Onmyoji, a nobleman in Heian-kyo

Page 1627

Before Kousaka Kyosuke had anything going on, he would take the five sisters and other people to the Mizubuji Manor in the present world to play, so it's normal that he got to know some people.

"I was careless! I forgot about that!" Yotsuba slapped her forehead.

The "thump" was quite loud. Kousaka Kyosuke's arm was long enough to reach Yotsuba, so he patted Yotsuba's head.

"Don't ruin it while filming."

"……Well."

Yotsuba blushed after her head was patted.

Ichika was quite envious, thinking that she would ask Kousaka Kyosuke to comfort her like that when they were alone together, but she had to think about important matters for now.

Since the survey is about popular cuisine, it should be related to the things that some people often eat.

That's potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn... but aren't these too common? You should know the proper ways to eat them and the taboos.

"I remember Kyosuke, you once said that corn cobs are edible. Do you have such dishes around here?"

Kagura suddenly asked.

Kyosuke Kosaka paused, then looked at May: "Really?"

Mayday is stunned: "I don't think I've ever heard of selling food made from corn cobs, but there's plenty of corn available..."

"It probably has to do with how it's eaten. Generally, it's chopped up and cooked with other grains, but the taste probably isn't that great. But can we try to recreate it ourselves? Or make a tastier dish with the simplest ingredients?"

After pondering for a moment, Kyosuke Kosaka shared his thoughts.

Although the date was important, the purpose could not be forgotten. To be honest, he had never eaten corncobs before, but he knew that some people ate them in modern times and knew how to eat them. So he passed on this method of eating, and had Su Yi and others carry it out.

At that time, this was done because corn was the only available food. Later, as Han and others brought potatoes and sweet potatoes, although corn was still the mainstream food, it became unnecessary for individuals to eat corncobs.

This isn't the point of recalling past hardships to appreciate present happiness.

Given the current situation, the basic living standards of ordinary villagers are still relatively guaranteed, and they don't have to live on corncobs.

"Then let's eat corncobs!" Ichika was the first to agree.

Being with someone you love makes even simple meals worthwhile.

May said hurriedly, "I will try my best to make it delicious, using very ordinary ingredients..."

Yotsuba quickly added, "I'll help too!"

"Let's go then."

Kyosuke Kosaka stood up with a smile, knowing it was time to move on to the next step. He was very curious about the conversation between Aoandon, Kikyo Kushida, and Suzune Horikita, and he would find out later.

519. A Familiar Taste / The Girl Selling Miso

"I inquired and found that many people use corn cobs to make soup, and then dry them to use as fuel. If the corn cobs are tender, they will also chop them up and use them to make various dishes."

It took Kousaka Kyosuke some time to learn about the current uses of corn cobs from the people around him.

I wasn't too surprised.

This stuff is just too hard. If we need to process it to the point where it's ready to eat, it might waste more time and even other resources.

"Yes, I'm currently chopping up fresh, not-too-old corn cobs and cooking them with millet and radishes."

May said with a serious expression.

Ichika and Yotsuba, who were nearby, were also very busy, each making their own dishes.

One flower is the soup made from boiled corn cobs.

Yotsuba is a dish where corn kernels and tofu are stir-fried together.

The three sisters are in charge of cooking.

Longkui and Kagura occasionally helped out from the side, while Kousaka Kyosuke had just gone out to find out what was going on.

They were in a relatively quiet residential area in the working-class district. This was a temporary residence that Kyosuke Kosaka had prepared for himself during the construction of the area. There were also other residences in other areas.

After all, he had considered this situation beforehand, so it's normal for him to have made preparations in advance.

"So using it to make soup is everyone's current choice~" Ichika said with a faint smile.

She felt that what she did was indeed reasonable, since the corncob was too hard!

If you were to chop it up and eat it, it would probably take a long time to cook, but the problem is that it would consume more fuel, which is obviously not cost-effective. It would be more reasonable to use it to make soup, and she had heard of this method before.

Normally, corn is cut into small pieces, which includes the kernels. But what Ichika is currently using is just the corn cob, with the kernels being shaved off by a tool and given to Yotsuba to cook.

"Hmm... even with a little salt, the taste is still very bland."

In May, she picked up a wooden spoon, scooped up a small amount, and looked distressed.

Kyosuke Kosaka said, "Just eat it with miso. The ingredients are limited, so it's impossible to make anything delicious. If all else fails, try some meat sauce."

"Meat sauce—no, no~ Kyosuke-sama said he wanted to share everyone's cooking, so we can't go back on our word..."

When May heard "meat sauce," her eyes lit up at first, but she quickly came to her senses.

Longkui nodded slightly in agreement: "Although the taste will probably be as bland as expected, much less flavorful than many of the foods I've eaten before, it's still acceptable to eat like this once in a while."

During her time awake, Longkui's palate has clearly become more discerning.

But as she said, what's wrong with trying other flavors?

It just popped into my head without me thinking, like, "Could I stand eating this every day?"

That might be a bit difficult.

"Lord Kyosuke, we didn't make many portions. Why don't we go to other restaurants after we finish eating?"

Ichika's tone softened, as if she were coaxing a child.

If I become a mother in the future, I will definitely be a gentle mother.

"Could you please not treat me like a child..." Kyosuke Kousaka thought to himself.

Yotsuba, on the other hand, was more determined: "Kyosuke-sama, do your best!"

The dish looks cooked and is being kept warm in the pot.

“Actually, it’s not just miso that can be paired with it; you can try other things too,” Kagura said, taking out a porcelain jar from her space. “This is a scallion sauce I made with soybean oil.”

"Let me see!"

As if he had caught a familiar scent, Kyosuke Kosaka quickly took the porcelain jar from Kagura.

Upon opening, a rich aroma of scallions and a slightly salty scent wafted to his nose. The half-inch-long scallion segments had turned dark from soaking, yet they looked so familiar and tempting to Kyosuke Kosaka.

Scallion oil sauce.

"Kyosuke really likes strong flavors, so I thought you might like this. I tried making it when I had some free time before."

"Yes, I like this kind of food. It goes perfectly with today's dish. Scallions and soybean oil are things that can be obtained here with some effort. This should be fine, right?"

Kosaka Kyosuke asked the others with a smile.

"No, of course not~" Longkui replied readily, her appetite rising again.

Her tastes gradually became similar to those of Kyosuke Kosaka; she liked fragrant and oily foods, and plain foods were simply not to her liking.

May breathed a sigh of relief: "That solves the problem!"

She was conflicted.

With limited ingredients, prepared according to the constraints of ordinary villagers, the taste may be similar to porridge, no, the texture is probably even worse than porridge, which is unlikely to satisfy most people.

Especially Kousaka Kyosuke, who shares a similar appetite with her—yes, Kousaka Kyosuke loves meat, and so does May~

Soon, accompanied by Kagura's special scallion sauce, which tasted almost exactly like modern scallion oil sauce, Kousaka Kyosuke ate to his heart's content, his mouth covered in oil, as did everyone else's.

Kyosuke Kosaka thought to himself, "It would be even better if I could use it to mix with noodles."

Unfortunately, the manor doesn't grow wheat much, while other noble manors do, using wheat flour to make various kinds of sweets, which many people consider extravagant, and Kyosuke Kosaka agrees.

If the yield is low and the climate is not suitable for planting, then why bother planting it?

Because of his sweet tooth, Kyosuke Kosaka still designated a plot of land to grow his own sweets for himself and his partners. Many of his sweets require wheat flour, and since his partners are all dessert lovers, he had to satisfy them.

Thinking about all this, Kyosuke Kousaka started craving sweets again.

No, let's take a walk first and calm down. Everyone's stomach needs a rest too.

"Let's go for a walk after we finish eating. We can clean up the dishes later."

Kosaka Kyosuke suggested.

Ichika nodded happily: "Okay~"

This means we'll be back later, that's great!

"Then soak it in water first, it will be easier to wash later." May still insisted.

Yotsuba added, "Food waste must be disposed of at this time, otherwise it would be terrible if insects were attracted to it!"

Kyosuke Kosaka had no objection to this, but he didn't remind Yotsuba that her place had been completely renovated, and naturally, there was an insect-repelling barrier as well.

"When you're with others, try to conceal your strength as much as possible."

Kousaka Kyosuke thought to himself.