The Tavern and Totsuki
Jun Shiomi always looked like she was 18 years old. According to her, the reason she never seemed to age and had the same appearance since middle school was due to the effects of regularly consuming spices.
Yes! Eating a lot of spices.
Can it really help maintain youthful looks? Zane didn't want to delve deeper into that question.
But one undeniable fact was: Jun Shiomi indeed had a very high level of expertise in the field of spices!
...
"Impressive."
"A tavern owner."
"Knowing more about spices and winemaking than me, a recognized expert."
Jun Shiomi felt a bit of admiration.
"My insights are just humble opinions, not that profound," Zane replied modestly.
His humility made Jun Shiomi roll her eyes. "Zane, no one can fool me when it comes to spices."
"Even low-alcohol wine becomes sour when heated."
"That's why spices like cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, and star anise are used to enhance the flavor."
"Your mulled wine perfectly balances the spices. I can't even do it better."
"In this area, you are a spice master."
She then touched her stomach.
The mulled wine had sated her craving but also whetted her appetite.
Taking a deep breath, she looked up at Zane and said, "I'm getting hungry. Can I order some dishes now?"
"Sure, what would you like?"
"Tom Yum!"
Zane: ???
...
In the 18th century, during the Thonburi Kingdom of Siam, King Taksin's princess fell ill and didn't want to eat anything.
Desperate, King Taksin asked the royal chef to make a soup to whet her appetite. The princess felt refreshed after drinking it and recovered.
King Taksin was delighted and named the soup Tom Yum Goong, making it the national soup.
In Thai, "Tom Yum" means "sour and spicy," and "Goong" means "shrimp."
So, Jun Shiomi's choice of Tom Yum was a Southeast Asian Thai dish. Tom Yum is a Thai dish.
It primarily consists of Thai lime leaves, lemongrass, chili, and shrimp, combining sour, spicy, sweet, and salty flavors with rich spices.
The preparation isn't complicated, but it requires specific Thai ingredients, particularly:
Thai lime!
This is a unique seasoning fruit from Southeast Asia, hard to find elsewhere.
Another essential ingredient is fish sauce, a common condiment in Guangdong and Fujian provinces of China, as well as in Fujian and Chaozhou cuisine and Southeast Asian dishes.
...
"We're missing the lime."
"So, I can't make this dish right now."
Without hesitation, Zane explained.
"I have one."
Hayama Ryo pulled a Thai lime from his pocket, surprising Zane!
Taking the lime, Zane began preparing the Tom Yum.
The soup's color mainly comes from the shrimp broth, and chili paste adds a certain hue, though not necessarily red.
First, he prepared the ingredients: fresh shrimp, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, straw mushrooms, fresh chili, coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar...
Clean the shrimp and straw mushrooms.
Chop the red chili, lemongrass, and galangal, and slice the lime.
In a hot pan, sauté the shrimp in olive oil until pink. Add water, salt, and coconut milk.
Add the chopped lemongrass, chili, lime slices, mint leaves, and cilantro leaves to the water.
Bring to a boil and cover.
Add the mushrooms and simmer for about 3 minutes.
Season with fish sauce and fresh lime juice before serving.
...
On the table, the Tom Yum soup had a vibrant, enticing red hue.
This color came from the shrimp and other spices, making it look lively and passionate.
In the steaming soup, green lime leaves and lemongrass floated, adding flavor and an exotic Southeast Asian touch!
You could see shrimp and clams cooked to perfection, smelling delicious and looking tender.
The mushrooms and vegetables added more color to the soup.
Overall, the colors and ingredients made it eye-catching and tempting.
"Jun, he really made Tom Yum soup."
Hayama Ryo couldn't help but gasp, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Mm~"
"It smells wonderful!"
Jun Shiomi said, slightly intoxicated by the aroma.
The soup's ingredients might seem random, but they created a magical combination.
The spicy taste came from a type of chili called bird's eye chili, very hot, and other seasonings like special curry paste, lemongrass, shrimp paste, and fish paste.
It seemed just sour and spicy, but Jun Shiomi discovered layers of flavors.
This was due to the complex seasonings, creating intricate tastes that were hard to identify in one sip!
At first, it might taste odd but also delicious.
Then, a spoonful of the broth filled the mouth with unique spice aromas, stimulating saliva production.
The rich layers kept teasing the taste buds, making Jun Shiomi crave more!
Sour, spicy, salty, fresh, fragrant, sweet... all with a strong aroma.
Just one sip made her feel like she was:
In heaven!
...
"The sourness first hits the taste buds."
"Then, the seafood flavor spreads in the mouth, with the spiciness following, intertwining with the sourness, creating a layered taste."
"The soup also has a slight sweetness, balancing the sour and spicy flavors."
"The whole dish has a rich and harmonious taste."
"Besides the basic sour and spicy taste, it has a special aroma from the various spices."
"The freshness of lemongrass, the fragrance of lime leaves, and the unique scent of galangal create the distinctive flavor of Tom Yum soup. Adding coconut milk gives it a smooth, rich taste!"
"Ryo, this is incredible!"
"In using spices and making Southeast Asian cuisine, someone is far better than you."
"No, it must be dozens or even hundreds of times better!"
Jun Shiomi became more and more excited.
...
"Oh?"
"Is it really that good?"
Hayama Ryo twitched his nose.
He used his God's Nose ability to analyze the Tom Yum soup's aroma.
Closing his eyes to focus, he suddenly opened them wide in disbelief: "How can this be? Tom Yum isn't a complicated dish."
"But this aroma is so complex that my God's Nose can't fully identify it?"
He was utterly confused!
Every dish has a smell, and smells are everywhere.
So, in some ways, his God's Nose was more practical and convenient than Erina's God's Tongue.
But he never expected his ability to fail, making him feel powerless in front of Zane's cooking!
Yes, the unknown is the most terrifying.
"I finally understand a bit."
"Why Rindo, Momo, Megumi, Kuga, Erina, and the other Elite Ten often come to this tavern."
"It seems this tavern owner is someone even the Elite Ten fear!"
Hayama Ryo sighed.
...
"Ha-ha, it's lively here!"
An elderly man with white hair entered the tavern.
His sudden appearance surprised Erina: "Grandfather, why are you here?"
"Director?"
Jun Shiomi, engrossed in the Tom Yum, shivered and was equally shocked.
"Jun, you're here too?"
The Director nodded to Erina, then noticed Jun Shiomi and Hayama Ryo in the tavern, looking surprised.
He found a place to sit, and he and Erina exchanged pleasantries.
Finally, the Director asked Zane for a bottle of wine.
...
The tavern sold wines brewed by Zane.
The most popular were:
Sake.
Wine.
Shochu.
Other fruit wines.
The Director preferred wine, rarely drinking stronger shochu or baijiu.
Partly because of his age.
And because wine, with its sugar and water content from crushed, fermented fruit, had a delicate and gentle aroma.
It had a lasting aftertaste, with fruity, fermented, and aged aromas.
Compared to shochu, fruit wine had a moderate alcohol content, usually between 12% and 20%.
It didn't harm the stomach and wasn't bland. It was simple and convenient to drink.
Unlike beer, which required frequent bathroom trips, or huangjiu, which needed heating, and didn't need snacks.
It was almost always ready and perfect for drinking alone.
These benefits suited the Director's preference for health and avoiding "useless socializing."
He enjoyed it and felt at ease!
...
"Huh?"
Just a sip, and the Director's clothes burst off.
His eyes widened in shock: "Is this wine?"
He couldn't believe that as a food demon, he was defeated by a simple bottle of wine.
Not convinced, he drank more, savoring the rich aroma before exhaling and sighing: "This is indeed excellent wine!"
"No other wine outside can compare."
"Wine is naturally fragrant, but this one has a lasting flavor, lingering on the tongue for days. I've never seen anything like it."
"To balance the wine body."
"I use blending techniques and strictly control the grape proportions."
"So, this wine has a great taste and a complex aged flavor."
Seeing the Director's surprise and excitement, Zane smiled.
"Blending?"
The Director thought for a moment and understood.
This rare wine, when fully stirred at room temperature, didn't taste strange but added charm.
Even a sip could fully capture the wine's essence.
Every sip was like the whole glass of wine!
Of course, this simple grape transformed into the most enchanting wine, thanks to Zane's superb winemaking skills.
...
Finally, the wine was gone.
Slightly drunk, the Director shook the bottle, finding it empty: "No more?"
Resigned, he put down the bottle and looked at Zane: "How much of this wine do you have? Every time I come, no matter what I drink, other wines taste like plain water
."
"There's some left, but not much."
Zane said, handing another bottle to the Director.
The Director eagerly drank, not forgetting his purpose for coming to the tavern.
He thoughtfully looked at Zane and said, "I came to discuss something with you."
"As you know, with the Autumn Election over, the hands-on training activity is coming."
"I hope Erina and Alice will grow during this internship."
"There aren't many suitable places for them to intern."
"After much thought."
"Your tavern is the best choice!"
Indeed, the Nakiri family had few male descendants.
But regardless, the Director valued Erina and Alice's education above all. Because of Mana's extreme teaching methods, Erina had an unhappy childhood.
So, the Director didn't want the tragedy to repeat and didn't want to gamble with Erina's future.
But Zane's arrival gave him unprecedented hope.
Seeing Zane's cooking that could conquer Mana and Erina's God's Tongue, the Director realized:
Only he could save Erina!
"Grandfather, you came to the tavern for this..."
Erina felt touched.
"It seems this internship is a great opportunity for cooperation."
Zane furrowed his brow, deep in thought.
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