Cuisine of Neptune
Welcome to Solaris, traveller! This is a slower-than-light science fantasy set in our own solar system.
About Solaris | Guide to Solaris | Prologue
About Solaris | Guide to Solaris | Prologue
In the seas of Neptune, cooking is usually done with fermentation and enzymes rather than heat. Highly acidic mixes slowly cook the food through chemical processes. The process imbues the meal with distinct and sharp flavours, which can range from sour, salty, to sweet. These meals are normally served in pouches, either to be squeezed into your mouth or as bite-sized dumplings with thin edible membranes.
Brines take the place of salt. These brines often include fermented flavourings, with the cheapest being made from fish, and the most expensive being made from plants. The liquids are often kept in a bladder with a long needle-like spout, so that they can be squeezed into the food. These salty condiments have become a popular export, and are today found on tables across the Sol System.
Underwater eating can be a difficult to adapt to, even for those familiar with zero-g. In the less cosmopolitan regions of Neptune the food is left to float through the dining room to be torn apart by hands and teeth. In some of these households, poorly behaved children will swipe the water to push the food away from their parents and towards their own greedy mouths.
The only cutlery to be found in these places is a small net for filtering stray food out of the water, which is picked at sadly by whomever loses in the first feast.
Since fish are abundant and easier to catch, the pride of a Neptune table are vegetables and fruit. Fish is seen as common and cheap, and is often relegated to a side dish. This is also why travellers from Neptune are often left unimpressed by displays of rare meats, and are known to indulge in completely vegetarian diets offplanet.
In some regions, no meal is served without a side of pungent milk-sour fish. Even in regions where it is not common, Neptunians are known to amuse themselves by serving it to unsuspecting foreigners. However, the Neptunian cuisine should not be discounted entirely, as it has an array of meals with a delightful bright flavour.
Neptunian Fishcake by Annie Stein
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I love the way you've dealt with the challenges of prepping food and eating under water!
Thank you, it was fun to write about!
Solaris | Camp Chill | Summer Camp