Khoshmazeh

"Khoshmazeh"

Lupercal 9, 233 AC

Greetings and welcome, readers. I am "Khoshmazeh," which is a pseudonym. The word means "Tasty." My real name must go unsaid as I write restaurant reviews and don't want anyone to make the connection. I've been invited to write in this Journal every so often about food, my specialty, and politics, which goes right alongside food. I am an Aurian lady Khanom, living here in Surakosai, and I'm proud to be an Aurian in the western diaspora.

Did you know that Aurians have been here since the founding of Surakosai and the early colonies? The co-founder of Agni Geothermal Power company (love it or hate it) was a woman of Auranvei named Agni Tangra, an engineer who designed the first geothermal power plant in the Aitnean volcanic area. She married another colonist, this one a Lord of Memory scientist, and their partnership was made into legend by the famous Algon colonist writer Ranya. Was it true what Ranya wrote? I don't know, but the legend counts, and Agni Geothermal has kept Ranya's work available to the public for almost two hundred years! If the name "Agni" sounds familiar, it means "Fire" and it was the name of one of the most famous Aurian restaurants of the last century.

There have been Aurian restaurants here ever since the early days. How could we live without our split pea stew, our winter noodle soup, and our beans and greens? The Keilians already had their version of kebabs, so we came to an inter-ethnic agreement about grilled meat, though I think the Keilians use too much garlic in their marinade. 

I have worked in the Aurian restaurant world for years and just a few years ago left the Restaurant Varjavand for my current career of tasting and writing. My son Behram is the current chef there and you will always see members of our Aurian community there, even late into the night when the wine flows and someone brings out the hand drums, the rebecs and the fiddle and flute. Currently in Surakosai, there are between five and ten thousand Aurians living here. That number is so inexact because many of us do not want anyone to count them or find out just what they are doing in exile. There have been many upheavals in the country of New Earth Auranvei, and each one sends another wave of exiles out to find their fortunes elsewhere. But we will never give up our culture, we cherish it in this material world and in the barzakh, the innerworld we all share. I hope you'll enjoy my offerings of tasty words.