Shop 51.2

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Chapter 51.2. Octopus And Bowl In The Wilderness

"I'm digging in too! (Nom! Nom!) Oh! This packs a punch! Could it rival the richness of meat?"

"Yes, the greatness of anago lies in its densely packed, vibrant flavor."

"Indeed! It's a satisfying deliciousness!"

"Count me in!"

"Then count me too."

"Ugh..."

As usual, everyone except Cherina handles their spoons.

"It's delicious! But what kind of fish is anago? I've never heard of it."

"It's not commonly available in markets, yet people in the slums fight over it... Perhaps they know about this deliciousness..."

"Is that a possibility? Both octopus and anago are treats to me."

Fresh octopus seems surprisingly expensive.

"Hmm. If we can eliminate people's prejudices against eating it, it could be a good business."

"I didn't think that far ahead when creating it."

"Oh no, it's a learning experience."

Chef Hugo remains modest as ever. It's funny how I'm younger than him.

"Well, if we were to make it a business, couldn't we just serve the finished product so that people don't know its original form? It's not like it's poisonous."

"All I can do is establish the cooking method, but soy sauce seems to be key."

"Ah, right."

It seems like getting mirin might be tricky too.

"No, I'm also a member of the Veliero Company. If there's demand, I'll surely create something satisfying."

"That's reassuring."

Indeed, whether it's the artisan Dauro or the aide Melvin, this company is blessed with talent.

"So, if the young miss won't eat it, wouldn't it be better to give it to the grumpy-looking dwarf?"

"Aye. Leaving food behind is disrespectful."

"A guest at a noble's house said leaving food behind is polite."

"This isn't a noble's house, is it?"

"Oh, right. I just had this impression that Cherina-sama was noble."

That impression has crumbled quite a bit today. I didn't expect shabu-shabu to cause a competition.

"I-I'll eat it. Just to... appreciate the aroma."

It's painful.

"It looks... somewhat... like... darkly grilled fish."

Well, it's arranged to not remind one too much of snakes.

"And I have no intention of eating it uncouthly."

Gently scooping up the flesh with her spoon, she slowly brings it to her mouth.

"...Huh?"

She pauses for a moment.

"I-Is this... Is this really that snake? This intense flavor... It must be because of the sauce... Ah! The grains soaked in this sauce are also incredibly delicious!"

"Cherina, it's not considered complete if you eat them separately. You have to have both the flesh and rice in your mouth at the same time... That's when it's complete."

"At the same time... like this...?"

She struggles to scoop up both evenly with her spoon.

"Ah! Oh! What a revelation! The rich and rustic white flesh, when combined with the rice, elevates the taste by one, no, two levels! It's truly art, where disparate elements come together... This is... slurp... yes... slurp slurp... the beginning of a new culinary culture! (Nom nom nom)"

While her cheeks with rice grains stuck on them are endearing, it must have shattered Narnia's admiration. 

Though I thought that, Narnia initially looked appalled but seemed oddly amused as she watched. 

Well, Cherina's multifaceted expressions are amusing.

"Indeed, once you've tasted this, the fact that anago is a snake becomes irrelevant."

"But it's not a snake..."

My mutterings didn't seem to reach Cherina, who was engrossed in spooning food.

"And Hugo, do you think we can commercialize this?"

"It's not possible right away, as we can't obtain rice or seasonings. However, if it's adjusting the taste to be suitable as a snack with alcohol, that can be done."

"I see. So, we'll give up on the donburi for now."

"Yes. Without soy sauce, we can approximate the flavor to some extent using fish sauce and sugar."

"I'd like to proceed with the study on frying as well."

"Yes."

The two of them are earnestly discussing whether they can reproduce the current dish.

"How was the seasoning?"

"Not to my liking!"

"Nor mine! Nor mine!"

"Delicious."

"Well, that's good... But since the seasoning was quite strong, should we serve something a bit lighter next time?"

"If it's edible, it doesn't matter."

Even so, it feels somewhat lonely...

"Well, anyway, Hugo-san, could you please put away the dishes that were kept in the room?"

"Understood."

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