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How to make Chouta

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Hemalurgic Headshot

Hemalurgic Headshot

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Are you one of those people, like me, who when reading SA, really wants some chouta, because it would be totally awesome? If only chouta existed.

Here is what the Coppermind says about chouta:

"Chouta is a Herdazian street food. It consists of a thick, fried flatbread wrapped around fried meat and a dark gravy. It is wrapped tightly enough that it can be carried in one hand and eaten while doing other things.[1] The standard meat is flangria, which is mixed with ground lavis, formed into small balls, battered and fried. The chouta stands in Dalinar's warcamp also sell a variety that is stuffed with cremling claws.[2] "

That's good to know, Coppermind. But what is flangria? Or lavis? And how on earth will we get cremling claws?

Flangria, also from the Coppermind:

"Flangria is produced via Soulcasting, which makes it far cheaper than other kinds of meat, although some disdain flangria due to its origin.[1] It is often used to cheaply feed large quantities of people, such as bridgemen. It is fried and used in the meatballs for chouta, an inexpensive Herdazian food. "

So... we can't Soulcast, so how do we get it?

Lavis, also from the Coppermind:

"Lavis is species of plant from the rockbud family.[1] It is an important and ancient cereal crop on Roshar.[2][3]

Lavis is grown on hillsides across Roshar.

Lavis fields are typically planted in the seasons following the Weeping, when the highstorms are weaker.[2] A mixture of lavis seeds and stumpweight sap is spread across the hillsides. As the dark brown polyps begin to grow, they have to be wormed. Farmers must carefully go over each polyp searching for worm burrows. The worms like sugar, so they can be removed by inserting a reed tipped with sugar into the burrow and pulling it out when the worm latches on. Once the worm is removed, the polyp can be patched with crem. Each field can take weeks to check and it is important to check repeatedly for worms since any worm that is missed results in the loss of the entire polyp. The crop can be fertilized during the worming process.[4]

Lavis is a staple food source and is prepared in many ways.[4]

A common version of chouta is stuffed with flangria that has been mixed with ground lavis, formed into small balls, and then battered and fried.[6]

It can also be fermented into lavis ale or distilled into honu, a hard liquor.[7][8]"

Well, yet another ingredient that we cannot find on Earth. So how will we poor humans ever taste heavenly chouta? It seems like we will simply have to work with real-life substitutes. Culinary experts out there, what do you think is the best substitute meat for flangria, and the best substitute for lavis? 

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Weltall

Weltall

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My immediate thought on hearing chouta's description was something like a shawarma. Flatbread, hummus, yogurt, cucumber and tomato are typical ingredients along with whatever meat you like. Lamb or a mix of it and beef are common. The description of the meat's preparation reminds me a bit of falafel but that's vegetarian. You could create a similar effect with by combining ground meat of your choice, spices and panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), forming them into meatballs and frying them.

That said, Brandon has mentioned that Herdazian culture is Hispanic-inspired so there might be an even closer equivalent to be found in the cuisine but for me, the former is what springs immediately to mind.

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robardin

+robardin

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Hmmm. A meat in our world that is produced factory-style (a la Soulcasting), which makes it "far cheaper than other kinds of meat", that "some disdain due to its origin" but "is often used to cheaply feed large quantities of people, such as bridgemen"...

So, like this "miracle meat" that fed millions of meals to GIs in WW2?

Spam1.jpg

 

Edited by robardin
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Krandacth

Krandacth

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So Lagos is a cereal grain. That means it could be anything from corn to buckwheat to rice. The fact that it is sometimes distilled into ales and (more importantly) hard liquor called Honu suggests rice (and Saki) to me. Also, the thick Lavis stews/broths that are described in book sound like lentil broths or risottos to me. So I would take the homogenous, bland "miracle meat" suggestion for flangria above and mix with rice flour into meat balls.

In terms of the gravy, the only thick dark sauce of vaguely Spanish origin that I can think of at the moment is a Mexican mole sauce, whose standout flavours are bitter chocolate and chilli... Could definitely be worth a try!

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cometaryorbit

cometaryorbit

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I imagine it as being basically a taco, though I guess with an unusually thick tortilla (or, since the flatbread is fried and it doesn't fall out when you're holding it in one hand, possibly more like a taquito or flauta).

I'm hardly a culinary expert, but the most "generic" meat we have on Earth is chicken, I'd say.

As for cremling claws - well, cremling seems to be a very broad term for small crustaceans, I'd think the Rosharans would probably consider crayfish to be cremlings (shrimp and lobster are totally aquatic so probably don't count, but even though they're still gill-breathers, you find crayfish in burrows in really wet soils in the Southern US). However, while crayfish are edible (and tasty), the claws probably aren't a good idea, since Earth humans don't have Herdazian teeth (they've got some Parshendi blood so their teeth are different).

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Zenith809

Zenith809

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I've done quite a bit of reseach on this, as I am an aspiring cook. I have lavis grain narrowed down a bit, and have some loose ends that I should tie up, but I don't know how. First off, worming actually gives us a hint. The worms like sugar, and the sugar content in grapes makes them an ideal fruit for wine. But, lavis cannot be grapes, because it is a grain, not a fruit. However, perhaps the reason the worms like sugar is more of an addiction. The fermentation process of grapes consists of yeast consuming the sugar and turning it into alcohol. So, I thought that this made sense, because Roshar's atmosphere has a high oxygen content, it must have less CO2, which plants need. Fermentation, as a byproduct, produces CO2, so I thought that this would help the plant grow. Worms would like sugar because it produces alcohol for them to get drunk on, and lavis polyps would have developed it to survive. I was so confident in this theory, I actually made a recipe out of it. But then, oathbringer came out. SPOILER ALERT from here on out. Sapphire wine is made from fermented lavis grain, and it tastes like, and I quote, "Nutty taste with hints of honey." The only alchohol that I could find with this description is a fermented rye based drink. So, I think lavis could be a real-world equivilant of rye. Could I get some feedback? 

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Jungah

Jungah

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On 1/9/2018 at 7:04 AM, Zenith809 said:

I've done quite a bit of reseach on this, as I am an aspiring cook. I have lavis grain narrowed down a bit, and have some loose ends that I should tie up, but I don't know how. First off, worming actually gives us a hint. The worms like sugar, and the sugar content in grapes makes them an ideal fruit for wine. But, lavis cannot be grapes, because it is a grain, not a fruit. However, perhaps the reason the worms like sugar is more of an addiction. The fermentation process of grapes consists of yeast consuming the sugar and turning it into alcohol. So, I thought that this made sense, because Roshar's atmosphere has a high oxygen content, it must have less CO2, which plants need. Fermentation, as a byproduct, produces CO2, so I thought that this would help the plant grow. Worms would like sugar because it produces alcohol for them to get drunk on, and lavis polyps would have developed it to survive. I was so confident in this theory, I actually made a recipe out of it. But then, oathbringer came out. SPOILER ALERT from here on out. Sapphire wine is made from fermented lavis grain, and it tastes like, and I quote, "Nutty taste with hints of honey." The only alchohol that I could find with this description is a fermented rye based drink. So, I think lavis could be a real-world equivilant of rye. Could I get some feedback? 

Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. That sounded super intelligent. From my limited knowledge of 1st semester AP Biology, it seems correct. Although as far as I know, stuff on Roshar (and Cosmere in general) is wonky. I would be hesitant to assume that things work the same way there. I mean, plants move there. But for now, I'm pretty sure that was the closest thing we have.

On a side note, don't take cookies from strangers. And don't give away your breath. Welcome to the Shard!

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Zenith809

Zenith809

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On 2/14/2018 at 10:14 PM, Jungah said:

On a side note, don't take cookies from strangers. And don't give away your breath. Welcome to the Shard!

Thanks! I was just about to give my breath away and take a cookie!

I kinda like cookies...

Btw, thanks for the feedback! I hope it helps and, if you want it, I could post the recipe here or something.

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Zenith809

Zenith809

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On 1/10/2018 at 8:47 AM, ElephantEarwax said:

Who is your favorite character? 

I think my favorite character might be Lift from Stormlight. Oh yeah, and could I have a muffin instead? I like blueberry, but lemon poppy seed is good too. Annnnnd pretty much any other kind of muffin. 

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Zelly

Zelly

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Well I dunno about soulcasting meat, but we do have limited access to cultured meat, which is pretty much grown in a petri dish from cells. Supposedly tastes ok too. It is the opposite of cheap and mass produced though.

As for cremling claws, there's always the delicious lobster.  Or scorpions, which are eaten in plenty places across the world.

Lavis, not sure.  Rice? Quinoa? Wheat? Barley?

Thinking we could make fried lobster meatballs or maybe meaty arrancini. :) But the dark gravy throws me off, because I then I want tomato sauces. :(

I got unexpectedly sucked into this topic XD

Edited by Zellyia
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ThrillSeeker

ThrillSeeker

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The description of the making of Chouta most closely resembles how Falafel is made. I envision Soalcast meat to be similar to Textured Vegetable Protein. Soul cast grain could be our version of a bulgar wheat. Grind it up with some spices and some sort of binding ingredient, form it into meatballs and fry it up...

I may have some free time coming up in the next few weeks. I may attempt making a chouta...

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Jungah

Jungah

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Posted (edited)
On 3/20/2018 at 7:45 AM, Wyndlerunner said:

I think that the closest equivalent to chouta would be like a Greek gyro. Also, as a sidenote, who else wants to learn how to make Rock's stew?

https://mykoreankitchen.com/army-stew-budae-jjigae/

Pretty sure this is what Brandon based it off of. It's kind of spicy, so just a warning. (But it's really good.)

Edited by Jungah
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Wyndlerunner

Wyndlerunner

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16 hours ago, Jungah said:

https://mykoreankitchen.com/army-stew-budae-jjigae/

Pretty sure this is what Brandon based it off of. It's kind of spicy, so just a warning. (But it's really good.)

Thanks, I'll definitely have to try this

although I believe there is a WoB talking about how it would be like a shellfish Korean stew

Edited by Wyndlerunner
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Weltall

Weltall

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@Wyndlerunner I didn't know that but you made me want to look it up and was enlightened:

Quote

Questioner

If you were going to make Horneater stew here on Earth, how would you go about it?

Brandon Sanderson

If I were going to make Horneater stew, on Earth, how would I go about it. It's going to be a spicy seafood stew. When I think of Horneater stew I'm actually thinking of [Korean word(s?)] which is a Korean dish. Or [different Korean word] is what I mean. [The second one again] is a spicy-- spicy seafood-- basically whatever thing from the ocean-- I don't eat things from the ocean usually-- but everything from the ocean they want to throw in there with some spices. They stir it up and give it to you and you fish in there and there are like crab claws and full clams in the shells. You're like "Really guys?" But Rock would just be munching those down and being happy.

source

My knowledge of Korean is pretty much nonexistant so I'm not sure of the words the transcriber couldn't make out either. I think the first is budae jjigae and the second is haemul jeongol but someone who can actually speak Korean should probably check me on that. In any case, I know what to start looking for on the menu the next time I'm at a Korean restaurant with friends.

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Wyndlerunner

Wyndlerunner

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On 4/10/2018 at 1:17 PM, Weltall said:

@Wyndlerunner I didn't know that but you made me want to look it up and was enlightened:

My knowledge of Korean is pretty much nonexistant so I'm not sure of the words the transcriber couldn't make out either. I think the first is budae jjigae and the second is haemul jeongol but someone who can actually speak Korean should probably check me on that. In any case, I know what to start looking for on the menu the next time I'm at a Korean restaurant with friends.

You should! maybe your friends will feel a newfound sense of camaraderie with you after eating it (I mean, it worked with Bridge 4). Edit: so I made chouta. I have never been so happy in my entire life.

Edited by Wyndlerunner
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DeanaMCW

DeanaMCW

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I know this is an old topic, but I'm in the middle of researching these questions.  Lavis is comparable to corn, per Brandon.   
So we are dealing with a corn meal or Masa Harina.  Fried to make something more like a Falafel with a meat component or a simple meatball. 
The foods of Rosahar are based more on Korean, Indian, and yes, some Mexican dishes.  Many wonderful flavors, but to get them on earth, you have to side eye how the items grow and just role with it.
And remember that only the Shin & the Thaylen have fluffy bread that contains gluten.  The other cultures use grains that don't create fluffy breads. Mostly various forms of flat breads.  Thankfully there are hundreds of different flat breads on Earth to pull inspiration from. 

Edited by DeanaMCW
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