Chapter 212: Intense Smell

Since I now had a rough idea of the selling price for the new crops, the next step was to check their taste.

The one I was most curious about was, of course, the Artipassion.

Brugard was also somewhat interesting, but considering that smell, no matter how tasty it might be, I wouldn’t eat it frequently. Even in Japan, people are careful about garlic, and from an etiquette perspective, you can’t casually let the smell of Brugard escape from your mouth.

Because of its strong, offensive smell, Brugard was a high hurdle. So, I held one of each crop in my hands and brought them over to Norman.

Since it was still early, Norman wasn’t in the kitchen; he was in the living room reading manga. I felt bad interrupting his break, but I wanted to hand over the crops.

“Norman, sorry to bother you during your break. Do you have a moment?”

“Ah, Sato-san. Of course, that’s fine. …Wow, that smell… could it be Brugard?”

“Yes, it is. Can you cook Brugard dishes?”

“I’ve never cooked it before, but I think I can. Not sure if it’ll taste good though.”

Even Norman might not be able to make it taste good? Well, it’s a vegetable that doesn’t appear on the market, after all.

“I see. I’ll wait without expecting too much.”

“But I do think it has plenty of potential to be delicious. The reason it’s not sold on the market is definitely because of its smell. It’s avoided because it would ruin other vegetables, but Brugard could be tasty.”

“If it tastes good, I could forgive the smell… well, I’ll keep a little hope then.”

“Alright, I’ll give it my all.”

Saying that, Norman returned the manga to the shelf and immediately started cooking. He began with the more common Iceack, and within minutes, the dish was ready.

“This is concentrated Iceack juice. Just a few drops in water should be enough as a stimulant. Whether you can call it cooking is debatable, but I’ve removed any unnecessary off-flavors.”

“I’ll try it.”

Following his instructions, I dropped a few drops of the concentrated Iceack into a glass of water and took a sip.

—Wow! This might actually be really good.

I hadn’t expected anything, but the refreshing tingle completely woke me up. Not just my mouth and throat, but even my eyes, nose, and ears felt the cooling sensation—a sharp, exhilarating refreshment.

As he said, there was no unpleasant taste; it felt like drinking cold water. Not delicious per se, but Iceack juice seemed extremely useful.

“This is really nice. My face feels tingly.”

“I’m glad you like it. Leave it out as a stimulant… Ah, and the Brugard dish is ready too.”

While I was impressed by the Iceack, it seemed Norman had finished the Brugard dish. It resembled garlic roasted in oil—Brugard sautéed in oil.

The smell had diminished a lot after cooking, but… there was still a slight odor. I tried not to smell it and took a bite.

“—It’s awful!”

I felt bad saying it in front of the person who cooked it, but before I could think, the words slipped out. It was an intense lump of bitterness, and in my shock, I ended up smelling the pungent aroma anyway—my mouth was a disaster.

“Hahaha! Was it bad? I thought it might be good too, since it’s a divisive ingredient.”

“Sorry, but I can’t see the good side.”

“I’ll try one too… hahahaha! Yep, this is definitely bad.”

Norman seemed to agree, but for some reason, he looked very amused. The novelty of the ingredient seemed to excite him.

“So, no Brugard. Some might get addicted to the bitterness, but the smell is a dealbreaker.”

“Agreed. I can’t think of a better cooking method. That leaves Artipassion. I’ll prepare it carefully, so Sato-san, please wait in the living room.”

His cheerful expression turned serious as he rolled up his sleeves. I waited in the living room, looking forward to Norman’s full effort.

About thirty minutes later, he appeared from the kitchen carrying a beautifully plated dish.

“Sato-san, this turned out pretty well. Please try it.”

“It looks delicious. Is this the sauce for the Artipassion?”

“Yes. Since it’s a sweet vegetable, I made it a dessert sauce. It’s on a milk pudding made with Quid’s honey and peach milk, topped with Artipassion sauce.”

“That looks amazing! I’ll dig in.”

Even the milk pudding alone looked tasty, but the main focus was the Artipassion. I carefully combined it with the sauce and took a bite.

—This is delicious!

It rivals Japanese cuisine; the sweet milk pudding and the tangy Artipassion sauce complement each other perfectly.

The flavor is somewhat like a tart mango, and I think it would be fairly tasty even on its own. I was amazed at the potential of Artipassion, but the rich milk pudding also stood out.

Peach milk was already delicious, and its richness made the pudding extraordinary. Quid’s honey added just the right sweetness, making me glad I spent high NP to make it a familiar spirit.

I was overwhelmed with delight, savoring the milk pudding with Artipassion sauce and enjoying a truly happy moment.