Medlar...

For those from TempleHelm it's merely a novelty; a fruit from a foreign land brough by the foreign people. But to the people of MyleHatsu its sweet succulence is the symbol of hope. Throughout our former land many medlar gardens sprawled, and much food and drink from it was prepared. But due to the vile actions of Asphodel, much of what was our past life was destroyed, our people killed and turned into undead husks, and our culture uprooted. Our kin was left in despair for we known the decades of Asphodel's terror. But the medlar, by miracle, survived. A ship of smugglers going off on a dangerous route had managed to harvest one of the last medlar gardens to exist in the former kingdom's land. When fortune smiled upon us and we left on that same ship some of us couldn't resist the urge to take the fruit into our new home.

While we had plenty to begin with, plenty more to give out to guests, the supply started to run out. Seeking to grow new fruit, we buried the seeds and tended to them. Making sure the ground was plentiful and full of nutrients. The fruit healthy and the field bereft of pests. Our efforts were not in vain, as the first harvest showed.

But as the festival approaches I, the Magister, have to somehow make this thing not taste like rocks. Okay... easy enough... Even if the people actually preparing them haven't had the chance to brough over... everyone here does share some common knowledge. The fruit has to be rotted, or rather bletted to achieve its perfect form.

The first attempt had failed. In hindsight it was expected. You can't exactly throw the whole batch into a barrel and wait. It becomes hard to watch which fruit ripens... and the whole thing spoils with mold rather than achieving sweetness.

The next attempt was the one that yielded us the actual results we were looking for. Over the course of several weeks, we were watching over a batch of medlar on a set of drying racks, cutting each one day by day. In total this took a whole month. The first week showed no promising results, the fruit was just as hard as prior. The second week? Some progress, from teeth shattering to teeth sharpening. The third week was where we had our bounty: the fruit was sweet, succulent, and pungent right as the seventeenth day hit. Past day 20 the fruit was too spoiled for most non-devouts to eat, although if you ask them it was even more delicious than before.

This natural and expected outcome did not stop me from trying other, more adventurous ways to hasten the rotting process! Please welcome the honorable mentions!

Using magic to rot the medlar? Grandma's ashes!

Squeezing it into juice? Rock piss!

Frying it? Foul smelling troll turd!

Baking it? Hot coals for dinner!

Soaking it? Congratulations, you've just managed to make the medlar wet. Does it taste better? N O 

Grinding it up? You've just made gravel! Also works as a very potent (and very painful) laxative.

Boiling it? Congratulations! You've just made a chew toy that tastes like the bad part of a hangover!

Eating as is? Your teeth would disagree with your taste for rocks!

These minor failures aside the cooking was a success! The freshly rotted medlars should be ready for the festival goers to enjoy soon. I'll save some for Lady Mycelyix as well, hopefully it will not be the worst attempt to impress her.