Chapter 42 Crafting the Sauce
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The food here was awful—a thought unspoken yet universally shared in this world. The meals of the Otherworld consisted mostly of bland, salty soups masked with herbs. People dipped stale, rock-hard bread into these soups to soften them, a far cry from the rich flavors Ayumu Sanai had known in his original world. It was unbearable.
To be blunt, the only thing truly delicious here was cheese. But one couldn’t survive on cheese alone. As nutritious as beans and barley porridge might be, their thin, tasteless soups were unbearable. Something had to be done.
That’s why Ayumu decided to tackle sauce-making. He instructed his employees to produce fish sauce, vinegar, and cooking sake—essential components for the Worcestershire sauce and vegetable dressings he planned to create. These condiments, he believed, would not only remind him of his world but also appeal to the taste buds of the Otherworlders, whose culinary traditions somewhat resembled those of Europe.
Moreover, even if the sauces failed, fish sauce, vinegar, and sake could be sold individually, mitigating the risk. The world’s technology and production capabilities were sufficient to manufacture them. Alcohol, unlike in Ayumu’s world, wasn’t restricted to churches; a beer-like beverage was brewed everywhere. And when it came to fish sauce, he discovered that some here already knew how to make it—a practice dating back to ancient Rome in his world.
This was a trading port, after all. Fish, precious sugar, and even salt—though expensive inland—were relatively affordable here compared to other places.
Ideally, Ayumu would’ve loved to make soy sauce or miso, but the koji mold in his world had been refined over centuries to be safe for human consumption. As an amateur, he couldn’t risk it.
Let’s be honest—he couldn’t even distinguish between Aspergillus oryzae and toxic mold! And the thought of making miso or soy sauce from moldy bread, only to cause food poisoning, was terrifying.
Besides, investing heavily in something that might not suit the Otherworlders’ palates or succeed as a product was too risky.
As if that weren’t enough, securing sales channels was proving difficult.
* * *
”The product isn’t ready yet, but I’m confident in its taste. Once it’s done—”
”I’ve already told you we don’t need it! Get out of here, you fraud!”
The door slammed shut, the sound echoing down the street as passersby laughed. “Hiiiieee—!”
This was the 67th time Ayumu had been thrown out.
He sighed heavily. “The world’s harsh…”
But giving up wasn’t an option. He’d already invested too much into this venture. There was no turning back.
Ayumu thought of Colonel Sanders, who, at 60, became homeless due to a government road project. Yet, instead of despairing, he asked himself, What can I do? With nothing but his car, a small pension, and a bag of his signature chicken spice blend, Sanders spent 10 years traveling across America. He demonstrated his recipe in bars and restaurants, pitching his original chicken brand to owners.
His efforts later became the world’s first franchise agreement—a well-known story. Ayumu planned to borrow this idea in the Otherworld. Shameless? Absolutely!
Of course, store owners would turn away a suspicious stranger trying to sell them something. Legend has it Colonel Sanders was rejected by 1,009 stores before the 1,010th finally agreed.
Compared to Sanders’ struggles, Ayumu’s seemed insignificant. It reignited his determination.
(I could keep going!)
And so, Ayumu continued his relentless sales pitch…
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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