Mawfish
Why The Hard Face?
The West Alphanian Mawfish is a family of freshwater fish, found as far north as the lakes of the Albish Highlands, and have been introduced into the warmer waters of southern Ocrisia. Mawfish can live up to thirty years in the wild, and about the same in captivity.Description
A Mawfish's most distinguishing features are the hard, bone like structures that make up their front facial features, particularly the bisecting lower jaw that gives it its name. The armoured bone structure extends to the edge of the gills, and is segmented into a dozen smaller plates. The rest of its body is similar to that of a catfish, lacking scales of any kind and with a slimy texture to its skin, with the elongated teardrop shape of a tadpole. Mawfish are potent predators in the waters they inhabit, relying on a keen sense of smell and excellent hearing to make up for poor eyesight. Smaller prey are devoured whole in its gaping mouth, while larger fish are rammed with its armoured prow and cut up on its sharp, serrated jaw segments. Mawfish primarily feed on smaller fish, molluscs, or various crustaceans, and larger specimens often attempt to consume aquatic birds, even lunging onto shore on the hunt. The particular characteristics of Mawfish change with the climate and environment. Further north in Albion, they tend to be on the smaller end with a dark complexion, while in the warmer waters in the southern Ocrisian they have been reported to grow almost two metres long, weighing in excess of thirty kilograms and with green or brown coats.
Fry It, Grill It, Poach It In A Soup
The Mawfish plays a prominent role in the cuisines of the three largest states of Western Alphania.
The Kingdom of Albion
The primary form Mawfish takes in Albish cuisine is in a dish called "Fish and Chips". While the precise history of the dish is lost to history, it is believed Haddock and Cod were once used instead, but as the ancestors of the Albish people arrived in their current lands, stocks of those fish were far harder to come by. Mawfish, easily available across nearly all freshwater bodies, rose as a highly desired substitute, until it became the new norm across Albish culture. The dish in question is, at its simplest, battered and fried cuts of Mawfish served with thickly cut lengths of potato. Emblematic of the distinctly Albish nature of the dish, hundreds of local varietals and takes exist, incorporating a wide array of different cuisines and cultures fused within each. It is a popular Takeaway item, ordered from vendors, called "shops", to be eaten out and about or at home.The Republic of Bardin
Albion's historical southern comrade, Bardinian cuisine holds Mawfish in similarly high prestige. Here, the fish is often grilled over open flames, then dressed in various spices and rubs to provide a strong heat to the dish, called Mishwi Fasamak. It is typically served as pride of place amongst a large meal of assorted dishes, and eaten with rice or flatbreads. Regional differences are as prominent here as they are in Albion, often taking the form of various different flavours of spices and marinades. First and foremost a dish for a family and home, Mishwi Fasamak has since risen to prominence within what is often termed "Bardinian feasting". These are large and lavish meals, served in establishments such as hotels, clubs, and restaurants, where diners share dishes and eat as if they were having a traditional family meal, on a larger scale. Such establishments take as much pride on the "jawhar", or essence, of their Mawfish as a family elder does, and particular pride amongst patrons and servers alike is had in introducing their dish to newcomers and foreigners as their first taste of Mishwi Fasamak.The Federation of Ocrisia
Mawfish enjoys a special place in Ocrisian culture and identity. Its presence on the state's southern coasts is more engineered than natural, as under its former imperial rule Mawfish dishes were primarily the place of the ruling northern states. It was one such state, the Kingdom of Odilha, that fought to unite the region under its rule, and after its conquest the introduction and forcible spread of Odilhan culture became a cornerstone of its rule, and the dishes of Mawfish were among its tools. Here, the dish is served cut up into small chunks, and poached in a clear, lightly herbed broth. Onions and scallions are often added, and while once regional variations of the almost sacred dish was strictly controlled, alongside other forms of such cultural expression, they defiantly popped up anyways. These tend to involve changes to the soup and its ingredients, or the addition of additional proteins such as shellfish or octopus and squid.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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