Six-Day Stew

Bring me a bowl of six-day stew! Let us feast!

— Cwen of Yule's Heart, 381 RB

A cuisine known from the Yuletyde that is made from root vegetables and fat. It is a common dish served in Yuletyde homes and establishments. Note that the name is nowadays a misnomer - it doesn't have to be stewed over a period over six days.

History

In times past, often in the cold @Yule of Yule's Heart , the Yuletyde would have long periods without crops being harvested or animals available for hunt. Therefore food was hard to come by and families would have to ration up their food.
One method they had of dealing with these long Yules was to boil a cauldron of snow into water, and add ingredients over a six-day period, taking and adding as the week went by. On the start of a new week, the cauldron would be tipped away and started anew.
As time grew, it became a staple of the Yuletyde to have a six-day stew, and though the ingredients would differ between hearths, and differ depending on what was available, the ingredients began to grow consistent across the Yuletyde, especially when offered to guests.
Eventually, technology and developments in trade meant food became less hard to come by in Yule, and storage facilities were built allowing one to preserve meats and store root vegetables for long periods. The notion of a stew being boiled over six days became obsolete and often it will be made over the period of a day; started in the morning and served in the evening.

Components and tools

The Six-Day Stew is often boiled in a large pot or cauldron over a fire, but a pot on a stovetop will also suffice.
The stew starts with a stock of snow or simply water, with often an added splash of Nymffa and the adding of herbs, commonly the Spiced Nettle of Yule's Heart. Diced potatoes, sliced onions, and sliced mushrooms are then added to the pot, with the fat and meat of an animal. Salt is often added as seasoning. Carrots can also be added, as well as beans.

Primary Related Location

Yule's Heart