Tea Ball
Tea balls are one of the most important symbols of filiation, a comfort food for millions of cilvarthians. After giving birth, a cilvarthian mother is weakened for the rest of their life. The toll of birthing a litter is simply too great, and can only be done once in a lifetime.
These sweet delicacies are baked by a mother and their child, representing the bond they share.
History
Treasure this recipe, it was given to me by my mother, who got it from her mother, and her mother, and so on. It's over ten generations old. Do not forget our history, hold it close.
Historians are not quite sure when tea balls were first invented, but their presence has been recorded worldwide for thousands of years. These foods have been a staple of Aricos and the greater Silver Desert region for at least two thousand years, earliest recipes dating back to the early 40s-60s.
Despite these recipes being almost two thousand years old, the ingredients and baking process has largely remained the same. The first tea balls in Aricos were fried in a tree syrup; nowadays a seed oil is used.
Ingredients & Baking Process
A tea ball is essentially a doughnut, with a deep-fried dough made of flour, sugar, eggs, salt, butter, concentrated tea water, and leavening agents.
The dough on its own is simple, customisable with different flavours of tea. Some recipes add fruit flavourings, such as strawbees or rosewater.
The dough, once mixed, proved, and then fried, is ready to be decorated. Decor varies greatly based on culture, some regions utilising simple spices, others submerging the dough in icing.
Okay Stella, grab the handle with me, and stir! We need to get this done before your bedtime.Mummy, why are we doing this? I want to go to bed.Because I want to spend time with you. You'll understand one day, how important it is to spend time with your children. Some day, I won't be around, so we need to treasure the time we have together.
Cultural Significance
After the physical toll of giving birth, a cilvarthian is left permanently impaired for the rest of their life. The severity is situational, some parents unable to walk, others simply losing stamina but able to function as normal.
Regardless, the lifespan of birth-givers is decreased from the birth onwards, and society encourages them to spend as much time with their children as possible. One of these ways is through cooking, one of the most important parts of cilvarthian culture.
Tea balls, being a simple food to make, is a popular choice. Child-friendly ingredients and baking methods means it is educational and enjoyable. Children rarely realise the emotional impact of baking tea balls with their parents, as the tradition is more for the parent than it is the child. This realisation comes after the parent's death, an emotionally raw experience that almost everyone must go through.
Aricos
Cilvarth
Mochington Spice Market
Silver Desert
Related Species
Cilvarthian
This is a fun food! I like the little squiggles on it and the competition of enormous tea balls XD The mother dying so soon is sad, but I love that you're having a sentient species having to go through that and the tradition that arose from that, it's a wonderful little detail.
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the article <3 My world is generally quite light and happy so I wanted to include some more sadder tones to it, and I am glad to see it was received well!