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Help me come up with better names

5 days ago

So my entry for the prompt contest is involves potentially finding various ingredients to be used. I've come up with a bunch of them, but some of the names feel very plain to me and I would like to punch them up and make them feel more sci-fi.

The table below shows some of what I'm working with and the short description I've come up with for each. If you have an idea of a better name, description or both, feel free to throw it out there, particularly if they allude to something that could fulfill one of the other prompts.


IngredientDescription
GlimmerweedLong strands of dried kelp-like growths, encrusted with salt-dried plankton and mineral salts
Himalayan SaltIn some ways healthier that normal table salt, many believe it to have healing or medicinal properties.
Nebula HoochThis difficult to obtain and purify flavored alcohol is bottled directly in the Sagittarius B2 molecular cloud. Smelling faintly like Earth strawberries and cedar, this can add a pleasant punch to certain dishes.
SaffronThis vibrantly red or yellow extraction of the crocus flower has had historical medical uses, but is more commonly used as a flavorful spice.
Sky NutsHard-shelled nut of the Peet-seet tree. They have a salty-sweet flavor and very smooth texture.
Tidal BerriesAkin to Earth seagrapes, these round bundles of algae have a salty sweet flavor, and add a fun texture to dishes but are sensitive to high heat.
Tidal ShrimpPlump and delicate crustaceans with shells as yellow and green as the sea foam they are typically found in.
Cracked Obsidian SaltJet black and flaky salt frequently found in deeper regions of the volcanic worlds favored by the Graxulites. Thought to promote spiritual cleanliness.
Blazing SpiceA spice blend with a long and storied history on Norri-Nerkath. Increases both the spiciness and temperature of any dish it is added too.
Cactus NectarAstringently flavorful, this traditional medicinal treatment has found favor in many wide-spread dishes.

Help me come up with better names

5 days ago
Look at who's getting fancy with the ingredients and doesn't even have a cooking prompt, wow.

Himalayan salt isn't sci fi at all, but it's pink, nebula pink. I'd change that to Nebula Salt and make the hooch into Sagittarius Cider.

"Sky Nuts" is similarly a little generic. If the tree already has a name why not just use that? And maybe just Norri Spice instead of "blazing", since lots of things are hot but spice blends are frequently named after a region or the kind of dishes they're used on. Italian or Tuscan, Cajun etc.

Help me come up with better names

5 days ago
Those are great suggestions. Sky Nuts and Blazing Spice were two of the names I've disliked the most for their blandness. So you would go with something like Peet-Seet Nuts? I like the Norri Spice, it helps emphasize which species it comes from.

Nebula Salt is on the right path. Maybe I just need to push it as a Corp tied product, something like Earthboy Exports Nebula Salt or something like that.

Help me come up with better names

5 days ago
That or maybe just something like Peetnuts if the full name is unwieldy, so it can be a joke on peanuts. But I don't think there's any kind of real world nut or fruit that isn't the same as the tree, the tree itself gets named after what it produces in those cases.

I like the idea of company branding. Those salts have never even been near a nebula, it's all a marketing gimmick. Although I read that as Earthbox Exports at first and kind of like the sound of that.

Help me come up with better names

5 days ago
I had gone with Earther Exports, but I like the weirdness of Earthbox. "All the toys and treasures of Earth delivered with an Earthan smile!" Like a twisted Barkbox or whatever that one japanese snack box service is.