Summary[]
A batch of freshly ground ryjher
Ryjher spice, or "ryjher", is a common spice found on Heptin that is used for culinary purposes and as a preservative. Due to the sweltering tropical temperatures on the planet, locally-sourced preservatives are a valuable commodity. While more advanced Keonic nations and colonies have access to electrical power in order to freeze foodstuffs, many ex-com and remote non-Keonic settlements rely on Ryjher for preserving food in bulk. In order to make the spice, the semi-soft cataba of the plant's fruit is sun dried and then ground into powder. When mixed into water, the spice forms a viscous paste. Foods dipped into this paste and set out to dry are perfectly preserved in a ryjher casing when the paste hardens. This casing can later be broken open when the food is ready to eat.
Ryjher fruits on the vine
Biology:[]
The spice is harvested from the Ryjher plant's fruit, or more accurately the seed of the fruit. Ryjher plants grow as parasitic vines, wrapping around the trunks and branches of trees to reach sunlight. These vines produce large, round fruits. The spice is found in the large pip-like formation in the center of the fruit called a cyrisi. While the hard external husk of the cyrisi is useless, the semi-soft interior called the cataba is the real gem. The cataba is the part that is dried and ground up to form ryjher. The rest of the fruit is edible.
Distribution and management:[]
Ryjher is most commonly found around the equatorial regions of Heptin due to the hotter temperatures bringing higher levels of vine growth which the plant requires for survival. While it is found in most regions of Heptin, distribution thins out towards the coastal regions.
While Ryjher is common enough and is often an unremarkable sight it does play an important role in preserving meats for non-Keonic communities and ex-coms who have scarcer access to electricity and modern methods of food preservation. Since the Fall of Kynon, even many Keonic colonies have been forced to rely on ryjher due to the sudden influx of citizens. Across the multiplex, it has become one of the most popular culinary spices and is one of Heptin’s largest exports.