Nectrose crystals functioned as a flavor additive, specifically a type of crystal that, when mixed into water, imparted a sweet and fruity taste. Everi Chalis, a human child living in poverty, was once given a packet of these crystals as an act of kindness by the captain of a Trade Federation vessel. The experience of tasting them was the most delightful she had ever had, highlighting the stark reality of her homeworld's impoverished state. Later, in 34 ABY, Strono Tuggs, an Artiodac chef, featured a nectrose crystal recipe in his book, The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook.
These crystals were designed to be quickly dissolved in water, serving as a flavor enhancement. They resembled shimmering gemstones and came in shades of green, red, or yellow, imbuing the water with a sweet and fruity essence. Some used them to improve the taste of stale water, while others sought an energy surge from the crystals.
Before the Galactic Empire rose to power during the reign that started in 19 BBY, the impoverished mother of the human Everi Chalis attempted to offer her daughter to the captain of a Trade Federation scout vessel. However, Chalis, being only six years old, was deemed too young to be of any use. As a gesture of compassion, the captain gifted the child a packet filled with nectrose crystals.
Unaware that the crystals were meant to be dissolved in water, Chalis would dip her fingers into the crystals and lick them, resulting in hives each time. She limited herself to consuming them once a week, making the packet last for months. She considered the crystals the most extraordinary thing she had ever encountered, leading her to recognize the extent of her homeworld's destitution, as off-worlders could afford to give away items like nectrose crystals as charity.
In 5 ABY, a young boy belonging to the Children of the Empty Sun, a cult situated on the planet Catadra, consumed raw nectrose crystals despite the cult's discouragement of sweets. He later confessed his actions to other members of the Children of the Empty Sun during a group discussion held three times a week.
In 34 ABY, the Artiodac chef Strono Tuggs incorporated a recipe for nectrose crystals into his book, The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook, where he also utilized the crystals as toppings for desserts such as Mimbanese Mudslide and Nectrose Freeze. Tuggs mentioned seeing the crystals crushed and used to decorate the rims of fancy cocktail glasses. Additionally, he had heard stories of soldiers consuming the crystals undissolved on the battlefield to gain a quick energy boost.
The initial mention of nectrose crystals appeared in Battlefront: Twilight Company, a novel penned by Alexander Freed and released in 2015. Later, nectrose crystals were visually represented through a recipe in the 2019 cookbook Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge: The Official Black Spire Outpost Cookbook, authored by Marc Sumerak and Chelsea Monroe-Cassel. The out-of-universe recipe combines sugar, honey, water, rock salt, baking soda, and citric acid with one of three different flavor combinations that each produce a different color of crystal.
The red variant incorporates vanilla extract, a hint of banana extract, and red food coloring. The yellow variant calls for balsamic vinegar, strawberry extract, and yellow food coloring. The green variant blends ground cardamom, orange extract, and green food coloring. In an interview, Cassel identified the Nectrose Freeze as one of her preferred dishes from the cookbook, highlighting the nectrose crystals and other toppings as flavor enhancers. During the book's creation, she and the photography team enjoyed consuming the dish after capturing the necessary shots for the cookbook.