General What is your most common food or drink in The Third Imperium?

[Quint]

Misjump is a glorious name to use for various alcohol drinks.

Now, IMTU, that Aidlyte is traditionally drunk with a shot of the "high octane" version of Scout Brew if you actually have a misjump! Heck I like that as a "traditional cocktail" to start an evening's drinking "All right everyone, first we Misjump, then we get to the serious drinking!"

Except Scouts, they're too superstitious to do that. For them Misjump is like saying Macbeth to an actor. So they have all sorts of neutral euphemisms - "had a klippo" or a "had a time out".

D.

 

[Quint]

My Scout Brew Library Data entry...

Scout Brew:​

An alcoholic drink made from ‘fermenting’ Basic (the actual chemistry is more involved), pioneered by members of the Imperial Scout Service during the early days of exploration in the Imperium. It ranges in alcohol content from 3-4% up to 95%, and is generally tasteless without some form of additive. Traditionally made in either 10% alcohol (“low test”), 50% alcohol (“high test”), or 75% alcohol (“octane”) the first is served in camp cups, the high test is drunk from a small, purpose-made storage flasks (usually kept in person on in a locker), while the octane is served in small metal tumblers.

Scout tradition has it that one individual on a multi-person ship is assigned the job of Brewmaster, and is responsible for maintaining supply and maintaining the sparse equipment needed to ferment basic. It is generally considered a sign of weakness to maintain a still on a singleship, though bringing a healthy supply along is perfectly acceptable and it’s tradition to secret a canteen, usually of high test, somewhere on the ship to evade inspection – and then leave a clue to the next inhabitant of where it is.

Spacer tradition is to drink one’s issued misjump aidlyte with a shot of the octane after an actually misjump – and the cocktail is found in many Startown bars as a “starter” for an evening of heavy drinking.

D.

 

[willtron3030]

I’m guessing this could be a Vilani campaign. Adventures in the old Ziru Sirka, got to save the heritage fungi.

We know how much the Vliani hate... changes in culture. ::ducks and runs::

 

[Condottiere]

When the moon flies on by
Like a big pizza pie, that's our spore ay
When the world seems to shine
Like you've had too much wine, you'll find our spore ay

Alarms will ring, ting-a-ling-a-ling
Ting-a-ling-a-ling and you'll sing, "Interstellar"
Parts will spray rippy-rippy-ray
Chippy-chippy-fray like a lasered fella

When the stars start to cool
And Vland is a pool, exposed core ay
When you jump down sector
With a fungi detector, your foray

 

[Grav_Moped]

Except Scouts, they're too superstitious to do that. For them Misjump is like saying Macbeth to an actor. So they have all sorts of neutral euphemisms - "had a klippo" or a "had a time out".

IMTU, intentionally risking a misjump inside the 10-100D zone is a valid defensive tactic for a Type S. They can't stand and fight and win, so it's the lesser hazard.

This is what they have the silly-huge fuel tank for -- to jump from wherever in deep space they end up, to somewhere with fuel. (1J1+1J2 range when idled down during the J1).

 

[Deldarius]

Wait! New Dr. McCoy's a doctor and a floor wax! "He's dead, Jim." "But look at that shine!"

"You took how many dice damage!?!?"

"I'll rub some Dr. McCoy's on it. It will buff out."

 

[Timerover51]

When the moon flies on by
Like a big pizza pie, that's our spore ay
When the world seems to shine
Like you've had too much wine, you'll find our spore ay

Alarms will ring, ting-a-ling-a-ling
Ting-a-ling-a-ling and you'll sing, "Interstellar"
Parts will spray rippy-rippy-ray
Chippy-chippy-fray like a lasered fella

When the stars start to cool
And Vland is a pool, exposed core ay
When you jump down sector
With a fungi detector, your foray

That is not a bad paraphrase of That's Amore. I love hearing Dean Martin sing that. I am ancient when I say that.

 

[willtron3030]

Artificial sausages.

::cringe::

That really is the wurst.

 

[aramis]

having used the TD article on Scout Brew… it can derail and/or start campaign arcs. Like the search for a divorce lawyer.

 

[Enoki]

Well, there's the ever "popular" protein cube.

 

[Condottiere]

Tasteless.

 

[casquilho]

Tasteless.

Seems that is what would make it useful. You can mix in spices and flavors as you wish and yet have different stuff because of the ability to blend what you want. Sugar and blend, poor into a pie crust and you have cream pie. Add some spices and green chilies and you have the stuffing for your burritos.

 

[Commander Truestar]

The biology/biochemistry of the native flora/fauna is irrelevant to growing Terran plants as they synthesise everything directly from minerals; assuming the soil contains all the minerals they need, the only concern would be pollination which may need to be done by hand (human or robotic). Whilst that might be more labour intensive, the additional cost is likely to be offset by increased harvest from the lack of disease and not being eaten by local fauna. So, coffee and tea (along with other favourite Terran plants) growing are likely to have followed the Solomani diaspora to every planet where the climate is suitable for growing them.

It's a different case for Terran animals which may not be able to consume the local flora/fauna.

Umm, "they synthesise everything directly from minerals;"
That is IYTU.
Even where food is extruded paste, that is not a hard rule your imagination can force on anyone.

You also said, "assuming the soil contains all the minerals they need,"

Where, shipping off soil or the building blocks to alter enough of the soil on any given world would cost billions more than shipping coffee across the star lanes.
And, that's where this started.

I'm sure you are certain your way is right, however that is your opinion.

 

[TamsinP]

Umm, "they synthesise everything directly from minerals;"
That is IYTU.

Ermmmm...
Plants do synthesise everything from minerals - water, carbon dioxide, nitrates, phosphates, etc. Those get turned into lipids, sugars, amino acids & proteins, vitamins, nucleic acids and so on. OK, there are some plants which get some macro-nutrients from other plants or from animals, but they can usually survive on their own.

Even where food is extruded paste, that is not a hard rule your imagination can force on anyone.

I don't recall mentioning extruded paste. Let's just check...
No, I didn't.

You also said, "assuming the soil contains all the minerals they need,"

Where, shipping off soil or the building blocks to alter enough of the soil on any given world would cost billions more than shipping coffee across the star lanes.
And, that's where this started.

If all the minerals they need are present, there is no need to ship terrestrial soil. In fact, all the minerals they need can be in a solution with no need for soil at all - I assume that you have heard of hydroponics?

I'm sure you are certain your way is right, however that is your opinion.

My reply was to your statement that the local DNA would make it impossible to grow Terran plants on an alien world. That was scientifically incorrect, as I explained.

 

[TamsinP]

"they synthesise everything directly from minerals;"

Ahhh, I think my reply last night may have done you a disservice. I now suspect that you saw the part quoted above and assumed that I meant humans would be synthesising the macronutrients in a lab/factory when I was actually referring to the plants synthesising everything. If that is the case, then I apologise for any offence the tone of my previous reply may have caused.

 

[Commander Truestar]

Ermmmm...
Plants do synthesise everything from minerals - water, carbon dioxide, nitrates, phosphates, etc. Those get turned into lipids, sugars, amino acids & proteins, vitamins, nucleic acids and so on. OK, there are some plants which get some macro-nutrients from other plants or from animals, but they can usually survive on their own.

Yes, plants do synthesis form minerals....
...."IF" you have them in soil of the appropriate composition.

BUT.....
"Constantly" shipping out enough of those minerals (IE: Fertilizing the base "dirt") to "create" the mineral soil environment will cost more than shipping the frozen or "status-maintained" minerals needed to keep this up...

So, where the plants will do the job "in the proper environment", you "_Don't Have That Environment Locally" Which is why you have this issue anyway.

You are using the same argument as saying, "we can use ambient sunlight" when you are distantly orbiting a Class M star.
Yes....you have "sunlight", but it is not the same as orbiting a Class G star in its habitable zone.

You can say, "let's just hop in the car and go"....but you still need gasoline for the car.

 

[kilemall]

Yes, plants do synthesis form minerals....
...."IF" you have them in soil of the appropriate composition.

BUT.....
"Constantly" shipping out enough of those minerals (IE: Fertilizing the base "dirt") to "create" the mineral soil environment will cost more than shipping the frozen or "status-maintained" minerals needed to keep this up...

So, where the plants will do the job "in the proper environment", you "_Don't Have That Environment Locally" Which is why you have this issue anyway.

You are using the same argument as saying, "we can use ambient sunlight" when you are distantly orbiting a Class M star.
Yes....you have "sunlight", but it is not the same as orbiting a Class G star in its habitable zone.

You can say, "let's just hop in the car and go"....but you still need gasoline for the car.

They could do what the Amazon forest ‘settlers’ did- use charcoal, leftover food and pottery shards to make highly rich soil.

Terra preta - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[whartung]

It was interesting to learn that much of the Amazon Jungle of today was cultivated. It's not a large, virgin jungle by a longshot.

 

[Condottiere]

Considering that implies the jungle overgrew the uncultivated land rather rapidly, if you're not growing a specialized crop, you could get sustained vegetation on uncared for ground.

 

[Commander Truestar]

They could do what the Amazon forest ‘settlers’ did- use charcoal, leftover food and pottery shards to make highly rich soil.

Terra preta - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

They could....
If the world had enough arable land to start with.
And, if they had enough supplies to feed the population for the decades, or centuries, it would take to convert a hostile alien terrain to Earth-like soil.

I can see you want this, and will grasp at whatever you find while ignoring the costs, time spans, etc...

In the end, it is your Traveller Universe
If you want to ignore the realities, go for it.

I live in a community where large tracts of land have been rendered unsafe thanks to the manufacturing of the late 1800 ad early 1900's.
If it will take us centuries to recover what is "Earth Class" soil.....It will easily take many centuries to convert camp site after camp site until you create a single field of usable soil...
.....And then, you have to keep fertilizing it after two or so seasons.....which farmers on Earth have to do.....and that "IS" Earth soil.

You can chose to ignore the science where a colony is concerned, but the science is still there