Food and Drink

Overview

Feeding the hungry population had become a problem after the massive population growth of the early 20th century. Combined with the effects of industrial polution on the environment, feeding the people of Europe seemed like an impossible task. This changed only thanks to the agricultural breakthroughs of the Société de Le Havre in France. Massive, multi-level glasshouse-farms were errected over the withered remnants of once golden fields, water refining plants were placed at rivers to ensure a supply of fresh water for both crops and people, once again the wonders of the modern world ensured the survival of the human race.

Feeding the masses

Hungry Söldner can expect a wide variety of local dishes, depending on where they find themselves, but due to the difficulties of sourcing raw ingredients these are becoming increasingly rare and find themselves replaced by canned pre-made meals.

Some of these are:

Foodstuff

• Souchy

The miracle-food of the future! Everything your body needs in one handy can!

A "nutritious" dish made from fish stewed in water and mixed with grains, herbs and salt. The whole fish is stewed in a big tank until the meat, bones and innards lose all cohesion. Then herbs and salt are added and finally grains are mixed in until the result resembles an easily digestable, thick grey slurry of muddy taste. Factories usually serve it in the can it came in, but some dedicated restaurants and Feederias serve it with added spices and in a more appealing fashion. The recipe is based on water-souchy, an old english dish.

• Black Dumplings

One per day, one per can!

Blood dumplings are a simple recipe consisting of a doughy outer shell filled with spiced blood sausage. The result is a hefty, filling meal, ready to be eaten either hot or cold. Usually one dumpling fills an entire can, which requires removing the can completely to eat it like any other sandwhich but sometimes at the end of one production cycle the cans simply get filled with left over sausage and dough pieces, sealed in with savoury jelly. In either case the cans come with a label: "Only one per day!" It is unclear if this is meant to be part of the slogan or a warning to the consumer.

• Fitted roll

Bread with baked-in filling

• Sour Acqua

Based on Acquacotta

• Brawn

Originally this refered to meat trimmings bound in savoury jelly but nowadays the meat is often replaced with vegetables, mushrooms, fish or a mixture of the aforementioned ingredients. Rarely sweet versions are produced, likewise containing fruit, nut or chocolate pieces, although this comes at a higher price point.

Drinks

• Verjus

A sour and highly acidic drink made from pressed unripe sour fruites, sometimes mixed with herbs or juices to achieve a milder flavour. Verjus is often used in cooking, in the same way one would use wine. It has become a common past-time for many people to use it to flavour homemade alcoholic drinks or as an ingredient in beer brewing.