BANU CUISINE
Banu Cuisine refers to the common methods by which Banu prepare their food for consumption. Because of the scarcity of records on Banu history due to their cultural practice of not documenting the events of the past, little is known about the origins of their food preparation methods. In addition, their vast trade network, love of experimentation, sensitive palates, and ability to digest almost anything have led Banu to integrate ingredients and cooking techniques from other cultures into their cuisine over time. There are nevertheless distinct traits that are typical of Banu cooking. Most crucial are the melding of many flavors and textures in a dish, the importance placed on utilizing the entirety of each ingredient in a meal, and the taboo on food waste.CUSTOMS
Typically, Banu have one big meal that is eaten alongside other members of their Souli, and then snack throughout the day. The meal is expected to be a show of abundance, with more food than can be eaten in one sitting. Using their hands, each Banu will take food from the display and place it on plates for ease of mixing constituent parts of the meal to personal taste. The meal is then eaten while sitting partially reclined.At the end of a meal, the remaining food is left out, and Banu will come back to it during their work shifts to pick up snacks and maintain their energy. Any food left at the end of the day is then added to the onjussuæ, or "all-flavor" stew, a dish that is featured at almost every big meal and is normally eaten as an appetizer. It isn't unusual for a Souli to keep a simmering pot of onjussuæ that is rarely emptied all the way, and is replenished with liquid and ingredients as needed. If properly maintained, onjussuæ can be perpetually cooked for decades.
Serving utensils are not common; food that cannot be grasped is scooped with personal plates or cups that individual Banu are expected to bring to the table. These plates often have handles attached and are wide, round, and slightly bowled so that flavors can mingle at the bottom. Banu take pride in using beautifully decorated plates and cups.
THE NINE TASTES
Banu have a very sensitive palate and can detect a wide range of flavors. When filling their plates at the family meal, they seek a balance of what they refer to as biki ndzotayu, or the Nine Tastes: salty, savory, sweet, pungent (acidic/spicy), bitter, hot, cold, soft, and crunchy. The more tastes included in a single bite of a dish, the better it is. One example of this is ofasa, a popular fried treat and staple of Banu food markets. The outside is hot and crunchy, the inside is soft and cool, the ibifissa meat is sweet and salty, and the angafede is bitter and pungent. Having all nine flavors in one bite is seen as efficient and is highly prized.FOOD WASTE TABOO
Banu do not have a notion of food waste. Whereas Humans will peel an orange before consuming it, Banu will eat the entire thing, savoring the bitter rind as a part of the experience. A Xi'an will discard the hard shell of a klom.e'a, but a Banu diner will leave it on, enjoying the mouthfeel of crunchy chitin breaking apart against soft, sweet flesh. It is seen as extremely inefficient and wasteful not to use the entirety of all ingredients. If any part of an ingredient doesn't work in a particular meal, it is saved for later and used elsewhere.FOOD AND EATING SOULIS
There is a prevailing cultural attitude that things made by expert artisans are superior to anything that can be made by a hobbyist, and this includes meals. Outside of the maintenance of the pot of onjussuæ, there is a strong preference among Soulis to procure ready-made or easily reheatable meals and snacks from Food Soulis, which specialize in making a handful of dishes designed to produce maximum flavor efficiency and very little waste. These meals are either delivered or picked up at large markets.Some Soulis have been known to indenture Banu from recently-dissolved Food Soulis to keep everyone fed. Larger Soulis will typically form partnerships with Food Soulis to keep all their members fed, whereas small Soulis will have their members procure food on a rotating basis and contribute to the pantry. It is considered a caring gesture for Banu to pick up a treat for their fellow Souli members and add it to the pantry. Essosouli are expected to provide their members with especially nice food from time to time, particularly if it has been sourced from distant locations.
Dining out is very popular among Banu. Eating Soulis operate public dining halls where they prepare and serve freshly-made food, generally buffet-style. Members of Soulis that have signed long-term contracts with Eating Soilis are among their most common guests, but most will welcome individual paying customers as well. Just as Banu bring their own plates to their meals at home, they are expected to do this at Eating Soulis. Those who come to an Eating Souli without a plate can often purchase one from a nearby Dishware Souli. Rarely, an Eating Souli will keep emergency plates in stock, but having to use one is seen as uncouth.