Chapter 714

Did My Pitch Hit Too Hard⁉︎
Hiyayakko… it seemed that simple tofu didn’t quite resonate with Otousama and the others. I see…

Well, yeah. This was originally a world where rich, heavily seasoned dishes were the norm.
Of course they’d think it tasted like nothing.

Thanks to Yahatul ingredients, they’d gotten used to the flavors of Japanese cuisine and learned to enjoy lighter seasoning, dashi, and umami, but even so, stronger flavors were still more popular.

Still, the fact that they could at least taste the soybean flavor in a good way meant my past efforts had paid off, I suppose.

Yeah. Tofu’s potential is immeasurable. This is just the beginning. Just the beginning.

I’m not giving up!

For now, it’d be enough if we could at least secure enough for ourselves, but since it’s good for your health, I’d like Otousama and the others to eat it too, even if they’re not that interested.

Maybe I should give a little presentation…

“This can be eaten as is, but depending on how it’s prepared… it can transform in many ways.”

“… Oh? This plain, unremarkable thing, granted, ‘simple’ sounds nice, but it’s rather lacking in flavor, can do that?”

When I spoke with a hint of implication, Otousama took the bait.
As expected of a foodie, his reaction was quick.

“Yes. Because of its simple taste, it can transform into anything. And besides, this is also good for both beauty and health.”

“Beauty, you say? …Explain.”

This time, Okaasama bit.

I knew she would, she never misses a topic related to beauty.

Otousama, who had reacted first, immediately stepped back under the intensity of her gaze.
Such was Okaasama’s relentless pursuit of beauty.

Even as I felt a bit overwhelmed by that pressure, I continued.

“T-tofu is expected to have effects such as improving skin, preventing aging, aiding weight loss, and maintaining the firmness and luster of hair.”

… Well, if it works the same as in my previous life.

When I had looked up recipes and such to make tofu taste good for dieting, I was pretty sure it said it had those kinds of benefits.

“Mm. Judging from the appraisal results, it does seem to provide such effects.”

Oh~ Kurogane gave it a confirming appraisal.
… Which means those effects are definitely real.

“H-how incredible… To think such a dreamlike food exists…!”

Okaasama lifted the plate of hiyayakko with both hands and gazed at it.
With Kurogane’s endorsement, her eyes sparkled as if she had just found the finest treasure in the world.
… That’s a little scary.

“O-Okaasama? Even if it’s good for beauty, please don’t go eating only this, all the time, okay? For beauty, the most important thing is to eat a balanced diet.”

When I cautioned her, Okaasama snapped back to her senses and slowly lowered the plate.

“Y-you’re right. You told me that before. Yes… balance, eating many different things…”

She muttered it to herself, but her eyes were still glued to the tofu
Uh-oh. That hit Okaasama way too hard.

“It’s still in the testing stage, so I’m not mass-producing it yet. Tonight, I was thinking of having you sample some other dishes as well.”

“Oh? That sounds promising. I look forward to seeing how this simple taste transforms…”

“I’m looking forward to it as well. Oh, that’s right, leave a little behind before you go home.”

Otousama looked full of anticipation for how the tofu would transform into something delicious, while Okaasama casually requested leftovers. So shrewd.

“I’m very sorry, Okaasama. This ingredient spoils quickly, so it seems best to make it fresh each time. Also, one of the ingredients comes from Yahatul and is difficult to obtain. For now, it’s hard to provide it in large quantities…”

“My, is that so…”

Seeing how deeply disappointed Okaasama looked, Otousama gave me a glance as if to say, “Can’t you do something about it?”, but this precious nigari, which I had only just obtained, needed to be used carefully.

Besides, it was true that I didn’t want to mass-produce it because it spoiled easily. Tofu was basically the poster child for foods that go bad quickly.

I could just store freshly made tofu in my inventory, but that wouldn’t work in the Ellisfeed household kitchen.

Magic boxes with time-stopping functions were expensive and usually had limited capacity, so using them just to store tofu would be costly.

Even in my previous life, once opened, you had to keep it in the fridge and change the water regularly. It was a food that required proper management.

At the moment, it was ideal to make only what was needed and eat it the same day, or finish it by the next morning at the latest.

Well, knowing my family, they might seriously consider securing a magic box just for tofu.

Okaasama rarely made extravagant requests of Otousama, so if she did ask for something, he’d probably just go ahead and buy it for her without hesitation.

W-well, it’s a good thing they have a loving relationship.
It’s not like I think Otousama is a pushover or anything. Nope. Not at all.

“The ingredient I used this time was provided as a sample, so it’s difficult to share it. However, I plan to arrange for regular deliveries in the future. Once that happens, we’ll be able to make it at the estate as well, so I’ll increase the number of tofu recipes by then.”

“I see. Very well.”

“I look forward to it.”

Otousama had been flustered, wondering how to comfort Okaasama after she got so down, but it seemed both of them recovered once I declared I’d expand the recipe lineup.

Was hiyayakko really that unsatisfying to them?
Grrr… Someday, I’ll make them say that hiyayakko is delicious!

What do you think about this chapter?