Dwarven cuisine

The cuisine of the Dwarves (and the Gnomes who live side by side with them) is considered to be one of the more exotic cuisines within Artograch (in a negative way, from the point of view of the various Elven races), just like Lizardman cuisine. An important factor to consider when discussing the unorthodox cuisine of the Dwarven people is to take into account the conditions Dwarves live in: Living in the mountains, in caves and underground tunnels surrounded by rocky mountains perpetually covered in snow, with rather uneven population densities (large swaths of uninhabited or sparserly inhabited land interrupted by densely inhabited quasi-urban settlements), with only a few green valleys that are suitable for growing cereals, fruits and vegetables - conventional cuisine would be impossible without trade, which is precisely why Dwarven cuisine developed along rather unique and unorthodox lines.

Meat and other animal products
Dwarves have a strong love for meat, but regular, orthodox meat (at least red meat) - such as pork, beef, mutton and venison - were historically for the most part considered luxuries for those who weren't involved in herding these animals. Since herding these animals is for the most part only possible within the grassy valleys of the mountains - save for keeping them in stables, and feeding them with imported grains - the meat of these animals wasn't the staple food for those who lived in the main clan centers and the two great cities Zorod Naugi im Pkhaur and Zorod Koldo im Neuna. Likewise, the milk of these animals (and the various dairy products made out of them) were (and to a certain extent, still are) for the most part, luxuries only eaten maybe once per month.

However, various cheaper alternatives exist to the aforementioned meat products, though their consumption is considered disgusting by other races (especially by the Elven races) - giant spiders are not only hunted for food, but are also farmed as a reliable food source. It is said that the taste of cooked giant spider is comparable to that of chicken. The larvae of several insects - most notably beetles - is also often fried and eaten as a protein-rich snack.

While red meat was traditionally (and to an extent, still is) considered luxury food that is only affordable once a month at most for those who are neither part of the elite, nor involved in its production, poultry (especially chicken) on the other hand is somewhat cheaper, and has become even cheaper, with the importation of wheat from the rest of Etrand. Thanks to the possibility of importing wheat from Etrand, it now has become cheap enough to feed and raise chicken to make them a staple food. Traditionally, when not kept within the grassy valleys, chicken were fed with worms, insects and fungi, none of which was very effective.

Imported cereals from Etrand made the raising of chickens easy and cheap, and to a lesser extent, also helped to make the production of red meat easier (stabling). Additionally, both poultry and red meat are also imported from Etrand.

Cereal products
Just like most non-insect animal products, cereal products were not considered staple food before the beginning of food imports from Etrand. Traditionally, the only kind of cereal known to the Dwarves was barley, which was only grown in the small number of fertile valleys, making it expensive for anyone who wasn't involved in its production. Bread and beer were made out of barley, but they were much rarer than their fungal alternatives.

With the integration of the Dwarven territories into Etrand by the late 3rd century AEKE, it has become very common to import grains from Etrand, especially wheat. While much of this imported grain is used to feed livestock animals, rather than Dwarves and Gnomes, some of it is in fact used to make bread or alcoholic beverages.

Fruits and vegetables
Because fruits and vegetables largerly only grow in the few green valleys, they have never been significant parts of Dwarven cuisine - considered more as a luxury for the elites (and those involved in farming in the valleys).

Fungi
Fungi is the most pivotal part of Dwarven cuisine. As only a small minority of Dwarven society has the luxury of living within the valleys that produce all the grains, fruits, vegetables and red meat that isn't imported, it is obvious that the majority that lives within the tunnels, caves and udnerground cities will have to find other ways to produce food.

Edible fungi is the best option for the Dwarves: fungi love the dark, often tolerate the harsh conditions and rocky soil of the caves, while at the same time being edible (not necessary to other races, but definitely to the iron stomachs of the Dwarves). Throughout the centuries and millenia, the Dwarves have made a whole art of farming fungi and using a mixture of artificial selection and magical tinkering to not only maximize yield, but also introduce whole new kinds of edible fungi. It isn't precisely known, if fungi that produces sugar or pseudo-starch have always existed, or are fully artificial creations by the Dwarves, but they exist, and have been used by the Dwarves for a long time to produce bread and alcoholic beverages.

Alcoholic beverages
Dwarves and considered the inventors of both beer and usquebaugh, however their versions of these beverages are typically not made from grains, but rather from their fungal alternatives. Dwarven beer and usquebaugh can be made out of barley too, but they are typically made from those types of edible fungi that produce pseudo-starch. When made out of fungi, Dwarven beer has a unique taste that - unlike other Dwarven delicacies - is in fact very much appreciated by non-Dwarves (especially by Humans).

Historically, when usquebaugh was first invented, it was made by distilling beer. Later, Dwarves learned the art of fermenting the grain mash or fungi mash itself (after mixing with sugar and a minimal amount of water), then distilling after diluting with water, completely skipping the beer part.

It is important to note, that while other races typically consume their alcoholic beverages cold, Dwarves drink the hot and mulled. Mulling spices can range from locally produced dried fungi with a strong taste to imported foreign spices that add more unique tastes to their beverages.

Non-alcoholic beverages
Traditionally, non-alcoholic beverages weren't so widespread in the Dwarven territories, and for a good reason. Milk was always expensive for those who didn't live down in the valleys, therefore its daily consumption was out of the question. Water is often unreliable: it has to be filtered and boiled... and if one is willing to go through all those steps, why not go one step further and add some sugar and yeast to produce an alcoholic beverage?

Tea is imported from the rest of Etrand, but it is typically only drunk by the elites.