I Became a Food Developer in Another World

Chapter 14: It’s called ramen (1)

“Congratulations on your appointment, Colonel Yuri Grail.”

“You can call me by my regular name. It’s an honorary title, after all.”

I had been awarded the rank of honorary colonel by the military for my canned food efforts.

Everyone I’ve met since then has had the same reaction.

Anyway,

“It’s been a while, Third Prince.”

“It’s been a year, since Thanksgiving.”

“How time flies.”

I hadn’t realized it had been a year since he’d been in the tower.

“I’m still grateful that you promoted Pringles on Thanksgiving.”

This almost got me accused of blasphemy, but the Third Prince was the reason why Pringles did so well.

If the Third Prince hadn’t stepped in, Pringles would still be labeled as a snack made with the devil’s fruit and would never have been released.

“I heard you were put on probation, but I’m glad to see you’re doing okay.”

The third prince had been under imperial probation until recently for his outburst at Thanksgiving.

He was only on probation because he was the third prince, anyone else would have been beheaded for blasphemy.

After all, the sacraments were taken away and Pringles and Coke were put on the table but the third prince was in surprisingly good shape after serving his probation.

Normally, when people go through a period of self-abstinence, they get stubby, but the Third Prince had gotten plump.

His jawline, which was as thin as a knife, had gained weight and his sharp impression had softened somewhat.

“It’s a good thing,” he says, “because it means I don’t have to attend boring events.”

The third prince himself was quite happy with his probation.

“I’ve tasted the new processed food. You’ve come up with something amazing again.”

The Third Prince looked at me with admiration.

“Food that won’t rot after a hundred years, I’m always amazed by ‘processed’ food.”

“Thank you for your favorable opinion.”

“It’s not a matter of being nice, the imperial court is up in arms.”

The empire cracked down on canned goods, not wanting the contents to leak to other countries.

There was even talk of the “death penalty” for those caught with canned goods.

Of course, it would be impossible to control information with such a scare tactic.

With over 1 million imperial troops, it made no sense for not a single one of them to take out canned goods but the Third Prince didn’t seem to care.

“But I still prefer gelato and ice cream to canned goods.”

The Third Prince’s words made me wonder.

“Which one did you like better?”

It had recently become fashionable in the capital to argue about whether gelato or ice cream tasted better.

Canned goods had made a huge splash, but only in the military.

If you weren’t in the South, you didn’t even know canned goods existed.

Gelato and ice cream, on the other hand, exploded in popularity, with people traveling to the capital to try them.

Gelato and ice cream were both tempting desserts but which did the Third Prince prefer?

“Both have their own charms,” he said, “and it would be pointless to try to decide which is more delicious.”

The third prince had heard of the debate in the capital and smirked.

“Of course, I preferred the gelato.”

So you’re a gelato fan after all.

“By the way, I’ve heard rumors that you’re planning to join the military.”

What the hell does that mean?

“I’m joining the military?”

“No?”

“I have no intention of doing so, so you can ignore the rumors.”

I’m going to go into the military because I’m not crazy.

The military was the last place I wanted to go back to even if my head was spinning.

Apparently, there were rumors that I was trying to join the military because of my honorary colonel status.

Meanwhile, the Third Prince looked relieved at my disgusted reaction.

“I’m glad to hear that’s not true.”

“Was this the reason you came to see me?”

“Because if you go off to the army, we won’t have anyone to make processed food.”

I couldn’t believe that processed food was the reason he came to the tower as soon as his probation was over.

It was ridiculous, but not unreasonable.

The Third Prince seemed to be serious about processed food.

“So, when are you going to make your next processed food?”

He asked.

“I’m still thinking about it.”

I did have something in mind.

‘Hot chicken stir-fried noodles.’

The processed food that started the spicy challenge craze around the world.

The problem was, the otherworld wasn’t ready for it yet.

While the Otherworlders had an intense liking for sweet and salty flavors, they had no tolerance for spicy flavors.

Spicy is not technically a flavor.

Taste is perceived by the taste buds on the tongue, and there are four types of tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, and sour.

Among them, ‘spicy taste’ does not exist.

The spicy taste refers to the ‘sense of pain’ that comes from tingling pain.

The Otherworlders, who were immune to that pain, were newborns when it came to pungent flavors.

So I spread sweet and salty, to the Otherworld, but never thought to try spicy.

We were too poor for that, and once we fail, there’s no going back.

‘I’ll give it a try.’

With the support of the Third Prince, the Church, and a recent donation from the Marquis of Hughes, the White Tower was now well off financially.

It seemed like a good time to try something spicy.

Of course, that doesn’t mean we’re going to launch fried chicken right away.

Just as a person who has been to the moon cannot immediately adjust to the gravity of the earth, people from otherworld would need an adjustment period to accept spicy flavors.

And needless to say, there was a food that would be perfect for that spicy adjustment phase.

‘Ramen.’

The original spicy noodle soup with powdered soup and noodles in boiling water.

This instant noodle dish was enjoyed by people of all ages.

Ramen was the processed food I was going to make this time.

*

Ramen was my favorite processed food in my previous life.

It was easy to prepare and guaranteed to be delicious, so there was nothing better than a quick meal.

The bubbling red broth, the wafting smoke and the twisty noodles with their chewy texture.

I used the power of magic to bring the ramen back to life in the otherworld, vividly entrenched in my memory.

It was an illusion, like a midsummer night’s dream that would volatilize and vanish any moment.

“Ramen.”

It was the ramen of my memories.

‘Mmm, mouthwatering.’

There was something about ramen noodles that touched my heart.

I never thought I’d see that red broth in the other world.

The feeling was old to me, but not to everyone else.

“Ew, ew, eyes sting.”

Ranya, who had stepped back, turned her head as if her eyes were stinging.

“…I’m reminded of some research I’ve been meaning to do, so I’ll go upstairs first, take care.”

“Research? What research?”

“Haha, we’re developing a new menu for the canned food, and I think I should have a hand in it.”

“There’s plenty of people to do research without you, sit down.”

He’s trying to sneak out when the only thing he’s researching is canned goods.

I grabbed the second disciple, Zion, who was trying to sneak out.

“But I don’t like spicy food…… ”

“Spicy?”

Of course, it takes a period of adjustment to the spicy flavor to understand it.

I don’t expect an otherworlder to understand spicy flavors right from the start-

“Wow, this is delicious?”

“……See, it’s delicious.”

“You know, it’s kind of…”

“What?”

You’ll have to say it well.

“Uhm, no.”

Zion stammered awkwardly.

“Whoa, whoa, this is spicy, but it’s so good.”

Aria was the one who didn’t stop flicking her tongue at the tingling in her mouth.

I knew from the time she mixed gelato and ice cream, but she had unusual tastes.

The fact that she understood spicy flavors immediately was proof that she wasn’t normal.

“The texture is crazy?”

She was a bit clumsy to pick up the noodles with chopsticks but I was proud of myself when she ate it well.

‘Aria is a good cook.’

I take back my remark.

“What are you doing? It’s getting cold. Hurry up and eat.”

“…Oh, yeah.”

Zion, who had been watching blankly, reluctantly picked up the chopsticks.

For the record, chopsticks existed in the other world. Eastern countries also used chopsticks.

Household items were developed to fit the hands of people, so even though the world was different, tableware was generally similar.

Anyway, that’s when Ranya and Zion started tasting ramen.

“…I heard about you! Is it true that you’re joining the military?”

Saint Yusefine came to visit the tower and her request was the same as the Third Prince’s.

“You’ve come at the right time.”

“…What do you mean, I came at the right time?”

“You should come and try this.”

“What is this?”

“It’s ramen noodles.”

I shoved some ramen noodles into the mouth of the retreating saintess.