Food in the Samonar Kingdom.
"Delicious! This is seriously amazing!"
Tika-san, who had been eying the curry suspiciously moments ago, began wolfing it down.
The curry disappeared from her plate so fast it seemed like he was drinking it instead of eating it.
"Tika, you..."
Prince Kaldor looked at him in disbelief, but Tika-san, having emptied his plate in record time, turned to the server with an innocent plea, "Umm... could I have seconds, please?"
"Sigh... good grief."
Prince Kaldor let out a long breath before taking a spoonful of the curry, mimicking the way the others were eating.
He scooped up the curry and rice together, hesitated for a moment, and then finally took a bite.
"...! T-This is... delicious."
He covered his mouth with his hand in surprise, staring at the curry as if it were some sort of revelation.
Huh? Was it really that unexpected?
Sure, the curry's appearance might be a bit unconventional, but one bite should be enough to erase any doubts!
"The base spices are similar to those used in a dish we call 'Karine' in my territory. But this thick, velvety texture and the hint of sweetness... It's not just spicy; the flavors are layered and complex, making it an entirely different dish."
Oh? Is Prince Kaldor secretly a food critic like Otousama?
And apparently, in Samonar, there’s a dish called Karine.
Judging by his description, it seems similar to Indian curry, with a thinner, soup-like consistency.
"Also, this grain... It pairs excellently with this rich sauce. But I've never seen a grain as white and springy as this. What is it?"
Prince Kaldor held up a spoonful of rice, inspecting it curiously.
Oh no, could it be that Samonar also considers rice, or something similar, to be livestock feed?
In my previous life, the rice typically paired with Indian curry was long-grain Indica rice, known for its light, fragrant flavor.
It’s quite different from the short-grain, sticky Japonica rice we’re serving.
Moreover, Samonar might be accustomed to eating curry with naan or chapati instead of rice.
Let me explain the difference: naan is a flatbread made with refined white flour and yeast, baked in a tandoor oven, while chapati is made with whole wheat flour, unleavened, and cooked on a griddle.
As for tandoori chicken, it’s marinated in spices and yogurt, then roasted in a tandoor, which gives it its name.
Whether Samonar serves curry with rice, naan, or chapati, offering something originally considered livestock feed as a high-class dish might have been a risky move.
I glanced nervously at Otousama, who seemed to share my thoughts.
Though he didn’t look particularly flustered, the deep furrow in his brow suggested otherwise.
This could be bad...
"Oh, this is made from Lars. It used to be primarily livestock feed, but a recipe registered with the Merchants’ Guild a few years ago made it possible to enjoy it as a dish like this."
Leon-sama nonchalantly revealed the secret of the rice while ordering his second serving.
Hold on! Leon-sama, seriously?!
If Prince Kaldor reacts angrily with something like, "What?! You served a prince livestock feed? This is an insult!" what are we supposed to do?!
"What?! This used to be livestock feed?!"
Prince Kaldor whipped his gaze away from the food to look at us sharply.
See?! Now we’re in trouble!
"P-Prince Kaldor, I assure you, it was merely that its use as food wasn’t well-known before. In Yahateur, it has always been consumed as a staple. We would never—"
"You mean it’s like Idika, a feed grain in our country? The grains aren’t as round as Lars, but could they be prepared to taste this good?!"
"... Huh?"
Before I could finish my flustered explanation, Prince Kaldor interrupted with a surprising question.
I froze, completely caught off guard.
"My apologies. In our country, wheat yields are low, and we rely heavily on imports. White flour is considered a luxury, and poorer citizens often grind feed grains like Idika to bulk up their meals. It’s not very palatable, but spices help mask the flavor."
Prince Kaldor’s expression grew pained as he recalled his people’s struggles.
"If Lars can be made to taste this good, then perhaps Idika could also be cooked into something more palatable... What do you think?"
Well... That’s quite the leap.
Without seeing the grain itself, I couldn’t say for sure, but if Idika is anything like Indica rice—a long-grain variety like Thai jasmine rice—it might work.
Japanese Japonica rice is sticky and chewy, whereas Indica rice is drier and lighter.
Cooking methods differ greatly between the two, so treating them the same could ruin the dish.
If Idika is a fragrant rice like jasmine rice, it might pair well with Samonar’s spices.
"Prince Kaldor, could you tell me more about Idika? With the right method, it might be possible to make it delicious."
"...! Of course!"
What do you think about this chapter?
