Chapter 34

The author loves pickled plums.

"Wow, pickled plums!"

Yuri's face lit up as he peered into the jar, which was filled with a large number of pickled plums. He looked incredibly happy, and Ali sighed at his enthusiasm. Although Ali had given the jar to Yuri, he hadn't expected such a joyful reaction.

"Do you eat pickled plums?"

"Huh? I eat them normally. We make them in my hometown too."

"I see. People around here don't eat them much. Only Jake and I eat them at home."

"Really? That's a waste. They're delicious."

Yuri picked up a small pickled plum and popped it into his mouth. It was a homemade-style plum, full of saltiness and sourness, just like the ones made by his grandmother in the countryside. Despite the sourness, which made his face contort slightly, he smiled and said it was delicious. Ali chuckled, as it was rare to see someone eat pickled plums like that.

Why did Ali bring the jar of pickled plums? It was because it had been sent from his hometown. Ali's family were plum farmers. They made pickled plums, plum wine, and plum juice to make a living. Regularly, jars of pickled plums were sent to their son who lived independently in the capital. Incidentally, the plum wine was mostly consumed by Brook. The sweet-toothed man loved fruit wine, contrary to his appearance.

"Well, there are a lot, but they keep well. Just put them somewhere."

"Um..."

"What is it?"

"Is it okay if I use these in various dishes?"

"...Use pickled plums in various dishes?"

"Yes."

Yuri was completely serious. To Ali, pickled plums were something to eat with rice or drink diluted in hot water. Pickled plums were generally treated that way. Plum wine, on the other hand, had more demand. Originally, pickled plums were made to preserve plums that couldn't be used for plum wine. At least, that's how it was in Ali's family. They sent the pickled plums to their son who would eat them. Despite this, Yuri seriously suggested using them in cooking.

Yuri's unexpected ideas weren't new, so Ali's response was predictable.

"Sure, do as you like."

Thus, Yuri happily started making pickled plum dishes, and a tasting session was organized to get everyone's opinions. (Incidentally, these tasting sessions are held irregularly, depending on Yuri's mood.)

"..."

The members of the "Crimson Lynx" fell silent as they looked at the mysterious dishes on the dining table. No one seemed to understand what was happening. They recognized that these were dishes, but they couldn't grasp the concept of "pickled plum dishes" that Yuri had mentioned.

The portions were enough for two or three people. There were tasting plates, and they were meant to try the dishes they were interested in. The plan was to promote the dishes that received good reviews to the regular menu.

Incidentally, Ali and Jake, who both liked pickled plums, had already tasted all the dishes and were enjoying their favorites in the corner of the kitchen.

"This is pickled plum and mushroom salad."

Yuri started introducing the dishes with a smile. The pickled plum and mushroom salad was made by mixing stir-fried shiitake and maitake mushrooms with pickled plum. The pickled plum was finely chopped and mixed with a little soy sauce to stretch it. The mushrooms were seasoned with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. It was more of a side dish for drinks than a main course.

"This is pickled plum and yam salad."

The seasoning was almost the same as the previous dish, but the yam was cut into strips, giving it a different texture and flavor. The yam, a traditional Japanese ingredient, paired well with pickled plums. This dish also had a stronger image of being a side dish for drinks.

"This is pickled plum cucumber roll."

The seasoning was almost the same as the previous two dishes, but a small amount of kelp broth was mixed in when stretching the pickled plum. The thinly sliced cucumbers were simply coated with the mixture. The only difference was that white sesame seeds were sprinkled on top, which had no particular meaning. It was just something Yuri had seen before.

"This is pickled plum chicken cutlet."

This dish was originally made with chicken breast at home. Viper meat, which had a similar taste and texture to chicken, was chosen. The meat was cut into bite-sized pieces, scored, and stuffed with finely chopped pickled plum, then wrapped in shiso leaves and breaded. The flavor came solely from the pickled plum, but the homemade-style pickled plums were strong enough to make the dish work.

"This is pickled plum pasta."

The pasta was coated with a sauce made by mixing finely chopped pickled plum with soy sauce, sake, and a little oil. Chopped nori and shiso leaves were sprinkled on top. This time, no additional ingredients were added to let the flavors of the ingredients shine, but mushrooms, dried fish, or light meats could be added for more variety. In Japan, chicken would be used, but in this world, viper meat would likely be the choice.

"Lastly, this is a soup made with pickled plum seeds."

The soup was made using the seeds from the pickled plums used in the other dishes. Kelp broth was made, and a large number of pickled plum seeds were added. Even after removing the flesh, some parts remained on the seeds. These were boiled and seasoned with salt, sake, and soy sauce. Leafy vegetables were added, and this time, nutritious komatsuna was used. Leafy vegetables cook quickly.

"So, please try them."

Yuri bowed. Everyone remained silent, looking at the dishes. They didn't particularly like the sourness of pickled plums, which they only ate with rice or drank diluted in hot water when they had a sore throat. Therefore, they couldn't connect the dishes in front of them with pickled plums. It was understandable.

However, someone muttered that they looked delicious. Indeed, they did. Despite being unfamiliar, the dishes looked appetizing. One person picked up a plate, and the others followed. Yuri watched with a smile as they started to try the dishes.

"I didn't know pickled plums could be used like this."

"Right."

Jake, who was sipping the pickled plum seed soup, spoke casually. He had tried all the dishes and liked the soup the most. He originally enjoyed pickled plum water, and the soup was a natural progression. Meanwhile, Ali was eating the pickled plum and mushroom salad, muttering that he wanted some sake.

The dishes were gradually consumed. They were all being eaten evenly. The sourness of the pickled plums was reduced by mixing them with soy sauce, and the flavors were spread out. It wasn't like eating a whole pickled plum. The plums were just used for seasoning.

The members of the "Crimson Lynx" didn't dislike pickled plums; they just found them too sour. They didn't avoid them entirely. They all drank pickled plum water and plum wine, and they enjoyed the plum juice that was occasionally sent.

They just found the sourness of pickled plums too strong.

So, what would happen if they were presented with pickled plum dishes that were a bit easier to eat, especially when made by Yuri? ...The members of this clan were conditioned to enjoy Yuri's cooking. They believed that anything made by Yuri would be delicious. The power of conditioning was strong.

"...What do you think, Jake?"

"Probably the soup, like me. It's light and delicious."

"Maybe the cutlet will be popular? It's fried, it's meat, but the plum flavor makes it light."

"True. The cutlet is easy to eat one after another. It's meat, but it's light."

Jake, who wasn't a big meat eater, nodded in agreement. The pickled plum chicken cutlet was being consumed mainly by the apprentices, but the women, including Tifanna, were also trying it. Even those who didn't particularly like meat were eating it, so it was indeed easy to eat.

"Magoo! If you eat all of it, there won't be any left for us!"

"..."

"Answer me! And let go of the bowl!"

"...Refuse"

"Heyyyyy!"

A loud voice drew their attention to Magoo, who was quietly eating the pickled plum cucumber roll. He was hugging the bowl, and Ulgrus was trying to take it away, but Magoo wasn't listening. He seemed to find even responding a hassle.

"...Does he like cucumbers and pickled plums that much?"

"...I think a small amount of kelp broth was used to stretch the pickled plum in that dish."

"...Is that it?"

"...Probably."

Magoo was a believer in broth and umami. After starting to help with Yuri's cooking, he became a fan of broth and umami. He loved dishes that brought out the natural flavors of the ingredients. Recognizing the simple flavor of the cucumber and the kelp broth in the pickled plum, he claimed it as his own. He was consistent.

Everyone probably tried all the dishes once, and then Magoo took over the pickled plum cucumber roll. From the comments like "I wanted one more bite," it seemed that everyone had tried them. There were no comments about not eating them, so Magoo must have shown some restraint.

...Or maybe not, given that he was hugging the bowl and eating alone.

"Yuri, can you make the cutlet with other meats?"

"Hmm? I haven't tried, but I think it should work."

"Then, can you make it with orc meat next time?"

"Kuresh likes orc and bison... Orc is fine, right?"

"Orc is fine, orc is fine!"

"Orc is fine" meant "It's not too expensive, so orc meat is budget-friendly!" Since it wasn't wrong, Yuri nodded. Whether he would actually make it was another story.

Kuresh, a growing boy, was smiling and eating the cutlet. He must have found the viper meat a bit weak, so he requested orc meat. Yuri hadn't made it before, but he concluded that it was possible, as he had heard of someone making it with pork.

In the end, all the dishes were well-received, and they were all praised as delicious, so they were sure to become regular menu items.

I think pickled plum haters would be out of luck, but fortunately, the clan members only found them "too sour," so they ate them.

Recently, there are also plum paste tubes, but I think the homemade-style pickled plums are still the best.

I look forward to your comments and feedback.