- Some Haaru clans tend to use the natural aperture for this purpose, whereas the more civilized tend to find that method offensive and disgusting.
Gekepeshiyik is a traditional dish in many Haaru cultures, consisting of a roasted pregnant Pesh ("Kepesh") and its fetuses ("Peshyaat" or "Yaat"). It is particularly associated with Kepeshnags, a holiday of thanksgiving, though the dish is consumed as a delicacy at any time.
Selection
The selection of a Kepesh is given much attention. At any given time, several members in a Brasture may be pregnant, but selecting just the right one can be challenging even to an experienced Bo-Pesh.
Ideally, the Kepesh is at a precise point in her pregnancy that the Peshyaat are as large as possible without their bones becoming too solid to bite through. If chosen too early, the meat will be mushy and bloody. If chosen too late, the bones will be chewy or hard.
Some Bo-Pesh claim that the hardening of the bones is accompanied by various signals in the Kepesh's behavior or appearance, but their theories are generally as numerous as they are. Reaching into the womb to palpate a Peshyaat to feel for bones is considered offensively bad form, not to mention a bad idea in terms of husbandry. But social esteem is crucial to the Haaru, and it is not unheard of for a Bo-Pesh to ruin a few pregnancies to ensure the feast goes well.
Preparation
In some regional variations, the Kepesh is first brined or steamed to loosen the thick bristly hair from the skin. It is then plucked completely, a process which traditionally occupies the early morning to midday for the preparer.
Next, it is roasted over a low fire for several hours with the Peshyaat still inside. If the fur was not removed, it simply burns off during this phase, giving the skin a bitter aroma prized in some regions. If done correctly, the Peshyaat will be cooked inside the Kepesh to a medium-rareness.
Consumption
The table's seat of honor cuts into the Kepesh's abdomen and placenta, aiming to cut just enough to reach inside without exposing it visually. Then, by order of decreasing age, the diners reach into the still-hot womb and pull out one Peshyaat each1. Broods are generally 5-9 in number, meaning for large tables there may not be enough Peshyaat for the youngest. This is considered a privilege of age, and the youngest are often content to age into the ritual.
After the Peshyaat are consumed, the rest of the Pesh is divided as a normal meal.