Cooking in the Barrens

Although cuisine in the Barrens is as varied as it's residents, there is one common theme amongst it; powerful tastes. Whether it be extreme spiciness, bitterness, sourness, or funk, eating is as much an opportunity to prove your strength and honour as any battle. Each family has their own unique flavour, which is carefully cultivated and passed on from generation to generation.
Due to their nomadic nature and the hostility of their environment, tribes have had to become very creative to maintain access to these flavours. Some turn to special kinds of carts which have been retrofitted to grow peppers, gourds, or fruits. These special carts are viewed as extremely valuable, and are placed under constant guard in the centre of the horde. Others hide many different stockpiles of their flavours throughout the Barrens; unearthing them as they travel through the territory.
In addition to variations in the flavours, the base of the meal can also vary greatly. The most common is meat from Devilbacks, of which a tribe typically keeps a herd of for food. Otherwise, due to the raiding and scavenging nature of their lifestyle, meals can range from rancid meat to bread and cheese stolen from Aedan farmers.
Individual families typically cook for themselves, however, during special occasions, all the families in a tribe contribute flavouring to a large soup. It is a point of pride for a family for their flavour to be the predominant one, which has resulted in many fights and feuds. It is also deeply shameful to be unable to withstand this soup, as it shows a weakness. Estalian gourmands who have tried simulated versions of this soup have thoroughly destroyed it, describing it as a "bowl of vomit" due to it's very strong, conflicting flavours.