T-this is…!
"Wow...what a wonderful aroma."
As soon as the jar was opened, Mariel-chan and I were entranced by the aroma that spread.
"...? It only smells burnt or roasted to me," Sei said, tilting his head at our reaction.
Indeed, to someone unfamiliar, it might only smell burnt.
Inside the jar were black, roasted fragrant beans... coffee beans.
In the Doristan Kingdom, tea was the main drink, and wine was consumed like water, so I never expected coffee to exist!
I had tried roasting dandelion-like roots to make dandelion coffee out of longing for the real thing, but the taste was less than ideal, and I had given up.
"Um, it says here that the beans in this jar are used for a drink called ‘Kahii,' which is consumed as much as tea in the Samonar Kingdom. The beans are ground, crushed, and then boiled with water.”
Miria read from the note that was included with the ingredients.
Indeed, these were coffee beans!
"... Mariel-san, do you have fabric similar to flannel?"
"I do. I'll go get it! Along with my sewing kit!"
Understanding what I wanted to do from my question, Mariel-chan dashed to her room.
There wasn't even time to explain to Sei, who was stunned by Mariel-chan's unladylike behavior. I quickly took out a medicine grinder from my inventory, poured in the coffee beans, and started grinding them.
Oh, it looks like it can grind them quite well.
While I was seriously grinding the beans, Mariel-chan returned with the fabric and sewing kit in hand.
"Cristea-san, I brought it! Is it okay if I handle the shape?"
"Yes, please!"
"Ah… but we don't have a dripper. What should we do?"
"Don't worry, I'll make one with earth magic!"
"Got it!"
Mariel-chan spread the fabric on the table and began cutting it into a shape reminiscent of a filter from my previous life, without using a pattern.
Alright, once I finish grinding, I'll make the dripper.
Just as I was about to continue grinding the beans with the grinder, Kurogane stopped me.
"Should I crush these to powder? I'll do it, so you can make the dripper."
"Thank you, Kurogane! Please do! Miria, can you boil water in a kettle and a small pot? And prepare some cups as well!"
With that, I hurried to the backyard and used earth magic to make the dripper.
I visualized the dripper I used in my previous life in as much detail as possible, shaping it.
Three holes, and the size should be... so it can be set directly on the cup…
"... And, done!"
To ensure the liquid would flow smoothly, I made the surface slick and added grooves toward the bottom. I also hardened it to prevent it from breaking easily.
"Yes, it came out well."
I made a small one for trial and then quickly made a larger one before hurrying back to the lounge.
"Sorry for the wait!"
"Cristea-san, is this okay?"
Mariel showed me the completed cloth filter.
As expected of Mariel-chan, the stitches were neat, and it looked just like a ready-made product.
"Perfect! Kurogane, are the beans ground?"
"Umu. Is this okay?"
"Yes! Thank you!"
I took the freshly ground aromatic coffee beans and the cloth filter and headed to the kitchen.
"Miria, has the water in the pot boiled?"
"Y-yes! Over here.”
I put the coffee beans in the boiling pot and let them steep briefly before placing the cloth filter inside.
In the coffee class I attended in my previous life, I learned that new cloth filters should be boiled in coffee to remove the unique smell and dust from the cloth and to pre-infuse it with coffee.
After boiling thoroughly, I took it out, washed off the coffee grounds from the filter, and boiled it again in a small pot I had prepared beforehand. After wringing it out, I put it in my inventory.
Ah, Mashiro, who had followed me, helped wring out the hot cloth filter.
After placing the freshly boiled kettle and a pot to use as a server in my inventory, I returned to the lounge to find Mariel-chan passionately explaining coffee to Sei.
"So, the flavor and aroma vary depending on the origin and roasting method, which makes it very deep and interesting."
"I see. In Yahatul, tea also varies in flavor depending on the origin and processing, so it's similar."
"Exactly! Oh, Cristea-san!"
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's brew some."
Amused by Sei's evident relief from Mariel-chan's rare passionate speech, I smiled and set the dripper on the pot I took out from my inventory, then placed the still-hot cloth filter on top.
I measured out about 10 grams of freshly ground coffee per person and added it to the filter. First, I poured hot water gently over the coffee grounds to wet them evenly.
After letting it bloom for about 20 seconds, I slowly poured more hot water in a circular motion.
Miria, who had been observing my actions, took over midway.
As expected of her, she carefully poured hot water only over the grounds without getting any on the cloth filter.
The unique aroma spread throughout the room, and Mariel-chan and I took a deep breath, savoring the scent. Ah, the scent of happiness.
Intermittently lifting the dripper to check the water level in the pot, we extracted the coffee, then lifted the dripper at the right time.
Unlike tea, the key is not to let the last drop of coffee fall. While the last drop of tea is called the "golden drop," it's said it adds bitterness to coffee. It's interesting.
"All done. Try it first, and if it's too bitter, add milk or sugar."
After handing out freshly brewed coffee to everyone, I sat down with my cup.
Ah, coffee... it's been so long...
In my previous life, I enjoyed coffee from morning until night, whether at cafés, coffee stands, or convenience stores, but I had given up on it here.
I held the cup with both hands and brought it to my lips.
The fragrant, distinctive aroma tickled my nose.
As a black coffee enthusiast, I took a sip, letting the bitterness and aroma fill my senses.
Oh, it's quite bitter.
Maybe it's because I'm in a child's body, but the bitterness feels a bit strong. However…
"Delicious..."
With a sigh, I saw Mariel-chan also savoring the aroma of her coffee.
"Ugh... so bitter...!"
Looking towards the pained voice, I saw Sei making a face as he stared into his cup.
"Was it too bitter? Adding milk and sugar will make it easier to drink."
Following my advice, Sei added plenty of milk and sugar, and with a smile, said, "Oh, I can drink this!"
Thank goodness.
"Hmm... this is quite good."
"Ou, this is pretty decent."
It seemed Kurogane and Byakko-sama enjoyed it.
"This is bitter... not tasty."
Mashiro didn't seem to like it.
After adjusting it with milk and sugar, Mashiro found it somewhat drinkable.
Miria was initially surprised by the bitterness but said, "This aroma and flavor could become addictive..." suggesting she might become a coffee enthusiast.
"I didn't know Samonar had coffee... kahii. It might not have been well received in Doristan, where tea is predominant."
"Well... the note said to boil it, so it might have a much stronger flavor."
"Oh, I see… so like Turkish coffee? In that case, it might have had a gritty texture, not very elegant for our country."
"But with this brewing method, it's easy to drink and could be served after meals."
"Or, we could make coffee... kahii jelly for dessert!"
"That sounds great!"
If coffee existed, it might be worth introducing dishes from the same cultural area as my previous life.
Feeling inspired, I poured myself another cup of coffee.
That night, everyone found it hard to sleep, as expected.
While my mind is that of an adult, my body is still that of a child...
What do you think about this chapter?
