Volume 4, Chapter 2 – First Japanese Food?

When dinner time arrived, we headed to the dining hall.

As soon as we entered, I could clearly tell that the gazes of the other guests had all gathered on us.

Apparently, seeing foreigners was quite a rarity here.

“Fiene-sama, you are attracting quite a bit of attention.”

“No, I don’t think I’m the only one…”

“That floral garment from the Miko Nation suits you very well.”

Indeed, I had come to the dining hall wearing the yukata that had been provided in the room.

It was a lovely yukata with cherry blossoms on a white background.

The moment I saw it, I decided I loved it, thinking it looked just like Riche’s flowers.

This yukata was undoubtedly prepared specifically for me and Riche. The moment that thought crossed my mind, I had already slipped it on.

For the record, Chris-san refused to wear hers, saying it would be troublesome if she couldn’t move in an emergency, while Lu-chan refused because she hated the idea of it coming undone if she moved.

Tch, what a waste!

Once we took our seats, the food was brought out.

“This is rapeseed blossoms and chicken tenderloin with mustard.”

A small side dish, something like an appetizer, was brought out.

Lu-chan and I used chopsticks, but Chris-san brought her own fork.

Lu-chan had perfectly mastered the use of chopsticks during her stay in the Red Sky Empire, but Chris-san was still in the middle of practicing.

I suppose being bad at this kind of fine motor work is rather typical of Chris-san.

“Onee-sama! It’s spicy and delicious!”

“It is. I like this flavor as well.”

It’s been a while since I’ve had Japanese food.

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Ah, no, not Japanese food, but Miko food, right?

Still, it’s a taste that makes me feel nostalgic.

You know what, I’ll just call it Japanese food. In my head, it’s Japanese food.

“Here are three seasonal side dishes. In order, we have broad beans, nanban-zuke fried smelt, and fried fish cakes.”

“I see. So the cuisine of the Miko Nation consists of many small dishes. It is perfect for you, Fiene-sama, as you do not eat very much.”

“But it seems a bit meager for Lu-chan, doesn’t it?”

“Mm—but it’s delicious!”

It might be a bit cruel for Lu-chan, but Japanese food really is the best. Every single bite makes me long for my previous world.

“Here is the sashimi. From here, we have Spanish mackerel, horse mackerel, striped jack, flounder, and cuttlefish.”

“Oh, they even have sashimi.”

“Eh? Raw… fish?”

Chris-san looked shocked at the sight of the sashimi.

Ah, right. In the White Moon Kingdom, they don’t eat fish raw.

But this is a port town, so the freshness shouldn’t be an issue, right?

“Onee-sama! Fish is delicious even if you just cut it up!”

Lu-chan was already eating the sashimi with a look of pure bliss.

“It is. However, depending on the type of fish, parasites can cause an upset stomach, so you must never eat fish you’ve caught yourself as sashimi, okay?”

“Okaay!”

Normally, people would hesitate like Chris-san, but I truly admire Lu-chan’s honest curiosity when it comes to food.

Still, why do I get such a vaguely ominous feeling from the phrase “just cut the fish”?

“I… I think I’ll pass on this…”

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“Then I’ll take it!”

Lu-chan happily devoured the sashimi that Chris-san had rejected without hesitation.

That smile of pure happiness as she ate was truly healing.

Ah, well, it’s not that I’m as stressed as I used to be. Except for the fact that Shizuku-san is gone.

“This is Saikyo Yaki ¹ Saikyo Yaki is a traditional Japanese cooking method where fish or meat is marinated in a sweet, white Kyoto miso paste, then grilled. Spanish mackerel.”

The aroma of the miso is wonderful. Ah, it makes me crave white rice.

“Onee-sama, this is amazing! What is this unique scent?”

“I believe it is a seasoning called miso. If I recall, it’s made from rice and soybeans.”

“Miso! Onee-sama! We absolutely must get our hands on this seasoning before we go home!”

“I agree.”

Lu-chan seemed to have taken a great liking to the miso. Her eyes were sparkling.

As for Chris-san, she seemed to be enjoying herself, sniffing the aroma and showing great interest in the accompanying arrowroot ginger.

“Here are the simmered new bamboo shoots.”

Ah, this is the quintessential Japanese meal.

Bamboo shoots, some kind of fish, and what looks like the stems of some vegetable, all simmered in bonito dashi ² Bonito dashi is a foundational Japanese soup stock made by simmering water with katsuobushi (dried, fermented, and smoked bonito fish flakes). ³ Side note: Dashi (pronounced dah-she) is the foundational soup stock of Japanese cuisine. There’s gonna be a lot of them in the next chapters. .

Hmm? Or was it steamed? I’m not an expert, so I don’t really know the difference.

“Ah, ah, this is delicious. Truly…!”

“Onee-sama, you like these kinds of flavors. I love this too!”

“I wonder how one makes such delicious simmered dishes. Cooks are truly impressive, Fiene-sama.”

“Yes, they really are.”

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I can’t even begin to imagine how they prepare this.

“The specialty of Sakimori: Chicken Mizutaki.”

A piping hot clay pot was brought out. The aroma wafting from the cloudy white soup whetted my appetite.

“Wow, amazing! It’s a soup!”

“You may enjoy it as zousui ⁴ Zousui (雑炊) is a comforting Japanese rice soup made by simmering cooked rice in a seasoned broth (like dashi, soy sauce, or miso) with ingredients like vegetables, eggs, and meat or seafood. porridge at the end.”

Oh, wonderful. They even have the closing zousui.

“Lu-chan, they’ll use the remaining soup to make the porridge, so don’t drink it all, okay?”

“Okaay. Huh? Is this one pot for the three of us? It seems a bit small.”

I think Lu-chan’s family are the only ones who would think that.

The idea of one of these clay pots being served to each person is beyond my imagination.

“I can’t eat very much, so please eat plenty, Lu-chan.”

“Thank you, Onee-sama! I love you!”

Watching the happy face of my cute little sister figure, I began serving the food.

“Here. Chris-san, please have some.”

“Fiene-sama, thank you. This is something I should be doing…”

“No, I’m doing this because I want to.”

Besides, if I left it to someone who wasn’t used to this, they’d probably serve up all the broth too.

“Mumu, a light saltiness combined with this thick, rich soup… and the vegetables still have a nice crunch. Fiene-sama, this is delicious.”

“It’s my first time eating something like this, but it is delicious.”

Lu-chan was eating ravenously. She seemed to have taken quite a liking to it.

Once the ingredients were gone, the pot was taken away and returned as zousui.

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“Thank you for waiting. Here is the zousui.”

When the maid lifted the lid, the scent of the mizutaki soup and the aroma of sesame tickled my nostrils.

The beaten egg had cooked and blended with the rice, creating a creamy-colored porridge, topped with scattered chopped green onions, the green providing a beautiful contrast.

“Wahhh, it looks so good.”

“Is this something like a risotto?”

“I suppose so. Here, please.”

For the record, I don’t know much about risotto, but since it uses rice, it’s probably a relative. Probably.

I served the two of them. Of course, I gave Lu-chan a mountain of it.

“”Thank you!!””

I served myself a portion and brought the spoon to my mouth.

“Mm, it’s delicious.”

The rich soup had soaked into the rice, giving it a deep flavor.

At the same time, it mixed with the beaten egg, which was cooked just right to be fluffy.

The crisp scent of the green onions and the aroma of sesame added the perfect accent.

Yes, this is incredibly tasty.

“Onee-sama, I love the food in this country!”

As she said this, Lu-chan gave me her biggest smile of the day.

Yes, I’m glad she took a liking to Japanese food.

“But it’s a shame the portions are so small.”

Ah, yeah. Well, I guess for Lu-chan, that’s true…