Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating - Chapter 134

Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating

Chapter 134    Miso, soy sauce

I have returned to Eldania. Hahaha, at last, this day has come.

I was a bit worried while I was in the royal capital of Melrithia, but it’s been almost a year since I was reincarnated.

Upon my reincarnation, the first things that came to mind were miso and soy sauce.

The umami components truly enrich one’s culinary experience.

Whether it’s consommé, kelp, or shiitake, they all work splendidly, of course.

And when multiple types of umami elements come together, their synergistic effect creates an incredibly delightful taste, making it imperative to have a variety of umami sources, rather than relying solely on one.

Fortunately, my staple food is Ilk beans.

A year ago, I had this thought:

“These beans might just transform into miso or soy sauce, if I’m not mistaken.”

Hehehe. With that idea in mind, I promptly set about the manufacturing process.

All that’s needed is koji mold and salt, and I heard that something resembling koji can be found in shops, so I made a casual purchase.

I’m not entirely sure of its original purpose. It wasn’t something made in the slums, after all.

With everything prepared, I readied the jar, crushed the steamed beans, added salt and koji, then sealed it tightly.

And so, a year passed. Occasionally, I would peek inside to ensure there was no mold growth and monitor its progress.

“Well, you see…”

“Meow.”

Minya was taken aback as I suddenly began to speak, her child-sized maid outfit adding to her charm.

“Ta-da!”

“Ohhhh!”

“I wonder what it could be?”

“Meow Meow!”

With a hint of suspense, I revealed the jar.

“It’s miso!”

“Wowww!”

They didn’t quite understand, but they played along with my excitement.

Such kind children. Their spirits are truly infectious.

“And here we have soy sauce.”

“Yummy!”

A delightful aroma fills the air. It’s a bit salty, and there’s an intriguing scent.

We’ve already managed to acquire fish sauce from the capital, so I can somewhat imagine the flavor. However, the fish sauce does have a slightly pungent smell. It might not bother us once we get used to it, but for those of us who’ve been living at the foot of the mountain, it’s a somewhat concerning odor.

Hence, we yearned for something akin to authentic soy sauce.

“Now, let’s spread this onto the wheat dumplings.”

I had prepared wheat dumplings for today.

You could think of these as large pasta, perhaps. They resemble unleavened bread, almost like thin crackers.

“Ohhh, it smells amazing!”

“Incredible.”

“Meow meow meow!”

The scent of the soy sauce cooking is intense.

All of us widen our eyes, twitch our noses, and observe its appearance and aroma.

“For this side, we’ll add daikon radish, spring greens, carrots, and dried meat, plus a bit of seaweed I got from the capital.”

We add the vegetables to the boiling water and then include the purchased kelp.

“What will this soup be?”

“Oh, Minya. This is miso soup.”

“Miso soup? Hmmm.”

Well, she’ll understand once she tastes it.

While consommé, tomato, and mushroom soups are all incredibly delicious, it’s hard to overlook the charm of Japanese-style cuisine.

“Here it is.”

” Raffalier-sama, let’s enjoy our meal.”

First, I take a sip of the miso soup.

“Mmm, it’s delicious.”

“It’s really good.”

“Delicious, meow.”

Well, that’s a relief. Their reactions are usually like this, but today’s enthusiasm is a bit more over-the-top than usual.

Next, I savor the soy sauce-flavored grilled wheat dumplings.

“Mmm, tasty.”

“This is also incredibly delicious.”

“Aromatic, meow meow.”

Yes, that’s right. This distinctive combination of fragrance, saltiness, and flavor balance is simply perfect.

Ah, I reminisce about the sweet miso grilled rice balls and the soy sauce-flavored ones, and I swallow with a satisfied gulp.

“I want rice, like, the kind you eat.”

“Rice? You mean cooked rice?”

“Yeah.”

“Wait, are you talking about bird food?”

“Huh, really?”

“Yeah.”

Minya gazes at me with an expression that says she didn’t know about this.

It’s news to me too. There certainly seems to be something like small brownish grains mixed into the feed for the chickens in the coop.

Could that be rice?

“Oh, um, I’d like to check.”

“No way, you can’t, you’d be stealing from the chickens, cows, and horses.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, okay.”

Technically, since it’s my own funds, it wouldn’t exactly be stealing to take some.

Oh well, Ilk beans are fine, and so is the black bread, and even the soft white bread is not bad.

But still, I want rice, even if it’s the same as the feed.

Oh right, it’s feed. Well, taste-wise, yeah, if it hasn’t been improved, it might not be all that delicious.

I’m not expecting much. Still, it’s intriguing.

“What’s up, Ed? You came back all fidgety and with that pitiful look on your face.”

“Oh, it’s you, Mark. You know, I’ve got this craving for rice.”

“Rice, huh? You can eat that too, but don’t get your hopes up too high. It’s feed, you know, animal feed.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Hahaha, what’s with that expression?”

“I’m feeling kind of down. Seems like rice doesn’t taste good.”

“Yeah, that’s right. But when you’re traveling with horses, it’s handy to be able to share a meal, you know?”

“Hmm…”

Mark seems to have tried it before. The taste is just so-so. I can’t help but make a weird face, feeling like all the efforts I’ve gone through until now have been in vain.

I want to go in search of delicious rice varieties…

In this vast world, I believe there are regions where humans eat rice. After all, on Earth, there are places where cassava, corn, and bananas are staple foods.

As I drifted off to sleep, lying side by side with everyone on the shared bed, I thought of distant cultures that enjoyed rice as their meal.