Zestgrass

Zestgrass
Kanji	香り草 （の種）
Rōmaji	Kaorisou (no tane)
Status
Type	Plant, Food
User(s)	Anyone
Manga
Debut	Chapter 37 (Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen)

Zestgrass is a type of edible leafy plant whose leaves and seeds are used as spices in cooking.

Description

Zestgrass is a long-stemmed plant with rounded leaves that grow in sets of three. The leaves have a row of tiny holes on each inner side of blade, while the leaf's edge is ridged. The seeds are small and round with multiple thin stripes along the outside. The seeds are used in dishes to lend a tart, zesty flavor and a fresh, citrusy aroma. It pairs especially well with minced meat, and is also used in a variety of baked treats. It can also add a fresh scent and full-bodied flavor.

Zestgrass sprigs are the leaves that can be chopped up and sprinkled on top of dishes for a finishing touch and extra flavor.

Zestgrass seeds are considered exotic by Kalhn standards. It cannot be found at ordinary markets, and so must be specially ordered. Because of the difficulty in procuring this ingredient along with the other spices, it's possible Zestgrass does not actually grow in Zozah but is imported from another nation. (While cooking Four Spice Soup which uses Zestgrass Seeds and other spices, Qifrey mentions that "in the recipe's land of origin, chefs experiment with a greater number of spices.")

History

Zestgrass was introduced in Chapter 37 (Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen) when Qifrey picked up this and other spices from The Starry Sword that were specially ordered for him. He used it in his Pointed Cap Fritters with Badland Beans recipe that he made with Tartah and the girls, and later used it in his Four Spice Soup for himself and Olruggio. Qifrey then used those four spices again as part of his egg mixture in deep-frying fuzzbergine slices in his Spicy Salad with Fried Fuzzbergines meal, which he then topped with chopped Zestgrass sprigs.

Gallery

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  Zestgrass Seeds

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  The seeds ground into a fine powder

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  Zestgrass Sprigs, chopped and added to a dish

Notes

• For real-world recipes, Zestgrass Seeds can be substituted with coriander or cardamom, or just coriander.
• In Volume 5's Substitutions and Suggestions list, Zestgrass and Giltroot are mistakenly mixed-up, switching Zestgrass Seeds' coriander for Giltroot's turmeric.
• For real-world recipes, Zestgrass Sprigs can be substituted with fresh cilantro.
• The Zestgrass Sprigs pictured in Chapter 49 (Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen) do not resemble the Zestgrass leaves as pictured in Chapter 37 (Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen), but look more like the usual Erbe Sprigs design.