The Cooking Princess - Chapter 69

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Princess Who Cooks

 

Episode 69

 

To do that, word of mouth among the nobility alone had its limitations.

 

Starting with the servants, she needed to inform commoners throughout the Empire that the ingredients she had discovered were edible. She also needed to teach them how to utilize those ingredients properly.

 

Since Chloe couldn’t travel the entire country teaching cooking herself, these servants were volunteering to go out and fulfill that role. From Chloe’s perspective, there was no reason not to welcome this.

 

‘Besides, it’s not like I actually created these recipes myself – they’re all from my previous life anyway.’

 

And just as Chloe intended, chefs from the Garnet Estate began spreading rapidly throughout the nation.

 

Along with them, the existence of ‘fish’ and ‘seafood’ became known, which later became the cornerstone that would shake up the culinary culture of not just the Empire, but the entire continent.

 

***

 

It was a day when Chloe was dedicating herself to culinary research in the kitchen as usual.

 

“Kaya, I love you!”

 

“Kyaa, Duchess. You startled me!”

 

Chloe hugged a woman tightly. It was Kaya, a chef from the Southern Continent who had been introduced by the Southern Continent merchant guild.

 

She had been very interested in the Luzhiere Empire and had self-studied the language and culture, then came to work at the Garnet Family under Chloe’s sponsorship through the Merchant Prince’s introduction.

 

It had been several years since then, and during that time Kaya had been tremendously helpful to Chloe.

 

She had taught Chloe recipes for various foods that Chloe had eaten but didn’t know how to make, and also passed on knowledge of how to use spices and ingredients that hadn’t existed in her previous life.

 

And today, Chloe wanted to endlessly praise Kaya for her magnificent achievement.

 

“Finally, we can make yogurt in the Empire too!”

 

It was yogurt that they hadn’t been able to produce self-sufficiently due to repeated failures in culturing lactic acid bacteria.

 

To make yogurt, you need to mix milk with lactic acid bacteria and ferment it, but the bacteria kept dying because the climate and environment of the Southern Continent and the Empire were different.

 

But thanks to Kaya’s efforts, they could finally culture lactic acid bacteria stably in the Empire too.

 

“You really worked hard, Kaya.”

 

Yogurt was just the beginning. The supply of lactic acid bacteria was another hope.

 

‘Getting people accustomed to fermented foods through yogurt is the start.’

 

There were already quite a few restaurants opened by Chloe’s disciples(?), and she heard that some successful ones were making good money.

 

Chloe’s plan was to spread yogurt centered around those very establishments.

 

Many Empire citizens weren’t familiar with fermented foods themselves. Of course, since preserved foods were needed in winter, everyone made things like pickles.

 

But starting with sour yogurt, up to the ‘fermented paste’ that Chloe ultimately dreamed of – many people would find the taste of fermented foods unfamiliar.

 

So Chloe decided to widely spread yogurt, which people could eat relatively easily since it was a dairy product.

 

How to make yogurt, dessert and food recipes using yogurt, and even yogurt’s benefits.

 

When people became accustomed to yogurt’s taste, aroma, and fermented foods in that way.

 

Only then could she move to the next stage of brewing and spreading fermented paste.

 

‘Since there’s no cabbage yet, soybean paste it is. I want to eat soybean paste soup first. Since other people smelling it for the first time might have mixed reactions, I’ll go to one of the villas and try making all sorts of fermented foods.’

 

Coincidentally, among the seafood Chloe had secured from the North were freshwater snails too.

 

Just thinking about making freshwater snail soybean paste soup made her mouth water already.

 

It might be very polarizing, but so what!

 

Since she had made plenty of dishes that others would find appealing, now it was time for Chloe to make dishes that her soul craved.

 

Rationalizing it that way, she succeeded in persuading her parents that she would cook at another villa since the smell might be strong, and headed to a secluded villa.

 

Chloe inspected her ingredients. From the rice straw that came from the rice she had obtained, to dried peppers, charcoal (when she taught them how to make it and asked them to burn wood, the Gardener and Chef were truly puzzled), and even soybeans – everything was perfect.

 

She spread out the soybeans she had bought in bulk and carefully picked out the rotten ones.

 

After selecting only the good soybeans and washing them clean, she poured plenty of water to soak the soybeans thoroughly.

 

She boiled the soaked soybeans over high heat. After spending hours carefully boiling them, she mashed the soybeans moderately so they wouldn’t become complete powder.

 

After the mashed soybeans cooled a bit, she shaped them into square forms to make meju (fermented soybean blocks).

 

Then she laid rice straw underneath and dried them well. She watched the progress for several days, waiting until the meju dried properly.

 

While tying them with rice straw and drying them well, removing black or blue mold whenever it appeared and leaving only white or yellow mold for several days, the result was:

 

“This actually worked…”

 

The meju was complete.

 

Chloe was moved by the familiar Korean aroma she sensed from her nose.

 

After washing the meju to some extent, Chloe carefully placed it in a large container with salt water, charcoal, and dried whole peppers.

 

‘Now I just need to let it ferment like this. …Please succeed.’

 

It took two months for the soybean paste to be completed.

 

Of course, Chloe didn’t camp out at the villa for the entire two months.

 

She went to Volunteer Service and consistently made her presence known at the Imperial Palace, and also decided on her target to taste her soybean paste soup first.

 

Since it would be very polarizing, she had to keep in mind that the other person might dislike it.

 

Chloe pondered who would best accept her experimental attempt, and settled on Shurya, who had heard her previous life story.

 

So one day when Chloe met Shurya after Volunteer Service ended, she informed Shurya.

 

“Shurya, thank you for the advice you gave me before.”

 

“…What advice?”

 

“When you said the Empress wouldn’t stay still.”

 

“You would have done well even if I hadn’t said anything.”

 

“Still, I’m grateful you told me. I want to repay you, so could I invite you to our villa sometime?”

 

Shurya was puzzled, but Chloe persistently invited Shurya and even got a definite answer that she would visit.

 

And so, after the long-awaited two months passed.

 

Chloe carefully removed the meju that had been soaking in salt water and pressed it firmly without air pockets before putting it in another container.

 

She prepared soybean paste and peppers, freshwater snails with minced garlic, and base ingredients like onions and potatoes.

 

Chloe immediately put water on to boil, dissolved the soybean paste, then washed the freshwater snails clean.

 

While stirring the soybean paste water and tasting for seasoning, when it seemed just right, she threw in the freshwater snails.

 

Then she added minced garlic, peppers, onions and potatoes, boiled it for a while, then tasted it.

 

“Mmm~”

 

A humming sound came out naturally.

 

Chloe brought to the table this freshwater snail soybean paste soup along with the fluffy rice she had cooked in advance to eat with it.

 

Shurya’s face clearly showed bewilderment at the strange smell coming from the food.

 

“This is something my previous life self used to eat often, try a bite!”

 

Chloe boldly recommended the freshwater snail soybean paste soup and white rice to Shurya.

 

‘If she really hates it, I can give her the potato sandwich from the refrigerator.’

 

Having prepared for everything, including the possibility that Shurya might dislike it, Chloe first took a bite of the soybean paste soup herself.

 

“This is it. This is exactly it…”

 

Chloe exclaimed repeatedly while quickly alternating between a bite of freshwater snail soybean paste soup and a bite of rice, emptying her bowl.

 

It was very regrettable that there was no tofu in the soybean paste soup, but Chloe had been craving this soup taste terribly.

 

‘And since tofu itself might be polarizing too, I’ll make tofu and add it when I eat alone.’

 

Just thinking about it made her happy enough to hum while continuing her meal.

 

Shurya, who had frozen momentarily at the unfamiliar appearance and aroma of the food she was seeing for the first time, hesitated then followed Chloe’s lead and took a bite of the soybean paste soup.

 

Shurya, who had a puzzled expression, took one bite of soybean paste soup, then two bites, and then…

 

Her eating speed began to get faster and faster.

 

During the meal, without saying a word, she skillfully ate rice when it seemed a bit salty and soup when it seemed a bit bland, and after having a satisfying meal, Shurya finally came to her senses and asked Chloe.

 

“…What is this?”

 

Chloe, who had been watching that scene, remained frozen until just before Shurya asked while trying hard to hide her embarrassment.

 

Freshwater snail soybean paste soup!

 

The original female protagonist!

 

Likes it!

 

Chloe quickly grabbed both of Shurya’s hands tightly and spoke in a voice filled with emotion.

 

“Shurya… you know what’s good.”

 

As time passed, her foodie companions only increased and never seemed to decrease, which Chloe found quite admirable as she spoke to Shurya.

 

“It’s really delicious, isn’t it?”

 

Then Shurya nodded obediently and answered.

 

“It’s a taste I’ve never tried before. Some people might think this dish’s unique aroma is fishy though.”

 

Having said that much, Shurya made her brilliant violet eyes shine as she conveyed her sincerity to Chloe.

 

“I really enjoyed eating it.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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