Notes on Sylvanian Cuisine and Cooking
Gráinne Ní Bhroin, Ollscoil Gleann na Rí Bhán, Roinn na hAntraipeolaíochta
Translated to Equestrian by Gernot Cloudfeather
I’d like to preface this with a disclaimer that I will be focusing primarily on northern and central Sylvanian as these regions mostly share similar historical trends in their diets. Southern Sylvanian, with its tropical climate, differs the most from the other two regions.
Like their Equestrian neighbors to the north, Sylvanian cooking is entirely vegetarian; though with some interesting Gryphish influences that I will touch on later. Pre-Unification cooking carries many hints of our nomadic past with recipes having little in the way of set ingredients beyond “what greenery and nuts may be found ‘round your camp.” as one early text puts it. You find in this early period many examples of fresh forage salads and stews. While many breads of the era are from either wild grains or nut flours. Most commonly found examples used acorn, hazelnut, and chestnut or wild grass and sedge. Flatbreads were particularly common, cooked on the hot stones of a campfire or hearth without the need for an oven. As were stews thickened with mushrooms and wild grains which could be cooked similarly.
While the earth ponies of Equestria like to claim mastery of cider, the drink was brewed and consumed regularly in pre-colonial Sylvania for millenia. Produced from the wild apples that grow abundantly in the forests, deer would mix the juice of these apples with honey before leaving it to ferment in open earthenware jugs. The practice was most common in the north where the more pronounced growing, harvest, and winter seasons necessitated the storing of food through the lean months. In modern times many towns, my own home included, have a tradition of saving the last batch of the harvest to be drunk during Féile na bhFás Nua. Though it’s unclear how common this practice was historically. Central and southern Sylvania by contrast held a strong preference for mead, one that persists to this day.
While agriculture was not unheard of, clans would often settle down for a generation and would plant grains and berries round their homes, this did not become the standard until the conquest of the fledgling Kingdom of Gleann na Rí Bhán and the imposition of fixed settlement by Equestria’s colonial administration. It was during this time we saw many traditional foods fall out of the common diet, notably those sourced from foraging the forests that were now being used to export lumber to Equestria. Mushrooms and acorns especially were displaced by farmed grains and vegetables introduced from the north.
It is also around this time that we see the introduction of refined sugar, imported by Equestrian colonists and treated as a status symbol by those deer rich enough to emulate their lifestyle. Previously, the primary source of sweetener would have been honey or especially ripe fruits. Along with sugar came eggs and milk, essentials of Equestrian style baking. Cakes and other baked goods, commonplace among the Equestrians, quickly became a sign of wealth among the deer population.
As was done with dishes of the Zebrican kingdoms, this period also brought about many Equestrianized Sylvanian dishes that were marketed to the Equestrian population as “traditional”. For some particularly hilarious examples I suggest finding a copy of Feasts of the Forests by Garnish Glaze, technically post-Colonial but perhaps the most egregious example out there, complete with cakes using oak sprigs and fresh acorns as garnish.
Though short lived, on a historical scale, the Colonial state’s influence on our cooking stuck to a large extent. While foraging slowly came back into favor as a point of pride and tradition, farming was here to stay. As were baked goods and sweets, though here we see the most fusions between traditional and colonial cooking with wheat flour taking the place of others in the traditional flatbreads and the mixing of nut flours into Equestrian style pastries.
Perhaps the biggest influence though is tea, the Equestrians planted large fields of it in the tropical south to undercut prices from Manalzard and we took to the stuff with a passion. Per capita we drink more tea each year than Equestria. Prior to its introduction the clans drank infusions of woodland herbs and flowers, though the line between enjoyable beverage and medicinal drink blurs, varying throughout the years.
As I promised at the start of this, the influences of Gryphish cooking on our own: The pre-Sylvanian clans had contact with the gryphon kingdoms for centuries before colonization and a long history of friendship and comradery with the birds of the north. Indeed, the arms for the 1916 War of Independence were provided in secret by the recently unified Grifreich. While deer are strict vegetarians, this long history has left its marks on both cultures. Of relevance to this topic is the dish known as Bia Éan, a personal favorite of mine. Resembling a Gryphish-style pie with the usual meat filling replaced with a mixture of mushrooms, chopped nuts, and root vegetables.
The exact origins of this dish are something of a mystery, and it’s suspected to have been independently invented in several places. One story involves their creation during the revival of the traveler community where their portability allowed for easy lunches on the road using last night’s stew. Another involves an enterprising gryphon in the coastal town of Port na Cloiche Glaise who wished to draw in local deer and gryphish sailors as customers. I have my own personal theories as well of course, but there is little evidence for any of them.
Translator's notes: Per Gráinne’s request I’ve left place and proper names in their as Fiannis spelling. Beyond that I’ve done my best to preserve the spirit of the text as well as the meaning, though the author is prone to idiomatic speech that often holds no direct translation. I also wish to offer my assurances to the Apple Family that no ill will is intended, merely pride in Sylvanian cider.
