Lore:Imperial Cuisine

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Imperial cooks approach food the same way they face the rest of life: in a straightforward and proud manner. As shrewd diplomats and traders, they stock their larders with many of the best ingredients Tamriel has to offer. Cyrodiil's central location in Tamriel, paired with its wealth and power, assures that the Imperials eat well from a variety of meats, vegetables, and spices from across the continent. There are many culinary texts written about Imperial cuisine of particular regions such as the Niben Watershed. A high class Imperial feast will typically follow a set selection of courses. The first course may consist of introductory savories meant to enliven the palate while the second may consist of fish based dishes. As is custom the fish course is followed by a course of vegetables. Up next is a course of grain based dishes, this is typically the last course in less wealthy households who don't readily have access to meat and poultry. Otherwise, the fifth course will consist of game and poultry which is then followed by the main meat course. Finally, the penultimate course is made up of desserts and the feast is ended with a final course of digestifs such as cheeses and nuts.

Baked Goods

Name	Description	Image
Bread	Bread is eaten widely by Imperials in loaves and other forms such as bread rolls with butter and cream. During the observation of "Saint Coellicia's Fast" it is tradition for only a single spoonful of crumbs to be eaten.
Crumpets	Crumpets with tea are known to be eaten in Anvil.
Eidar Cap	In order to prepare Eidar Cap one must hollow out a bread loaf, melt Eidar cheese in a pot, and pour it inside the bread. Once it is prepared one can dip the bread inside and eat it there, or let it cool and consume it whole afterwards.
Wafers	Religious wafers are eaten by Imperials to signify the end of a fasting period.

Cheeses

Name	Description	Image
Blue Cheese	A type of cheese eaten in Cyrodiil.
Cheddar	A type of cheese eaten in Cyrodiil.
Lacquerweb Cheese	Before curds are poured into molds, a web of spun sugar is painstakingly built within them. This shape resembles something like the blood vessels of a creature, and each of its branches are hollow. The curds are poured in and when the cheese is sufficiently hardened a most piquant vinegar is poured into the web. The web dissolves and the cheese is left with remarkable veins of flavor throughout. Known to be served with bay leaves.
Marble Cheese	A type of cheese eaten in Cyrodiil.
Melonrind Cheese	Firm and crumbly, this cheese is named for the curious pockmarking that occurs on the rind after two years of aging.
Olroy Cheese	A rare type of cheese produced in Southern Cyrodiil. It is described as being extremely aromatic.
Sheep's Cheese	Cheese made from sheep milk is known to be produced in Skingrad.

Desserts

Cheydinhal is famous for its thirty-layered cakes. It was once customary for High end Imperial banquets to end with two courses of desserts. It eventually became more popular to end a meal with just one however.

Name	Description	Image
Colovian War Tortes	A torte originating from the Colovian Highlands.
Date and Berry Cake	This dish is served with a frosting of sugared cheese. The cheese is woven in intricate and beautiful knots upon the cake's surface.
Fireberry Tartlets	Fireberry tartlets are tarts that are folded in such a way that they can be held and eaten without fear of leakage or soiled garments.
Nord Milk	Despite the name, this dish has nothing to do with Nords. Rather, chefs induce milk into a frozen, semi-solid state that is among the most delightful confections one can enjoy. However, it is only available to the extremely privileged given the expense that goes into creating it.
Roasted Beehives	Entire beehives filled with honey may be served with cinnamon after being gently roasted in an oven.
Stewed Plums	This dish is served with cream. The plums may be replaced with other fruits.
Sweetcake	A type of cake that is commonly eaten across Cyrodiil.
Yogurt	Yogurt made of goat's milk is known to be eaten in the West Weald.

Fruits and Vegetables

Name	Description	Image
Almfingers	This dish uses ovens of Akaviri design to puff saltrice grains to several times their size, which gives them a peculiar honeycomb-like texture. Honey mixed with mustard is placed in a bowl, allowing the diner to coat their hands in the sticky sauce, then in puffed saltrice. The puffed saltrice and sauce are then licked off the hand.
Apples	Apples are commonly grown and eaten by Imperials.
Beet Risotto	A dish of rice cooked in stock, in Bravil it is made with a beet stock.
Blackberry	Blackberries are grown by Imperial farmers. They also grow wild in the West Weald.
Corn	Imperial farmers grow corn as a crop. It is eaten on the cob with seasonings. It is also baked into bread or made into a corn and millet chowder.
Cyrodiil Citrus	Cyrodiil Citruses are tangy, thick-skinned oranges that have been a staple of Cyrodilic cuisine since time out of memory. The toughness and long shelf life make them a perfect addition to Imperial Legion rations.
Eyes of Mara	Eyes of Mara are balls of seasoned rice filled with a grape must. They are normally a confection for children.
Garlic Carrots	In Nibenay, carrots are often served seasoned with garlic.
Garlic Radishes	In the city of Kvatch, radishes seasoned with garlic are a common dish.
Ground Nuts	Ground nuts are served as a digestif after a meal.
Imperial Mushroom Sauce	This mushroom sauce has its origins in the outlying regions from which the auxiliary soldiers of the Imperial Legion are drawn, what was once a simple country dish has become a favorite staple on the tables of even Imperial Legion generals.
Kelp Fritters	Kelp fritters are made from tough kelp harvested from the islands of the Topal Bay. The kelp is steeped in tea for days to soften the leathery texture, then dredged in flour and then folded in the manner learned from bookmakers. It is then dipped in beaten egg and covered in breadcrumbs before being dipped in lard. The result is a complex assortment of textures. A crisp outer coating, chewy middle layers, and creamy inner ones. They are served with an aioli made of truffle oil.
Leeks	Leeks are used as an ingredient in soups.
Melon Salad	A fruit salad made from melons, in Bravil it is seasoned with garlic.
Niben Braids	Noodles prized for their length with some being over nine feet long. May be served in a sauce of stewed herbs.
Pears	Pears are eaten across Cyrodiil.
Pumpkin Fritters	Fried snacks made with pumpkin. In Cyrodiil they are also made with millet grain.
Red Almonds	Red Almonds are seen as a sign of good fortune. These nuts, which must pass through the digestive tract of certain badgers, are slow to mature in flavor and thus difficult to acquire.
Strawberries	Strawberries are grown by Imperial farmers. They also grow wild in the West Weald.
Stuffed Banana Leaves	Banana leaves are sometimes served with a filling of millet grain and various greens.
Truffles	Truffles are known to be eaten and made into oil.
Umber Persimmons	This sweet fruit is often eaten on its own. The pith of the fruit can be pounded flat with a mallet and lightly brushed with garlic oil.

Meat and Fish

Name	Description	Image
Bats	Bats are frequently eaten across Blackwood's marshes. For many local fisherfolk, they represent an abundant source of meat when fishing is poor. Netted bats are skewered and roasted whole while being basted in a yogurt sauce and topped with chopped nuts.
Beaver Tails	Beaver Tails are rolled in flour and fried.
Dolphin Calf	Dolphin calf simmered in the milk of its mother is an Imperial perversion of a popular Nord feast, which similarly simmers a calf in the milk of a mare, though it is done with cattle, not dolphin. The richness of this dish cannot be overstated, as both the flesh of dolphin and the milk they produce are denser than any creature of the land.
Dormice	Known to be eaten by Imperial nobles, where the dormice are fattened on a diet of goose fat to the point that, when eaten, even the bones of these creatures dissolves on the tongue.
Cured Eggs	Chicken eggs are buried and cured in clay for months before being roasted in salt coals. Certain techniques can be used to turn these eggs into large egg puffs, a satisfying and aromatic dish.
Jellied Beaks	Beaks softened in brine before being made into an aspic and served with a cream sauce.
Jugged Animals	Jugging is when an animal has been left to stew for a period of time in a jug or other container, either in its own blood or other ingredients, often a combination of both. In Bruma, rabbits are commonly used for this cooking technique.
Loaf of Tongue	This is primarily a noble dish that is assembled from the tongues of whatever creatures suit the household, for example, duck tongues. It is served with a green sauce of mint and chervil.
Lobsters	Lobsters are eaten in a variety of ways, such as in stews or on their own as a meal.	Lobster stew Lobster meal
Marrow and Tendons	This dish is a favorite of the Imperial nobility. It fuses the culinary traditions of Imperial cuisine with Akaviri influence, particularly in the seasoning and preparation of the tendons, which are dipped in ox bones as implements for scooping marrow.
Milt	Milt from live mudcrabs is eaten by Imperials. While roe-laden female crabs are suitable for a pauper's table, nobles preferred to sup on the rich and milky milt of male crabs.
Mudcrab Fries	Potato fries made with mudcrab meat. On the Gold Coast of Cyrodiil this dish is served with melon.
Niben Pike Stuffed with Creamed Sorrel	This dish is a classic example of Niben river cuisine. Stuffing a fish with sorrel and other herbs is a common method of preparation. At his infamous feast, Emperor Brazollus served this dish with a twist: the pike was baked in a saffron crust.
Octopus	Octopus is eaten on its own and in pies by Imperials in Blackwood.	Octopus pie Octopus meal
Oysters	Oysters are served alive in their shell and shucked tableside. In traditional Niben fashion, diners use garnishes of olive brine in addition to a wine reduction fortified with minced onion.
Rats	Rats are known to be eaten by Imperials. There was an attempt to create a rat-themed menu in the Cyrodilic city of Leyawiin. The restaurant was quickly shut down by the local guards, and its owner was forcibly expelled from the settlement, dishes they were known to serve include: Deep-Fried Rat Lemon Rat and Wild Rice Rat Flambe Rat Necrom with Bonemeal Gravy Rat Ragu with Powdered Deer Penis Rats in a Cream Sauce	Roasted Rat
Reman's Pottage	A pottage made from the eyes of ducks.
Roast Boar	Boar meat prepared by roasting.
Roasted Camel	Roasted camel may be found at Imperial feasts. One extravagant method of preparation involves stuffing the whole camel with lamb, stuffing the lamb with chickens, then the chickens with eggs, with the eggs coated in nuts and having the whole dish spiced with cinnamon.
Roast Turkey	The meat of a large bird which is roasted before serving. In Colovia it is cooked alongside tomatoes and millet.
Saints	One historical practice among the Imperials involved the disinterring of Imperial saints who's skeletal remains where then ground and used as an ingredient. However, this practice of "saint-eating" was banned in the late First Era.
Senche Heart Fillets	The heart of a senche cut into fillets, often served with sugar cane. It is described as being tender when prepared.
Shepherd's Pie	This dish is eaten across Cyrodiil.
Slaughterfish Pie	A flour crusted pie with a filling consisting of slaughterfish meat and various greens.
Stuffed Piglet	A young swine filled with a stuffing of grapes and radish before serving.
Stuffed Swan	A dish served at grand feasts that is stuffed with a variety of fillings.
Topal Garnetbeak	Topal Garnetbeak was a common feature of noble tables. Most often, these creatures were drowned in fortified wine. They were plucked immediately before serving, and diners ate these creatures whole, typically with cloths draped over their heads. Ostensibly this was to trap the vapors of the wine, but in truth, it was to contain the viscera and juices that often violently ejected from the bird as it was eaten. Years of this practice have left the Topal garnetbeaks extinct.

Drinks

Name	Description	Image
Amber Ale	An ale not uncommon in Colovia, it is brewed from wheat and enjoyed mixed with metheglin.
Beer	Beer is made with fermented grains. It is very common in Cyrodiil, where it is produced by fermenting starch.
Bitter Barley Beer	Originating in Bravil, this barley beer is flavored with bittergreen and ginger.
Colovian Brandy	An expensive Imperial brandy made in Colovia.
Cyrodilic Brandy	An expensive, but invigorating and stimulating alcoholic beverage with few unpleasant side effects. It is made in Cyrodiil and exported across Tamriel.
Fifth Legion Porter	Named for one of the Imperial Legions, This wheat beer is flavored with rose and ginseng.
Flin	An expensive and stimulating Cyrodilic whiskey popular in Morrowind. It has few unpleasant side effects. The flin trade is profitable and managed by the East Empire Company.
Ginger Beer	Imperials brew a yeasty ginger beer, popular in Colovia.
Grenache	A red wine. Imperials in Kvatch have a unique spin on the style, blending it with coffee and seaweed for an energizing beverage.
Imperial Stout	Named for the race that brews it, this stout beer is made from barley and guarana which is then blended with metheglin.
Kvass	An alcoholic beverage made from fermented rye bread. Imperials make a red kvass flavored with rose and acai berry.
Mead	Mead (also called Nord Mead, or Honey Wine by the Altmer) is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey and water, alternatively with molasses, and sometimes strained with mashed grains. It is a very popular drink that can be found primarily in the province of Skyrim, but it can also be seen across the continent of Tamriel, as brewing is the basis of any culture. Mead is very popular among the Nords of Solstheim, who usually import it from mainland Skyrim. Meaderies across the provinces have their own ingredients and recipes, mixing in their own spices and fruits like Juniper Berries.
Mint Chai	Chai tea brewed from mint leaves. Imperials sometimes add acai berries to a cup as well.
Mulled Wine	Popular with Imperial Legionaries stationed in Skyrim, this drink was invented when an enterprising garrison cook in the region sought to whip up a hot drink to ward off the cold. It is made by heating up wine, herbs, spices, and cinnamon in a pot.
Muscat	A style of red grape wine common in Skingrad where it is also made with comberries.
Shadowbanish Wine	Shadowbanish Wine is a notoriously rare collection of wine that was made for the Imperial Legion throughout Cyrodiil. The magic imbued in the wine gifted the drinkers with night eye, for late-night surveillance on cold nights. In 2E 582, the Shadowbanish Vintners was a group active in the Interregnum who held wine-tasting parties in Trader's Cove. In 3E 433, a wine collector from Weye tasked an adventurer to find the last of the wine in the various ruins throughout Cyrodiil. These locations span across the province, from Fort Grief to Fort Vlastarus. Eventually, six bottles of Shadowbanish Wine were recovered and added to the collection.
Sherry	A style of white wine. A type produced in Cheydinhal is made with honey.
West Weald Wallop	A tincture from western Cyrodiil, it is made from grapes and acai berries before being clarified with isinglass.
White Merlot	Though typically a red wine variety, the Surrilie Brothers of Skingrad make a white merlot flavored with ginkgo and lemon.

Spices

Imperial artists produce ivory spice shakers in stylized shapes of Imperial Knights.

Name	Description	Image
Cardamom	Cardamom is made into a syrup for use on desserts.
Cinnamon	Cinnamon lends itself to many Imperial dishes.
Imperial Seasoning	Imperial seasoning is used by Imperial troops and their regiment cooks. It is a unique combination of savory flavors. Its bright citrus profile is lent by the coriander. It is used on vegetables and fish.
Rubyblossom Extract	Rubyblossom extract is a rare and robust sweetener that is used in Cyrodilic confections. It was originally cultivated by Nibenese alchemists.
Tarragon	A spice available in Cyrodiil.

Soups and Stews

Name	Description	Image
Beef Noodle Soup	A soup enjoyed in Colovia, it is made from beef and tomatoes cooked together with flour noodles.
Cabbage Soup	In the city of Skingrad a soup made from seasoned cabbage is often found.
Cioppino	A fish stew made with pumpkin and corn. Supposedly popular with the Potentates of the Second Empire.
Fricasseed Fawn	A stew made with meat cooked in stock. In this recipe the meat of a young Deer is used. Nibenese cooks include apples and greens in their versions of this dish.
Pottage	A typical Imperial pottage consists of legumes or pulses simmered in broth.

Notes

• Topal Garnetbeak bears many similarities to the real-life ortolan bunting. Just as described in The Feast of Saint Coellicia, these birds were drowned in wine, roasted, plucked, and consumed whole, and diners would traditionally wear a napkin over their heads while eating them.

Gallery

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  Silver gravy boat from Leyawiin

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  Plate and cutlery from Leyawiin

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  Imperial kitchen (Castles)