Chapter 100

As a Korean, I can tell you that garlic was not a spice.

“It’s a vegetable, I tell you.”

“Kkungkungkung….”

“Honey, is it really something to hate that much?”

Honey always made a ‘kkung’ sound when expressing disagreement, and when he grumbled like that, he would curl his already round body even tighter and bob up and down.

He looked like a fragile, bouncing bouncy ball.

But I felt wronged.

“Garlic isn’t spicy when you cook it.”

“Kkung.”

“You’ll know when you taste it, it’s just a potato. It's just a soft, moist potato, that's all.”

“Kkungkung….”

“The aroma has all seeped into the oil. Your dad is truly wronged.”

I had gone to the trouble of making a meal, only to have two of my family members distrusting me.

“I told you Dad tried it.”

The one who reacted to that was not Honey, but the teddy bear.

“Kuuu….”

“…Of course, it's true that Koreans are strong against spiciness, but Father, that is a prejudice. Not all Koreans are strong against spicy food. I was about average.”

I had never mentioned it separately, but being a god, the Sun God knew that among the ‘Jios’, there was a Korean and this standoff was happening because of the myth that Korea was particularly strong against spicy flavors.

“Why must we face such a harsh ordeal in front of this warm and delicious dining table…?”

As always, my cooking was fantastic.

The Club Trumpet, thrown in at the right moment and cooked to a soft and moist perfection, boasted a milky white color, and the olive oil, imbued with the soul of garlic, harmonized with the Milky Way Mary and Weeping Garok.

Furthermore, the bread, blessed with warmth by the Sun God and then toasted once by me in the stone oven, was generously emitting a savory aroma.

“On top of that, with the addition of smoked fish jerky gently dried in the mild spring breeze, what a neat and perfect table this is. Especially, how delicious would it be to place this soft and chewy fish jerky on a crispy baguette, add a drop or two of the gambas oil, and then top it with well-pickled capers.”

Perhaps the sincerity of the pig appealing to their appetite got through, as I could feel Honey and the teddy bear flinch.

I didn't miss the opportunity and sat Honey and the teddy bear at the dining table.

“Let’s eat first. No matter how much you dislike spicy food, you shouldn't act like this in front of a warm table. That is an insult to the ingredients and a criticism towards me, the chef.”

“Kuruk….”

“Kuuu….”

“Dana is already sitting at her seat, is everyone going to hesitate like this? Honey, I did not raise you to be so weak. Father, did you not say you wanted to experience human culture?”

And so, I was barely able to persuade the two.

“A wise decision. Yes, you may feel an aversion to spicy food, but if you just avoid it without even trying, your range of experience will inevitably narrow.”

“Kuuu.”

“Of course, it is said that spiciness is closer to a sense of pain than a taste, but even if you don't deny that, I hope you understand that it too is an experience of gastronomy. The oral texture is also a part of a meal.”

It was like not wanting to eat soggy fried dumplings or hard pudding.

Food had a texture that best suited it, and a taste and aroma that fit that form.

I couldn't just leave these spice-wimps be.

“No, more importantly.”

I once again pleaded my case of injustice.

“I’m telling you, it’s not spicy.”

“…….”

“Dana, are you too not going to believe your father?”

Anyway, the meal proceeded.

Although both Honey and the Sun God showed a subtle reluctance, they had no intention of skipping the meal entirely from the start.

How could they avoid it when a delicious smell was wafting everywhere?

I made a salmon baguette for my timid, spice-wimp son.

“Place well-cooked broccoli and garlic on the baguette… mash the tomato widely so its juices come out… place the smoked fish on top… and then top it with a Cheese Flower, and, ta-da.”

The Jio-style salmon baguette was complete.

“It was a good idea to grow the Cheese Flower.”

This flower is made of cheese, which I had first encountered at the restaurant I visited with Yu Seong-un.

Thanks to it being a plant that grew wild in some dungeon, I was able to get its seeds.

As expected, it must have been influenced by the forest, as it had evolved from an azalea to a morning glory, but its deep taste and aroma remained the same.

“It'll be much less spicy if you eat it with cheese like this.”

“Kkung….”

Chomp.

The baguette melted away into Honey's body.

“…Kuru.”

“It's delicious, right?”

“Kururururururu.”

“That’s a relief.”

The impression of the very first food one eats often determines the gourmet road that follows.

I didn't want to implant a bad memory of the first ‘spicy flavor’ my child ever tasted.

“It's just moderately spicy, so it's good, right?”

“Kurukkuruk.”

“Right, you never know until you try.”

I also made and ate a baguette in the same way.

“Hmm.”

I approve, in the name of a self-proclaimed amateur gourmet.

“This is good.”

“Kurung.”

It was delicious.

‘I think it could have been a little spicier for me, though.’

I avoid spiciness that's on the level of a traffic accident, but I knew that if it was at a level of gently brushing past my shoulder, it could be a pleasant stimulus.

The smoked fish, Cheese Flower, and broccoli were all mild flavors, so it felt a little plain.

‘But this is quite good.’

The unique spicy and piquant aroma of the Milky Way Mary brushed past the roof of my mouth, but it wasn't to the point of making my tongue tingle, so it could be passed off as a pleasant fragrance.

It seemed Honey had given it a passing grade on this point as well.

‘The broccoli is also cooked just right. If I had cooked it for too long, it would have become soggy and limp, and the texture would have been strange… and the uniquely firm tomato became soft and mashable thanks to being heated.’

The broccoli, garlic, and tomato all seemed to be getting a little spicy from absorbing the spicy oil.

But just then, the Cheese Flower that entered my mouth at the same time spread even more softly than the vegetables, like silk, and soothed the tingling sensation.

In particular, the smoked fish gave off the luxurious aroma of burnt wood, creating an even more harmonious taste.

“…Even if I add the adductor muscle here….”

“Kuu?”

“Ah, yes, the adductor muscle won't be particularly spicy either.”

Perhaps the Sun God also found this level of spiciness delicious, as he subtly handed me a baguette with sun-dried tomatoes.

It meant he wanted me to make a baguette with the adductor muscle.

‘To think he wants to experiment as soon as he accepts a new opinion, I see the qualities of an excellent pig.’

A baguette with sun-dried tomatoes.

It already possessed the unique sweet and sour taste of well-sun-dried tomatoes.

I didn't bother adding the tomatoes that were in the oil, and just made the baguette with broccoli, garlic, and the adductor muscle on top.

“Please try it, and if it's a little spicy, you can have it with some cheese here.”

“Kuu….”

Wagu.

Half of the baguette disappeared into the teddy bear's large mouth.

“…….”

“…….”

“Kukuku….”

Seeing its pleasant laughter, it seemed my choice was satisfactory.

“…….”

“Myang.”

“…You’re quite skillful.”

I was a little worried since Dana and Honey didn't have hands, but they were managing to combine and eat well using their mouths or feet.

I nodded with pride and watched my family, who had now started to combine and eat on their own.

“Hmm….”

Maybe I should try making bread with dried figs later.

“It’s really nice to have bread made in advance.”

“Kuuu.”

“That's right, this was a daily routine in Edlen village.”

Thanks to it being a region where bread was the staple food, there were many bakeries here and there, even though it was a coastal village.

“Kuu?”

“Yes, there were many households without a stone oven.”

“Ku?”

“In that case, they would use the village's public stone oven, or families with a little more means would frequent the bakeries. Anyway, it seems that bread was basically never missing whenever a meal was served.”

“Kukuku.”

“As you guessed, I preferred to bake bread at home myself.”

In Edlen village, bread was like rice in Korea, so even the bakeries only sold the most basic bread.

Since it was common to dip it in stew, there were almost no places that sold bread with dried fruits or nuts in it.

“If I baked bread myself, I could try various things. Sometimes, I even tried baking it with minced sausage or fish. The seafood in Edlen village was of high quality, so it wasn't too burdensome to eat it in any way.”

Recalling those times, I felt a surge of motivation.

“It seems it's better to bake bread in advance after all.”

“Kurururu.”

“Right, that way we can take it out and eat it whenever we think of it like this.”

Since bread takes a lot of time to knead and bake, the people of Edlen village would set aside a day to prepare a large amount of bread at once and then survive on that for nearly a month.

‘Of course, the bread became hard and dry, but being able to eat warm and moist bread every day was a privilege of the nobility… and anyway, hard, dry bread was delicious in its own way when dipped in stew.’

In fact, the dry, hard bread and the soupy stew were a good combination.

Since everyone ate like that, the stew ordered at restaurants came out a bit too salty to eat on its own, and instead, bread would be served with it.

But the advantage of this forest was that fully grown vegetables or cooked food did not spoil.

Even if I baked a generous amount of bread, it would always be maintained as if it were freshly baked, so if I diligently baked and stockpiled bread, I would be able to eat it from time to time.

“Besides bread for meals, if I bake other kinds of bread, that too would be quite….”

“Akong.”

“Small, round bread? Munchkin donuts would be good too.”

If I add a little milk to sugar powder and coat the bread, a wonderful glazed donut is complete.

I thought I should make a few sweet breads as well.

“Now, this is where we use the pasta noodles.”

Around the time I felt a decent amount of bread had been consumed, I took out the pasta noodles I had prepared in advance.

I placed the springy, cooked pasta noodles on my personal plate, and on top of that, I added various vegetables, a few spoonfuls of oil, the adductor muscle, and even the sausage Dana had brought.

“It would be delicious in its own way if I add cheese.”

“Kuruk.”

“I'll give you some too, so wait a moment. This one has a lot of oil, so it might be a little spicy.”

“Kkuk.”

“You’ve become brave. As expected, children grow up in an instant….”

I, who had made the noodles to a suitable temperature by mixing them in the warm oil, slurped and tasted them.

“Good.”

I liked it very much.

“It doesn't cut the spiciness of the oil as much as the bread, so this will probably be a little spicier. Just in case, try eating it with a Cheese Flower.”

“Kurururu.”

“Do you need some too, Father?”

At my question, the teddy bear shook its head.

It had never tried noodles, but it seemed it still liked the bread and had no intention of switching to something else.

I affirmed his conviction.

I served some pasta in front of Dana, who was also curious about what Honey was eating, and then ate my own again.

“…….”

Munch.

It was good, as expected.

‘The oil flavor is stronger, so it’s a bit tingly….’

I sprinkled a little more of the ground Milky Way Mary on my portion of pasta.

Its unique, intense aroma spread out, and on top of that, eating it with the spicy sausage, including its juices, made the taste exceptionally outstanding.

‘It was a good idea to grill the sausage once.’

The moist meat inside the crispy skin had a texture where each grain of meat could be chewed, and the slippery noodles, coated in plenty of oil, added flavor and texture, fueling my appetite.

Eating it with the Club Trumpet, which was being treated as an adductor muscle instead of a sausage, also had a different taste, so there was no time to get bored.

I drank the sweet Mangdung Fruit tea I had brewed in advance and opened my mouth.

“…Hah….”

A satisfied sigh escaped on its own.

This is happiness.

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