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Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling Lore Bits
Want to give some scattered bits of lore information regarding the Shao sisters in Cryas Darkstalkers. Help to give you a bit more insight into them as people beyond just being Xianshushi jiangshi. 🤗
Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling are an ethnic mix of Manchu and Han, with their mother being Manchu and their father being Han.
Due to their mother, many customs and cultural aspects they hold onto are predominantly Manchu in nature.
Pickled vegetables, like cabbage, play a major role in their diet. The coffin they travel with has compartments with jars of such delicacies ready for consumption or preparation for meals.
Mantou (馒头) is a staple food that the sisters will eat often. A steamed bun made of wheat, they will sometimes add other flavoring in the process to add some additional flavor.
Due to the incident that made the sisters aware of what happens when a jiangshi tastes blood, Hsien-Ko and Mei-Ling refuse to eat any meat-based food if it wasn't prepared by them or a very trusted individual.
As far as meat in their diet, they primarily obtain that via fishing or small game hunting. When they have the chance with what little money they get, they do buy pork as a treat. Blood sausage was something they did consume in a soup when they were human. However, they no longer consume this as they can't.
Often, Mei-Ling will grill them food over a fire. From grilling meat to making varies types of stir fries, it is a great day when the Shao sisters can enjoy a meal cooked over a campfire.
For a hearty and filling meal, Mei-Ling will make baozi (包子). Quite the savory dish.
As a special treat for difficult hunts or special occasions, Mei-Ling will make suziyie doubao (蘇子葉豆包), one of Hsien-Ko's personal favorites. It is a steamed bun filled with sweetened mashed beans.
Mei-Ling has a major sweet tooth. Her personal favorite sweet is a treat that their mother would make for them: Sachima (沙琪玛). A very sweet fritter treat, it is strands of fried batter that are bound by sweet, sugary syrup. She remembers by memory how to make this treat.
Another sweet on Mei-Ling's radar is dragon's beard candy (龍鬚糖), a treat similar to cotton candy. An incredibly rare treat, she tries to find time to figure out the secret to making this dish as it is difficult and time consuming.
Mei-Ling does try her best to not eat as many sweets. It isn't so much because she fears getting fat, just more so keeping in mind the idea of self-discipline and control.
The sisters don't actually eat as much rice dishes as you would think, thanks in part to how they grew up. But they do engage occasionally when the chance arises.
Tea and water are common for the sisters to drink. Interestingly, they do prefer to drink warm/hot water rather than cold water.