Snightedil, or Salviex Noctisolens is a fragrant green herb native to Kingsway that resembles rosemary in appearance. On its thin brown stalks, it has stiff, long needles and white leafy, leathery leaves that resemble solitary flower petals. The plants are commonly grown for use in cooking.
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Etymology
"Snightedil" received its name from a number of different factors.
The addition of the 's' to the beginning is widely believed to be a contraction and case of mistaken identity due to variation in dialects and accents.
Based on smell and appearance it was mistakenly likened to the dill plant from Earth by colonists who were not familiar with the plant, only the spice. This lead to the early name for the plant being "Night Dill" as it is easily located at night by its stark white petals which catch moonlight and starlight easily.
By the time the correction was made to the reference to "dill", the whole name had stuck.
The scientific name Salviex Noctisolens (S. noctisolens) was chosen for the plant's similarity to the Salvia genus of plants on Earth, and as a nod to the mistaken identity of the plant being called "Night Dill," Noctisolens refers to the Latin word for "night" (noctis) and the end of the scientific name for "dill," Anethum graveolens.
Physical Characteristics
Snightedil is an aromatic green shrub similar to thyme and rosemary. They are hardy plants that survive well in cold climates and give off a pleasant smell in warmer weather as the outer layers of the needles begin to warm in the sun.
Most plants do not grow more than a meter in height, and half a meter in diameter. Each plant forms multiple stalks that grow needles along the entire length from a few centimeters in height from the ground. Each of these stalks also grows additional branches that produce needles and white, leathery leaves that resemble solitary flower petals, which serve the same functions as flowers for the purpose of promoting pollination.
It has large white heart-shaped petal leaves. When they grow larger than two inches in length and one inch in width, the petals begin to curl inwards to form a cone, which makes a favorable nesting and mating ground for small native insect-analogous creatures, as the white petals easily catch moonlight at night making this very visible; the creatures, in turn, assist in pollinating the plants.
Behavioral Characteristics
Growth Parameters
Soil Moisture: High
Light: 4-6+ Hrs, some shade
Root Depth: 20-25 cm
Soil pH: 5.5-7.0
Snightedil quickly creates new runners that can overtake new
Relationship with Humans
Culinary Uses
The green needles of the snightedil plant can be ground into a powder that is used as the spice "oberim" or the needles can be diced or used whole. While uncommon for average cooking, it is a regular practice to use several inches of snightedil sprig to season a dish, especially when slow-cooked, acting as an aromatic and to directly flavor the dish, as many of the needles will invariably fall off during cooking as water is sapped from the sprig.
Snightedil and oberim (named for the now-defunct company that first produced it large-scale) have a peppery flavor. When uncooked, the flavor is slightly floral. When exposed to high heat in cooking, the outside of the snightedil needle readily undergoes maillard browning imparting a desirable umami flavor.
Oberim & Goldspice
The umami effect is less pronounced in oberim, though it is easier to use in dishes. Oberim fits well as an addition to most spicey mixes and has found its way into local renditions of cajun-creole mixes as well as curry powders.
Oberim can be sifted to separate the main spice from the outer-casing, which can then be used to impart the umami flavoring when cooked on the outside of the food it is added. This method is costly, produces little usable material comparative to the original harvest. Known as "Goldspice," for its yellow color and "panning" method of sifting used to produce it, it makes for a popular "high-class" spice similar to saffron that is rarely used in home-cooking. Fortunately for many amateur chefs, goldspice is not actually worth it's weight in gold as the name suggests.