NOVEL WEB Chapter 221
Ianbert watched Karem’s actions with a sour look.
To be honest, he felt a bit disappointed.
The name of Karem, who had created a dish with a sauce not even found in Servianus, known for its rich food culture in Europia, had gained some recognition in Kingsland, embellished with all sorts of rumors.
No wonder, a famous chef had emerged from Iceland; half of the wealthy and nobles scoffed, while the rest were skeptical.
Of course, that skepticism disappeared as quickly as mist under the sun.
Mayonnaise, meringue, and whipped cream turned the definitions of sauces and desserts that had existed in the Kingdom of Seophone upside down.
In addition, an array of fresh and unique new recipes and crops had caused those who clung to their doubts until the end to finally let go.
Moreover, things that could very well become the vision of a family spread indiscriminately without any compensation.
Rediscovered and improved crops were beginning to subtly stir various regions of the Kingdom of Seophone.
Though they remained confined to the wealthy class, excluding Iceland, it was only a matter of time before the repercussions would reach the common folk.
With names that lacked coherence, Ianbert thought there must be at least two chefs involved…
Anyway, they said he was the most famous chef from Iceland, so he had high expectations.
But then—
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap—swish-swish—chop-chop-chop-chop-chop—
“Vegetables?”
Ianbert frowned inside his helmet. His expectations were betrayed by Karem, who was preparing vegetables, making dough, and fetching pots.
For Europian nobles, vegetables were the food of elves, peasants, the poor, and barbarians.
When a thief was caught, their hands might be cut off, but no one cared if vegetables were stolen, aside from the individuals involved.
“Those twisted, pretentious nobodies of Bersengzeto who wage wars over mere vegetables…”
It wasn’t uncommon for some nobles to have never even tasted vegetables in their lifetime.
Vegetables in a duke’s castle?
Especially those from the chef in the limelight these days?
Of course, nobles didn’t completely shun vegetables.
But that was only when they were cooked.
Deep-fried or sautéed in butter and juices or pickled in vinegar and salt.
Even then, many nobles still avoided them.
Bubbling—
“…Well, I suppose I could eat this.”
“You sound disappointed.”
“Isn’t that only natural? I mean, I suspected I wouldn’t even lay eyes on meat, but this is just… more disappointing than expected. I didn’t think they would be fried like fried chicken, though.”
“Fried chicken? It’s already spreading to other regions in just one season? No, I guess there’s no reason it wouldn’t.”
Catherine spoke, coming to her own understanding.
“As long as there’s oil…”
“Well, I expected what the now-famous chef was going to make, but maybe I was too optimistic.”
“You were the one who said you could only eat vegetables and fruits.”
“You calling me ‘you’ is a little rude.”
Meanwhile, Karem began pulling out the fried vegetables.
“Is it ready now?”
“No, just a bit longer.”
“Is there any difference in waiting? It looks finished.”
What was the difference between cooking a steak that was already cooked again?
“It’s going to sit for a bit and be fried again.”
The purpose was to fry the batter again to evaporate the moisture that had soaked into it from the ingredients.
In the meantime, the batter frying gets even crispier.
Of course, since it was already cooked, care needed to be taken to ensure it didn’t burn, but every chef needed to be careful regardless; that didn’t change anything.
“Fried food. I’ve seen it come to the table in Kingsland enough to get sick of it, but I never imagined they would fry vegetables.”
“Sick of seeing it? Is deep-frying trending in Kingsland or something?”
“What kind of ridiculous statement is that!”
With a tone of disdain, Ianbert waved his hand, letting out a heavy sigh that could be seen even outside of his helmet.
“Deep-fried until submerged in oil. A person from Seophone? There’s no way a noble could refuse that.”
“It’s an extravagant cooking method using a lot of oil. It’s only natural that it would catch on.”
“Next year is bound to be even worse. I can already hear the complaints about the rising oil costs.”
Catherine didn’t even need to imagine all the fried foods Karem had made so far. Just thinking about fried chicken was enough.
While the two conversed, Karem picked out the fried foods.
Remaining drops of oil bubbled on the crust of each piece.
“Just a moment.”
Of course, they could eat them as they were.
But they could taste better.
The method was simple.
Chirarak. Chook! Chook! Chook!
Karem piled all the fried goods into a large bowl, sprinkled salt over them, and shook the bowl to mix them evenly.
“Here, it’s done.”
“Wow. I can’t say I’m looking forward to this.”
“Rather, you should eat it while it’s still piping hot; that’s when it tastes best.”
That was something no one would disagree with—but Ianbert kept that thought to himself. No matter how lowborn the person may be, they were still an employee, and it was not something he could say to someone who prepared a meal for him.
Instead, Ianbert removed his deer-horned helmet and took another look at the bowl piled high with fried food.
He noticed the fried onion petals that had puffed up around the edges and the hints of orange, white, and purple peeked out from under the golden crust.
Assorted vegetable tempura, shaped into flat circles, decorated the sides.
“Doesn’t look all that appetizing…”
“Excuse me? It’s fried!”
“And it’s vegetables.”
Without saying that his current state allowed him to eat only such vegetables, Ianbert fidgeted with his gauntlet.
“By the way, what’s your preference for when to eat it to maximize flavor?”
“Of course, you should eat it first! Before anyone else can. Before it looks like this.”
“Then you should try the eggplant tempura first.”
And thus, the eggplant tempura was—
Crisp—
“…Hmm?”
“Wow, it really is quite something when fried, isn’t it?”
It wasn’t as bad as he expected.
No, it wasn’t just tolerable.
Especially when he nibbled at the batter, it felt like layers of ice crystals crumbling all at once, and the inside melted like butter, devoid of any vegetable odor.
A light savory saltiness urged him to ask for more even before he finished his first bite.
“I’d wager it’s as delicious as most meat dishes.”
Ianbert shivered at his own thought.
“This can’t be… A taste this good just from eggplant…?”
“Try the others as well.”
Ianbert, still in disbelief, followed Karem’s suggestion without question.
The asparagus tempura was delightful up until the moment he swallowed, and the beet crumbled apart beneath the crispy batter.
Similarly, the mushrooms were chewy yet soft, giving him a sensation akin to meat after so long, causing his gums to throb with satisfaction.
As Ianbert silently emptied the bowl of tempura, Catherine observed him, having previously claimed to dislike it, yet here he was devouring it.
“Hey, kid. But it feels like something’s missing.”
“Huh? What’s—oh!”
What a oversight! Karem swiftly rummaged through the kitchen and presented dipping sauces for the tempura. Bright red ketchup and a mysterious black liquid.
“Phew, that was close.”
“I can guess what the ketchup is, but what is that black sauce?”
“Soy sauce. It’s a bit strong, so dip it sparingly. Personally, I like soy sauce the most.”
Salty, savory, oily—was there more?
Forgetting the rudeness, Ianbert eagerly dipped the assorted vegetable tempura into the soy sauce for a taste.
“…Cough!?”
“What? Why the sudden reaction?”
“No, it’s not that.”
A flavor explosion zipped through Ianbert from tip to toe, a taste he had never encountered before, sending him reeling.
Momentarily frozen, he continued to dunk the fried food in soy sauce in awe.
‘…Is this garum without a fishy odor?’
People universally acknowledged the excellent taste of garum, but it was always the unpleasant smell that turned them away.
‘Was there such a thing in this world?’
With a light, pungent yet lingering umami flavor that had no trace of fishiness.
“Uh… I’ve never heard of soy sauce before. Is it a new sauce developed recently? It’s excellent—”
“Please, enjoy it while you can! It’s not for sale.”
“What? Why!?”
“Because I can’t guarantee I can make it consistently!”
Unlike other recipes that might be easily replicated, the base ingredients for soy sauce posed a serious problem.
‘I still don’t know how to make it myself.’
Boil the peas? Tie them up with straw until they’re done, pray diligently, and voilà! Soy sauce is ready.
And even so, a significant number still turned out poorly, making mass production implausible.
However, at Karem’s words, Ianbert feigned disappoint and continued munching on the tempura.
“Oh, well. It’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped.”
With a blast of umami and a taste that felt rich yet clean. Despite the confidentiality, it was only natural for people to have their own secrets that they didn’t want to share with others.
Of course, if Karem had realized this, he would have surely complained that making it every time was a hassle and that he preferred to buy what others made without much effort.
Ianbert hadn’t even known Karem for a day, so he had no way of knowing such facts.
Ianbert simply kept his longing hidden and decided to understand.
“Above all, there are other sauces, too.”
He picked apart the blooming fried onion, dipped the beet tempura in ketchup, and after refilling the soy sauce, tossed some broccoli into his mouth without any sauce.
Crisp—
Just half a year prior, he wouldn’t have even glanced at this vegetable.
He had been forced to eat nothing but raw vegetables and fruit,
Also only sneaking nibbles here and there in a dreadful routine.
Ianbert’s tongue and brain rejoiced in a full-bodied dish for the first time in a while, filled with richness and excitement.
Grumble—
But was his stomach on board with it?
“In my lifetime, eating vegetables this delicious—”
“…Was that noise?”
“I think it came from Ianbert’s stomach.”
Half a year had passed since Ianbert had subsisted on only raw vegetables and fruits, just enough to quell his hunger thanks to others’ prejudice and taste.
No matter how strong he was as a seasoned knight, even a hardened body couldn’t endure the strong saltiness and fried food.
A knight’s body knows what a knight knows.
‘Oh no.’
Ianbert slowly placed the tempura he held down, feeling an unsettling foreboding deep within.
His reason and taste protested against this excessive indulgence. After half a year of surviving on only rudimentary food, what was he thinking?
But the instinctual alarm felt more pressing, and he swiftly donned the horned helmet he had earlier set aside.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I suddenly have an urgent matter to attend to. Perhaps later—”
“Oh, yes. The recipes can be provided freely—”
“I’ll be back shortly, just wait…!”
For a moment, everyone’s eyes were on the distressed and panicked Ianbert as he grabbed his stomach.
Understanding the situation, Catherine looked at Karem.
“…You mentioned earlier that you had only been eating greens for the past six months, right?”
“Yes.”
“Even with the knight’s body, having survived on only small portions of vegetables and fruits, moving to richer fried foods—”
“Plus, he already flipped his stomach once.”
“It’s only natural for him to fall ill.”
Catherine nodded firmly, expressing the obvious truth.
It wasn’t hard to guess where Ianbert was headed.