Izae

Izae is a type of edible plant that is grown in tightly packed dirt. It is used in a number of dishes and is a staple crop in Kaylux. There is a method to growing izae in Kaylux that involves creating large stacks of flat circular containers of dirt, packed with dirt that has izae seeds mixed into it. These stacks can, at time, be taller than the houses of the farmers who maintain them. Once the izae stacks have been assembled and packed, water will be pumped through the edges of the containers every three days throughout the wet season. Once dry season arrives, the izae will be ready to harvest. This method has been used for hundreds of years with advancing technology not doing much more than automating the watering and allowing the stacks to get higher than they would have before.

Most of each year's crop is carefully preserved to last until the next harvest, or through travel if it is to be shipped off to places that trade with Kaylux. The rest is used fresh, providing a number of meals that are unique to the early dry season in Kaylux.

Izae grows in the shape of slightly elongated blue orbs, with their roots reaching out to the sides and often tangling with all other izae that is growing nearby. Some networks of izae found in the wild have stretched far enough to compare to the size of a small town. 

The roots are not edible without careful and specific preparation with both heat that lasts long enough to kill the inedible parts of the roots as well as spices that are able to neutralize the poisons at the centre of each strand. Because of this, izae roots, called urzads, are not a common dish and are only prepared by truly skilled cooks. The fruit of the izae, what is commonly referred to as izae even if the name technically could be applied to the entire plant, is edible raw, though preparation is preferred.

One common meal prepared with izae is the azu. Azu is made by chopping izae into small chunks, mixing it with a milk-based sauce of your choosing, adding cheese and some herbs, and wrapping it in dough to form perfect spheres. The spheres are then fried, typically in oil, until they are perfectly golden brown. Azu can be served with dipping sauces, though it also isn't uncommon to eat them plain.

Another use for izae is for blue dyes. The vibrancy of izae is striking, even before boiling it, a process that makes the colour even brighter. In Kaylux, boiling izae is not typically used to prepare it for meals, and is generally only done as one of the first steps to prepare the fruit to make dye. In Brolux, however, boiling izae is quite common, and the unique texture acquired through this method is considered quite delicious by locals.

There is a long running and largely lighthearted argument between the people of Kaylux and Brolux over if boiled izae are truly good or not. People from both countries will often jokingly point to the way the other commonly prepares izae as being an 'abomination' or 'incorrect'.

Regardless of your opinions on boiled izae, there is no questioning that izae itself is a remarkably versatile food.