Hhyssk'et

Hhyssk'et is a nut-like berry. Its name means "bitter fire," and this fruit is aptly named indeed. The hhyssk'et grows on a thorny ground cover of the same name. Injury from the thorns produces an instant "chill-numbing" like effect that lasts for a few seconds before a burning sensation erupts at the site. Imagine a single nerve ending on fire, then magnify that by all the nerve endings around the injury site. It is, as I am sure you are now imagining, quite painful. The 'seeds' go from a leathery shell to rock-hard as they become ripe -- it is similar to a coconut shell. This protects the hhyssk'et berries from the yeehar, as those lumbering beasts are known to have quite the sweet tooth. The berry is about the size of a plum. The shells are carefully peeled open to obtain the thin membrane that lines the inside. The fiery hot membrane is then carefully removed to maintain its shape for stuffing with a highly sweetened fruit and meat mixture. The choice membranes are colored from a bright red to a deep burgundy.