Volume 6 Chapter 27 Gourmet Baron
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The dining room of Toyata Baron’s mansion was not large, but it was richly decorated. It did not seem meant for hosting many guests. More likely, it was a dining room just for the Baron himself… after all, he was alone.
I had been invited there. One of his subordinates was protesting something to the Baron. The Baron yelled at him, and the man stepped back. But the Baron was not angry. He seemed in a good mood. Yelling at subordinates had become a habit of his. Such behavior was not unusual among nobles.
”Well, these days, no young people understand good taste.”
The Baron smiled.
”You are a valuable comrade, worth talking to. Let us toast to our miraculous meeting.”
He raised his glass.
I lifted mine and sipped as he suggested.
The white wine was exquisite. The temperature was perfect. It reminded me of Mr. Zenom’s underground wine cellar, which was always cool.
”You seem to have a good wine cellar,” I said.
The Baron shook his head.
”Unfortunately, the basement cellar is not perfect.”
He reached into his magic bag.
”I keep my ideal wine cellar inside my magic bag in my territory.”
Most who had magic bags were high-level magicians. Using such a skill this way was a luxury.
The pickles on the table smelled of herbs and garlic. The secret ingredient was fish sauce.
Mr. Raoh and others had ordered large jars of fish sauce from southern lands. They hoped it could replace soy sauce, but its strong taste split opinions. I had come to accept it. The flavor was more like anchovy sauce than normal soy sauce.
I had a large jar and used it little by little. It would take decades to finish.
”Can you taste this?” the Baron asked.
I tried a bite.
”It’s an interesting use. It would suit the people here, who are not used to fish sauce. Once you get used to it, the fishy flavor becomes addictive.”
The Baron nodded.
”Indeed, I had thought it a barbarian’s seasoning. But it has a rustic and rich taste.”
He pointed at another dish.
”How about this? You will be surprised.”
The plate held blanched tree buds. Their bright green color was beautiful. On top was an orange sauce. The flavor was…
I stopped, surprised.
”This is mayonnaise, isn’t it?”
The Baron smiled.
”It is a mix of ground sesame, vinegar, and egg. It is not roasted, so the sesame taste is mild. It’s a bit unusual, but it does taste like mayonnaise.”
He leaned back.
”This secret sauce has been called a killer of foodies since ancient times. Summoned heroes fuss over mayonnaise, but this—how about it? More delicious, isn’t it?”
I thought for a moment.
”It’s strange to rank condiments, but I do think the slight bitterness of the tree buds pairs well with the faint sesame flavor.”
There was no point in debating salt versus sugar. Cooking was about how flavors matched. This mayonnaise-like sauce would go well with strong flavors. I thought it would suit pork shabu sauce perfectly.
The Baron smiled again.
”You have a good point. What kind of dishes does this mayonnaise go well with?”
I hesitated.
”That is hard to say. Mayonnaise goes well with many things. But no single dish stands out. Takoyaki? Okonomiyaki? They taste good even without mayonnaise. It feels different.”
”What I like is potato salad,” I said.
”Potato salad?” the Baron asked.
”It is boiled potatoes mixed with mayonnaise. But I can’t get potatoes here.”
Sweet potato salad was good, but I preferred regular potatoes. Their mild taste was unique and irreplaceable.
For some reason, the Baron looked smug when I mentioned potatoes.
”The potatoes are grown in my territory’s greenhouse. They are expensive.”
I thought, a greenhouse? Was it really needed to grow cold-loving potatoes? Maybe it was to stop wall barley damage.
”They weren’t the best potatoes, but they go well with this killer sauce. If the Goddess allows, maybe we can grow them outside.”
Crops that had no resistance to wall barley’s poison could be protected if blessed by Lady Belzea, the Goddess of Fertility. Potatoes were tough, so maybe they could grow resistant over time, with or without the Goddess.
I remembered the New World crops offered at the Belzea temple. I hoped they would be blessed soon.
”I am curious about this mayonnaise too,” the Baron said.
”The ingredients for mayonnaise and this gourmet-killing sauce are not so different,” I replied.
”The biggest difference is chemical seasonings.”
I added, “A friend of Mr. Raoh has synthesized glutamic acid. I might ask for some to try making mayonnaise.”
The Baron nodded.
”I think raw eggs are the secret to its taste. Gourmet food is a matter of life and death.”
Raw eggs? I thought of salmonella. In Japan, eggs were safe. Abroad, many died from it. Did gourmet-killing mean what I feared?
”Um, could this gourmet-killing sauce really kill you if you eat it?”
The Baron’s eyes were calm but serious.
”To master gourmet food, one must be ready to face death. It is called gourmet-killing because many gourmets have died from it.”
His expression was cold but calm.
”Ho ho ho,” he laughed loudly.
”Do not be scared. In my kitchen, we prepare it safely with a secret technique.”
The Baron’s laugh echoed.
I guessed the secret was a magic bag. Normal magic bags could not store living things but could filter parasites and bacteria. My own magic bag was different. It could not do that. I had to figure out how to safely eat sashimi.
The next dish arrived: mushroom jelly.
Called “wood children,” mushrooms were precious here. Forests were ruined. Many mushrooms sold locally grew from horse manure, but they seemed safe to eat.
The amber-colored jelly held the mushroom like a treasure. The candlelight flickered on its glossy surface.
The taste was salty. It was like a cold soup.
A small river shrimp added color. If I made this in Japan, I would add tiger prawns or black tiger shrimp.
”What do you think of this?” the Baron asked.
”It is a secret technique called soft ice. You must be surprised.”
”It looks like jelly made from boiled ingredients. Very beautiful.”
”It is a dish that values appearance over taste. But appealing to the eyes is not wrong in banquet food.”
The Baron’s eyes widened.
”Did you see through the secret at once?”
I smiled.
”It is a technique anyone who cooks boiled food would know. Glue is sold commercially. Cooling protein will gel.”
”Jelly was common in my hometown. But it was more a dessert.”
”What does it taste like? Tell me!”
The Baron’s face showed deep interest.
”There are many kinds. My favorite is fruit in syrup, cooled and solidified.”
When I was a child, I preferred gelatin. Later, I learned agar was better. I remembered those long-ago summer days. I wondered how my family was doing.
One day, I would leave home for good. I tried to think it would come later, but knowing I might never see them again was hard. Memories came unbidden sometimes.
”You use it for sweet desserts? That is interesting.”
The Baron mumbled quietly, lost in thought.
Sugar was scarce here. Sweets were rare.
He knew how to use gelatin and could make sweet jelly easily. The problem was the containers.
To make jelly look clear and fresh, glass dishes were best. Glass wine cups existed, but to make jelly look good required skill, like cut glass.
If a dwarf glass craftsman could make them, it might be a good business for the nobles.
While talking about appetizers, the smell of freshly baked bread came. A shallow basket appeared, holding thinly sliced bread neatly arranged.
”Well, let us finally eat the quail,” the Baron said.
I followed his lead as he placed a large dish of roasted brown quail in the center.
Though called quail, it was bigger than Earth’s chicken and looked powerful.
”The smell is wonderful.”
The Baron’s voice grew serious.
”Lately, sellers have been calling spoiled quail ‘aged,’ but old quail cannot be eaten.”
I agreed.
I had heard aged meat was tastier, but when it smelled rotten, it was bad. After cooking quail every day, Mr. Zenom and I agreed light aging was best.
Chicken ham or smoked quail lasted longer. More salt or making jerky helped preserve it more.
Thanks to my magic bag, I had no worries. It was a cheat ability. With it, I did not need a fridge.
The Baron cut the breast meat himself. He closed his eyes and smelled it with bliss.
Then he slowly ate a bite.
”Ah, it is better than I imagined.”
His voice was full of wonder.
”This is the highest taste. I feel I have lived for this one bite. My friend of heart, I thank the gods that I met you.”
Character Notes:
• Mr. Zenom – Tough dwarf blacksmith from Toyoata Village. Repairs weapons, improves accuracy. Charges 100 gold/arrow. Becomes protagonist’s strict master. Assigns hard tasks like pre-dawn cleaning, firewood, water pumping. Owns well-equipped forge. Challenges protagonist to prove ideas.
• Raoh – Pakkyamara. An infamous, scheming, but somewhat incompetent senior adventurer known for meddling with hero summoning rituals; often gets beaten up as a result. The one who want japanese food.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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