WARNING: Regarding food and drink, all races are officially directed to exercise caution when ingesting any new and/or foreign substance. Ingestibles offered as trade goods on Tradepoint have been analyzed and catalogued by the Prett, and test results are available upon request. All races wishing to offer ingestible or potables for trade must first obtain Prett approval. See below for selected specifics.
Beng and Hesch
The Beng and the Hesch have a long history of offering only ingestible goods for trade, rather than tech or artisanal items. The Beng trade in a variety of grains. The Hesch trade in wine, liquors, dried fruits, nuts, and preserved fruits and vegetables.
Wilra and Vennans
The Wilra, in addition to their other trade goods, regularly offer grain, but they are infrequent visitors to Tradepoint. The Vennans offer a variety of ingestibles although nothing that is regular and unchanging, as with the Beng or Hesch. On a given visit, a Vennan Tradeteam might offer fresh fruit or fish, or occasionally milled grain. On another visit, they might bring none of those and offer, instead, spices, or preserves, or nothing edible at all.
Private Dining Practices
Food practices within specific enclaves are not well-understood or documented, and many races are not forthcoming about their dietary requirements.
Food and Drink as Incentive or Hospitality
An area of exception to common practice concerns ingestibles offered as part of trade negotiations undertaken within a given race’s maartza. Some races offer free edibles or potables as a gesture of good will, to further the likelihood of an agreement. Others offer such hospitality to celebrate the successful completion of a trading agreement. Some races offer nothing (whether from caution, or stinginess, or both, remains unknown).
