Chapter 76

Personally, I prefer the sweet sake made with rice koji.

In the case of sake lees, if you don't use high-quality lees, the alcohol content will be too strong...

"Ah, you mean sweet sake?"

"‘Amazake?’"

Yuri responded with a carefree smile, and the people present, with Harolz at the forefront, tilted their heads in confusion. Today, Harolz had come to visit Yuri with ingredients he had acquired from his peddling, but it was a bit different from usual.

Usually, Harolz, a middle-aged peddler in his forties, would come and say something like, "I've acquired some ingredients that might sell well, so if you know anything, could you tell me how to cook them?" But today, his request was, "A friend brought back some ingredients from a trip and said that the same drink could be made with different ingredients, but I don't understand what he means. Do you know anything about it?" And Yuri had answered him quite easily.

However, it wasn't because of any special skill like the "Divine Eye." It was simply a matter of Yuri's knowledge. After all, the ingredients Harolz had presented were rice koji and sake lees.

There is a drink that can be made with these two ingredients, and the only one Yuri knew was amazake. The one made with rice koji contains no alcohol, so children can drink it casually, while the one made with sake lees contains alcohol and is said to warm the body. If you don't drink too much, even children can enjoy it.

"In my hometown, we used to drink amazake in winter... Can I borrow these ingredients to make it?"

"Please, by all means. ...If I can learn how to make it, my friend who forgot to ask for the recipe after receiving the ingredients will be relieved."

"He's quite forgetful, isn't he?"

"Usually, he doesn't cook, so I think he was preoccupied with just getting the ingredients."

Yuri smiled carelessly, and Harolz, who seemed to be saying "Oh dear," nodded. The others who had been listening to the conversation averted their gazes, but Yuri pretended not to notice. While ingredients are of course necessary for cooking, the method is even more important. If you want to recreate a dish you've had elsewhere, you need to remember the taste, gather the ingredients, and carefully follow the method.

So, with that in mind, Yuri headed to the kitchen with the rice koji and sake lees he had received from Harolz. The apprentices, especially Yack, who was always eager to help, followed him with bright faces. It seemed that Yack was simply curious about the unknown dish, not that he had developed a passion for cooking. Mag, as usual, followed along, probably because he sensed that there would be no broth involved. It was quite clear.

"Ah, Mr. Harolz."

"Yes?"

"Actually, the amazake made with rice koji needs to sit for five to six hours. So, could you come back in the evening?"

"Understood. I'll see you later, then."

"Okay."

Before starting the work, Yuri informed Harolz, who nodded and returned to his shop to finish his remaining tasks. Upon hearing that it would take time to complete, the others also left. Only Yuri and the apprentices remained to work.

The amazake made with sake lees can be made relatively quickly, but the one made with rice koji requires time for the koji mold to do its work. The method isn't particularly difficult, though.

"First, let's start with the rice koji."

"Okay."

Yuri, for some reason, took out a thermal pot used to keep leftover rice warm. Since the rice cooker was large, there was a separate tool for keeping leftover rice warm. He took out the pot and put the rice koji inside.

Next, he prepared hot water and water mixed to a temperature between 55 and 60 degrees Celsius. The koji mold dies at temperatures above 60 degrees, so it's crucial to mix the hot water and water to the right temperature. If you get this wrong, you won't be able to make amazake.

"The koji mold in the rice koji dies at temperatures above 60 degrees, so the hot water must never exceed 60 degrees. The ideal temperature is between 55 and 60 degrees."

"Got it. What do we do next?"

"Just mix it with the rice koji."

"That's it?"

"Yes, that's it."

Yuri carefully mixed the hot water and rice koji in the thermal pot, making sure no lumps remained. If lumps are left, the amazake won't turn out well in those spots, so it's important to mix it thoroughly. Essentially, the key steps are maintaining the water temperature and mixing it well.

Once the rice koji and hot water were mixed well, Yuri put them back into the thermal pot. Before closing the lid, he placed a towel over it and left it slightly open. The koji mold would do its work over the next five to six hours, turning the mixture into amazake. It's important to check the temperature occasionally.

When checking the completion, it's also important to mix it well.

"So, we just need to check the temperature occasionally, right?"

"Right."

Yuri smiled at Yack, who looked puzzled. The process is simple, but maintaining a constant temperature is quite challenging. Yuri was grateful for the thermal pot. In the past, people must have used various methods to keep the temperature stable, but Yuri only knew the method using a rice cooker and thermal pot.

Next, it was time to make the amazake with sake lees. This one can be made relatively quickly, so it could have been done after the rice koji amazake was ready. However, to avoid affecting the dinner preparations, Yuri decided to make it first and warm it up later.

For the amazake made with sake lees, you need to use heat. Finely chop the sake lees and put them in a pot with water, then bring it to a boil. Once it boils, add sugar and salt to dissolve the sake lees thoroughly. Adjust the taste with the sugar and salt while ensuring the sake lees are fully dissolved. That's it. You can also add ginger to taste.

"...Eh? It's done already?"

"It's done."

Yuri smiled at the surprised Yack. Only Yuri had tasted it, as it contained a bit of alcohol, and he felt hesitant about giving it to the underage apprentices, even though they looked eager. Yuri wanted them to enjoy the amazake made with rice koji.

By early evening, the amazake made with rice koji was also ready, and everyone gathered for a tasting.

"Okay, underage folks, this one is made with rice koji."

"Yuri, I'll take some of the other one later."

"Got it."

The two types of amazake were in large pots. After tasting and adjusting the concentration by adding water, the amazake was served slightly warm. Yuri and Ulug served it, with Ulug handling the alcohol-free amazake made with rice koji and Yuri serving the one made with sake lees. If underage apprentices asked for the sake lees amazake, they would be given a much smaller portion. Yuri didn't want them to drink alcohol.

However, amazake isn't that strong in alcohol. It's fine as long as you don't drink too much. But since it's easy to drink, Yuri kept an eye on them to prevent accidental overconsumption. As usual, Yuri was the vigilant mother hen.

"Hmm, even though they're made with different ingredients and have slightly different tastes, they're quite similar."

"That's because they're both amazake."

"Could you teach me how to make them later?"

"I've written down the steps, so I'll give you the paper later."

"Thank you."

The conversation between Yuri and Harolz was as carefree as usual. It was a familiar scene, so no one paid much attention. Harolz would likely teach his friend how to make the amazake and try to sell it somehow, but that was none of Yuri's business. It really had nothing to do with him.

Suddenly, Yuri noticed a young man standing in front of Ulug and tilted his head in confusion. Rihito, a well-built adult, was trying to get the amazake made with rice koji from Ulug.

"Mr. Rihito, that one is made with rice koji."

"Yeah, I prefer that one."

"Really?"

"......I can't hold my liquor."

"Ah, I see. That one is better for you, then."

"......You're not going to laugh?"

"Why would I?"

Yuri smiled, understanding what Rihito had muttered. Rihito, who always received the usual response from Yuri, asked curiously. In return, Yuri gave him a very ordinary reaction.

Rihito, a young man with a well-built physique that clearly marked him as a front-line adventurer, looked like a reliable older brother. He was sensitive about not being able to sleep well when his pillow changed, but he appeared reliable. However, he was actually a light drinker. He couldn't drink a drop of alcohol and would turn red and pass out if he did.

He had been mocked many times for this. "How can an adventurer not drink alcohol?" But for Rihito, it was a matter of physical constitution. Drinking alcohol would make him sick. A light drinker is someone who has difficulty breaking down alcohol and feels unwell after drinking. In other words, a light drinker is someone whose body is not suited to drinking alcohol.

That's why Yuri told him to enjoy the amazake made with rice koji without any concern. He had no ulterior motives. In fact, he didn't even understand why not being able to drink alcohol would make someone laugh.

"Isn't it strange for an adult to not be able to drink alcohol?"

"Eh? But a light drinker is someone whose body can't tolerate alcohol, right? They get sick if they drink."

"Right."

"Mr. Rihito is like that, too?"

"Yes. ...I can handle a little bit in cooking, though."

"Then there's no reason to laugh. It's a matter of constitution."

Rihito patted Yuri's head gently. Yuri, who didn't fully understand, tilted his head, but Rihito's face was slightly distorted, as if he was about to cry. For Rihito, who had been mocked for so long, Yuri's words had a significant impact.

Incidentally, the people in the hideout never mocked Rihito for being a light drinker. On the contrary, they would come to his rescue if he was harassed by strange people. They knew that Rihito's value didn't diminish just because he couldn't drink alcohol. Companions are wonderful.

"Mr. Rihito, I don't think you need to cry."

"......I'm not crying."

"No, you are."

While handing over the amazake, Ulug quietly pointed out. Rihito stubbornly denied it, but tears were welling up in the corners of his eyes. It wasn't that his tear ducts were weak, but he was emotionally moved today. He probably remembered all the things he had been told in the past. Poor guy.

Incidentally, since it became known that amazake is good for beauty, the women in the group regularly request amazake (they don't mind whether it's made with sake lees or rice koji).

Rihito, who turned out to be a light drinker.

Rihito, who can't sleep if his pillow changes.

...Yeah, he looks like a reliable older brother, but he's actually quite sensitive.

That's Rihito.

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