Wherever you are.
I came to the United States long before the Impasse and the Age of Foundation repression ended. I came to study linguistics abroad for my graduate degree and ended up finding a career as a translator here by chance. It wasn't something I planned or felt rushed into, it just happened naturally. The Impasse was positive for me. I found community and I have the privilege to leave Texas if things get too bad to stay here.
I'm sure even if your home country hasn't banned the practice of Nälkä, you've heard of the ones that have. One of my friends, Jablko, comes from the Czech Republic; the country that passed the Svoboda a přímá demokracie1 backed "Prevention of Cannibalism and Corpse Desecration Act." The fascist takeover after the Impasse was terrifying but nothing new to the older generations. It was fueled in part by presenting Divoši, followers of the Sin-Eater's Church, as monsters that eat good Czech children and terrorize "polite" society.
Because knowledge of the so-called "anomalous"-and the countermeasures to the protection ūrma has brought-have become so widespread, going about their lives has become nearly impossible. It was devastating for Jablko's family. Neighbors he'd known for years were blaming him for disappearances. His wife was harassed by police and victimized. Moving here wasn't a choice. They were thrown out of their home.
This exposure where the world is suddenly watching our every move is new to the average modern Nälkän; most of us have not lived long enough to remember the world before the suppression and control of knowledge. But this kind of targeting isn't new. It's not unique to us either; many worldwide have targets on their backs. The "discovery" of a new type of person and subsequent fearmongering has been happening for millennia. Even the term "Cannibalism" itself comes from the false and villainized accounts of the Carib people made by Christopher Colombus. Hiding isn't working anymore. We can't just reduce ourselves to what is more "palatable" and wait for them to decide we are worth something either. We have to keep living.
That's why Jablko and I are sharing their community's tradition that the world finds so distasteful with a meal made with nothing but love for a life full of resistance. It may not change minds, it won't change the world, but that's not the point. It's proof that we have always found ways to survive.
Hyvää ruokahalua.
- Peruna, Jablko, and many others.
Divoši Cuisine: Mourners’ Repast
Though most outsiders are disgusted by human flesh,
its consumption is seen as a way to honor the dead within the Sin-Eater's Church and many other Nälkän communities. The practitioners aren't snatching people up off the streets to eat; the only human flesh they consume comes from their loved ones. Traditionally, the Mourners’ Repast contains the last of the flesh consumed after the passing. It is cured and then aged for three years.
Due to the Divoši’s history of living within diverse broader communities, many of the dishes they eat are not much different than local cuisine apart from one major factor: hot dishes, among those most adherent to tradition, are almost entirely vegetarian. The consumption of flesh touched by flame is strictly forbidden and as such, flesh is consumed raw or cured2. During sacred celebrations such as the Mourners’ Repast, the use of spices to season meat is also forbidden. Salt is not considered a “luxury” for the sake of the curing process.
By the time the flesh has fully aged, the daily routines of those close to the departed have mostly returned to normal. It marks an important milestone in mourning for these families. The Mourners’ Repast is a ceremonial meal and a symbol of remembrance in the Sin-Eater's Church. The most traditional item served is Antalčaj, a mildly hallucinogenic herbal tea always consumed during the repast. The other dishes served will depend on the individual whose life is being celebrated.
The anointed bones of the departed, Jablko's grandmother, were placed at the head of the table. The family gathered to laugh, cry, and share updates on their lives as she sat enjoying the meal with them. She was introduced to new additions to the family; both those added through relationships, romantic or platonic, and her granddaughter's new baby. Though I and other extended family and friends attended the meal out of respect, only those who were close to her during her lifetime consumed her flesh during the meal. The stories her family told about her were my favorite part. I am grateful to have gotten to know her; even in death.
She loved word games and sweets. She had an infectious smile and playfulness in her eyes. She was sharp as a knife and only held her tongue strategically. In her youth during the Nazi occupation, she worked in a kitchen in Terezín and poisoned the soldiers she fed while aiding her community in whisking away those held in Theresienstadt to the safety of their ūrma hidden temple. She found work as a mural artist during Soviet rule but spread propaganda for freedom and justice in the safety of night. She continued long after the Velvet Divorce. She had four beautiful children with the woman she refused to call anything but her wife, 8 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren she would've taken on the world for. She retired and sold flowers in an open-air market in her golden years but never stopped painting or trying to make the world a better place. The ideologies in power changed countless times throughout her life and some of the people she loved didn't make it, but she kept going. If she were still alive today, she would still be fighting. Though her life was filled with struggle, it was a story of survival.
At the end of the meal, one of her sons showed her final painting of the home in Prague that the family lived in for over 200 years. It went unfinished after her death.
He had finished for her.
The family prepared three dishes in her honor. Chlebíček, an open-faced sandwich made with cured flesh, pickles, butter, cheese, and a boiled egg; Jablko's mother told stories of his grandmother making it for her as a child. Kapustnica, a sour cabbage soup; Jablko remembers his grandmother making it as a cure for stuffy noses. Of course, Antalčaj was served. The sandwiches are savory and comforting with nostalgic ingredients on delicious fluffy bread. The soup is warm, sweet, and pleasantly and unapologetically sour. The tea is herby, delicious even without the sugar she always insisted on adding, and made the experience that much more memorable.
Sitting with her was a beautiful, heartbreaking, and hopeful thing to experience. The meal I was served in her honor was delicious. For Jablko and his family, it tasted like home.
Recipes
Chlebíček
Cured meat:
1 Full Pork Leg3
A Container Large Enough To Fit The Leg
Salt
Brown Vinegar
White Mold Culture
Chlebíček:
1 Tbsp Softened Butter
2 Slices of Veka bread(A soft baguette can be substituted)
1 tbsp Chopped Dill Pickle
1 Boiled Egg(Boiled until the yolk is no longer gooey but not grey)
4 Slices of Emmental(Swiss) Cheese
- Prep: Flay the leg and carefully de-flesh the meat from the bone. You should be left with the skin, one single flap of meat from the leg, and the bones. In this case, the bones and skin can be reserved for another recipe, though this is not traditional.
- Trim out the femoral artery, this can be discarded; though again, this is not traditional.
- Fill the bottom of the container with a thick layer of salt and place the leg within. Pack in another thick layer of salt over the leg. The salt should cover the meat completely. Place a large stone or heavy object over the salt and refrigerate for a week.
- After the week is up, dig up the leg, drain the liquid from the bottom of the container, flip the leg, and re-bury the flesh, adding additional salt as needed. Return the weight and continue refrigeration for an additional week. Repeat this process for an additional 4 weeks until the curing is completed.
- Once the meat is cured, wash the salt off of the pork with water and vinegar, brush down with the white mold culture, and roll and tie the meat into a cylindrical shape. This will then hang dry in a cool dark area for 3 years.
- When the meat is ready to serve or you have skipped these steps for a pre-prepared alternative, slice it into thin pieces. For this recipe, you will need 8 slices.
- Cut the top and bottom off of the boiled egg so that the yolk is visible from both sides, then slice the egg into 4 even pieces, forming an “eye” in the center of the egg with the yolk. Chop up the excess egg and mix it into your butter.
- Chop the pickle into small pieces, then add to the butter mixture. The mixture is not expected to come together perfectly.
- Use this mixture to butter each piece of bread and place one slice of gouda on top of each, fold two slices of flesh over the cheese, and finally, add the sliced egg on top.
- Consume by holding the bread side up with toppings side down toward your tongue and enjoy!
Kapustnica
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Small Onion
3 Cloves of Garlic
4 cups of Vegetable Broth
1 tsp Caraway Seeds
1 tbsp Sweet Paprika
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
3 Medium Potatoes
2 Small Apples
1 cup Sauerkraut
Salt to Taste
Sour Cream to Taste (Optional)
1. Grate the onion and garlic. Place aside. Peel the apples and potatoes. Grate the apples and cut potatoes into small ~1-2cm cubes. Be careful not to cut the potatoes too large.
2. Heat olive oil in the pan, add onion and garlic then cook until fragrant.
3. Add in the broth, bay leaf, caraway seeds, pepper, grated apples, chopped potatoes, and drained sauerkraut.
4. Allow the liquid to reach a boil uncovered then cover and turn down to low heat. Let cook for 30 minutes or until potatoes are fully tender.
5. Add salt as needed, serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired, and enjoy!
Antalčaj
2 grams Dried and Crushed Psilocybe calixtinus (Other Psilocybe mushrooms work as substitutes. These may be left out in regions where legality is a concern.)
2 tsp Dried Czech Mint (Other mint species may be substituted)
2 tsp Dried Camomile
Sugar to taste (Optional)
4 cups of Water
1. Boil the water mixed with the mushroom over the stove for 10 minutes.
2. Remove the liquid from the heat and add it to a teapot with the camomile and mint.
3. Strain, split into four portions, add sugar as desired, and consume with a meal.
Comments
Rating: 𖦹𖦹𖦹⬤⬤
IronShears
The stew was just not really to my taste. It wasn't by any stretch of the imagination BAD. It just boils down to the fact that I just don't really like sauerkraut. The other people who tried it like sauerkraut and DID like it. The sweetness of the paprika and the apples were very nice, though. I feel like if there are leftovers, I just won't add the sour cream next time.
The SANDWICHES were really good, though! I mean, it's just meat cheese, butter, egg, and pickles. Hard to go wrong there. Veka belongs to my favorite genre of bread. I could eat an entire loaf of this stuff. I used a prosciutto from a local deli that just used salt. I thought the lack of seasoning on the meat might make it kinda meh but the other ingredients in the sandwich make up for it.
And, of course, the tea was good. It's just minty camomile tea. (I didn't add shrooms, lol.)
Give 'em a try!
