General Information
Name: Sunbulb
Class: Botanical
Type: Rootcrop
Colour: Above ground: Pale yellow-green stems with slight orange veins near base. Below ground: White outer root, vibrant orange core.
Smell: Raw stem: Sour-grassy, like torn dandelion. Raw bulb: Mild and nutty, with a hint of earth.
Description: Sunbulbs are squat-rooted plants found all across Keldrath. From a dense central knot of yellow-green stems grows a buried taproot — fist-sized on wild plants, but cultivated versions can reach up to a full palmspan long. The stem cluster resembles thick greens, with greasy outer skin and soft pulp beneath. The edible bulb rests just under the surface, usually surrounded by a ring of shallow hairlike roots. It's easy to pull free by hand once loosened. The flesh beneath its chalk-white outer layer is rich orange, dense, and heavy with starch and slow sugars. Highly valued for its nutritional balance and versatility, Sunbulb is a foundational food, featured in many recepies. Can be eaten raw in desperate times. It requires little water and matures within a season, making it a reliable staple. Stalks thicken in high-sun zones, but wild plants survive well in partial shade.
Properties: Edible raw or cooked. Mildly sweet, firm texture. High in starch, long-burning energy. Supports digestion, helps stave off fatigue. Long shelf life when cellared, dried, or buried in cold ash. The orange color slowly fades as dried.
Harvesting & Processing
Harvesting: Bulb: Use a digging stick or hands to loosen soil around base. Grasp stem cluster and pull gently — excessive force may tear the flesh. Clean outer skin with cloth or scrape away with stone if needed. Stems: Separated along with thin stripe of bulb. Can be sundried and crushed to act as perfect feed for home kept fishes. Stems beloved by Draks and usually regrow over three days when eaten gently from still growing plant, but not if cut.
Processing: Boil in water, roast over fire, or slice and fry in Drak grease. Cooked bulb becomes soft and slightly sweeter. Stems separated from bulbs are usually fed to Draks. Some cooks like to separate the orange core to use it with different cooking technique.
Storage: Short Term: Store whole bulbs in Flaxroot made sacks or baskets, in cool and dark places. Good for up to two weeks. Long Term: With stems kept uncut, bury in dry Flamor ash. Will last the entire winter if kept dry and undamaged. Sliced bulbs can be sun-dried and stored for months; often boiled back into stews or soups.