So I have a special brand of autism were I really like headcanoning the ecosystem and foods of settings so I thought id share some of my Duviri related ones I've made for my own projects if someone is interested or just wants to use them. There is a lot of yap once again beware and i may add a bit more later
Just in general going in I headcanon that many of the things in Duviri were at first non edible, but over time as the drifter grew things slowly became what they wanted them to be as they ran out of what little food was left on the Zariman or it was simply too dangerous to go back and find more. Due to this the food is only really consumable by them and the citizens of Duviri and occasionally by the proto-frames as their bodies can handle it. The plants are made of various energies and metals causing it to be near indigestible. Also due to this things like tamms and fish aren't really edible due to the fact the child drifter couldn't bring themselves to kill them, though the tamms do produce milk. This could change though depending on how your drifter would feel about such things.
Has an acrid smell that tends to hang on to whatever it touches. The oils from within excel at keeping blades shiny and clean but often stain just about any surface they come in contact with. Mixed with various pigments and berries they also create a fine oil based paint that will stick to almost any surface but takes a while to dry. They also make an excellent base for cloth dying, though it takes a few washes to truly get the smell and oily feel off.
The fish of Duviri are rarely eaten much like tamms due to their metal skin and lack of meat. Ariette scales once shed from the fish can be used both as accessory and a pearly pigment for paints and dyes, but can also be crushed up and added into dishes for health benefits. When eaten they have little taste and a slightly chalky texture.
Connla Sprouts contain a sweet juice that could be described as a mix between a blueberry and a watermelon. They can be brewed into teas for a refreshing berry note and concentrated into perfumes, but are most commonly used in sweets like cakes or just eaten as snacks. A popular snack for children in fear and joy spirals when the isles are hot is a simple bowl of Connla Sprouts with Eevani. Due to the nature of the plant's growth, they can also be used to collect water in case of emergency or simply to cool oneself off. Some berries contain much higher amounts of water which children love to throw at unsuspecting adults or each other. They do not stain without additives such as Saggen Pearls, but leave a soft berry/floral scent.
Dracroot can be most commonly compared to a pepper. The roots can be plucked from the plant safely if plucked wearing gloves or taking special care to avoid getting pricked by the spines that coat the inner section of the root/ If poked by the spines the Dacroot, it secrets a type of capsaicin into the skin which causes extreme burning and irritation that can last for a few moments, with the effects intensifying in severity and length from both person to person but also being more severely affecting to those who aren’t from the isles. Dracroot can be prepared one of two ways, drying out the entire root and crushing it into a powder after removing the spines, or cutting away the skin to get the meat and seeds inside which can be added into dishes or cooked on its own. The oil they emit can also be bottled and added to things to introduce an amount of spice for those who can't handle the spice of the full plant.
Ueymag tastes most like a cucumber, though with a slightly more savory taste. Similar to the Dracroot the Ueeymag is very hard to pick, though many claim it is worth every cut. The spines of the Ueymag, while lacking chemicals or poisons, are very sharp. The spines are barbed at the ends often causing them to stick into skin and tear, they then eject from the stem and deeply embed themselves into the skin of those unfortunate enough to come in contact with them. These are often eaten in salads along with Silphsila, Artichokes, and Eevani, but even more commonly they are pickled with a variety of things like Dracroot or Yao. These also having soothing benefits when crushed and mixed with Eevani, and are often applied in a paste across wounds or across the forehead when a fever is present. These are also sometimes added into Connla Sprout bowls on particularly hot days when they are available.
Eevani leaves are a common household plant due to their various uses in everyday cooking and healing. They are used in many meals for health benefits, but most commonly their leaves are crushed into pastes and powders for medicines and ointments. Similar to cilantro, some people have a distaste for the leaves as they taste soapy and chalky rather than their typical asparagus-like taste. The wood of these plants also can be burned and compressed into a high quality charcoal.
Kovnik is another household plant as its the main leaf for tea brewing amongst the isles. Aside for its uses in tea, the seeds of the plant can also be toasted much like Silphsila and taste similar to pumpkin seeds, this mixture is often carried around in trailmixes for both people and kaithes, but also made into granola bars and pouches for easy snacking. These seeds are also preferred by the Paragrimm over Silphsila seeds. The leaves are consumed by Kexats and Tamms frequently as they give them a high much like catnip, due to this their often well guarded within gardens or just grown indoors.
Silphsila are another children's favorite, with their easily pickable seeds which have a nutty flavor, as well as the added joy of running around and catching the floating seeds on bright joy filled days. These are a favorite food of kaithes, as they have been known to veer off course to grab them out of the air much to their riders dismay. The people view their presence as a omen of changing times, but also a sign of abundance and prosperity if the skies are filled with them in the times between the shifting skies. The seeds of the plant can be toasted as well as processed into oils which are great for cooking and medicinal uses as well. A mix of Silphsila and Saggen pearl oils is often applied to the hooves and crowns of kaithes to protect them from the harsh stones that litter some of the high peaks of the isles. These also emit a small light source when they bloom that lasts for a few minutes.
Tasoma extract has many instances of uses such as in sleep time medicines and teas, but if extracted and condensed properly it can be made into things like vinaigrettes and marinades; but most popular among the adult denizens is its ability to be brewed into a very strong wine that easily takes the flavor of whatever is added to it. The alcohol of this wine gets stronger the longer it is brewed with some bottles allegedly being kept for many decades before being opened. The Tasoma itself also has slight hallucinogenic properties if the mushroom itself is eaten or if the spores are inhaled. The mushroom itself can be safely consumed if cooked properly but is often switched out for normal mushrooms gowning around the isles.
Yao shrubs produce unique fruits that are prized amongst the citizens that dare to stay in the upper isles in the colder areas. The fruit has a unique warm spice to it that is gentle on the tongue and is known to be able to relieve frostbite at a shockingly fast rate. If the fruit is picked when fully ripe it lets off a bright glow, lighting and warming up an area around it, making it a favorite pocket companion for those hiking up the slopes. The fruits taste like a spiced apple, and are often served in deserts during holidays do to their scarcity.
An example of a few dishes: Dracroot prepared in various ways (imagine the cooked variation being like latiao); A Silphsila, Eevani, and Kovnik Salad; and a Connla cake, which is very similar to a cinnamon roll but with a very moist dough to soak up the water/juice from the berries.
Some other little headcanons;
Mathila’s favorite dish is a Silphsila and Eevani salad with a Tasoma vinaigrette. She often drinks a high concentrate Tasoma and Yao wine.
Sythel’s favorite dish is simple fruits and mushrooms she's picked herself, she refuses to eat anything she has not picked or cooked herself. The one exception to this is when Mathila bullies her into sharing some of her wine.
Lucinia loves pickled Ueymag and Eevani, Kovnik, and Yao tea. She often avoids alcohol, but she too is occasionally bullied by Mathila and Sythel into girls night drinking where they gossip with Acrithis about the happenings on the isles.
Bombastine's favorite dishes are often chocked full of hard to get items like Ariette scales and Yao fruits. It is unsure if he actually likes the concoctions he makes to show off that he has access to them, but he flaunts their rarity often. His true favorite food is a simple cooked mushroom skewer and Silphsila seeds.
Lodun is not picky with his food choice as long as its chocked full of Dracroot in any form. His favorite drink is a vodka-esque blend of Tasoma and pure Dracroot, which is rumored to have killed an unfortunate soul who took a sip from his stash. The only person who can match him on drinking it is Mathila. Lodun carries the gene that makes him slightly allergic/distasteful to Eevani, which is rather unfortunate considering how often he burns himself.
And just because I can't help myself and I love my drifter son, Gareth's favorite food is a trail mix made of dried Connla, Yao, and Eevani. As well as roasted Silphsila and Kovnik seeds. He often hides little packs of this in places for when he gets hungry (which is a lot because he only ever eats snacks) such as the pouches on Lyon and Amir’s belts or just wherever he sits them down and forgets them. He also carries a thermos filled with Kovnik and Yao tea. His unique blend is also steeped with pure Dracroot extract making it basically undrinkable to anyone else but he loves the taste and it helps warm his body up since he's naturally very cold. Hes also quite nose blind to the smell of Saggen oil as he uses it to coat his arm and swords; which often results in Lyon spraying him with rose water just to get rid of some of the smell.
Also if this interested you I'd love to know what you think your drifters favorite meal would be!! Or if you have your own headcanons I'm dying to hear them!
