A Note on Wheat

As many of the meals prepared around Lapida use it, I believe it is vastly important to have a note on wheat itself. With its readiness and hardiness to grow around the world, from the hot and humid jungles of Southern Torren to the cold dry tundras of Southern Illiandthu, it is one of the handiest, most versatile crops in our world.

This readiness to grow everywhere even creates its beautiful variety in appearance, coming in shades of black, white, gold, red, and even purple based on the temperature, light access, rainfall, and soil composition of the growing area. Many become attached to the specific shades their home fields tend to grow, or become filled with wanderlust by colors they've never seen with their own eyes, but few have both the firsthand experience and distinguished palate to note the subtle flavor differences.

I've found darker varieties to often have a heavier flavor, heartier flavor. Golden tones tend to suggest a sweeter taste, though purple-- while quite rare, tends to be sweetest. Reds create a more aromatic loaf, almost evoking a soft herbal blend. White and pale loaves have a much lighter flavor, and seem to be the most palate cleansing.

While these subtleties may be lost on most, and may not be able to be enjoyed by many of my readers, I strongly feel it is worth setting the record straight, and refuting those who say there is emperically no flavor difference.

My only wish is that every reader may get the chance to enjoy different wheats as they travel, and that they might be able to enjoy the small but pleasant changes created by the unique variety of wheat they may dine on.

Low Hanging Fruits: A Look at Different Trees

Colli Tree

Found naturally around the Seisan Kingdom is the unique and refreshing Colli tree. Its delicious green blossoms are light and crunchy, and notable for looking almost like little trees themselves. Colli flowers are known for their health benefits, too, and are used to brighten up dishes in such a way that helps keep bodies working to their fullest extent. Before you go plucking a few refreshing stems off a wild tree, though, make sure to take a careful peek up into its boughs-- as a shorter tree but with very dense foliage, it's frequent that critters might take up residence there, and while some might not mind the intrusion of a Person or might scamper off, some carnivores hide there to catch unsuspecting prey.

Kakum Tree

Hailing from the subtropical highlands between the Lundua and Timbic Mountains, the Kakum is a tree I suggest all with a curiosity for new experiences try the fruit. The Kakum's bright yellow fruit spirals, long and thin, and will hang like baubles from its tall branches. It's suggested to attempt only cutting a small piece of the fruit for a first try, as it creates a burn some find pleasant but some find too much. The more tightly wound its spirals, the spicier it'll taste, and while I do certainly think that folks new to spicy food take care and only attempt loosely wound Kakum to start, there's nothing quite as energizing as biting into the flesh of one wound like a spring, and the way it bites back and burns is nothing short of heavenly, in my opinion.

The only other warning I bring is to cover your hands while picking this fruit, as Gastroyers are known disguise themselves as the fruit in order to take over helpless birds, but do not mind if it's a helpless Person they attempt to take over either. Secondly, covering your hands, or at least giving them a thorough washing, will protect you from experiencing that same spicy burn in places that may be less enjoyable than your mouth, to say the least.