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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11809 Posts |
 Posted - 08 Feb 2017 : 13:41:14
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Just had a weird thought. Could research against our own real world history, but I'm not feeling it.
I know simple glassware (like mason jars) wasn't common yet in the realms in the mid 1300's. However, I'm betting they had already developed simple methods for making preserves. I'm thinking about having glassware similar to what we used maybe 200 years ago available over in Maztica / Katashaka now. By that I mean simple clear glass jar, simple flat tin lid with a little rubber seal, and some kind of cheap metal contraption made to fit around the top of the jar and "hook" in place on the two sides and push down on the tin lid. I'm thinking this isn't a far cry, and may already be in use in the realms except for the possible lack of rubber (though other people may use some other kind of sealer).
Secondarily, how big of a deal do you think it would be to make some of the current types of cereals given grain, corn meal, etc... I'm picturing things like apple jacks, fruit loops, etc... made with syrups from actual fruits.
I know, totally weird question...
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36798 Posts |
Posted - 08 Feb 2017 : 14:24:30
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In the Realms, a box of Frosted Flakes has Nobanion on it, instead of Tony the Tiger.
Tymorans really like Lucky Charms. Mischievous fae often pose as the mascot on the box.
Followers of Ilmater are the only ones who eat Raisin Bran or Grape Nuts.
Instead of Cheerios, the Realms has Chaunte-Os.
A box of Cap'n Crunch is considered a worthy offering to Umberlee.
Not even Oghma can explain why Apple Jacks are called that, despite not tasting like apples.
Widespread rumors maintain that the Trix rabbit is a Harpell and a wererabbit.
Froot Loops were recently recalled from several Faerūnian stores when it turned out the magical dyes used caused several children (and a few embarrassed adults) to turn a rich shade of green.
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Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 08 Feb 2017 14:27:09 |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
Posted - 08 Feb 2017 : 14:31:28
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Aye, I know the bottle (one of my favorite beers here in Holland, Grolsch, has the kind).
Actually, I think gnome ale and spirits might have use for a resealable jar-like container, for some 'on the job'-drinking. Instead of rubber some kind of leather might've been used for air-tight sealing, while a gnomish metallurgist could have come up with the metal hinged clasp.
I don't know much about cereals but I think they use loads and loads of sugars in their manufacture, so a region where their is an abundance of easily refined natural sugars (sugar cane harboring tropics for example) their invention wont be strange. |
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Druidic Groves
Creature Feature: Giant Spiders |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 08 Feb 2017 : 17:20:32
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Grolsh doesn't make those bottles anymore - at least, not around here. I know, because I used to collect them because I'm a home-brewer, and it saves on bottle-capping.
I don't brew anymore, but I still have about 30 of those bottles up in my ex's attic (maybe... haven't been up there in years...)
As for having mason jars and 'modern' cereal from Maztica... I'm just not seeing it. I'm all for putting a 'fresh spin' on Maztica, but having them be more technologically advanced than Faerūn just feels totally wrong to me.
Do something the way Egyptians & Greeks stored Olive Oil - in wax-sealed clay jars. It just makes more sense (and MesoAmerican-type cultures did exceed at making pottery). |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Kentinal
Great Reader
4687 Posts |
Posted - 08 Feb 2017 : 17:30:01
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Well cereal containers clearly could be clay pots with a clay lid. For gains you would not need air tight containers. Cereal boxes of today are cardboard after all and after being opened do not maintain air tight condition. Not sure if some of them are every air tight form the manufacturer.
As for some of sweeten or favored cereals, not sure how common that would be. Even today some eat grits or oats cooked. However ideas of types of things I could see easy would be grains mixed with nuts or dried fruits to add favor and or sugar. |
"Small beings can have small wisdom," the dragon said. "And small wise beings are better than small fools. Listen: Wisdom is caring for afterwards."
"Caring for afterwards ...? Ker repeated this without understanding.
"After action, afterwards," the dragon said. "Choose the afterwards first, then the action. Fools choose action first."
"Judgement" copyright 2003 by Elizabeth Moon |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36798 Posts |
Posted - 08 Feb 2017 : 17:49:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal
Well cereal containers clearly could be clay pots with a clay lid. For gains you would not need air tight containers. Cereal boxes of today are cardboard after all and after being opened do not maintain air tight condition. Not sure if some of them are every air tight form the manufacturer.
Even sealed, they're not airtight. The cereal is in plastic, airtight bags within the box.
I'm not sure a cardboard box can be made airtight without more effort than it'd be worth. You'd have to utilize some sort of sealant, either inside or out, to make one airtight. |
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 08 Feb 2017 : 18:41:08
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I have it from Ed (through descriptions he's uttered as DM over years of play in the "home" Realms campaign) that earthenware jugs, some inner-glazed depending on what the intended contents are, are common containers. Sealed with wax plugs that have impressions (like those used to seal letters or envelopes) to discourage tampering) made in them, as well as with corks (that are often then "sealed over" with more wax).
love,
THO |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11809 Posts |
Posted - 09 Feb 2017 : 02:12:07
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
Grolsh doesn't make those bottles anymore - at least, not around here. I know, because I used to collect them because I'm a home-brewer, and it saves on bottle-capping.
I don't brew anymore, but I still have about 30 of those bottles up in my ex's attic (maybe... haven't been up there in years...)
As for having mason jars and 'modern' cereal from Maztica... I'm just not seeing it. I'm all for putting a 'fresh spin' on Maztica, but having them be more technologically advanced than Faerūn just feels totally wrong to me.
Do something the way Egyptians & Greeks stored Olive Oil - in wax-sealed clay jars. It just makes more sense (and MesoAmerican-type cultures did exceed at making pottery).
Hmmm, again, I don't state things in writing that are in my head as clearly as I'm thinking them. I'm looking at the Anchorome area where City of Gold was based. Its literally filled with deserts and sand, and since I'm having some red wizards taking over the city of Esh Alakar, I figured their populace (many of which are Mulan artisans) needs something to make. They can't do huge farms or herd animals (its a desert), but they can do some subsistence farming just to keep themselves fed. So I figured... sand... glass... maybe they started learning how to refine glass, and their greatest artisans make glassteel. However, while they're learning, they make a LOT of glass jars for sell to the other tharchs.... for alchemy, for canning, for alcohol, etc.... So, I'm not looking for terribly advanced. However, I figure over the last hundred years, they may have discovered rubber down in the Lopango (which they're exporting to the other tharchs), and that might help with canning. I'm figuring northern Katashaka to be plains, so there they'd be doing agriculture and animal herding more, so they'd probably be heavily into canning.
On the cereal thing, I am literally picturing fruit loops in Katashaka, flavored with real fruit... and with a toucan picture rough stamped on some kind of "bag", or even a sealable glass jar that you have to buy the first time (refilling their product's glass jar is cheaper, but they ONLY fill their own jars for branding reasons). Not sure how they'd be manufactured though. I'm picturing though, corn meal and grain being ground in a mill, then mixed with some kind of juicy syrup, and then the same basic mill then has some kind of simple rubber squirting spouts that puts a bunch of fruit rings on a tray and they have teams of people transferring these to ovens for a few minutes, then off to cool???? It would be something that slave labor could be put towards (or even a few dozen unseen servants given a repeated simple task). Might not be possible, but figured I would see what others think.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11809 Posts |
Posted - 09 Feb 2017 : 02:13:28
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
In the Realms, a box of Frosted Flakes has Nobanion on it, instead of Tony the Tiger.
Tymorans really like Lucky Charms. Mischievous fae often pose as the mascot on the box.
Followers of Ilmater are the only ones who eat Raisin Bran or Grape Nuts.
Instead of Cheerios, the Realms has Chaunte-Os.
A box of Cap'n Crunch is considered a worthy offering to Umberlee.
Not even Oghma can explain why Apple Jacks are called that, despite not tasting like apples.
Widespread rumors maintain that the Trix rabbit is a Harpell and a wererabbit.
Froot Loops were recently recalled from several Faerūnian stores when it turned out the magical dyes used caused several children (and a few embarrassed adults) to turn a rich shade of green.
LOL Wooly. I like the Tymoran and Nobanion references best. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11809 Posts |
Posted - 09 Feb 2017 : 02:23:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Bladewind
Aye, I know the bottle (one of my favorite beers here in Holland, Grolsch, has the kind).
Actually, I think gnome ale and spirits might have use for a resealable jar-like container, for some 'on the job'-drinking. Instead of rubber some kind of leather might've been used for air-tight sealing, while a gnomish metallurgist could have come up with the metal hinged clasp.
I don't know much about cereals but I think they use loads and loads of sugars in their manufacture, so a region where their is an abundance of easily refined natural sugars (sugar cane harboring tropics for example) their invention wont be strange.
YES!! That type of mechanism is exactly what I'm picturing, though even LESS sophisticated. I'm picturing something with 2 parts that you latch onto on each side rather than just one. So, you'd put on the lid, then take your metal contraption and anchor it on one side to the metal "ring with a hook off each side", push down on the lid with the metal contraption, and then anchor it on the other side.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11809 Posts |
Posted - 09 Feb 2017 : 02:31:59
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hooded One
I have it from Ed (through descriptions he's uttered as DM over years of play in the "home" Realms campaign) that earthenware jugs, some inner-glazed depending on what the intended contents are, are common containers. Sealed with wax plugs that have impressions (like those used to seal letters or envelopes) to discourage tampering) made in them, as well as with corks (that are often then "sealed over" with more wax).
love,
THO
AHHHHH, thank you THO... wax... true, so the rubber would be an improvement, but wax would have probably already been used, so the adaptation wouldn't be too far off. So, jellying, canning, etc... should be old hat as long as they have a lot of sugar and something to gel the jelly (both of which should be common down in the Lopango and Northern Katashaka). It would just be kind of new to have clear containers for food (not horridly new), but if one Tharch is putting a focus on learning about glass making, it would make sense that they make a lot of cheap glassware. Also, clay containers would also probably be something that the people from anchorome also commonly sell... they've got plenty of clay and it can bake easily in their environment. |
Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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moonbeast
Senior Scribe
USA
522 Posts |
Posted - 11 Feb 2017 : 04:32:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
In the Realms, a box of Frosted Flakes has Nobanion on it, instead of Tony the Tiger.
And I always thought that Frosted Flakes referred to Auril's ex-lovers
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glassware/ canning / jellying / and cereal
