Food

Like all living things, nutrition is a massive part of the life cycle and motivates the citizens of Riterra to work.

History

Riterra in the distant past contained a menagerie of different animal species independent from the Humans, Resonators, Naturals and even the ancient Incantatori that dwelt on the planet. However even these creatures carried rhythm within their bodies. When the scherzando first came into being they preyed upon the animals that dwelt on the surface, becoming apex super predators. Though at the time of their birth, the scherzando were not in large enough numbers to affect the ecosystem in any significant way.

For much of the After Resonation (AR) era, there was a delicate balance between the wandering scherzando and the mundane animal population of Riterra. Records from this time were sparse, but there was study into the mundane animal species. Some species were hunted for their meats, pelts, and other by-products they could provide.

Modern historians mark 1621 as the critical year where the original population of mundane animals reached a breaking point. The ecosystem was in a full state of collapse as the scherzando began to supplant the mundane animal's roles in the ecosystem, evolving to fulfill their tasks that they played to maintain the machinery that made up the ecosystem of Riterra. With one exception.

Scherzando, when killed, do not provide any meat or animal by-products. So while the scherzando mimicked the mundane animals they replaced, they could not perform the one vital task melopomorphs of Riterra needed of them: being a food source.

This was not a concern to those of the seventeenth century, as they kicked the metaphorical can down the road so to speak. As such the rate of consumption continued until there were nearly no viable species left to protect. Wars began to break out as a food shortage gripped the world and entering the eighteen century AR, the world became gripped in war. After over fifty years of conflict, the Quireh empire took control of the entire world and immediately turned their focus to the nutritional crisis gripping their newly conquered world. During the post-war period protein deficiency ran rampant as the last precious scraps of "true meat" were hoarded by the rich.

Once these ran out, society was on the brink of collapse. Between the food shortages and open rebellion against the world government, the Quireh empire had to act fast to maintain their leadership structure. Gathering all the most brilliant minds in the world, they accelerated the growth of technology like the world had never seen before. Machines mass-produced unheard-of quantities of food for the starving masses. Crop yields exploded as new farming techniques were developed. Year after year farmers struggled to keep up with the newest technology.

But it didn't sate the noble classes who yearned for the meat of yesteryear. There were several breakthroughs in the field of meat-substitutes during the early nineteenth century. At first it was a far cry from the meals that used to be enjoyed by the masses of centuries past. However, many discoveries were made to the point that nearly all animal-based products had a substitute. Now a days one can find eggs, and even artificial shellfish that is indistinguishable from the genuine article of the distant past.

Food Stuffs

There are many staple crops around the world, which are funneled into the massive system of food production. What is called "meat" on Riterra is a misnomer, 99.9% of consumed meat is either produced artificially in a factory/lab setting or some kind of plant-product grown specifically to mimic the taste and nutritional value meat would provide in a diet.

Grains and grain-based products do make up a massive percentage of staple crops grown around the world. Maize, Rice, and Wheat are some of the most produced crops on the planet with other staple crops like potatoes following close behind.

Outside of normal food products there has been a massive boom in the processed food industry in the previous century with such snacks as candies and potato chips for instance rising in popularity. The idea of fast food also rose in prominence in the 20th century. Though given the caloric requirements of a healthy rhythm user, these don't have nearly the same impact on societal health as say if a tacet population consumed such luxuries.

True Meat

There are those who seek the delicacy of "true meat". Given the extinction of mundane animals, there is only one source for such a commodity: consumption of melopomorphs. That isn't to say cannibalism is being committed as the typical perpetrators of these acts target members not of their species. Most commonly Naturals consuming resonators or in extremely rare cases, maestros. This is not a one-way street however and there have been cases where Naturals have been preyed upon for fur and meat. Both the Riterran Government and the Naturalan Councils take accusations of True Meat consumption very seriously and have a very heavy hand against those convicted of such crimes (execution being the usual go-to punishment for such offences. It is one of the very few things the Human and Natural governments can agree on.