Smokefruit Leather
Smokefruit Leather is a preserved sheet of concentrated underground fruit, gently smoked, lightly spiced, and air-dried in stone vaults. Given the rarity of subterranean fruits in Largitas, every batch is a treasured effort — made only when glowvine melons, caveberries, or ashen plums are in season.
It’s chewy, tart-sweet, and carries a whisper of ashwood smoke. Dwarves savor it on journeys, during ritual fasting, or as a treat for children and honored guests.
“It takes the sweetness of a rare fruit and the smoke of a forge to teach a dwarf the taste of patience.”
Manufacturing process
Instructions
- Prepare the Fruit Mash
Peel and pit the fruits. Mash thoroughly or blend into a thick purée. If using dried fruit, soak in warm water or mushroom tea for 1 hour, then mash. - Add Flavor
Stir in stone honey, ash-spice, rock salt, and wine/vinegar if using. Taste the mix — it should be balanced between sweet, tart, and smoky. - Cook Down (Optional for thicker fruit)
In a heavy-bottomed pot, simmer mash over low heat for ~10–15 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir constantly to avoid burning. - Spread and Dry
Spread fruit paste on greased stone slabs, flat clay tiles, or bark-lined drying racks to about ¼ inch thick. Smooth surface with wet hands or the back of a stone spoon. - Smoke-Dry
Place near a low, cool fire, using ashwood or root-bark chips. Allow to dry slowly with occasional smoke over 1–2 days, rotating as needed. You want gentle warmth, not cooking heat.
Modern shortcut: Use a low oven (50–60°C / 120–140°F) for 6–8 hours with occasional wafts of smoked wood chips. - Peel and Store
Once fully dried and leathery (not sticky), peel and cut into strips. Roll and tie with thread or wrap in waxcloth. Keeps for months, longer in sealed clay jars.
“If you see a child with fruit leather in their cheek, know someone loves them.”
Significance
Cultural Notes
- Gift of the Vault: Presented to elders and artisans who haven’t left their holds in years, as a taste of “what still grows.”
- Children’s Favor: Used as a reward for young dwarves who pass their tunnel tests or apprentice trials.
- Marriage Custom: Some clans exchange braided Smokefruit Leather rings during courtship — edible and meaningful.
- Festival Use: Burnt scraps are added to ceremonial fires during the Feast of the Deep Roots, representing sweetness earned through hardship.
Item type
Consumable, Food / Drink
Raw materials & Components
Ingredients (Makes ~6 small sheets)
- 2 cups underground fruit mash
- Best blends:
- 1 cup Glowvine melon (sweet)
- ½ cup Caveberry (tart, blue-black)
- ½ cup Ashen plum (smoky, deep purple)
(Or: Use dried fruit soaked in warm water as substitute) - 1 tbsp stone honey or fermented root syrup (optional)
- ½ tsp ash-spice (blend of smoked bark powder, charcoal fennel, and emberpepper)
- Pinch of rock salt
- Optional: 1 tsp mushroom wine or cave-citrus vinegar for brightness
- For smoke: Ashwood chips or smoldering root-bark
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