Tnani
Tnani is the common name for all members of the genus Tnanis, which consists of more than twenty species. Three of these have been imported to Baranxtu due to their importance for Baranxtuan cuisine and culture and since then have spread into the wild and are now commonly found throughout the southern parts of the Southern Continent of the IDU.
The leaves and fruits contain at least a small amount of tnanin, a poison similar in structure and function to strychnine, but not nearly as effective (the lethal dose is about 2 mg/kg).
Name
The name tnani is derived from Old Baranxei Tnanaβei Hanketai Iþaime, which literally meant spice from the Tnanaβe Hanketa.
The term Tnanaβe Hanketa is derived from the Talitrian htnanabe cankera (fields of Tnanabe). The Tnanaβe Hanketa were the most important region of tnani cultivation until the discovery of a close relative which could be grown in the plains of Ašmina.
Names of the spice in other languages have entered these from Baranxeï.
- Baranxeï: tnani
- English: tnani
- French: tenani (f)
- German: Tnanistrauch (for the whole plant)
- Synüdari taegvii
Historical Uses
Poison
The poisonous properties of the tnani have been known and appreciated since antiquity. For a long time it enjoyed a status as the most favoured poison in many Meleiyan countries, similarly to the role arsenic played in medieval Europe.
A favorite method was to grind dried berries from the Maxeti Tnani (which contained up to 10mg of tnanin per berry) to a powder and add it to another hot seasoning, often pepper, to cover the the hot taste of the berries.
Another method was adding dried and cut leaves to the spice made from powdered tnani bark. The leaves of most species are neutral in taste and in ground form, leaves were indistinguishable from the bark.
As it was not the costum to season one's own food, the deadly spice was easily administered to the dishes, and their have also been cases where a large group of people was poisoned when the spices had been switched beforehand.
Between 1300 and 1400 CE, it is estimated that up to 8,000 people were murdered with the aid of the tnani plant. Most were victims of feuds among the nobilty, as the poisonous parts of the tnani plant were more expensive than the spice itself. In 1354, 10g of the black powder - enough to kill about 5 persons, depending on the source species - cost about 1200 aimau (~ §1500) by today's standard.
In addition to that, an estimated 30,000 people died in the same period of accidental poisoning. Some species of the genus look very much alike so that laypersons may not be able to distinguish them, and at the peak of the tnani trade, a lot of laymen tried to have a part in it. In these times, the bark of the tnani was particularly sought after, and it happened quite often that people not familiar with the Tnanabe Tnani (whose bark only contains minimal traces of tnanin) mistook the Luhan Tnani or the Talran Tnani for it, whose barkss do contain conciderable amounts of the toxin. When the spice made from such bark got to the consumer, said consumer was often found dead the morning after.
Abortive
The plant soon proved to be also a very effective abortive, with the first documented case in 1342, although it was in use probably earlier. Whereas native plant were quite successful, too, they often needed supervised continuous intake over a number of days. The treatment with tnani, however, took only one session and its duration was much shorter.
Tnanin causes severe cramps. If swallowed, the poison is quickly distributed in the whole body and can lead to agonizing cramps in the whole body, often leading to death either from exhaustion or respiratory failure.
This effect was soon exploited, but often led to severe accidents. Usually, a paste was made from poisonous berries or leaves which was then administered as a vaginal suppository. As soon as the poison was absorbed, the walls of the cervix started to contract as well as the uterus. Although very painful, this often led to the expulsion of any uterine contents.
It was, however, also not uncommon that this method resulted in accidental overdosing which either led to exruciating pain that only subsided very slowly, or which could also result in death.
Due to the relative high danger in comparison to other methods, the use of tnani as an abortive quickly fell out of use again and the last documented case was in 1675 CE.
Current Uses
Staple Food
The roots of almost all tnani species store a large amount of starch - either for the long winters of mountainous species or for dry seasons with the species of the steppe.
When the introduction of the Nidajan Tnani led to its wide availability throughout Baranxtu (as well as other Meleiyan nations), it quickly became a part of the staple food of the poor. It was easily grown and therefore suddenly very cheap, and was the most commonly consumed plant after rice and wheat.
When meat became more readily available in the 20th century, the popularity of the tnani root fell again. Nowadays, it is one of the more common side dishes, but unlike other former staple foods such as rice, it has become hard to find a dish where tnani is still the main ingredient.
Spice
The bark and the berries contain most of the aromatic substances of the tnani plant. Which one can be used for human consumption depends on the species, as in almost all tnani species, the concentration of tnanin is high in one of the two and low in the other one.
The most popular spice is that won from the bark of the Atamjan tnani. It is very hot, but also has its very own, unique flavor. Most of the annual tnani production of the republic of Baranxtu goes into the Atamjan tnani.
Species in Baranxtu
Nidajan Tnani
Appearance
The Nidajan Tnani (Tnanis nidajica) is a shrub growing up to 6 meters in height, the diameter of their crown can be up to 8 meters.
Its leaves grow in pairs and can vary in color from a rich, dark green to a faded olive green. Of elongated oval shape, they are usually between 10cm and 15cm long, but those of a few subspecies are known to reach up to 25cm in length.
Their blossoms are small with a 4cm diameter. Usually, they are dark red or purple. The Nidajan Tnani blossoms in late April or early May (earlier in warm climates) and their fruit ripen until August under normal circumstances. The fruits are fleshy with many seeds on the inside, and in color similar to their blossoms. They are very bitter in taste.
The roots of the Nidajan Tnani are similar in texture to potatoes. There length can be up to 5m, depending on the ground, and domesticated subspecies' roots often reach one meter or more in diameter. Once washed, their color is a dark beige or light brown.
Toxicity
Most of the tnanin is located in the fruits of the plant. Ripe berries of the wild variant often contain more than 5mg of the poison, so that even a small amount can already prove lethal. Modern subspecies grown for cultivation have been bred to contain much less of tnanin, although a nonpoisonous variant has yet to be discovered.
Use
The Nidajan Tnani is only grown for its roots which store a large amount of starch even in the wild form. Their use in cooking parallels that of potatoes, the Tnani roots, however, are more neutral in taste.
The berries of the Nidajan Tnani cannot be used as even small amounts of tnanin are stored in them from the very moment they start to grow. They also lack the strong tangy taste of the berries of the berries of the Tnanabe Tnani.
Tnanabe Tnani
Appearance
The Tnanabe Tnani (Tnanis tnanis) is a shrub growing up to 2 meters in height, the diameter of their crown usually does not grow larger than 1,5 meters.
They are adapted to a life in a hot and arid climate, so their leaves are small and thick.
Their white blossoms are almost minuscule. The Tnanabe Tnani blossoms shortly after rain and their fruits ripen within 2 months after pollination. The berries are small, fleshy and with many hard-shelled seeds on the inside. The berries are yellow or orange in color.
The roots of the Tnanabe Tnani are similar to those of the Nidajan Tnani, but much smaller. Their taste is much more bitter, as aromatic substances are solved in the water chamber of the roots which are bigger than those of the Nidajan Tnani.
Toxicity
The Tnanabe Tnani only stores a small amount of tnanin in its berries, usually only up to 0.1 per berry. The amount of poison found in the leaves varies greatly, and can reach about 7mg a leaf in the lower parts of the plant.
Use
The Tnanabe Tnani used to be grown for all of its parts. Since the discover of the Nidajan Tnani, however, they have almost only been grown for their fruits as they contain the least amount of poison of all tnani species.
The tnanin can be almost completely removed from the berries by cooking and drying, which destroys the alkaloid. The dried berries are than processed into a powder that is used as a seasoning. Tnanabe Tnani berries are tangy in taste, but relatively neutral otherwise and are not as popular as the traditional spice made from the bark of the Atamian Tnani.
Atamian Tnani
Appearance
The Atamian Tnani (Tnanis atamica) is a shrub growing up to 5 meters in height. They often more ressemble a tree than a bush, with a crown of usually 2-3 meters in diameter.
Their leaves are very similar to those of the Nidajan Tnani.
Atamian Tnani blossoms as soon as average daily temperatures reach 14°C. The blossoms are yellow or orange. After pollination, the berries need between 2 and 4 months to ripen. The berries are relatively large, fleshy and with many seeds on the inside. The berries' colors range from purple to dark red to dark orange.
The roots of the Atamian Tnani are rather small in comparison to those of the Nidajan or Tnanabe Tnani. Their taste can be actually a little sweet.
Toxicity
The Atamian Tnani stores most of its poison in its berries, which can contain between 2 and 3mg of tnanin.
Use
Is is the bark of the Atamian Tnani that is harvested by farmers. It contains a number of non-toxic aromatic substances that are usually extracted from the bark and find wide use as a spice in a large number of traditional Baranxtuan dishes.
Some traditionalist, however, prefer a dark powder made directly from the bark. This is marketed under the name tnanaruhbija.
Cultivation
Tnani are grown in all Baranxtuan provinces, but the major producers is Dorista, followed by Ziaha and Bari Nazer in a distant third place.
The plant is long-lived and reaches more than 30 years on average, and individual specimens have reportedly grown and blossomed for more than 60 years. The harvest is a delicate matter, as for the bark and roots, it involves the removal of vital parts of the plant. Even today, it is very labor-intensive, as most of the harvesting must still be done by hand.
To ensure that the plant is large enough to survive the harvest, they are given three years to grow untouched.
For bark harvest, small patches of the bark are removed and the barkless places are often covered with an antibiotic paste in order to protect the plant. These plants can be harvested again usually two years later, giving an estimated 14 harvests during the lifetime of one tnani.
When harvesting the root, the plant is unearthed to uncover the roots. Their is one thick main root, with several smaller roots sprouting sideways. These small roots are removed as well as about half of the main root. Then, the tnani is replanted and it takes about three years until it can be harvested again. This makes for about 9 harvests during the lifetime of one plant.
It is different with tnani grown for their berries. The berries can be harvested after the first year.
The farming of tnani employs approximately 40,000 people in Dorista alone, and about 85,000 people in all of Baranxtu. The business is worth about 2,5 billion aimau a year.
A small and stable export of tnani exists to a number of other IDU countries, notably Mikitivity.
Habitat
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From the first beginnings of cultivation in Baranxtu, seeds have been carried to the wild and the three tnani species have spread throughout Baranxtu and Jonquiere-Tadoussac.
Whether they can be seen as an ecological threat or not is disputed. Most of those growing in the wild are descendents from the first imported tnani plants and as such, have a much higher toxicity level than today's variations. Whereas herbivores in Ašmina have adapted to tnanin (or at least have become less sensitive to it), the plant is still highly toxic to the native wildlife. On the other hand, the pungent taste of the fruits and leaves is sufficient to repel most animals.
The most widespread of all tnani species in Baranxtu is the Nidajan Tnani. It can easily adapt to a wide range of climates and can nowadays be found in most Baranxtuan forests.
The strong adaption of the Tnanabe Tnani to arid climates made it rather susceptible to the humdity in most areas of Baranxtu except in leeward regions close to some Baranxtuan mountain ranges which are relatively dry.
Atamian Tnani needs a relatively cold climate and can be found in the higher regions of the Baranxtuan mountains and therefore is not found in Bari Nazer or the Neilas.
