Roast Tear Bulb

The tear bulb is an odd sort of plant. It takes the form of an azure-blue onion-like plant that grows wild on the floating continents of Tempest Island and Thunder Island. When cut, it releases a gas that causes anyone who inhales it to begin sobbing uncontrollably. In short, it is the last thing that one would expect to become a main staple of Storm Gremlin cuisine. However, that is exactly what happened; since The War of the Wendigoes, roast tear bulb has become a well-beloved dish on the islands where it grows.

History

For most of Altairian history, tear bulbs were simply ignored. Their noxious properties discouraged storm gremlins from even trying to eat them. Not like it mattered anyway, since most of them just ate meals from the lands their cloud continents passed over where they did their trading rounds.

That all changed when The War of the Wendigoes began. Economies began to struggle and shut down on a world-wide scale, and many just didn't have the resources to continue trading with storm gremlin merchants anymore. During this time, trade between storm gremlins and other races came to a complete standstill.

In their desperation, the inhabitants of Tempest Island and Thunder Island turned to the native flora and fauna for sustenance. One of these was the tear bulb. Reluctantly, they began searching for ways to make tear bulbs more palatable. They quickly discovered that when tear bulbs were fully roasted, they lost their sob-inducing gas and developed a rather tasty umami flavor profile.

The first incarnations of roast tear bulb simply involved throwing the bulbs in the oven to roast. Slowly, as the War ended and Altairus's global economy recovered, some innovative gremlins began to add salt, pepper, and other spices to their creations. Today, tear bulbs are typically drizzled in oil before being rolled in spices and roasted. While they may have begun as poverty food, they have since become an indispensable part of storm gremlin cuisine.

Common Spice Combinations

• Sage and Onion - sage + powdered white onion + salt + pepper
• Eastern Spice - curry powder + cumin + paprika + salt + pepper
• Scarborough Fair - parsley + sage + rosemary + thyme
• Fire Cocoa - cocoa powder + cayenne pepper + salt
• Too Cool - peppermint + spearmint + honey

Different storm gremlins have different tastes. Some prefer a sweet flavor, while others prefer a salty or spicy flavor. Roast tear bulbs taste good in almost anything if you try hard enough.

Item type

Consumable, Food / Drink