Chapter 76

Returning home, I greeted Tisha at the door.

It was still early, and she hadn't even started preparing the meal.

While unloading the firewood I had bought on my way back, I asked Tisha a favor.

"Can I have some of the fat and some of the internal organs from the boar?"

She responded with a puzzled look.

"I'll be disposing of those parts, so there will be plenty left. We caught a big one yesterday. You can use them since I haven't disposed of them yet. But what do you need them for?"

"I want to try making something that can replace the fruits of the mulberry tree. Also, it can be used to cleanse the body."

"Hmm, sounds interesting. Is there anything I can help with?"

"If you have some free time before you start cooking, could you help me? Please finely chop the fat and the large intestine."

"Oh, it sounds like cooking."

"I'm going to extract the oil."

I had been thinking about making soap earlier, but I couldn't start without trying. From tomorrow, I'll be living in the forest for a week, and I want to experiment with how it dries during that time. I also bought the firewood myself so as not to burden the household finances.

Tisha brought the parts she was going to dispose of from the shed and started chopping them efficiently. She's a good housewife.

"By the way, after you extract the oil, you can use the remaining parts in a stew. Are you making a soup today?"

"I'm planning to make a vegetable soup."

"Then let's put it in the soup."

In the Kansai region, "yukagashi" is well-known. It's a preserved food made by drying the remains after extracting the fat from beef, horse, or pork. While there are various issues surrounding its history and past, it is now recognized as a food ingredient.

The materials are the pure fat and well-washed intestines, as the blood can cause an unpleasant odor and should be removed as much as possible. I don't often get the chance to cook with Tisha, so we proceeded while chatting.

In a slightly larger pot, I boiled a little water to start and then added the materials. Outside, I burned the oak scraps I had received from the carpenter at a high temperature. I had heard that the lye from oak ash is suitable for strengthening the alkalinity.

In the pot, the water evaporated, and a smell similar to frying began to waft through the air.

"It smells delicious."

"In my hometown, it was quite a popular food."

At this point, it's just a matter of adjusting to prevent it from sticking. I asked Tisha to start preparing dinner.

Outside, the oak scraps, which were being burned on a small scale, quickly turned into white ash. I transferred the ash to a small tub I had bought and mixed it with water.

The oil was also coming out of the meat, making a crackling sound and giving off a fragrant aroma. At first, the water in the meat exploded, making loud noises, but it has now calmed down. I waited for the temperature of the oil to stabilize and then filtered it through a piece of fine cloth. I waited for the oil to completely drain from the meat.

I gave the leftover firewood to Tisha. She was grateful, but it's a give-and-take relationship. Building relationships is all about these small gestures.

When the oil had almost stopped dripping, I took a little out, sprinkled a bit of salt, and asked her to taste it.

"Oh, it's fragrant. The crispy texture is also very pleasant. It seems like it could be good on its own..."

"When you put it in a soup or stew, it becomes softer and adds volume. The fragrance and the richness of the oil enhance the flavor."

In the southern part of Hyogo Prefecture, where I'm from, it was often called "kasu udon" and was commonly found in udon shops. The texture was soft and pleasant.

In reality, it's a preserved food, so it needs to be dried, but that can be done later. I also hope it can become a side income for the Ast family.

Tisha added it to the soup and let it boil, tasting it to confirm the flavor. The evaluation seemed to be very positive.

As the temperature of the oil cooled down, I prepared the lye from the wood ash. I poured the oil into a small jar and gradually added the lye while stirring. I remembered the proportions from past research and added the lye slowly. The mixture gradually emulsified, becoming a gray, thick liquid.

It needs to be strongly alkaline, and the water will be evaporated later, so I added more lye than the required amount and stirred diligently. Now, all that's left is to wait for it to dry while stirring occasionally. I'll place it in a well-ventilated area in the shed and ask Tisha to stir it from time to time. The smell wasn't as gamey as I expected. The effort to remove the blood paid off, and it smelled similar to repeatedly used frying oil. It was a fragrant, yet greasy smell.

I moved the slightly warm jar to the shed and explained the next steps to Tisha when two people returned home.

"What's this? It smells really good. It has a fragrant smell. Is it a meat dish?"

Riz moved to the kitchen, closing her eyes and sniffing the air.

"I tried using materials from my hometown. Let's have dinner."

The oil-cake was a huge success.

"Wow, it's fragrant and has a soft, squishy texture. It's strange, but it's very satisfying."

Even Ast was eating with a surprised look on his face.

"Originally, it's a preserved food from my hometown. By drying the fat and organs after extracting the oil, it becomes a dried food. Extracting the oil alone only covers the cost of the firewood, but selling this byproduct can generate a profit."

"Smart... Even families that can't afford meat can easily enjoy it. Your hometown is well-thought-out..."

"Originally, the belief was to use all the ingredients without waste. Wastage is not allowed. How about it as a product?"

Ast thought for a moment.

"At this point, I can't say for sure. But we should see how much can be produced and how much profit it can generate. Can Tisha do the work?"

"Today, she helped me, and we can gather data on the amount of firewood used, the amount of oil produced, and the amount of oil-cake. We can also consider using the animal fat as a substitute for candles."

Animal fat lamps produce soot and odor, but the cost of candles is significant. If the hunters' families can have more side businesses, it will stabilize their lives.

"Understood. Let's set aside some time to discuss this later. I had thought of you as a burden to the village, but if there's even a little hope, it's welcome."

Ast's face lit up with a glimmer of hope.

I didn't mention the enormous benefits of soap if it were to be made. Even if the mulberry fruits exist, they need to be harvested, and there are limits to the quantity. The development of soap is inevitable at some point.

Everyone had a warm, contented expression from the new and delicious dish. I truly hoped to build such a warm home.