Perra Berries are an essential part of every day life in Oraspire. They are vine-growing fruits that typically have thin skin, and sweet, juicy flesh. They range widely in size from the Kliwa, as small as a pea, to as large as a chicken egg with the Mattui. Coloration can vary, though most are bluish purple. Green, Teal, Red, and yellow varieties are not uncommon, but black and gold are exceptionally rare. While most are sweet, and/or sour, with a bitter tannin touch, others have been known to be savory, buttery, even herbal or floral. It is nearly more productive to say what they don't taste like. As Montessian Saverr once said "There be a berry for every taste one might crave. I could have you sample a new kind every day for a year and there would still be many yet to be experienced."
Their uses are as simple as being eaten off the vine, to used in massive array of food, beverages, and alcohol, even fuels and natural dyes. Nearly every culinary tradition on Oraspire uses perra berries, or at the very least perra wine. They are native to the Mokuri Forest, but spread quickly across the northern continent of Makio with the rise of the Datheq Empire.
They were the first to refine the process of making wine from perra berries, and cultivated several varietals to meet different tastes. So essential was the perra in Datheq culture that they planted fields in nearly every settlement, even developing hardier species that could survive the brisk cold of the Falle Mountains, and the Vintara peninsula in the far north. Perra wine was shared at every meal, and considered by the fifth Datheq Emperor to be the singular reason for the Empire's greatness. Though the Datheq Empire fell a decade later, love of wine and perra spread throughout the world through trade and cultural exchanges. The philosopher Kadenwel was said to begin every morning with a bowl of Ambro perra berries as it “lightened the mind and spirit as to the colors of the cosmos.” Kadenwel was always more of a poet than he was a philosopher.
Perra has always been an important trade good for Vona, since many of the most desirable varietals can only grow in the Mokuri Gap. Perra wine, and in the last century, brandy, is essential for every family dinner, every celebration, every cold winter night, every occasion spent with friends. Roasted Perra Berries, especially of the more hearty varieties, are a particularly popular breakfast, or dessert. Perra Syrup is as ubiquitous as Jevia Sap and Honey as a sweetener. Perra jam is nearly required to enjoy a good bread. In whatever form it takes, it is quite impossible to imagine life in Vona, much less Oraspire without what Haloix the Seer called "Beads of Bliss." in his poem of the same name.
Beads of Bliss,
Blue and serene,
Tastes in facets,
Fill one's heart,
With earnest passions.
Thank You!
Let me know what you thought about this article in the comments, or on social media! I hope it brought a smile to your face and helped you learn a little more about the vast world of Oraspire! Please share it in any way you can, and spread the love!