FAMOUS FOOD FROM FISTBUMP THE SKY
PART 1 of Fantasy food from a fantasy world
I think it’s about time we shared some of the popular cuisines from the fantasy world of Fistbump the Sky. For those who didn’t know, there are currently more than ten different species spread throughout Fistbump the Sky. Some believe certain parts of the world have as many as five species per territory.
What has been discovered with indisputable proof is that the eating habits of these species are nearly as unique as themselves. Like on Earth, certain foods are enjoyed by many species, like how both humans and animals enjoy meat. However, the majority follow strict diets that are not shared by others.
No concrete reason has been found as to why this is, but out of all the speculation, there are three that stand out:
THEORY ONE
Referred to as the “Ingredient theory”, speculates that the creatures crave the same ingredient from which their original form was made. That is to say that those originally made from eggs would also crave eggs due to their body requiring similar elements for growth.
THEORY TWO
The second theory, similar to the first, is called the “Seed theory,” which argues that the seed of the god that created the creature’s current form influences its behavior and, therefore, also its food preference.
THEORY THREE
The third idea argues that a species’ diet depends not on its biology but on the available ingredients. For example, if all you had to eat were potatoes, a fondness for the food might be passed down as an embedded memory throughout the rebirths.
This is the most popular of the theories, as there is no genetic linkage between the creatures, as ingredients are incapable of creating life without the Seeds.* Thus, the only genetic linkage would be the god seed. Yet, it is unlikely that a creature would carry the same food craving from one life to the next as living beings all change their emotional preferences with time, and each rebirth changes the creature's physical makeup to some extent. This also questions the creatures created after the territories have been founded, the Territory Borns.
Why do they share the same diet as the rebirths of the Originals?
Is it a simple case of mimicking the Originals? Is it biology?
Or is it the Seeds that influence their dietary decisions?
Due to a lack of concrete information and an astounding number of speculations, chapter three of the “Fantastical Encyclopedia of the Imagined World of Fistbump the Sky” regrettably includes only a handful of cuisines, as these are the only ones where the cooking process has been accurately observed and recorded. This is the limited but accurate list of famous foods from Fistbump the Sky.
CHAKRA BITES
FROM PENDLA
The Pendla territory has the most prominent species varieties in Fisbtump the Sky, yet each one falls under a subcategory of “mystic.” This commonality has been credited to the peaceful cohabitation and similarities in food preferences. An example of this are small snacks called Chakra Bites. From what we gather, this illusive substance is taken from the last breath of a dying squirrel before being encased in a thick shell of hardened emotions, such as hatred or gluttony. Although the taste of these morsels can only be detected by a Pendlan tongue, most likely due to their mystical nature, the outer layer of the snack is what has made it so incredibly popular and dangerous.
Eating a chakra bite encased in hatred is guaranteed to give one sufficient bravery to commit several vile deeds without remorse. The same goes for any of the emotional casings. In recent years, this has led to restrictions to stop Chakra Bites from leaving Pendla, yet many still find their way into a pocket or two. The best way to describe it would be a tasteless mood enhancer lasting several hours. Fun, but eat them with caution.
YOU WILL NEED:
1 Dying squirrel (1 per chakra bite).
1 Shell (Any will do).
1 Shaman flame.
3 Emotional children (Any species will do).
STEPS FOR MAKING CHAKRA BITES:
1. Place the dying squirrel on a flat surface, lying face up.
2. Once you hear its breath shuddering, pick up the snail shell and prepare.
3. Rotate the shell so that the opening faces the squirrel’s orifice.
4. Wait until the snail shell has absorbed all the squirrel’s chakra.
5. Throw the shell into the burning shaman fire and ask the children to do with it what they want. (Children have the strongest emotions, so make sure the ones you use are temperamental).
6. Once the shell has hardened from flames and children’s emotions (approx. 30 hours), remove the newly created chakra bite and place it in a tub of ice to cool down.
7. Once the Chakra Bite glistens, it can be eaten and enjoyed.
FORGET FIRE
FROM ASTRO
A recent delicacy, Forget Fire, was created two hundred years after the first Astros implemented the Way of Non-existence*. Forget Fire is made from large salt crystals formed from the water of the Eastern Ocean and set aflame. Once the smoke is about thirty centimetres high, it will be inhaled, starting from the top. Younger Astros often use metal straws to make inhaling the smoke easier. It’s customary for young Astros to put a cooled salt crystal on their pillow before bed as a reminder that all life is extinguishable. Even theirs.
Forget Fires have become a popular meal in Astro as the flames can erase one's sense of worth or, if you’re young enough, memories with strong emotions attached to them. We believe this ability to be derived from the waters of the Eastern Ocean. If the water can kill a creature or put one in a coma, then the salt's similar qualities are unsurprising. What has not been confirmed is how something so terrifying can taste like mangoes.
*The Way of Non-Existence has been followed since the first Astro lost their faith in the Great Frog and began to see their existence as a mistake that needed to be fixed. This is explored in more detail in “The Map Maker.”
YOU WILL NEED
1 Bucket of water from the Eastern Ocean.
1 Box of matches (or anything else that starts fire).
1 Fireproof Container.
1 Metal straw (optional).
STEPS FOR MAKING FORGET FIRE:
1. Go to the shore of the Eastern Ocean and fill the bucket with water.
2. Place the bucket of water in direct sunlight and wait for it to become salt. Stir in a clockwise rotation every four hours to prevent the salt from creating individual salt grains, such as what humans use for cooking. If the salt forms as grains, then you can forget about the fire.
3. Once salt crystals have been formed, discard any crystals smaller than a human’s palm and place the remaining ones inside the fireproof container.
4. Light the crystals.
5. Wait until the smoke trails are at least 30cm tall.
6. Once you have reached the desired height, inhale the fire, starting from the top. If this is your first time, you can use a metal straw.
7. Once you have had your fill, wait for the salt crystal to cool down before handing it to a young Astro for their existential ritual.
NIKNAKS
FROM PETITO
The most straightforward food to document, Niknaks, requires no meal preparations as it cooks itself, resulting from the Petitos’ temperament. At least three species call Petito their home, with feisty nature and a nasty habit of transforming into literal monsters, a commonality across all three. This has led the lower vermin and insects of the mountainous territory to develop high levels of anxiety and peculiar methods of self-destruction. These range from turning into glass heads separating from their bodies or turning into glue. It is believed that Petitos choose which creatures to hunt based on how they self-destruct. Thus, Niknaks consist of two specific creatures: prune heads and mop rolls.
Prune heads are the leftover hearts of deceased vermin who could not escape Petito’s sea of mountains. As the mountain waves crash and scrape against one another, the hearts become squished until they resemble prunes. It’s unclear whether it’s a need for survival or pure rage, but once they are adequately prune-like, the hearts grow legs that carry them out of the mountain seas. That’s when they’re caught by the Petitos and placed in a box to be eaten raw, along with mop rolls. These prune heads taste like milk.
Which pairs well with the chocolate taste of mop rolls. With strings for limbs and bodies lined with miniature eyes, mops are incredibly hard to catch. Not that you would want to. Once caught, a mop transforms into a mop roll by curling its body into a tight ball that quickly hardens into ice. Loud shrieks are emitted throughout this dramatic change. Unfortunately for the mop rolls, the Petitos’ small ears are unaffected by the shrillness of their shrieks. Their icy bodies and chocolate taste make mop rolls the perfect dessert for a Petito.
STEPS FOR MAKING NIKNAKS
None. Let them cook themselves and place them in a box.
There is still much to learn about the cuisines of Fistbump the Sky. For mages and scholars interested in learning more, Chapter Two: Famous Food From Fistbump the Sky can be bought as physical copies or digital PDFs on the store
“Eating a chakra bite encased in hatred is guaranteed to give one sufficient bravery to commit several vile deeds without remorse”.. love it