Spices

Spices are condiments derived from the fruits, seeds and roots of virid plants. Most have a pungent or acrid flavour, and most are toxic if eaten in large quantities, but a pinch of them can add depth of flavour or piquancy to green foodstuffs. Condiments derived from green plants are generally called herbs.

Viridplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigVirid

Referring to the Virid Kingdom of flora and fauna, toxic to human life. spices are grown all over the world, but the most prized are a particular export of the Eastern Isles, a region which has only recently come into human exploitation and so has an unusual degree of virid biodiversity. The word “spice” comes from Sfize, a port town on the island of Shozor. Many spice crops are now grown throughout Anásthiasplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigAnásthias

Anásthias [a-NAS-thee-ass / ænæsθiːæs], or [an-ass-THEE-as] is an equatorial island continent, heart of the Civilised World. The north straddles the equator and is hot and humid, while most of the equatorial centre is an upland plateau with fertile river valleys, and stretches of arid plains and desert in the shadow of the mountains. The south is temperate but more wild, separated from the civilisations of the north by the almost impassable Harthera.

Spices are subject to virid taboo in Anrel, and mostly shunned except in special eating-houses catering to foreigners.