Smoked Kʉrdeneχ

Mechanics & Inner Workings

The defining process occurs during cooking, when the eggshell shatters in the heat and then dissolves as a result of the chemical reaction between the egg's yolk and white, and the juices of the bird itself. This is what gives the cooked Kʉrdeneχ its definitive flavor.

Manufacturing process

Although everyone agrees that if at all possible, the Kʉrdeneχ should be prepared with one of its eggs in the body cavity, just about everything else is up for (sometimes spirited) debate. To season or not to season, and when. To garnish or serve with 'Alashaia jelly or not, and when. What woods to use for smoking, and if that matters. Can you fry the bird in oil like the humans do or must it be smoked for a Mudeweian day? For just about every possible question, each individual clan has a preferred answer, and this is an almost guaranteed source of strife for anyone who had moved into the clan from outside within the past year (with the sole exception of pups, who move freely about at all times and will eat roughly anything that's put in front of them, intentionally or not).

History

Hunting Kʉrdeneχ has been a staple of the Stenza diet and seasonal pattern since the dawn of recorded history, and while food preservation has mitigated many of the problems that the hunting of game birds was meant to solve, it still holds a special place in the hearts of almost all Stenza in the modern day.

Significance

The smoked Kʉrdeneχ is widely recognized as the "special occasion" food, due to the birds' prevalence in the region not during Hunting Season, but after the end of Migration. Stenza have taken advantage of this timing to replenish diminished food stores and and prepare fresh food, and the bird is almost ubiquitous during First Sunrise, to the point of being considered the "unofficial official dish of the occasion".
Additionally, many believe that being able to shoot a Kʉrdeneχ through the eye is a mark of true skill with a longbow, and many hunters make the attempt just to secure bragging rights.

Item type

Consumable, Food / Drink