"Spicy taste and fragrance, huh."

It had to be exactly what Gio was looking for.

"......"

Of course, there was more to the description of the 'crying herb.'

...A herb that grows in a concave shape like a bell. When dried in the sun for over a month, it turns pink, and its leaves become plump. Once the refinement process is complete, the pink 'crying herb' produces an intense sweetness that can almost tear your tongue. Soaking Lu-ru-pu flower petals in its juice is said to greatly help in the recovery of the optic nerve.

Refinement method: Dry the crying herb in the sun for over a month. Once it takes on a deep pink color and the leaves thicken to about 3 cm, it's the right time. Extract the juice from the thickened leaves, which have absorbed moisture from the air. This juice alone can serve as an excellent painkiller, and if Lu-ru-pu flower petals are added and stored in a cool place, it can make a medicine beneficial for optic nerve recovery within three days.

"......"

But it ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) was too long.

He just skipped over it.

"I’m here for spices, not medicinal herbs."

What caught his attention in the end was the part about 'spicy taste and fragrance.' Despite all the talk about optic nerve recovery, he was focused on enjoying a tasty sausage, not seeking medicine.

"It looks a bit like a morning glory."

It wasn’t exactly the same, but it had a similar shape—fluttering leaves like lace, and a vine-wrapped plant that grew on trees. The only difference was that the leaves were much bigger than those of a morning glory...

"Almost the size of my hand."

"Cu-ru-ru?"

"Yeah, it’s pretty big."

Despite Gio’s hands not being particularly small, the crying herb’s leaves were just big enough to spill over the edges of his palm.

"The vine being a deep white color is also unique."

The 'crying herb' leaves boasted a gradient of green that deepened toward the tips. The vine connecting to the leaves was an opaque white, and it would likely stand out in the evening light.

"Anyway..."

He had found the chili.

"Let’s make some chili powder with this."

He liked it a lot.

"Let’s check its condition."

After plucking the crying herb, he tore it apart and smelled it. The sharp, spicy fragrance was exceptional.

It wasn’t exactly the same as Earth’s chili peppers, but it was close enough. Its uniquely soft aroma seemed to pair well with the nutty scent of the meat he was working with. The complex fragrance was almost dizzying.

"Chili and Sichuan pepper... Is it a mix with star anise? Maybe there's a faint sweet aroma similar to 'Judging Leaf' as well... Since the meat has hints of walnut or hazelnut, if I do this right, I can make something like a spicy noodle-flavor sausage."

Having thought that, Gio muttered.

"But..."

There was a problem.

"This might become overwhelming if used too much."

For Gio, who could eat anything, a strong chili scent wasn’t a problem, but the Sichuan pepper, star anise, and the 'Judging Leaf' scent were a bit much.

The numbing sensation of the Sichuan pepper and the lingering sweetness of the 'Judging Leaf' could be overlooked, but star anise...

"This is pretty strong."

"Cu-ru-ru-ru..."

"......"

After tearing a small piece and putting it in his mouth, he realized just how intense it was.

"Yeah, it's too strong."

The scent was so intense it felt like it was piercing through his nose and into his brain.

"Is this assassination?"

Technically, it would be self-inflicted, but the scent was extremely overpowering.

Star anise was usually used to mask the odor of pork, known for its sharp yet somewhat bittersweet fragrance.

The issue was that the 'sweet' part of the star anise combined with the 'Judging Leaf's' subtle sweetness, creating a heavy, overpowering flavor.

"This shouldn't be used too much."

He had read earlier that this could become unbearably sweet if overdone, and with the strange sweetness interspersed throughout the scents, he had a vague understanding of why. If prepared poorly, it could indeed become overwhelming.

"But it's not bad."

"Cu-ru..."

"I won’t make you eat it raw, so don't worry, honey."

After all, it was all going into the sausage.

"......"

"......"

It occurred to him suddenly.

"Are all the ingredients going to be medicinal herbs?"

"Kuuk."

"What kind of sausage am I even trying to make?"

Anyway, if there was too much left, Yoo Seong-Woon would wrap it up.

After the long adventure, Gio proudly declared upon returning to the cabin.

"I did it."

He had found ginger.

"It’s quite different from the ginger I know, but the scent and taste are similar enough that I’ll call it ginger."

"Ku-ung."

"It’s not an excuse, it’s really similar."

Arum

With light brown skin and a faint pinkish hue, its flesh is a deep red. It contains a lot of starch, so it dries efficiently when powdered. No refinement is necessary for consumption. The sharp fragrance of ginger and plant characteristics are evident.

Refinement method: Slice it thin and steep it in tea for headaches. Powder it and dry it in the sun for digestive benefits and excellent immune system recovery.

"Right?"

"Ku-ru-ru..."

There wasn’t just one type of ginger on Earth.

"There’s another one called galangal. It has a more complex fragrance and a smoother taste than the ginger we used in my hometown…"

"......"

"It’s fine if you’re bored, just say you’re bored."

"Kuuk."

"Alright, then."

The 'Arum' Gio found this time was exactly to his liking.

It was quite spicy, but closer to a sharp, hot sensation than the numbing feeling. Its scent was similar to the ginger used in Korea, with a strong, sharp fragrance that could make a good spicy, pungent seasoning when used properly.

"Tada."

There was much more he had found this time.

"This is nutmeg..."

Raven Walnut

Its shell is red, flesh white, and seeds are black. Mainly...

"Am I not talking?"

... The part used is the seed, which can be used raw or dried. It’s a spice with a soft, deep fragrance that is often used. The shell and flesh can be used for medicinal purposes.

Refinement method: Remove the flesh from the seed and steam it when soft, or grind it or dry it for use as a spice. Dry the shell in the sun for over a day and boil it to make a good medicine for joints. Extract juice from the flesh and harden it to make a salve for wound healing.

"Stubborn little thing."

"Ku-ru-ru-ru..."

"I’m happy you agree."

Honey seemed to acknowledge it as well.

Anyway, Gio had found the nutmeg known as Raven Walnut. It wasn’t overly pungent and helped elevate dishes while removing undesirable smells.

And the greatest discovery...

"Finding vinegar was a huge achievement."

Ah, the mystery of nature!

"Not that it’s actually vinegar made by nature, though..."

"Ku-ru?"

"I think trying to consume everything you think you can absorb is a bad habit, my son. You might end up eating something weird and getting an upset stomach, so let’s cultivate some restraint."

"Ku-ru-ru-ru..."

"Right, vinegar isn’t something that just naturally appears."

Life really was fascinating.

"I was already thinking of making vinegar or alcohol from the mangdong fruit."

There were many materials from which vinegar could be made.

"You can make vinegar from grains like rice, barley, or wheat... fruits like jujubes or peaches, flowers like lotus or roses, and even honey."

But it was a delicate process.

"Fermented foods are always like that."

The important part of fermentation is that, if you mess up, it turns into spoiled food. You need to maintain the right temperature and quantity to grow the correct bacteria and create a proper fermented product.

And, as he’d thought several times before, this was a paradise for cooks.

"Vinegar can even naturally come from inside a big tree."

It was a very unusual tree.

Its root area swelled round like a candy, and among them, there was a particularly tough, reddish-black wood.

With a sour fragrance, when Gio approached, he noticed vinegar seeping out of the swollen trunk.

"It was an incredible sight."

Once again, Gio had to call out to the gods.

Candytrap Tree

A tree with a round, swollen base. It is hermaphroditic, with leaves on the outside, but fruit grows inside the swollen trunk. The fruit, which has a strong sweet-bitter taste, starts to rot if not picked in time, and depending on the conditions, the fruit can turn into vinegar, juice, or fruit wine when mixed with the tree’s sap.

Refinement method: Remove the unripe fruit and soak it in the sap of the Dorongdo tree to make an excellent nutritional supplement.

"I should look for a tree with juice or fruit wine next."

Anyway, all the miscellaneous ingredients...

"It’s time."

He had finished preparing to make the sausage.

"This is real content."

"Ku-ung?"

"You’ve done your job with cuteness. Watch."

Gio washed his hands.

"I wonder how the intestines I soaked are doing."

He approached the basin where he had soaked the deer’s intestines.

Modern sausages usually used collagen casings. This would have been much easier, but since he was deep in the forest, far from modern conveniences, Gio had no choice but to stick with traditional methods.

"No matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find any casings."

"Ku-uk?"

"I’d rather not make casings like that."

Making casings from paint seemed like it would tear easily and feel uncomfortable. Drawing thin, transparent casings would also be a pain.

Honey, looking at the intestines, let out a soft cry, as if expressing a different form than the one she knew.

"They’ve been cleaned, so they’re a little different from what you know. I removed all the fat and foreign matter that filled the inside, leaving only the skin, so it looks a bit different from before."

The intestines, pickled in sour fruit, had no off-putting smell.

"It’s not the meat that has a damp smell originally."

After cleaning and removing any undesirable odors, Gio lifted the basin containing the intestines. He was about to head to the kitchen to start grinding the meat.

"When making sausages, it’s better to use tougher and more fragrant parts. One of the joys of cooking is deciding how tough the meat should be and what parts to mix."

"Cu-ru-ru-ru-ru..."

"Should I step back and wait since we can’t eat it yet?"

He began grinding the meat.

"At this rate, the pig will take everything."

He had to make the sausage quickly.

"This part can go in too."

"Ku-ung?"

"That’ll give it better texture."

How the meat was ground made a big impact on the texture of the sausage.

If you chop it coarsely, it becomes hard to bind together, but the texture ends up being rough and lumpy. If finely ground, it becomes smooth, falling apart in the mouth.

"Mixing them properly will make it even better."

On Earth, there was an issue with drying, so ground meat had to be of a certain size, but in this world, the mysteries of nature surrounded them. Thanks to that, Gio could plan a sausage with a unique texture.

Chop it a little coarsely, or grind it completely.

"That way, the texture will be great, and the skin will be filled tightly, giving it a nice shape."

After finishing the grinding, Gio brought the materials he needed to mix with the meat.

Pepper and chili powder for a spicy kick, 'Crying Herb' for a strong, pungent flavor, 'Arum' with its spicy, sharp scent to complement the chili, 'Raven Walnut' to soften the scent and add richness, and 'Sugartrap Tree Vinegar' for a sour-sweet twist...

"......"

Exciting.

"Perfect."

He couldn’t contain his excitement.

"Who else could have this kind of experience?"

Mysterious ingredients in a forest far removed from human civilization. The experience of cooking with ingredients that contained flavors never imagined before, while breathing in refreshing phytoncides.

That day, Gio made about 10 kg of sausages.

"......"

"......"

Perhaps he got a little carried away with his excitement.

"I admit my mistake."

He nodded.

"Don’t worry, it’s fine."

"Ku-ung."

"We’ve got Yoo Seong-Woon."

"Ku-ru..."

They both agreed on the surplus stock issue.

"Gio, are you here?"

It had been a while since Yoo Seong-Woon came to give Gio some fish-shaped bread.

"I saw a student from last time selling fish-shaped bread, so I bought a bag."

"I see. Thank you for your kindness."

"It’s nothing. Just take it. If you want to return the favor, just ask for something simple, like food, like last time."

"Actually, I have just the thing."

"Oh, really? I’m a bit hungry, so it’s perfect."

How long had it been?

"......"

He walked out of the gallery holding a paper bag full of sausages.

"...This is definitely not the right thing."

He knew it was a completely different situation, but it felt a bit like being scammed.