreshing heat.
It’s one of the few cold dishes in dwarven cuisine that’s regularly enjoyed — mostly because it "makes room for more meat."
“Cuts through grease like a pick through shale.”
Manufacturing process
Instructions
- Prep the Veg
Grate and shred all vegetables and fruit into a large stone bowl. Toss thoroughly with your fingers or stone tongs. Let sit for 10 minutes to soften slightly. - Mix the Dressing
In a separate bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, mustard, oil, and salt. Taste — it should be sharp, sweet, and slightly hot. Adjust for your clan’s preference. - Combine and Rest
Pour dressing over the slaw mix. Toss well. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours in a cold vault — the flavors deepen, and the blackroot will darken everything beautifully. - Serve
Spoon into rough stone or iron bowls. Top with a few crumbles of cave-hog crackling or crispy sourroot threads if available. Eat beside hot dishes for balance, or on its own with a mug of ale.
“If it stains your fingers, it's good enough for the table.”
Significance
Cultural Notes
- Feast Must-Have: Appears at nearly every formal dwarven feast to "keep the innards nimble."
- Miners’ Favorite: Keeps well underground and helps cut the taste of overly salted rations.
- Color Lore: Slaw that runs a deep violet-black is said to bring “clear thinking and fierce appetite.”
Item type
Consumable, Food / Drink
Raw materials & Components
Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
Base:
- 2 medium blackroots (or black radish / purple daikon), peeled and grated
- 1 small stone-cabbage head (or green cabbage), shredded
- 1 ash-apple (or tart green apple), julienned or grated
- 1 small emberroot or carrot, finely shredded
- ½ cave onion, sliced thin
- Optional: A handful of sourroot leaves or wild tunnel herbs
Dressing:
- 3 tbsp ash-apple vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tbsp smokebloom honey or treacle
- 1 tbsp cave mustard (or strong Dijon)
- 2 tsp emberpepper oil (or chili oil)
- Pinch of black salt
- Optional: Splash of stone ale or fermented root brine for depth
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