Dwarven Mushroom Oil

• Culinary:
  Used sparingly, Dwarven Mushroom Oil amplifies umami flavors and adds depth to stews, stone-roasted meats, and bread dough.
  A single drop is often added to a Stonebread Loaf to give it a complex, smoky aftertaste.
• Preservation:
  The oil is also used to preserve meats and cheeses, acting as a natural deterrent to decay. Bloom-resistant ration packs often contain food cured in mushroom oil.
• Alchemical Use:
  Some dwarven alchemists refine it into a base for potions of earth resistance or darkvision enhancement, claiming it “roots the drinker to the stone.”

Warnings & Customs:

• Outsiders are often warned before entering a kitchen using the oil: “The stink ain’t a mistake.”
• In dwarven courtship, gifting a small vial of mushroom oil is considered a sign of deep affection, as it implies you trust the recipient to understand your most intimate comforts.
• A superstition in Broyoto holds that spilling Mushroom Oil brings seven days of misfortune… and seven days of scrubbing.

Recipe: Dwarven Mushroom Oil

"The deeper the 'shroom, the stronger the boom."

— Chef Glundrak Stonepan

Ingredients:

• 5 Groan-Cap Mushroom, fully matured (must be harvested from a cave at least 300 paces below ground)
• 1 flask of Deepstone Brine (a mineral-rich water solution drawn from dwarven aquifers)
• 2 sprigs of Ironmoss, dried (adds preservative qualities and a subtle bite)
• 1 small Onyx Pebble, heat-treated (used to stabilize the brew’s consistency)
• Optional:
• Cracked Firepepper Seed (for a smoky heat)
• Dust of Smoked Emberleaf (for extra earthiness)

Tools Required:

• Stone Mortar and Pestle
• Thick-forged Alchemic Pan
• Clay Filtering Cloth
• Tallow-lined Storage Vials

Instructions:

1. Clean and bruise the Groan-Caps in the mortar. Bruising them releases their potent oils—expect a strong smell. Sing a cooking hymn if necessary to maintain courage.
2. Simmer the Deepstone Brine and Ironmoss in the pan over slow heat (preferably from coal or magma-vent stone). Stir with a bone spoon only—metal will tarnish the flavor.
3. Add the mushroom mash slowly, letting the brine absorb their essence. This will take exactly 27 minutes. The oil will rise to the surface.
4. Toss in the Onyx Pebble, which stabilizes the blend and draws impurities down.
5. Carefully strain the top layer of oil through the clay cloth, into a tallow-lined container. Do not touch the oil directly—it may stain flesh and dreams alike.
6. Bottle in shaded glass and store in cool stone for no less than three days before first use.

Notes:

• The final product will be dark amber in color and smell faintly of iron, earth, and old secrets.
• A proper batch should elicit three reactions from a dwarven taster:
• A tear of memory
• A grunt of approval
• A sudden craving for roast cave-hog

Considered a luxury export by surface chefs who can handle its intensity.
“Stone Oil” dishes are trendy in a few elite human restaurants, though the scent has led to multiple evacuations.

Some City Ships have banned open cooking with Mushroom Oil in enclosed quarters, forcing creative ventilation solutions among migrant dwarves.