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Lore:Imperial Cuisine

< Lore: Imperial / Cuisine

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.

CheesesEdit

Name Description Image
Olroy cheese A rare type of cheese produced in Southern Cyrodiil. It is described as being extremely aromatic.

DessertsEdit

Cheydinhal is famous for its thirty-layered cakes.

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.
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.
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.
Sweetcake A type of cake that is commonly eaten across Cyrodiil.

Fruits and VegetablesEdit

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.
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.
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.

Melon Salad A fruit salad made from melons, in Bravil it is seasoned with garlic.
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.
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 FishEdit

Name Description Image
Bats Bats are frequently 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.
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.
Roast Turkey The meat of a large bird which is roasted before serving. In Colovia it is cooked alongside tomatos and millet.
Slaughterfish Pie A flour crusted pie with a filling consisting of slaughterfish meat and various greens.
Shepherd's Pie This dish is eaten across Cyrodiil.
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.

DrinksEdit

Name Description Image
Bitter Barley Beer Originating in Bravil, this barley beer is flavored with bittergreen and ginger.
Amber Ale An ale not uncommon in Colovia, it is brewed from wheat and enjoyed mixed with metheglin.
Sherry A style of white wine. A type produced in Cheydinhal is made with honey.
Fifth Legion Porter Named for one of the Imperial Legions, This wheat beer is flavored with rose and ginseng.
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.
White Merlot Though typically a red wine variety, the Surrilie Brothers of Skingrad make a white merlot flavored with ginkgo and lemon.
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.
West Weald Wallop A tincture from western Cyrodiil, it is made from grapes and acai berries before being clarified with isinglass.

SpicesEdit

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

Name Description Image
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.

Soups and StewsEdit

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.

NotesEdit

  • 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.

GalleryEdit

ReferencesEdit