Tapina

Tapina is a type of mushroom local to the Umiera region and is most notable for its uses as a bread replacement in Umiera whose environment is not suitable for bread grains.

Appearance

Tapina mushrooms have thick stalks with a somewhat spongey appearance, and relatively small, slightly rounded tops. They grow to be about 45cm tall on average, with stalks that are between 16cm and 21cm in diameter. They are mostly off-white in color, leaning toward yellowish or greenish. The tops are the same hue as the stalk, but just a bit darker.

Tapina Bread

Bread made from tapina mushrooms is a staple food of the people of Umiera, making up about 30% of their diet. Tapina consists of proteins similar to those found in cereal grains that allow it to be used as a grain alternative to make breads. The process of creating breads from tapina is more labor-intensive than using grains, causing the border regions of Umiera sometimes prefer to import grain, but this also seems to give Tapina breadmakers an air of pride in their craft.

The process of creating bread from tapina begins with cutting the stem into cubes and treating that in a bath that kills off molds that commonly infest them that can be poisonous to people or just taste bad, then thoroughly rinsing off the wash in near-boiling water. After that, it is crushed down into a fine paste and let to dry partially. The paste is then worked into a dough, then stretched and folded repeatedly in multiple directions, at least a couple dozen times, until the dough is very difficult to stretch again. After that, the dough can finally be baked. The dough can also be stretched even more with machine help to create noodles, but the process is difficult and time-consuming enough that tapina noodles are treated like a rare delicacy.

Tapina can be made into flatbreads, rolls, or loaves just like grain breads. Compared to traditional bread, tapina bread usually tastes earthier and sometimes a little tangy, and has a consistency that is spongier and with a less-soft texture. Outsiders who did not grow up with this exotic bread often do not prefer it to grain bread.