773 Affinity Supper ④ - Vegetable and Meat Cooking

"Next, vegetable dishes"

When the crochet opened with the proclamation of Dia, another voice of amazement sounded.

This time, almost all the people by the woods seem to have spoken out.

The dish was a dish mimicking flowers.

Um, it's the confectionery presented at the tea party the other day and the same series of fine workmanship. Therefore, the majority of the people by the woods who came to this occasion should also have had preliminary knowledge, but they would still have to forbid surprises if they were to precede a dish in this strange shape.

This time, it was shaped like a big yellow wheel that didn't look very familiar.

Is Dahlia the one who seems most alike with my scarce knowledge? Each petal is small, and by its multiple overlaps, it embodies a truly beautiful figure.

Thin stems come out from beneath that big yellow circle and wear a few leaves in the same shape as the confectionery once was.

And it is a deep blue dish that is put on it. Dishes in such a dark hue seemed unusual, but it felt like it was reconciling again with the yellow of the petals and the green of the leaves.

"Hmm... Tour-din told me that at the Tea Party they served treats that only looked like Mizola flowers... but this really is a substitute that only seems like flowers"

When George-Zaza crumbled in the way he felt, Eurifia said, "Isn't that right?" and smiled.

"But this tastes as great as it looks. Enjoy it."

Eurifia thus took up the dishes to set an example.

He is holding a key in his left hand and a fork in his right hand. Eurifia, who shrugged off part of the petal with that spoon, folded it in two using a fork as she put it over a single leaf.

"No matter how we eat, we think it's the best way to eat."

Eurifia carried it to her mouth, stabbing a fork in the folded leaves and aiding her with a spoon.

After we see him, we'll take the dishes away, too. It was no longer a laborious way to eat, but if it were the ai-fas forged with pasta and ramen, it wouldn't be so hard to reluctant.

When I pressed the fork against the yellow petal, it could easily be taken apart with unexpected softness.

Um, it would be softer than a treat mimicking Mizola's flowers. Apparently this wasn't a complete solid, it was molded with something like a thick cream.

And the leaves, this one has a firmer texture than expected. Even if you feel a little elastic and treat it a little rough, it won't break its shape.

I folded it in two and carried it to my mouth with great anticipation.

First the leaves wrapped in petals touch the tongue.

I felt a slight bitterness, but it has no taste other than that.

Chewing it through with his back teeth spread a very vivid flavor.

Sober aromas and strong sweetness - aromas are those brought from multiple vanilla, sweetness would be sugar and fruit juice.

But again, it's not like confectionery. On the back of it, strong saltiness and aroma were also felt.

Unsurprisingly, it is a bit of a Japanese-style fun. That means tau oil and miso are probably also used.

But after all, it's far from what I know about Japanese food. The presence of vanilla made it feel terribly exotic - or somewhere fantastic in taste.

And I like the texture somehow.

The petals were almost creamy, so I guess this is the texture brought from the leaves.

Even though it is only a few millimeters thick, it is also elastic and contains water and air. The slight bitterness seemed to be the flavour applied later, but the texture was clearly remembered.

"Maybe... Is this leaf made of Tino?

Rayna-Lew spoke for me.

"It's your left," Dia nodded, smiling softly.

"Cut the Tino into leaf shapes and gently heat it up, while adding flavor and color"

"But...... this leaf looks more finely muscled than Tino. Is this the kind of Tino that originally has these muscles?

"No, it's a cooking knife."

Breathtaking in that response, I checked the leaves left on the plate.

Though it's quite the first leaf, there's a fine leaf vein running startlingly there. It was hard to believe that all of this was meticulous work by cooking knives.

"Are you putting that much effort into this dish just to make it look better, to stand out in the flowers... so to speak?

Dia nodded, "Yes," as Raina-Lou overlapped the words even more enjoyably.

"I'm just saying that this turned out to be the case, but that's how a fine knife didn't make the flavor stick so hard."

"Is it flavor? The leaves didn't seem to taste that strong..."

"Yes, it doesn't taste as strong as flowers. But we're working hard to make sure you can enjoy just the leaves."

When I heard that word, I decided to cut some of the leaves.

And bring it to your mouth - the unexpected taste spreads to your mouth. The vast majority of the sobriety of the vanilla just felt was found in the water that lurked within these leaves.

When I try only flowers, I feel strong sweetness, saltiness and fragrance.

It doesn't make a difference that it's delicious, but it feels like you're mouthing the sauce or sauce as it is. Again, this is probably the most correct way to eat at the same time.

"... that tastes amazing, this is"

And, with a face that pushed and killed surprises, Ai-Fa said so.

Raina-Lou and Tour-Din are expressions of seriousness themselves. Odifia and others looked a little worried to see if Tour-Din was happy with its flavor.

"... didn't these dishes exist in Asta's hometown?

Fermes called to his lid.

I swallow my amazement diligently, and I say, "Right."

"The method of seeing confectionery and dishes as flowers and so on probably existed. But it was almost unfamiliar to me, so I don't know the details."

"I see. Is this also a difficult dish for Asta to reproduce?

"Yes, that's for sure. Besides the gift of cooking, I wonder if this will require even the gift of making crafts, etc."

"Oh," Dia laughed at Hikame.

"I've heard those words before. My brother and others ran on the craft path, and whatever their talents, I may have originally had the qualities to prefer such things."

"Yeah, really. I wonder if Dia could have become a celebrity, even on the path of painting, sculpture, etc. … as far as I'm concerned, I'm truly delighted that you've gone down the culinary path."

When Eurifia delighted to say the words, she was smiling back without Dia.

"Dia and Varcus make really incredible dishes. Isn't Asta still more common practice than that?

And, Fermes overlapped the words further.

"In Genos, Asta seems to be regarded as a heretical cook, but it seems to me that Asta's presence is more special because the Genos cooks are heretical."

"Oh, really? Seems a little hard to tell for myself"

"Did Lord Dregg, who visited Genos before, also state that Asta's cooking is easier to eat? I grew up in the same king's capital, and I still feel the same way. I wonder if Asta's manipulation... is what Wang Du's cook aspires to be."

I turned to Fermes, but I felt Ai-Fa wandering.

Fermes, who would see Ey-Fa in me, laughs with a tickle.

"That's not why you're saying that Asta should move to the King's Capital, etc., Ai-Fa"

"... then I will also try to keep my voice up in dissatisfaction"

Looking back worried, Ai-Fa looked really bitter.

No way did Fermes also bring up stories and such about the Wang Capital to make fun of Ai-Fa, but it seems he turned the nerves of Ai-Fa upside down as a result.

"We will now serve meat and seafood dishes"

There's no appearance of disturbing my mind about those two looks, and Dia tells me in a relaxed voice.

Two plates of considerable size were delivered by the small surnames. Fermes is the only dish.

When the cross was opened, Eurifia raised her voice "well" as to why.

"This is the first dish I've ever seen. Right, you?

Melfried nodded, "Uhm," with no expression.

Odifia is also faceless, but her grey eyes look strangely on the plate. Apparently, even for the people of the Marquis de Genos, these were unknown dishes.

"These are recently finished dishes, and I was wondering when to serve them. I thought it was just the right opportunity, what do you think?

To Dia's innocent smile, Eurifia can also relieve her mouth.

"Of course, if you've finished a new dish, we'll be thrilled. But today, we never thought we'd be surprised."

"I apologize to you more than once if I'm being rude."

"Already. You look naive in unexpected ways."

Saying it that way, Eurifia seemed like a lot of fun. I'm sure you prefer the tattered temperament at Dia's mypace.

Both dishes are currently served in two varieties.

Eurifia got me ahead of me, but even for me, I was greatly surprised inside.

In particular, it is a dish of seafood. Raina-Lou and Tour-Din also had their eyes round this.

"Um... this is Mallory, right? Does such a large Mallory also exist?

It was Tour-Din who said so.

but it was Fermes, not Dia, accordingly.

"There are several types of Mallory in the West Dragon Sea. Mallory being transported to Genos would be the smallest of them all. It's not uncommon for Mallory to look so fine in the king's capital."

Mallory, as we know it, is the size and shape of an amateur shrimp.

But this Mallory had enormity when it was Ise shrimp.

Moreover, its shape almost maintains its prototype. He was truly magnificent, as if he had boiled the prawns as they were.

The shell is boiled in bright red and glowing. Would the body length be about 20 cm? The thin tactile sensation, the bearded jaw legs and five pairs of walking legs, and tails shaped like fins, are no different than the Ise Shrimp I know. However, the rounded and corny form seems a lot closer to the lobster.

"I, too, have seen a great Mallory in a book. But in fact, in front of me, it's different."

Eurifia makes me laugh.

"But," said Fermes.

"Mallory, which is so large, will not even be put up for sale as dry goods. When it's this big, it's hard to drain the water, and you can't get that many large maloles in the first place, so you won't have to tailor them to dry goods and sell them all out in the vicinity of the West Dragon Sea."

"Huh? But Mallory is a creature that lives in the ocean, right?... Oh, is this from a place called the Inland Sea in Baldo?

"In the inland waters of Baldo, there shouldn't be such a large Mallory. Also, even if it exists, it will rot by the time it reaches Genos without having to be dry. We don't have the means to put it in sea water and carry it alive... but Baldo and I don't suppose we're doing that kind of weird trade either?

Melfried nodded "um" as Fermes turned his gaze on him.

"It is the discretion of the Foreign Secretary when it comes to trade, but since the trade with Bardo has been concluded, the day is still shallow. If such an attempt were made, it would also enter my ear through Polearths"

"So where do you say this big Mallory was delivered from?

Not confused, but full of anticipation, Eurifia asked as such.

Dia has the same soft smile.

"This is Mallory, delivered by the King's Capital. I don't remember hearing about Mallory being delivered from any other land."

"But Fermes seems to be saying otherwise, right?

"No. I'm sure the diplomat is enjoyed knowing the answer?

In response to Dia's call, Fermes gracefully responded, "Yes."

"If this Mallory didn't appear neglectfully in Genos territory like Asta, the answer must be one. This must be Mallory the Crop."

"Crops? Because this is, as you can see in the book -"

And I almost said, Eurifia smiled, "Oh."

"Well, you know... this is a dish that stands out to the big Mallory, right?

"It's the left. The red shell is made of fuwano fabric."

We're going to lose our liver again.

Well, the only thing that surprises me that much is Kamadoku. And then while Odifia was faceless, she was seriously staring at the crop Mallory.

"Really, you're being too naive. So few people in this Genos know exactly what Mallory looks like, and yet you purposefully crafted such a thing?

"Yes, I was impressed to see the big Mallory in my book… what a beautiful figure"

That said, Dia smiled softly.

"Under the fabric of Fuwano is stuffed with Mallory himself. I hope you like it."

"Before I do, could you tell me about Giva cooking? This is the first dish I've ever seen."

Yes, we were surprised by the size of Mallory, too, but as much as that, we were blinded by the Giva dishes next door.

And the thinly cut pieces of gibbon were layered again like flowers.

This would be a pure coincidence, but similar in shape to a peony. The moist, heated Gibba meat was layered in the shape of a round flower about the size of a fist.

However, it should be noted that its shades.

Steamed meat can be pink, but this was more vibrant and clearly red, as if it were raw meat.

Due to its colour, it looks like a real flower.

And beneath the petals are still layered green leaves. This was also clearly bright green, but apparently leaves made of tinfa or something.

"... this isn't a raw burn, is it?

When Georg-Zaza asked suspiciously, Dia responded with a smile, "Yes."

"We have heard that Giva meat needs to be carefully put through fire, so don't worry. We cook carefully in the kiln and steam it."

"Hmm. But this shouldn't seem more like a shade of blood or meat itself than a flower."

"Yes, I keep researching more about meat coloring than I used to, but I believe this shade is most harmonious. Rather than… unnaturally coloring the meat, it seems to me that harmony breaks down"

Only calmly, Dia said so.

"If it's fuwano, vegetables or fruits, no matter how vibrant the colour you dye it, it won't be so out of harmony. However, when it comes to meat...... originally when it comes off the hue the meat has, it seems that harmony breaks down. Even if the taste itself doesn't change, you don't like your mouth and tongue, and you think it's 'unsavory'."

"Hmm. If the meat were in shades of blue or purple, it would be as if it were rotten"

"Yeah, I guess that kind of mind work, too. It's just a shade that has nothing to do with corruption...... that's what makes your mouth and tongue seem hateful, even if you dye it crimson when it comes to flowers. It must be a beautiful thing to colour meat like that."

That being said, Dia offered her hand on the table.

"If it's this shade, I know you'll never hate your mouth or tongue. I hope it's been a pleasure to the folks by the woods."

So we finally got to eat those dishes.

In the meantime, the key thing is flavor. Neither the Giva dish at the time of the peony, nor the Mallorian dish at the time of the round boiling of the iced shrimp were the finishing touches to the artistry when it came to the finishing touches of its appearance, but I could not give credit for not trying it.

But this is also the work of one of the finest cooks in Genos, Dia.

We were to be reminded of that skill.

"This is... delicious"

First Rayna-Luu, who spoke from Giva dishes, praised it that way with a low, hissed voice.

"I don't know how much the flowery look affects you. However, even without these finesses… I think it's pure, delicious"

I had no objection to that assessment either.

Giva meat, which has been steamed, is softer the better. It would have the same texture as' Roast Giva '. The flavor is concentrated by steaming, and the potential of Giva meat seems to be drawn out without excess.

And the flavor was also brilliant.

From what I've seen, the sauce-like is not hung, so it was probably soaked in seasoning liquid or something before being steamed. Its sweet, spicy and aromatic distribution is impeccable. It's as nuanced as adding a little vanilla to our Teriyaki sauce, and it has a really easy-to-eat flavour.

It is quite strongly flavoured, but it happens to be in harmony with the powerful flavour of Giva meat. No one will complain about this flavor, be it the people by the woods, the people of the castle towns or the people of the lodging towns. Unexpectedly, it feels like it's the delicious taste of a direct ball game.

However, the culinary-like craftsmanship in Castle Town was applied on leaves laid under meat flowers.

It was a vibrant green dyed Tinfa, but it was a little sour on its own.

But eating it with the petals of meat reveals a new harmony.

Sweetness, spiciness, acidity and fragrance - if this fragrance is to be regarded as bitter, it is an unbeatable and complex flavour for Varcus.

But after all, it's not hard to eat at all.

No matter how complex the taste is, it goes right through my throat. That was the big difference from the other cooks in Castle Town.

"Um, well, no one would complain if they served this in a feast dish by the woods"

I played George-Zaza and said so.

It has an exterior appearance and a sufficiently complex flavour, but it is also very easy to eat and delicious. This was Dia's latest Giva dish.

"This Mallory dish tastes great, too. That's probably the best finish I've ever had."

Eurifia said that in a very satisfied voice.

I eat about half of the Giva dish and then get to Mallory dishes.

Once again, it doesn't look like a crop. Even the waxing of food samples would be difficult to reproduce so brilliantly.

When I lifted the small cooking knife to its back, the red shell broke apart.

The crushed shell falls over the body that was hidden beneath it. There was a gap between the body and the shell just a few centimeters, where the enthusiasm that had been held was to be unleashed along with a rich fragrance.

It is a truly aromatic, mallow fragrance.

Mallory's body was braised after being finely loosened and thick as a stew, so I decided to take the spoon away.

For each finely crushed red shell, bring it to your mouth - the rich flavour of Mallory spreads to your mouth, as it is associated with the fragrance.

Plus, there seems to be plenty of cheese and caron milk. Is the stock a fish or shellfish? It had a slightly Italian finish, but it is quite spicy, and the presence of vanilla is strongly felt in the aftertaste. After all, this was also the dish of Genos style.

But after all, it won't be hard to eat.

I don't get as hard a shock as Varcus cooks, but my deep emotions come up later twitching. What a complete dish, I felt the scales fall from my eyes.

"... I don't think I've ever seen this plate before either. Is that what you bought for this new dish?

In response to Eurifia's inquiry, Dia smiled yes.

"This time we never found a dish to reconcile with the food, so we placed a new order"

"I thought so. Well, that's what you need to cook."

This time I was distracted by the appearance of the dish and wasn't even more aware of it.

Mallorian dishes are white and Giva dishes are gray close to unlimited black, both finishing as if the surface were rippled. Perhaps the lack of consciousness was due to the fact that it was too natural and in perfect harmony.

"What do you think? I'd love to share my thoughts with Asta."

"Yes, all the food, it was a great finish. I don't like the intricate flavoring that is popular in Genos, but I think Dia's dishes are very easy to eat and very delicious, even though they follow that approach."

"So, compared to Varcus, what do you think? You do admit Vulcan's arm, don't you?

"Yes, of course. Is the Varcus dish...... after all, because of the high use of vanilla? I think it's genius handiwork to have the freshness of getting a beating in the back of the head and then nowhere is broken...... I think Dia's cooking can be accepted so much, even with as much complexity"

"Yes. For Asta, which do you prefer?

A slightly pranky smile comes to Eurifia's slight face.

But I could answer without hesitation.

"I'm not clouding the words, I think they're both great. The two of you seem to have a lot in common, but also the opposite, so you can't put it in very order for me. Just..."

And I made Dia laugh, too.

"It gets a little abstract, but it feels like Varcus dives deep inside himself, and I think he's pursuing delicious dishes. By contrast, Dia was… very open and felt like I was putting my hands on all people. For me, they're both respectable attitudes."

"Oh, I feel like I can understand that. Varcus' cooking is somehow... comfortable being able to beat up your own stranger, and at the same time it's an irresistible pleasure, you get a little tired. It makes me feel like I'm in a fight."

That said, Eurifia also turned to Dia.

"But you can safely eat Dia's food, right? I'm often surprised like this Mallorian dish, but you don't have to worry about it in a good way."

"Thank you," Dia grinned.

"I guess there will be something called personality. There's something about Varcus that's polite, but doesn't really upset the mood of others, right? Even when Wang Du's auditor threw the dishes at me, I didn't move a single frown."

"Oh, I guess Varcus has absolute pride in his cooking. No matter what others think, I feel confident that this is the right thing for me."

"Yeah. I guess that kind of thing is artistic temperament. After all, it seems to me the happiest thing to do is to get inspired and surprised under Varcus every day with Dia's cooking in my mouth."

Saying it that way, Eurifia has looked at me again.

No, that gaze seems to be directed at me and Ai-Fa.

"But then I'm sure Asta's a cook close to Dia, not Varcus? Even you feel like you're laying your hands on every human being."

"Yeah, well, I think I am emotionally. You're impressed with Varcus for having something you don't have."

"Ugh. Then I guess Ai-Fa, like me, is a happy comfort every day"

Ai-Fa responded "um" while dyeing her cheeks a lot, and then she kicked me in the foot under the table again.

Well, you can't kick Eurifia in the leg, so it would be the only place.

"Oh, you just talked to me again. I made fun of you earlier, but please don't hesitate, Fermes."

"Of course it is. I enjoyed listening to you, too."

Fermes, too, smiled unchanged.

It is a very soothing and fulfilling moment, although the oligarchy of Gazran-Rutim bothers me. I guess that's also because of the excellence of the dishes that Dia serves.

That's how the dinner party was finally supposed to be packed.