Cheese

Cheese is one of the oldest forms of food preservation on Halann, and the practise has been found in almost every culture and region around the world. There are many different forms and methods of making cheese, from mundane to the magical. It is believed that over a thousand types of cheese exist on Halann.

History

Cheesemaking predates all recorded history, making it impossible to determine where cheese was first invented. Evidence of early cheesemaking has been found in some of the oldest ruins and tombs of Cannor, Bulwar, the Serpentspine and Haless, stretching back millenia. Cheese is however theorised to have been invented shortly after the first animals were domesticated, and early societies got access to both milk and hide. The most accepted theory is that cheese was an accidental discovery by early nomads who tried storing milk in fresh hide and stomach containers. The rennet from the animals stomach reacted with the milk, causing it to become whey or curds.

Famous Cheese Types

Listed below are a selection of the most famous or well known cheeses from around Halann organised into their respective regions of origin.

Cannor

Cuís Bennon

Also known as Cuís Bennon, it is an unpasteurized cheese made from goat's milk and is circular in shape, around 7 cm in diameter and 2.5 cm in height, and weighing around 100g. Originating from the region of Bennon, this pungent uncooked, unpressed cheese consists of a fine soft white pâte that is wrapped in chestnut leaves and tied with raffia prior to shipment.

Cuís síl Oldpassage

The Esmari specialty Cuís síl Oldpassage is created by placing a young Bennon cheese in an earthenware jar. The cheese is then seasoned with salt and pepper, doused in vinegar and wine and left in a cool cellar to ferment. Originally this was done in the cold caves and tunnels of the Oldpassage. The concoction will develop an increasingly fierce taste capable of lasting for many years.

Vestrdalr Cheese

The province of Sidaett claims Vesterdalr cheese was invented there in the 1800s in a small village of the same name. Supposedly by a dairy maid, Ulrikr Lindstrommir. According to legend, she was left alone to stir the curd of a traditional cheese but was interrupted, either by other chores, a troll raid or a meeting with her lover. This resulted in alternating periods of heating and stirring of the curdling milk.

It is a hard cow's milk cheese with tiny eyes or holes and a firm and granular texture. As in Brontay Cheddar cheese, the curd is heated, cut, and stirred before the cheese is molded and aged. Strong in flavor, its taste is described as somewhat like Damuceni cheese, salty, but with more bitter notes. It is light yellow in color and has a rich fat content. Vesterdalr cheese must be aged for at least one year, but a couple of extra months is more common practice.

For some reason, Vesterdalr cheese can only be produced in the village of the same name. All attempts to recreate it elsewhere have failed or produced an inferior product. There are many theories as to why, ranging from magical properties, soil richness, hidden damestear meteorite underneath the town, or just a special local bacteria.

Aishill Blue Cheese

Produced in the foggy Sorncosti hills, Aishill Blue is a mild pasteurized natural rind cow's milk blue cheese. The cheese is unpressed and uncooked, and it is said this simple technique was originally taught to the proto-Lencori by the dwarves, with minimal alterations since.

Aishill blue cheese was the favorite cheese of king Kylian IV, who asked for one tenth of Sorncost's dues to the crown to be paid in the form of Aishill Blue for the royal table.

Baempes

Baempes is a blue cheese made in the artisan tradition by rural dairy farmers in northwestern Busilar. This cheese can be made from pure, unpasteurized cow’s milk or blended in the traditional manner with goat and/or sheep milk, which lends the cheese a stronger, spicier flavor.

All of the milk used in the production of Baempes must come exclusively from herds raised in a small zone of production in the Khenak mountains, centered around the village of Baempes itself.

Baempes cheese has a strong flavor, sometimes quite acidic, which can be very complex when made with mixed milks. This cheese was said to be the favorite of Narawen when she arrived to the area, and it was brought to the court of Busilar with the unification of the kingdom under House Silnara in 1224

Dercanos' Laughter

Dercanos' Laughter is the name of a quite unique aged cheese traditionally made in the town of Harascilde, close to Lorentainé.

Attested by sources centuries before the Day of Ashen Skies, this reddish cheese combines the milk of local cows with at least two varieties of mushrooms from the caverns of Rubyhold. The mix is then put to age for 8 months in underground stone cellars, traditionally those under Harascilde Castle. The result is an exotic sharp that makes an excellent combination with wines like Rubenaire Red, and is known to cause pleasant hallucinations and a tendency towards laughter in those who consume this delicacy.

Tipney Smoked

Tipney Smoked is a variety of semi-hard cheese native to the Small Country, particularly the province of Tipney. It's known for its savory, smokey flavor. Contrary to popular belief it isn't made with tobacco. A variant known as West Tipney Smoked or Ynnsman Smoked does use tobacco in the process.

Country Spring

Country Spring Cheese is a moniker referring to a variety of rare cheeses that have an unusually addictive and drug-like effect on halflings and gnomes. This is due to the inclusion of the Springstalk, a weed typically used for pig feed. Spring Cheese is considered to be dangerous and was formally banned in the SC in 1834, and has been banned across the halfling world with a notable exception in Thílvis. Typical consumers are either rich halflings who can smuggle it or rural communities who make it for private use

Boucherin

Boucherin is a soft, rich, seasonal cheese made from cow's milk in the area between Rubyhold and the Small Country, usually in villages in Ár Esta and the county of Exwes itself, and has a grayish-yellow washed rind.

The cheese is wrapped in a casing of pine spruce from the Rewanwood for about two weeks at least, which gives the cheese a unique flavor. It is served in a fondue and sometimes eaten with white wine poured over the cheese itself.

Coppercog's Enhanced, Fortified and Processed Cheese

Originally created by gnomish biologist Sicco Coppercog as an attempt at producing cheese that contained more minerals and vitamins than other cheeses, matured faster, and didn't go bad, Coppercog experimented with novel design methods and found that mixing in various emulsifiers into melted cheese he was able to re-cool the cheese back into a block. After several years of further research and refining, in 1839 the Coppercog Cheese Company opened in Baycodds and soon started to produce nutritious, cheap and long-lived albeit rather bland cheese at truly immense numbers using damestear-powered machines. Although this has made Coppercog become the number 1 enemy of cheesemakers across the world, none can deny that his product is far, far more affordable and nutritious than traditional cheese. The cheese itself is sold in blocks but usually cut into thin slices by the buyer.

Mustachio Marizara

Mustachio Marizara is a cheese found in Verne, most commonly around Heartspier. It is a crumbly cheese, the color ranging from white to light yellow depending on the animal’s diet. The texture is semi-soft, and it is molded to resemble an elaborate, curling moustachio.

Despite Marizara existing as early as the Damerian republic, the famous shape of Mustachio Marizara was inspired by Erning of Heartspier’s theory of ‘Great men, great Mustachios’.

Beron Blue

Beron Blue is a cheese originating from Beron Heights, in the Westmoors. It is a creamy cheese, coloured white with drops of dark blue to it, traditionally shaped to be a triangular wedge, and small enough to be carried in one hand.

The taste of the cheese is salty, sharp, and tangy, with the cheese proving unpopular outside of the Westmoors.

Mallalavrarexa Kaz

As is typical of Dragon coast kobold cheese, it is generally based on cheeses imported from their neighbors, then modified to better suit kobold palates. As all kobolds are naturally lactose intolerant, cheeses are typically aged for long periods to further reduce the potential for gastric distress. In this case, it is based upon Gnomish cheddar, but is generally much sharper. It is typically produced with sheep's milk, and features a dry, hard exterior. It is typically eaten on bread or crackers, but its strong flavor is found excessive by most. A neighboring Gnomish community, Royvibobb, is reported to have sworn a blood feud over the creation of this cheese.

Dragonhills Cheese

A somewhat recently-developed family of similar cheeses stemming from Bluefoot halfling immigrants into the Dragonhills. The cows are fed on alpine grasses, turning the milk a pale yellow. The milk is cooked then pressed, the packed curds then left in mountain caves to age. Often firm to hard in texture with a nutty and buttery texture that melts wonderfully, Dragonhills cheeses are often grated atop dishes or used in fondue. Each valley of the Dragonheights hosts its own variant of alpine cheese, though the most popular ones include Lowcrag, Talonsfort, and Comber cheeses.

Ciderfield Cheeses

A group of closely-related cow's milk cheeses made in the Ciderfield region of the Small Country. Ciderfield cheeses are noted to be mild, tangy, and soft to firm in texture with a slight crumbly curd. Due to its properties, these cheeses are often paired with fresh fruits on cheeseboards or thickened with buttermilk and cream as filling for fruit pies. South of the Burroy, the cheese of choice is Bullsmead or Cadderburd; to the north, Koohdal and Sweetheath cheeses reign supreme.

Seaflower Cheese

A bloomy-rinded cheese produced in Deranne, favored for its mild buttery taste, gooey texture, with notes of grass and mushroom. Its creation is derived from the nearby Wagonwheel cheese, which was adapted by Reavers during the Era of Black Ice, as they conquered northwestern Enteben. Since then, it has greatly surpassed its predecessor in popularity, being exported as far as the Luna.

Wagonwheel Cheese

A bloomy-rinded cheese produced in former Entebenic lands, made traditionally in large flat rounds the size of a wagon wheel. Made from a mixture of cow's milk and goat's milk, Wagonwheel cheese is sharper and gamier than its descendant Seaflower cheese while retaining the gooey smooth texture. With notes of hay, meat, and a sharpness from traces of ammonia, Wagonwheel cheese is an acquired taste for many.

Vernid Star

A Vernman hard cheese with a pungent taste, and shaped like a cruet. It takes this peculiar shape due to being left to dry up tied on a rope, and has long been used by Vernman sailors as food during their travels to Aelantir. Legend wants that a Vernman soldier threw a form of this cheese at Lorentish commander Delian sil Sorncost during the league wars, pushing him off the bridge he was marching on to his death.

Seovol’s Talons

Seovol’s talons is a kind of cheese found in southern Escann, particularly in Marrvale and Marrhold, and are a kind of hard cheese shaped like griffon talons. The cheese was said to have been made by the villagers of Marrvale as a celebration for prince Gryf ‘the young’ safely returning, and the mourning of his Griffon, Seovol, though it's possible they may have been made earlier. The cheese tastes sour and bitter, said to be with the grief of prince Gryf. While Seovol’s talons are their universal name, other’s call them names such as: eagle talons, Corin's blades, Lothane's Tusks, and dragon claws are all used. The cheese is a popular meal to be eaten on Corinsfall.

Steamed Gaweter

Steamed Gaweter is a cheese originating from the city of Gaweton. It was invented by accident when a bartender accidentally burned a whole pund of ham in an oven while serving a table of rich nobles. The smoke from the meat made contact with a milk bowl fermenting in the locker. Once discovered, the cheese was said to have a salty, meat-like taste and aroma. It quickly became a fine addition to any table in Gaweton during drinking parties. It is known in the Westmoors as Steamed Chums.

Temple Cheese

Temple Cheese is a pan-Cannorian farmers cheese with historical roots in the Regent Courts' one-time custom of receiving tithes with agricultural goods including milk. Milk spoils easily so most farms instead produced a small eyed cheese that had its curing process started by mixing in a small batch of fermented curds. Although there was never a single unified recipe and was just commonly known as "taxation cheese", "temple cheese" or "regents cheese".

This cheese can be consistently traced in temple records from the 11th through 19th centuries, but some surviving records stretch back to before the landing of the Remnant Fleet. Other historical sources also mention cheese being used for taxation during the Damerian Republic. Today, this style of cheese once produced in churches and temples across Cannor is factory-made from pasteurized cow's milk and has been given a standardized recipe and name, for everyday people to enjoy as a household cheese.

Byshade Cheese

Byshade Cheese is a variety of fresh cheese produced in Eastern Dameria. It is made with whole milk, with cream being added to enhance its flavor. It's typically served as a dessert or as a spread on bread. To legally be considered Byshade Cheese it must contain live cultures.

Gaweton Gaulder

Gaweton Gaulder, a hard cheese, is very popular in Gawed. The cheese is small enough to be eaten while drinking, and tastes salty and sour, meant to be paired with Gawedi gin. Ironically, the cheese pairs horribly with wine, which has led the Lorentish to decry the cheese as 'The second worst thing in creation'. The cheese is mostly served in the evening, and is a very common cheese in pubs and other Gawedi drinking establishments.

Varilleni Tomme

The Varilleni Tomme is a rare and precious semi-soft cheese that is only made in small quantities in Ibevar, making it nearly impossible to find outside the Elfrealm. It’s a 1.5kg disc covered with the magic-infused pressed grape used to make Varilleni Special, the famous Ibevari glowing wine. Thanks to that, the cheese gets infused with the smell, taste and glow of the grapes.

Like wine, the Varilleni Tomme can be kept for decades, and its taste becomes more marked over time, although it tends to become drier and drier as years go by.  While being a delicacy on its own, it really shines when eaten with a glass or two of Varilleni Special.

In some Ibevari families, several bottles of Varilleni Special and a Varilleni Tomme are set aside upon a child’s birth, in order to be eaten and drunk upon the young elf becoming an adult.

Taxman's Grief

A small, very fat cheese that's been made in the Small Country since at least the time of the Gnomish Hierarchy.

Its originality lies not in its smell, nor taste, nor shape, but in its purpose: it is made to avoid taxes. When the tax collectors are planned to come, halfling farmers don’t fully milk their cows, to reduce the amount they get taxed on. After the tax collectors leave, the farmers milk their cows a second time, getting a very fat and concentrated milk.

The Taxman's Grief regains popularity under the Lorentish and Gawedi domination of the Small Country, as it is seen as a passive means of resistance against the foreign oppressors.

Falah's Bowstrings

A semi-hard cheese from the northern regions of the Havoral Divide, it's a goat's cheese aged whilst wrapped in the leaves of a Hazelnut. Traditionally tied with bowstrings, it is consumed both as a way for astringents of the Cult of Falah to pay homage to their deity, and also in various cooking purposes or as a pairing with cured meats and jams

Pearlsedge Pearls

Typically served as a treat enjoyed with sea salt, herbs, and a sprinkling of vinegar. Cheese pearls are made by gently melting a fine white curd in a large dish of hot water and continually stretching and shaping it until it forms a small ball, or pearl. These pearls are pinched off and then allowed to cool down before being enjoyed as a dessert.

Diver’s Caís

This cheese was first discovered by a young man hoping to find something of value sifting through the wreckage of an Esmari river party barge. When it was all he found, he decided to soothe his disappointment with a cursory nibble and found it to be uniquely terrible. This, of course, led the young man to invite many friends to challenge the cheese. Before long less than half a block remained, and many people could rest easy knowing that they were perhaps braver than they were smart. The last bit of the cheese was sold to a nobleman, who had survived the wreck of that barge, who had heard of the commotion. Since then it has become a tradition to drop a few wheels of young cheese into the river during festivals for the scrap divers to find.

Brontay Ceodor

A Mature rich cheese originating from the bordertown of Brontay Point in the western reaches of the Westmoors. Due to the proximity to the Dragonheights Caverns it housed the perfect conditions to perfectly age this cheese. Moormen used to consume this delicious cheese after a successful hunt or raid into the Dragonheights against the local kobolds or sometimes even in the wake of victory against a rival Clan. Has in modern times become immensely popular around the world, with inferior copies flooding the markets. Brontay Point has become almost entirely economically reliant on its cheese production, and houses several different cheesemakers.

Damuceni Erecean

Damuceni Erecean (known as Damucean outside of Dameria) is a Damerian hard, granular cheese produced from cows' milk and aged at least 12 months.

It is named after two of the areas which produce it, the areas around Anbenncóst (called Damucen before the Landing) and Erecen. In addition to Anbenncóst and Erecen, it is also produced in Melefcóst, south of the Moonmount, and in Marionaire (all of the above being located in the Damesear), as well as in the Moonisle.

Damuceni Erecean is made from unpasteurised cows' milk. The whole milk of the morning milking is mixed with the naturally skimmed milk (which is made by keeping milk in large shallow tanks to allow the cream to separate) of the previous evening's milking, resulting in a part skim mixture. This mixture is pumped into copper-lined vats, which heat evenly.

This cheese is so prized by Damerian society as a whole that the Damuceni Erecean Consortium was created to control its quality, being sponsored first by the Grand Dukes of Dameria and, after the year 1443, by the Mayor of Anbenncóst. This society overlooks every producer of true Damuceni Erecean cheese to this day, and all buyers know that the wheels lacking the consortium's seal of approval are either fakes or lower quality ones, given the simpler name of Damucean.

Ofantlir's Milk

Made from Gerudian mammoth milk, this cheese is seen as a way to experience the taste of the milk of the great mammoth who nurtured Ofantlir, the progenitor of all giants and giantkin. Dense and rich in calories, this cheese is often served in fjord troll religious rituals with hot milk.

In non religious use it is commonly served with a hot dish, or served on its own in semi-liquid chunks. Can be consumed by anyone, but has a very strong taste and is quite filling.

Reaver’s Delight

Curds of a blend of various Gnomish cheeses are allowed to melt partially while frying in a skillet before being rolled into a sort of cone that holds itself together. Creamy gravy if poured over and into the cone, which is wrapped with a sheet of paper, foil, or sometimes a towel. This treat is a favorite among Reverian sailors leaving port and has become popular abroad as a treat at fairs and markets.

Olavsborg Cheese

Olavsborg Cheese is an Olavish cheese that has a yellow wax rind (outer layer) and a semi-firm yellow interior. It is a mild and creamy cheese. The flavour has been described as "clean and rich, with a slightly sweet and nutty flavour". It is an all-purpose cheese, used for both cooking and independant consumption. It has a characteristic smooth, yellow body, and a supple texture. It is aged a minimum of 5 months and is distinguished by medium to large 'eye' holes. Some variations are aged a minimum of 9, 12 or 15 months. It is usually produced in large wheels.

Bulwar

Šamdu

Šamdu is a type of Bulwari cheese made with cow's milk, originary from the lower Suran plain. It is eaten very young, has no rind and a very soft, creamy texture and normally a mild and delicate flavor. It is normally circular in shape.

According to bulwari myths, Šamdu was created by Pinnagar, the god of cheesemaking, when he was challenged by Gelšibir, the god of shepherds, to create a cheese that even someone with few teeth was able to eat (most Bulwari cheeses are hard cheeses). To make the cheese, Pinnagar stole 7 cows from Gelšibir and conducted them with haste in one night from lake Garlas all the way to Lenaritbar in the plains. With the cow's milk he created Šamdu, and the loser Gelšibir was forced to send 7 cows from his herd to Pinnagar each year. According to the legend, the one-night journey pushes animals to their limit, and the milk of the tired cows is what gives Šamdu its characteristic flavor.

Asmangol

Every few weeks in the off-season, shepards can be spotted emerging from winding networks of caves deep in the mountains surrounding Asmangol, rolling waxen wheels of the eponymous cheese down well-trodden paths to the villages below. This cheese is often called the pride of the Gelkali, but it is an acquired taste for those not acquainted from birth - many a diplomat has regretted garnishing their meal with the proffered cheese.

As legend has it, this unique cheese was created when a poor shepard was smitten by a harpy journeying past the cave he rested in. Abandoning his meager lunch of ewe's milk cheese and stale bread, he ran to try and catch her. When he returned dejected some weeks later, he saw distinctive veins of orange mold throughout his forgotten lunch - these same orange veins are the pride of Asmangol and its many imitators today, imparting a strong tanginess and fragrance with a short maturation time of only a few weeks. Different caves produce subtly different Asmangol, but all Asmangol is creamy, slightly moist, rindless and no more than 6 month aged.

Šilphadu

A seasoned cheese made by the harpies of Nanšalen with goat milk and herbs. While most Šilphadu are seasoned with herbs native to the hills, the cheese got its name from the šilphalim, a herb native to the Forbidden Plains that was commonly used as an aphrodisiac. The myth says that the Nanšan harpies used to give šilphadu to the bulwari merchants that traveled to Vainvi Yria.

Kogzallan Kemard

Originating in Kogzalla, Kemard is made from a blend of sheep, goat and cattle milk curdled using rennet before being boiled and garnished with extremely hot spices and salt. The cheese is a favorite of gnolls due to its meaty texture, and its high melting point allows it to be grilled or fried.

Akalšardum

(Bulwari: Royal Cheese or Cheese of Kings)

A type of Bulwari spiced cheese originating from Akalšes and the Naza Plain. Is a hard cow’s milk cheese often used for grating, but historically was used for feeding the royal armies of Akalšes due to their long-term storage. According to scholars the name “Cheese of Kings” was given by Araš VIII soldiers, since the king preferred Akalšardum (seen at the time as a cheese for the lowborn) over other types of cheese.

Chosen Slice

A Bulwari creation, the Chosen Slice is a prestigious cheese consumed by the Sun Elves.

Made from Gelkali Sheep milk, the cheese is coated in local wine and then left to ferment in herbal water for a period of one month. The cheese is then cut into medium sized wheels.

Every batch is strictly tested to make sure it has reached the perfect texture and taste. Any wheel that is considered inadequate is immediately discarded.

The perfect wheels are then supplied to the Sun Elven clergy so that they may enjoy an exquisite meal at the end of their day.

Eskuz

In a determined effort to not be outdone by their Gelkali cousins, the Kuzarami clans devoted themselves into crafting their own distinct cheese, said to be the color of purest white and sport holes artifically created to better represent Kuza, The cheese supposedly shines with the illuminating light that the body of Kuza herself displays. It is described by Calas Sina Cymaine as "A foodstuff made in the living image of the Dame Herself" after saying this to a local shepherd in public, Calas was chased out of Sad Kuz by an angry mob. Eskuz is made exclusively from the milk of the Kuzar goat, which the kuzarami insists gives far superior milk to the Gelkari Mountain Goat.

The cheese is brined in salt sourced from in the original recipe, either from Garlas Kel or Kuztanuz, however unlike the milk. Any salt is accepted and used for the brining. Upon the initial introduction of the cheese to their neighbors, the clans celebrated a "great success”  (seen ultimately in hindsight as a minor success) of the sale and popularity of Eskuz. Eskuz is upheld to this day as one of the greatest pieces of Kuzarami cuisine and dairy, only rivaled by the smooth and equally pure white Kuzarami yogurt. Both of which are forbidden from being eaten during the Lunar month until Kuzas light once again shined on the Kuz Mountains.

Betfaziya

This cheese is produced by the Surani people who inhabit the valleys of the Middle Dwarovar.  Betfaziya  is a variety of White Cheese and is particularly famed for its delicious taste, being a favorite amongst the merchants that follow the Golden Highway for both trade and consumption. This cheese is produced following two different methods, named brined betfaziya and naqta betfaziya. The naqta variant is produced more extensively.

Brined Betfaziya

The oldest of the two variants. The milk obtained from sheep or goats is strained into a receptacle of a convenient size and is fermented. The curd that forms is first mixed and broken with a spoon before being poured into a bag made of cloth. The liquid is drained off by applying pressure, and once the liquid matter in the raw cheese has drained away completely, the cheese in the bag is put into a mould of a convenient size on which weights are placed, and the mould is held for 2 hours. The cheese that is readied for consumption in this manner is salted if it is not to be consumed immediately, and after 4–5 days it is put into glass or earthen jars or tins full of brine for preservation.

This is a strong cheese whose preservation period can extend until the following production season, Surael willing.

Naqta Betfaziya

The curd obtained from the milk in the above-mentioned manner is transferred into bags and left to drain by applying pressure. It remains in this manner through a first maturation period of 10 days. At the end of this period, the raw cheese is reduced into tiny bits by passing it through a mincing machine. Salt content is adjusted and it is put once more into bags for a second period of maturation of 10 days under heavier weights.

The cheese that is taken from under pressure is packed into sacks or goat’s skin, left for a final period of maturation of 1.5–3 months in a cool environment, and offered for consumption afterwards.

It is said that this cheese was first made after the establishment of friendly relations with Seghdihr, and it is a tradition in both Azka-Sur and Seghdihr to have the final period of maturation take place in specially dedicated rooms in the hold itself, with the first batch of cheese being shared between the Surani family and the Dwarven clan that took part in its making in a proper banquet.

The Serpentspine Mountains

Rothé Green

Also known as Rothic Cheese or by most intelligent races as an "abomination".

This cheese was devised by the various cave goblins located in the Serpentspine. There is no single method to its creation, but all methods involve making the cheese from Rothé milk and then fermenting it in other substances. These substances range from simple vinegar to spider venom or some less pleasant things, the goblins make do with what they have.

Regardless of its ingredients, the cheese adopts a somewhat greenish hue and a very noticeable pungent odor that is extremely revolting to non-goblins. Other than consumption, some clever goblins use this cheese as a form of "mousetrap". Except all rodents in the vicinity choose to get as far away as possible from said cheese.

Q'visk

Q'visk is a traditional Mossmouth ogre cheese that is made by boiling fresh cows milk with swamp plant life found in the Serpents Vale. As the milk is boiling, a few drops of sap are added. The resulting lumps of cheese are then left outside in the swampy air for a night which results in solid and deeply pungent lumps that vary in taste depending on the exact plants used in the boiling process, ranging from very bitter to tasteless. Sadly this historical cheese died out with the swamp when the irrigation network was repaired.

Flamerith

Invented by Darkscale kobolds while they occupied Khugdihr along with their dragon god Nimrith, this cattle based cheese is quite intriguing.

The process of creating the cheese itself is fairly mundane. What is done after the cheese solidifies is another matter entirely. The Darkscales always seek to liken themselves to their god and this cheese is no different. The cheese is injected with various alchemical compounds designed to increase its resistance to fires. Then the cheese is skewered and placed over a firepit where it is slowly "cooked" as if its a hog on a spit. The cooking continues until the alchemical protections weaken and the cheese begins to heat up. This process usually takes days

The cheese is then removed from the skewer before it can properly melt and usually eaten immediately by the kobolds. The extremely hot cheese strangely enough does not harm the insides of the kobolds, which further strengthens their belief that they are getting closer to becoming dragons themselves. After the loss of Khugdihr and access to the surface, the kobolds switched to a Rothé based cheese. The heating process remained unchanged.

Rungi's Fruit

Cheese in the Eastern Dwarovar was very mediocre until the invention of Rungi's Fruit. It came to be when the Amethyst Dwarf, Rungi  fell into a barrel of Dwarovar Dark while enjoying a piece of Hold Hog cheese. As his fellow dwarves scrambled to help him out, he was quite distraught that his good cheese was still in the barrel. Moments later it floated to the surface.

Perhaps due to his exposure to all that Dwarovar Dark, Rungi did not use his hands. Instead he rammed his head into the barrel and caught the cheese with his mouth. The look of fulfillment on Rungi's face when he lifted his head could not be described. The dwarves later submerged some cheese into another barrel of Dwarovar Dark. The result was a very richly alcoholic and sweet cheese.

In honor of Rungi, the Amethyst Dwarves continued this practice of submerging cheese in Dwarovar Dark and then grabbing it with their mouths. The resulting game of cheese was widely popular in Hul-az-Krakazol where many barrels of Rungi's Fruit were set up in various inns. This led to an increase in drunken parties.

Zizmurr

Invented by the Darkscale Kobolds during their years in the Caves of the northern Serpentspine, the “Zizmurr”, or “the Black Wall” in common, is a round cheese, made from the milk of Rothê. While the initial creation of the cheese corpus remains mundane, it is during its solidification that the actual process of creating a Zizmurr begins. After reaching a certain inner and outer solidity, a form roughly in the shape of an 8 spoked wheel is driven into the cheese corpus, and used to divide it into 8 equal chunks of cheese.

These are then placed into a pan that was previously prepared, by coating the ground and sides with a thick, black paste, consisting of mushrooms, serpentbloom and various herbs, spread about 3 cm thick. (Many Kobold families have their own variants of this paste, using different mushrooms, herbs and other plants, leading to each families’ Zizmurr having a distinct taste compared to one another.)

Furthermore the chunks are placed at a distance of about 1.5 cm to each other, the resulting empty spaces are filled with more paste. Then a thin covering of cheese is spread over a corpus to seal it within the pan. After being thus prepared the Zizmurr is stored somewhere in the caves, and left to ferment for about 6 months to a year, depending on the families’ recipe.

At the end the result is a wheel of hard cheese, which for consumption and preservation is cut into the 8 smaller cheeses inside.

(Annotation: While not lethal, the mix of herbs, mushrooms and plants used in the paste, is not directly edible to some species and eating a Zizmurr must thus be performed with care, as any remnants of the paste could upset the stomach of the consumer, though they do offer a delectable taste in many cases.)

Blue Star

Blue Star, or Stirnbul in its original dwarven is perhaps one of the more peculiar cheeses an enterprising lover of cheeses might come across when traveling the Dwarovar. Hailing from the dwarven Hold of Dur-Vazathun, Stirnbul is a hard cheese, served in 1cm thick slices, together with bread or other condiments. The full process of how this cheese is made is not known, as it is carefully guarded by the odd astronomers that create it.

Under careful observation one might see small, fine blue specks across the cheese. These come from what seems to be a small amount of damestear dust sprinkled and mixed into the curd during the cheesemaking process, as well as blue mold that grows within the cheese.

Rumors of further particularities about the secrets of this unique cheese are as follows:

• Starlight is channeled into the cheese at night, via an array of mirrors carefully aligned onto the damestear specks; what effects this is meant to have are not known.

• Only astronomers that have observed the stars for a minimum certain amount of time may be involved in the creation process.

• Supposedly ingestion of the cheese in large quantities leads to side effects not far removed from mania, though how such amounts of this cheese are to be acquired are uncertain, as it is closely guarded and sold only in small amounts.

When it comes to the taste, Stirnbul is certainly among the strongest of cheeses, though surprisingly it does not smell accordingly, being more reminiscent of rock and stone, instead of cheese.

Rammed Sheets

Originating from Orlazam-az-Dihr, this cheese is used to supplement the traditional Orlazam Ram. The cheese itself is made from ewe's milk and various herbs found only on the surface to enrich its flavor. The cheese is then fermented in serpentbloom oil for a few days.

Then the cheese is "hammered" into sheets resembling the Ramsteel the hold is famous for. These sheets of cheese are then used to envelop the Roasted Ram. The heat from the freshly roasted ram would then melt the cheese surrounding it, letting it seep into the meat itself. Any leftover cheese would form a puddle below the ram, serving as a convenient "dipping sauce". Unfortunately with the loss of the hold, the creation of this cheese was lost amid attempts to replicate it have failed.

Magma Nuggets

A creation of the Basalt Dwarves of Gor Burad. This cheese, despite its origin, is widely popular in the Serpentreach. Obtaining it however is a different matter, you would need to convince a Basalt Dwarf on a good day to sell you some. As all dwarves know, finding a good natured Basalt Dwarf is like trying to find a diamond in fertilizer.

Essentially a rothé based cheese, it is mixed with various types of Serpentbloom including Firebuds. The cheese is then pasteurized with the natural heat of the volcano. After it cools down, other spicier types of serpentbloom are added to the mixture. Once the cheese is fully processed, it is cut into many small and irregular sized pieces. These pieces are then packaged into small leather pouches.

The resulting Magma Nuggets are then eaten as a leisurely snack by the dwarf. Most Basalt Dwarves keep a pouch on them at all times. This is perhaps due to the idea of being more angry while hungry, anger of which they already have in abundance.

Cube Cheese

Cube Cheese is a cheese originating in the Obsidian Legion. It isn't known exactly what creature the milk to make the cheese comes from, but Cube Cheese is cube shaped, and small enough for several to be carried in one hand. Cube Cheese tastes extremely bland, with some going so far as to claim it tastes like nothing at all. Nevertheless, the nutritional factor of the cheese, coupled with its low cost of production and small size, has made it very common amongst Obsidian Legion soldier's rations.

Father's Vengence

Not much is known about this cheese due to its origins. This is a cheese made from an unknown animal deep in the Primeval Serpentdepths by none other than the Obsidian Dwarves. The cheese is allegedly made by fermenting it in a runic circle of unknown characteristics for a year. The circle is maintained by a select few Runesmiths.

What small samples that were obtained from the invading Obsidian Legion were quickly placed in confinement. This is due to one non-obsidian dwarf exploding after eating one. The runic magic inside the cheese was too much for the dwarf to handle. It is believed that this cheese serves as a form of extremely potent "mana potion" for the Obsidian Dwarves. The irony in that it kills any non-Obsidian Dwarf that eats it is not lost on us considering its name.

The Gobblivion Ferments

A series of experiments on imported cheese would ultimately culminate on the Gobblivion Ferments. Since they lacked many of the surface animals that allowed for easy curd creation, the Artificers of the Underneath began a series of discombobulated experiments to enhance the flavor, texture, and most importantly, the delivery, of such wonderful cheeses. This would result in such wonderful creations, including "Gouda Gobbléans" (sold alongside its trademark "Cheeseapult"), as well as "Custard Gas" (which was marketed as a cheese, despite clearly not being a cheese).

Though these cheeses all bore the seal of Vez Udzenklan, it quickly became common knowledge that the Gobblivion Ferments were simply imported Cannorian cheeses loosely processed then sold at a steep markup. The cheese itself was vile, but the cheese delivery devices included in the sales were far beyond their time in mindless and decadent entertainment: catapults that delivered curds directly into your mouth, gaseous cheeses that could be inhaled like flavored air (which was also used as a torture device), and cheese confetti that had a nasty habit of getting stuck on your earlobes.

Chieftain's Honor

Originating from the Serpentspine, this invention of the Black Orcs has a much more practical application than other cheeses. The cheese itself is made from any nearby milkable animal. It is left to ferment for weeks in multiple Black Orcish spirits, grog being the most common.

This cheese is only eaten when the current chieftain is challenged to an Ozarm’Chadash. Both participants are expected to eat about a quarter wheel of Chieftain's Honor. Should either participant fail to remain standing after consumption, they are immediately declared the loser.  Otherwise the duel continues as normal.

It is believed that this tradition was only created recently as the Black Orcs attempt to adapt to a more civilized world. Reports indicate that the Ozarm’Chadashes of the past were strictly violent.

Frozen Might

Originating from the icey halls of Krakdhûmvror, this cheese is highly nutritious.

Back during the days of Aul-Dwarov the Quartz Dwarves were always fighting, whether it be against giants, trolls, goblins, and later orcs. This constant conflict is what led to the creation of this cheese. Made from sheep milk, the cheese is mixed with a myriad of herbs found around the Giant's Anvil. It is then fermented in a serpentbloom mixture made from a very specific serpentbloom plant found only within the Anvil.

The cheese itself is quite sour and is usually cut into small wheels and placed in each soldier's rations. It is extremely nutritious and a soldier can survive on a single cheese wheel for at least three days. With the loss of their surface outposts, the Quartz Dwarves' ability to make this cheese was severely hampered. It is now restricted to only commanders and above.

High King's Best

You would think this cheese originated from Amldihr but you would be wrong. This cheese was made by the Jade Dwarves of Grônstunad after proclaiming themselves as the new High King. The cheese was first made at the height of the Jade Empire using cow milk from Rahen. Access to Rahen meant they were not limited to Dwarovar ingredients. Multiple types of nuts are embedded into the cheese giving it a somewhat crunchy texture.

It is mainly served in the High King's Hall in Grônstunad, where the other Eastern Dwarf Kings congregated. It was later also used as gifts when trying to establish relations with the surface. With the fall of the East came the fall of this cheese as well. None of the surviving dwarves cared for it, it only reminded them of the stuck up Jade Dwarves. Thus it faded away along with the Jade Empire.

North Aelantir

Dalvatoblak

Dalvatoblak is a Brelari smoked cheese of some popularity in northern Dolindha and eastern Rzenta. It is made using salted unpasteurised Four-horned sheeps' milk, which is first turned into plain cottage cheese, rinsed with boiling water, and squeezed many times. Then the mass is pressed into wooden forms, traditionally well decorated and horn-shaped, and placed in brine for a couple days. Once it is done the cheeses are cured with smoke in a hut, where it is placed close to the ceiling so as to absorb more smoke, this process may take up to two weeks.

The cheese has a distinct salty and smoky taste with a hint of sourness, it is commonly enjoyed grilled accompanied by a berry marmalade or jam.

Urthid Modna

Urthid Modna is a cheese from Juzondezan, specifically the Ynn Urthid province which is famous ynn-wide for its dairy products. This cheese's production was started by Drozma Tur monks but it has since been spread among the common populace, though the cheese produced in the monasteries remains the more prized variety. Urthid Modna has a salty, spicy, and somewhat nutty flavor, it is firm in texture and comes in large aged wheels, 60 days at minimum though usually up to a year. Every Urthid Modna produced by the monks is branded with a dragon bearing a flower, distinguishing them from common varieties of the cheese.

Ynnkmanja

Produced in Rzentur, it is a soft, crumbly cheese produced from aurochs’ milk. It features an exceptionally mild flavor, and is typically used as a base for other dishes, or as a filling.

Vitresoln

It is a type of cheese originating in Vitresoln of the Ynn, but it is now used to more broadly refer to yellow cheeses in the Ynn. Most Ynnic yellow cheeses are mild, with no rind and featuring a consistently creamy texture. They are typically good melting cheeses, and it is common for it to be added as a sliced topping within or atop hot meals.

Dibe'no'ne Cheese

Dibe'no'ne Cheese is a fresh cheese produced by the Haraf’ne of House Hoila’kosu. Many herbs from the Desert of the Haraf are added throughout its creation process. It is popular throughout the western Haraf’ne population and the elites of the Tli’yam Kyin. Made out of four-eyed goat milk, it is known for its sweetness, smoothness and relatively weak taste. It often adorns dishes of fried cornbread, yucca petals and goat meat. Dibe'no'ne Cheese is especially popular during the Day of Bounty’s Choosing, being found in a vast majority of the festivities' delicious meals, both salty and sweet. The name "Dibe'no'ne" (of Dibe'no) comes from a popular Hoila'kosu legend, in which the founder of the Kinah, Dibe'no Hoila'kosu, provided the entire city of Tilsi'teàh with food, notably cheese, in 801 AA, the date of the first Day of Bounty's Choosing.

Corin's Rest

Corin's Rest is a cheese produced in Corinsfield. It's an aged hard cheese commonly sold in wheels, and has a rather bland flavor. What makes Corin's Rest notable isn't the cheese itself, but rather the wax that entombs it.

This wax is dyed a bright, fiery red; this is done by the use of Corinspoppies. The opium content of the Corinspoppy sap leeches into the wax and, after long periods of storage, bleeds into the cheese as well, giving it a distinctive pinkish hue. Therefore, for reasons that weren't known until studied by the chroniclers much later, the cheese produces a sedative effect on the consumer.

It's often eaten alongside deserts.

Cowboy's Grace

A cheese made of mare's milk, created by desperate Cannorian ranchers upon Epedna. These cheeses were often kept by cowboys as part of emergency food supplies, giving rise to the saying: "Milk a horse, save a cowboy". An old Dustman favorite, and considered an Aelantir essential classic.

Moczelen

Moczelen, or Swamp Green, is a type of brined cheese produced in Mocvare. It is known for its distinctive green crust of mold which forms once the cheese is brought out from the brine. The brine itself is prepared from the swamps of Mocvare. The cheese is soft and has a rich aroma with a sharp taste.

South Aelantir

Parahechend Cheese

Originating from the community of Parahechend in Taychend, it is a soft and young cheese produced from cow's milk. It features powdered chilis imported from the coast, and is generally consumed as a filling. It is visually distinct as a white cheese speckled with red.

Ungarhad

It is a cheese originating from the Larankhara highlands, from its namesake community. It is a semi-firm cow's milk cheese of moderate age, featuring a natural rind, then smoked with local woods. Given the propensity of locals towards strong flavors, it is typically smoked to a degree that many foreigners would find unpalatable. It is generally eaten alone, or with simple accompaniments.

Ebeneshi Cheese

Another cheese originating from the Larankhara highlands, it is generally aged for years at a time, and features a very low moisture content. It features a natural rind that is very hard, and is generally not consumed plainly. Given its exceptionally sharp flavor and richness, it is most commonly used to flavor larger dishes.

Devandi Keyolion Cheese

"Keyoli Cheese", produced in the city state of Keyolion; it is amongst the most sought after cheese types in both the Devand and in the home cities in Alecand. This cheese has a soft texture and is traditionally wrapped in sugar cane leaves when the process of fermentation is completed. It is often served with sugar sprinkled on top.

Taychendi Screaming Cheese

A soft salted goat cheese from the Lankara highlands that can either be eaten raw or, more commonly, cooked in a pan, where it gets the name ‘screaming cheese’, as when the cheese is fried it seems to scream.

Qyrígío Cheese

Qyrígío cheese is a very long lasting variety of cheese. This is the most common source of food for the Eltikani 'Hogriders' to take along with them in long, drawn-out wars. It is well known that every Eltikani Hogrider needs to knows how to make the cheese, along with the entire process by heart, it is usually served alongside or as a part of larger encompassing meals, and while not the best on its own, time after time this ingredient has made the day for many hungry Hogriders.

Port Kio Spiced Cashew Cheese

Created by a harpy nutritionist for those unable to tolerate traditional cheeses due to dietary or moralistic reasons. The Port Kio Spiced Cashew Cheese, sometimes referred to as "PoKio Pepper Cheese", "PoKio Spice Cheese", or simply "PoKio Cheese", is created from a base of blended cashews and nutritional yeast, then generally flavored using spices. The traditional spice blend includes black pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder.

Forbidden Plains

Fathide Maggot Cheese

Fathide maggot cheese is an infamous cheese originating from Maghargma. The ogre chef intentionally exposes the cheese to flies to lay their eggs in. Once the maggots hatch they will start continuously digesting the cheese, resulting in a very soft, even partly liquid, texture. While rejected as horrific by most other races in the region, the cheese became a hit among Maghargma's goblin immigrant community. After improved infrastructure was built through the Spider Tunnels, attempts have been made to spread the dish to the Allclan goblins as well, using imported flies from Maghargma. As goblins lack the strong stomach acids of the ogres, this has sometimes resulted in cases of goblins falling ill due to cheese maggots surviving and feeding inside the goblins intestines.

Great Pot Cheese

Great Pot Cheese is the name for a number of cheeses manufactured by the Garsvulshim, where aged goat cheese is cooked in large copper vats during the manufacturing process. The resulting flavor is typically much more buttery in consistency.

The cheese gets its name from the primary means by which it is consumed; traditionally melted together in a massive cauldron and augmented with fruits, nuts, and most commonly different types of alcohol. Each kelaktar in the Valley typically has its own traditional recipe.

Metsamic Bread Cheese

The Metsamic bread cheese gets its name from how it's baked until brown burn marks appear. It is then dried rock hard and stored for up to years at a time. When eaten, it is first softened up over the heat of a fire, resulting in a distinctive aroma. The cheese is said to make a squeaky noise when bitten into. Bread cheese is preferably made with the so-called "first milk" from an animal that has just calved, as this milk is seen as the most delicious. The Kukatodics make a similar cheese using reindeer's milk instead.

Butcher's Cheese

Likely one of the most popular varieties of cheese to leave the Ogre Valley, this cheese is defined by the addition of ground (usually cooked) organ meat into the cheese during production. Blood from the meat is also stirred in, giving the cheese a distinctive red coloration. The cheese itself typically has a very light flavor, and takes on the flavors of the chosen meat additive. Some makers will further add herbs and spices to the mix to enhance the flavor even further.

Haless

Mijiu Cheese/米酒酪

Mijiu cheese is a local variety of cheese produced in Yinquan; despite the extensive influence of Lingyuk over Yanshen, the dish never gained popularity elsewhere. Mijiu cheese is created by using the rice wine Mijiu as a souring agent for the milk. This creates a cheese that is not particularly alcoholic, but retains much of the strong taste of rice wine - this sweetness gives it a strange taste that does not stand on its own, but makes it a powerful seasoning. More than anything, this niche usage is probably why it never caught on elsewhere. It is known to be enjoyed by the Huli-Jing, who seem to have a tongue-in-cheek appreciation for the usage of alcohol in their cheese.

Kacang Merah Cheese

During the Year 1787 AA, the increase of cannorian goods is followed by a streak of "unique" creative liberties in Kuta. A cheesemaker had, combined Kacang Merah with traditional cannorian cheesemaking methods during a boring day, to produce what they call "Stinky Cheese" in Common. Kacang Merah are fruits found in the Lupulan Rainforest is described as, reddish, with spikes, and dumbbell shaped, with yellow fruit inside, that is said to have a revolting smell that could knock out a centaur.

It was known as "Kacang Merah", by its locals, and the fruit's flesh itself is said to be savory, yet sweet. The taste itself can be described as an improvement over both the fruit and the cheeses of its time, as the cheese blended well with the fruit itself, producing some of richest savory and sweet tastes over any other cheese. Most people chose not to eat the cheese though, due to the stinky odor, but those who do, would claim it to be the best cheese in Halann. In the year since, it has been used in other cheese based dishes, to both the delight and dismay of cannorians.

Whale Cheese/鲸奶酪

Whale Cheese, also known as Feiten Cheese, is a byproduct of Feiten thriving whaling industry, that uses every part of the hunted whales: oil, bones, meat, skin… and milk. Indeed, while female whales that are pregnant or with small calves are usually spared due to fishing regulations, it sometimes happens that one of them is killed by mistake.

The oldest fishermen and fisherwomen are then tasked with harvesting the milk – up to fifty gallons per whale ! - and processing it on the spot in any available bucket or crate. After hardening for one or two days, the whale cheese are usually unmolded, cut into smaller pieces of about a pound and piled up in a corner of the deck, exposed to the sun, foam and spray due to the lack of a dedicated storage in the fishing boats.

Because of the sun and sea water, whale cheese is hard and has a strong and very salty taste. It is often eaten cut in thin slices with bread and smoked or salted meat. It’s seen as a delicacy in all stratas of Feiten society despite its somewhat high price and rarity. Because it can be kept for a long time, it is especially popular amongst fishermen and fisherwomen.

Naaipo/Maai Pho/奶帛

Naaipo is a cheese originating from the western Yanshen town of Bianyuan. Naaipo and its Kai name Maai Pho both mean Milk Silk. This name was derived from its unique shape, resembling a rolled-up creamy white fabric. During its production, curd blocks are kneaded by hand into chunks, pulled into thin slices, and air-dried on wooden frames. The mild, sweet cheese is consumed in a variety of ways. In Bianfang, Naaipo is generally eaten straight as a snack or military ration. The Kai people fry their Maai Pho with fresh Phokhao bamboo shoots and ham. The elves of Azkare mix them with tea. Naaipo is the manifestation of cultural diversity at the crossroad of civilization at the heart of Haless.

Fürin-süünn/Dahruu/Ttaeuyu/打乳

Fürin-süünn is a Shuvüüshudi cheese made with any milk available to the maker. The exact recipes differ from tribe to tribe, household to household, depending on what milk is available to them. The only fixed material was a large amount of terror bird egg white. Its name, which means "beaten milk" in the Shuvüüshudi language, comes from its unique curing process: the curd was fermented in cleaned terror bird gizzards, which were put in a bag hanging on the door frame of yurts. According to tradition, guests were supposed to hit that gizzard with their fists once when visiting the yurt to intimidate face-stealing spirits that followed them. When the tribe moved, these bags were either tied below bird saddles for the same effect during a day of riding. It can be soaked in tea or soup at mealtime to soften before eating or as a snack to meet the herders' need for calorie replenishment during a full day of herding. Neighboring sedentary people adopted it into their cuisine. People in the border town of Jiangmok called it Dahruu, replacing egg white with yolk, and stuffed them in steamed buns. In Ondeog, it was known as ttaeuyu, often beaten with wooden hammers and sauteed with sweet barleys.

Yanszinlau/烟心酪

The densely populated Yanszin region is the breadbasket of Yanshen. Its agriculture was based on buffalo, thus leading to a tradition against slaughtering or exporting this sturdy livestock. Facing agricultural involution and shortage of arable land, many peasants and tenant farmers discovered an alternative source of income: buffalo cheese. They mixed vinegar and salt with buffalo milk to solidify the milk protein, then molded it into a disc shape and fermented it in a porcelain jar with brine. The outcome is a fresh cheese with a soft texture, and a mild salty-sweet taste, pairing perfectly with porridge or chow mein. Spreading across Yanshen by river trade, it was known as "Yanszinlau" (Yanszin Cheese) to outlanders. However, in Yanszin, it is just  "the Cheese", the humble but proud cuisine that saved countless children of Yanszin from malnutrition.

Sarhal

Framozymbo

Also known as Vyzemby dog cheese is a Vyzemby cheese made traditionally Mboala halflings, however thanks to trade you can buy it everywhere on the Summer Isle. Made from a milk from a special breed of dog specifically bred for this purpose, however normal wardogs can be used too but generally produces an inferior product.

It is known for its sweet and sour flavor. The cheese is very popular all over the isles and considered a luxurious dish amongst Amezatany nobility.

Tijarikheti Attatan

Though used by the Tijarikheti to mean any noodle dish, attahan is mostly used in Common to refer to a specific dish characterized by small tube-shaped sorghum noodles and a sauce composed of sheep's or cow's milk, salted goat or more rarely buffalo cheese, and butter. A local variety of mushroom, the gnoll’s fur mushroom, is often added as well, though sometimes this is replaced by shredded chicken meat.

Yamokian Eyib

A light, creamy cheese made from the milk of the domesticated rhinos of Hisost Yamok. Eyib is made by boiling fresh milk and introducing citrus juice to separate the curds and whey before being drained and allowed to cool. The end product is often mixed with cream and served alongside spicy food.

Ibtat Rosuthalum

Also known as “Kheteratan Salt Cheese”. A cheese originating from the island of Ibtat. Made from cattle milk farmed since ancient times, it is hardened in an ocean brine solution for hardening, letting the sea water evaporate after it hardens, creating an almost crystalized shell. The shell is usually cut from the cheese, though some gourmands say the salt rind adds a special flavor to local stews that is missing from substituting other cheeses.

Glits’Semayi

The Pegosi highlanders, masters of their rugged lands, turned milk of their shaggy oxen into treasures coveted by neighboring kingdoms. Their milk, rich and pure, was made into rare cheeses that matured like fine wine, prized for their flavor and healing properties. It is whispered that the fabled Glits’Semayi cheese, reserved solely for the high priests of Amilak, bestows divine revelations upon those who partake, unveiling the secrets of the heavens and the ancient mysteries.

Rahen

Haripaw

A favorite of the Royal Harimari in the Raj. Haripaw is made from cow milk that is pasteurized and then left to ferment in local Raheni spices near a high temple. It is believed that the placing it near a High Temple is mostly a religious practice and does not actually impact the texture or flavor. Regardless, the Harimari insist that it is divine.

After fermenting for a period of two weeks, the cheese is taken back to the city. It is there that is cut not with knives, but with a Harimari's own claw. The cheese is then served to the various ministers along with various drinks as they go about their business in the many halls of the Raj.

Reghanami

Reghanami is a semi-soft cheese of Ghankedheni origin. It is prepared by sun-drying the curds from full fat milk until it is dry on the outside but still moist on the inside. Reghanami can be eaten cold like any other cheese; however, it is most often served hot after sauteing it using its own fat.