Streff
From Almeopedia
Streff is a reed which in its wild form grows in tangled mats along the entire littoral of Curym; the thick stalks are ripped open to reveal a soft, yellowish, edible pith. The pith is eaten as is, or squeezed to extract a sweet milky liquid, which is drunk raw or fermented to make a heady, thick alcoholic beverage called (in Belesao) ŋássa.
There is a historical and regional progression:
- Wild streff is still gathered in some areas.
- Some garden-agriculturalists clear a stretch of forest, plant streff, and harvest it after three months or so.
- Settled peoples plant it (but normally burn it off and grow yams every other year; in older plants the pith becomes too hard).
The outer fibers, once the pith is removed, are used as thatch, or fed to nawr oxen.
Once there is more intercontinental contact on Almea, it will be interesting to see which hardy, dense, tropical fiber dominates, threadwood or streff.
