Chouchen

A popular mead-like drink made from fermented buckwheat honey and water. Quite alcoholic, the addition (only sometimes intentional) of bee venom increases the potency tenfold.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

An alcoholic drink, it is served without ice or heated warm in the winter. Sometimes it is poured over melons as a desert. When added to Cidre, it becomes another popular drink called chufre.

Manufacturing process

Chouchen is created by fermenting buckwheat honey in water.

Significance

A popular drink that is often served at festivals. Traditionally, it is often used for toasts to establish the Hospitality ritual, representing the sky. It is the drink most often featured in regional epic poems, which only increases it's popularity as a drink of heroes.
Chouchen is referred to as "falloff" or "horse's rest", due to a reputation of drinkers falling off their mounts from the potent bee venom often found in the concoction.

Item type

Consumable, Food / Drink

Rarity

Commonly drunk in the Duchy of Letha and the Duchy of La Manche. It can be easily and regularly obtained throughout those regions, but is less common in other areas.

Raw materials & Components

Buckwheat Honey - Often an entire honeycomb will be dropped into the water or cider, leading to the reputation of bee venom increasing its potency.

Water - Either salt or fresh. Cider an also be used as the base (This variant is called Chufre)

Tools

The drink is fermented in wooden casks, often oak.