Yellowbark Oil

A sickly sweet fuel

Yellowbark oil is collected from the fruit of the yellowbark tree. These trees used to be endemic to the grasslands of Serukis, but have since been cultivated all over the country.

Production

The fruit of the yellowbark tree - also known as gulberries - are harvested during the summer season, when they are ripest. The harvesting season is a good time for casual labourers to find work, as some of the man-made groves of yellowbark across Serukis have grown larger than their permanent workforce can manage.
The gulberries are collected in large woven baskets. They are then crushed into a paste using two large millstones, which are powered by horses. This paste is then taken and pressed between finely woven mats, which separates liquid from the pulp. This liquid is a mixture of oil and water, which needs to be separated out so that the oil can be used as fuel. As yellowbark oil is lighter than water, the liquid naturally separates over the course of about a day. The separated oil is then bottled in corked clay jugs and distributed as needed.

Usage

Yellowbark oil is used to power the lamps that light the streets of the larger towns and cities of Serukis at night. It is also used to fuel smaller oil lamps in the residences of the more financially well-off. Although other types of oil have been used throughout the history of Serukis, yellowbark oil burns the slowest and brightest of all of them. This allows a smaller amount of oil to be used.
These lamps are made so the burning oil is enclosed with only a small hole to allow the oxygen in. This is because the smell of burning yellowbark oil can be overwhelming; it is known to have made people faint, particularly in enclosed residences.
Despite the fact that gulberries - and, by extension, yellowbark oil - are mildly toxic to humans, the oil is one of the key ingredients of several traditional dishes. As long as only a small amount of the oil is used, it does not have any adverse side effects.

by Designer-Obst

Source

Yellowbark Tree

Type

Oil

Colour

Amber

Smell

Sweet, often described as sickly