NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 54.1
In Return For The Bamboo Shoots, A Cool Warabi Mochi
The day after Yuuri received bamboo shoots from the old lady at the market, he tackled the morning rush of breakfast with ease and then set about a task. To focus on this task, he left the laundry to the other apprentices. When they asked what he was doing, Yuuri casually replied that he was making sweets.
…The apprentices, understanding they could get some of the sweets, willingly took over the laundry for Yuuri. The perpetually hungry kids were as predictable as ever.
“If he makes some sweets, that would be great.”
Conveniently, it seemed warmer today than usual. The sweets Yuuri was planning to make were best served chilled, making the timing perfect. Unfortunately, he was missing one ingredient, which would leave the flavor slightly incomplete.
“Is there any kinako around here…?”
Yuuri muttered to himself. He had a feeling that if he searched, he might find some. After all, this was a world where soy sauce and miso existed. While distribution was limited, they also had things like fried tofu and regular tofu. With such familiar Japanese ingredients and seasonings available, it wouldn’t be strange if kinako was also somewhere to be found. After all, they did have soybeans.
Yuuri resolved to ask Hallow to look for it. Hallow, a wandering merchant, often brought back wonderful ingredients for Yuuri. …Incidentally, Hallow also sought Yuuri’s ideas for selling unfamiliar ingredients, forming a mutually beneficial relationship. It’s great when interests align.
The reason Yuuri wanted kinako was to make warabi mochi. With just potato starch, sugar, salt, and water, he could make this simple Japanese sweet. …What? Warabi mochi powder? No, you don’t need such expensive stuff; you can make something similar with potato starch. When making it with household ingredients, potato starch, which is often on hand, is more versatile.
Warabi mochi is a fantastic Japanese sweet that’s easy to make with simple ingredients and can be made in large quantities at once. Plus, its size can be adjusted for anyone to eat. On a hot day, chilled warabi mochi is really delicious.
“Well, no point in wishing for what’s not here. I’ll just use kuromitsu this time.”
Reassuring himself, Yuuri returned to his work. The ingredients were already prepared.
The process was straightforward. In a pot, he put the potato starch, water, sugar, and a pinch of salt. He placed it on the stove and simmered it over medium heat. Stirring with a spatula to dissolve the powder, the mixture started out white due to the potato starch and sugar. However, as it heated, it turned a translucent clear.
Once it became clear, he lowered the heat and continued to stir until it solidified. Confirming it had completely solidified, he moved on to the next step.
He filled a bowl with ice to make ice water. Then, he scooped the solidified warabi mochi with a spoon and dropped it into the ice water. It was like dropping meatballs into a pot. The transparent warabi mochi was hard to see in the ice water, but Yuuri didn’t seem to mind and continued dropping them in. As long as they solidified and cooled, it was fine.
Once finished, he put the bowl in the refrigerator. The warabi mochi would be firm enough just from the ice water, but chilling them further would make them even better. Especially since he was giving them as a thank-you gift, he wanted to deliver them in the best condition possible. So, the warabi mochi would cool quietly in the refrigerator.
“I don’t have kinako, but I can make kuromitsu.”
Since the base ingredients had plenty of sugar, they tasted fine on their own. Yuuri thought they were quite delicious as he tasted the finished product. The warabi mochi had a springy texture that melted in the mouth after a while, a delightful texture for a hot season.
Yuuri then put powdered brown sugar and water in a small pot and mixed them lightly. Once they seemed combined, he simmered them over low heat. After a while, scum would rise to the surface, which Yuuri carefully scooped away. Leaving the scum would make it taste bad. Yuuri diligently watched the pot, ensuring to remove all the scum.
Of course, he simmered it over low heat to prevent burning. Burning it would ruin the kuromitsu, making it bitter instead of sweet.
As it thickened, the kuromitsu was done. Yuuri transferred it to a storage container to cool naturally, waiting for it to lose its heat gradually.
While waiting, Yuuri began looking for dishes. He needed separate containers for the kuromitsu and the warabi mochi. He also needed a fork for eating and a spoon for pouring the kuromitsu. With these thoughts in mind, he stood before the large dish cabinet.
“…To be honest, we have a lot of dishes here, don’t we?”
Indeed, the Scarlet Lynx headquarters had a vast collection of dishes, needed for when the entire clan gathered.
Yuuri knew the reason behind this large collection. Many of the dishes were the works of apprentice craftsmen. The Scarlet Lynx bought these apprentice works at a low price, providing them with the materials they needed. Using a system of designated requests, this relationship was mutually beneficial.
Ultimately, Yuuri chose a deep glass bowl with a curved rim, just the right size for the warabi mochi. He selected a lidded ceramic container for the kuromitsu. Since he would carry them in his beloved school bag, there would be no problems. Yuuri’s magic bag, with its time-stopping feature, ensured nothing would spill inside.