I Became a Food Developer in Another World

Chapter 17: It’s called ramen (4)

Thomerson was a soldier on the northern frontier of the Imperial Army.

The northern part of the Empire was notorious for its bitter cold and inhospitable terrain but despite this, their training was no different than any other unit.

“Ha, ha.”

Thomerson staggered along, half-dazed.

The march had begun in the morning and continued well into the darkness of the night.

It was then that Thomerson mechanically followed the man in front of him.

“Everybody, put down your muskets and take a break!”

At the officer’s shout, the soldiers loosened their harnesses and stumbled to their feet.

“Aaaaah!”

“Lord, I’m dying.”

Too exhausted to speak, Thomerson laid down on the ground.

“We’re going to eat here!”

At the officer’s next words, soldiers pulled canned goods from their racks and lined them up.

“I’ve been waiting for this.”

“I’ve been waiting for this.”

“I’ve been waiting for the canned goods.”

The grim faces of the soldiers broke out in laughter and Thomerson’s face broke into a smile as well.

In the past, he would never have dreamed of everyone being so happy at mealtime.

In the past, most soldiers would have been eager to finish their training and go home to rest.

That’s because the military’s combat rations were meant to be eaten to survive, not to be savored.

It was more often referred to as “human food” than the official name of combat rations but once it was changed to canned food, everyone looked forward to eating it.

The advent of canned food completely changed the food culture of soldiers who had never been interested in eating.

In recent times, the variety of canned goods has also increased, giving them more to enjoy.

“Canned tuna is the best.”

Thomerson smiles as he pulls out a canned food from his cabinet.

Canned tuna, a new canned food recently developed by White Tower, was Thomerson’s favorite combat food.

Canned tuna was popular among the soldiers because it could be combined with a variety of canned foods.

Thompson preferred to eat it sandwiched between bread.

Although he was disappointed that he couldn’t thaw his frozen body with hot broth, he was content with a single piece of tuna bread.

With a cold and hungry stomach, the tuna bread was the fuel that kept him going on the march.

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

Rubbing his frozen hands to thaw them, Thomerson grabbed the handle of the canned tuna he’d packed and tried to open it.

“Wait!”

Just then, an officer stopped the soldiers from opening the can.

“We’re going to be eating the new combat rations today!”

“New rations?”

“I guess they added canned food to the menu?”

“Kiya, I can’t wait to see what they have this time.”

The soldiers’ eyes lit up at the mention of new rations.

The White Tower’s new canned food never failed to disappoint.

Somehow, they were always new and delicious.

Therefore, the release of the new canned food was the most anticipated moment for the soldiers.

However, the new combat rations were met with puzzled looks.

“What is that?”

“That’s not canned food.”

On the outdoor table were steaming bowls of food that were not canned.

“Come from the front and take one!”

At the officer’s shout, the soldiers, puzzled, took their new rations.

Thomerson stood in line, and when his turn came, he could see the contents of the bowl.

It was a hot, steaming red broth with an unfamiliar flavor.

Thomerson hadn’t even taken a bite yet, but he could already smell the spicy flavor lingering in the air.

“Platoon Leader, what is this?”

“Ramen noodles.”

“Ramen?”

“Yes. Hurry up and eat it before it gets cold.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you.”

Accepting the ramen, Thomerson returned to his seat and picked up his fork.

Thomerson had never eaten spicy food before, but his stomach, which hadn’t eaten since morning, was screaming for something to eat.

The heat of the ramen was an irresistible temptation, as he was still chilled by the cold northern air.

He didn’t hesitate to grab a noodle, and then.

“!”

Thomerson’s eyes grew as wide as glasses as he realized the texture of the noodles and the chewy bite.

“Mmm, delicious!

Thomerson gasped and began to inhale the noodles.

“Hah, hah, hah!”

His mouth tingled and cold sweat poured down his forehead like rain, but he didn’t stop inhaling the noodles.

-Hoorrrrr!

Finishing the noodles in a flash, Thomerson tilted the bowl and inhaled the hot broth.

“Gulp!”

The hot ramen broth rushed down his esophagus, warming his frozen body.

It was only a matter of moments before the bowl was empty but Thomerson’s body was still enveloped in warmth.

He didn’t feel cold anymore.

“This is ramen…….”

Thomas stared blankly at the empty bowl.

Ramen had made a strong impression on him when he was cold and hungry.

No doubt, he thought, this would be a meal he would never forget in his life.

“Everyone who has finished eating will fill out a questionnaire!”

The officer shouted, and a questionnaire was passed from the person in front of him.

Thomerson took the questionnaire and opened it.

===

Spiciness

1) Very spicy

2) Spicy

3) Moderate

4) Fresh

▶ Is there anything that could be improved?

===

Thomerson checked “very spicy”.

For someone who doesn’t like spicy food, the ramen was too spicy.

But…….

▶ Is there anything that could be improved?

─No, I think ramen is the best food because it is spicy.

====

It was very spicy, but that’s what makes ramen so meaningful, Thompson was convinced.

After the soldiers finished eating, they filled out questionnaires about their impressions.

Thus, the ramen questionnaire spread to soldiers across the empire, starting in the north.

*

“It’s spicy.”

“Yeah.”

Ranya and I were receiving the results of the questionnaires from the soldiers.

The results showed that “very spicy” was a high 80% of the time but even here, there were variables.

“It’s spicy, but you say it’s good?”

More than half of the people who rated it very spicy wrote that they liked it spicy.

This was surprising to me.

I expected people from other worlds to need more time to adjust to the spiciness.

‘No, they didn’t.’

It was a perverted opinion that it’s too spicy because they haven’t adapted, and that’s why they like it.

It was ridiculous to me that such an opinion was the majority, but I got enough data for ramen anyway.

The final ramen was adjusted to reflect the opinions of the military officers.

‘Spicy’ and ‘Mild’.

The best ramen with a spoonful of MSG added.

*

[…Ramen, a combat food loved by soldiers, is now available!]

The news of the ramen’s release quickly spread throughout the capital.

“Yuri has created a new food product!”

“This time it’s a meal?”

“Wow, I’m excited about this one.”

People were excited to hear that Yuri, who had only made drinks and snacks, had created something that could be considered a meal.

And when the ramen was released with such high expectations, people were surprised at the price.

“…What, only 15 silver?”

“15 silver? Not 150 silver?”

“This is really the price of a meal?”

The average price of a meal in the country was between 35 and 50 silver.

Ramen noodles, on the other hand, cost less than half that at 15 silver.

This was partly due to the fact that the wheat, the main ingredient in ramen, was a cheap variety commonly available in the other world, but also because the White Tower took a minimal profit, just as it did with cola.

Otherworldly food is a food that is eaten up in the distribution process, and the price snowballs when it reaches the customer.

In such a market, White Tower took an unconventional step by minimizing profits but people’s surprise was just beginning.

“Hooah, hooah! Ugh, so delicious!”

“Is this really wheat? What is this chewiness…?!”

If the price is low, it shouldn’t taste good, but the flavor of the ramen was shocking.

“I’d pay 10 gold for this ramen.”

“Even food that costs 10 gold can’t taste like this!”

“I can’t believe this is only 15 silver!”

The flavor and texture of the ramen noodles were unbelievable for a food that only costs 15 silver and people expressed their admiration for the noodles.

Of course, the spicy flavor of the noodles was new to them, so it was not without side effects.

“Kgh, water, moooooooow!”

“Get me a Coke here!”

Coke and water were everywhere, but that was about it.

“Mmm, the Coke makes it bearable. No, it’s rather spicy.”

“Ha, ha, is this what it tastes like? It’s spicy, but keep going.”

Ramen was a food whose spiciness was adjusted after being tasted by as many as one million soldiers.

The right level of spiciness made people reach for water, but it also created an addiction to the noodles.

“It’s so spicy, it’s actually delicious!” was the general consensus of those who tried it.

The ramen is affordable at 15 silvers, has a great taste that doesn’t match the price, and has a spicy flavor that I’ve never experienced before.

The ramen has been a hit since its launch and has become a staple in the capital.

And its popularity has sparked an unexpected trend.

“Do you still use a fork these days?”

“There’s nothing wrong with using a fork.”

“You’re a ramen eater, you should at least learn how to pick up chopsticks. Don’t you know that’s a basic skill these days?”

It was the chopstick craze.

Forks and spoons, the imperial utensils, were inadequate for picking up and eating the long noodles.

So chopsticks, a tableware from the East, took center stage and became the hottest item in the capital.

“No one should hold chopsticks like that. If you don’t know how to use them, use a fork.”

“I don’t care how other people hold them!”

People argued over who used chopsticks better.

“Look, this is how you eat ramen.”

“Wow, you’re good at this!”

A technique called “noodling” emerged and created a buzz but where there is popularity, there is always a shadowy side.

~A dark night in a back alley in the capital~

“Did you get the goods?”

“Here it is.”

A man with a bowler hat covered his face and handed a bag of white powder.

“Oooh, this is……!”

The man’s face lit up as he took the envelope.

He opened the envelope, dipped a finger in the white powder, tasted it, and nodded.

“It’s definitely M.S.G., and here’s the money.”

“Good deal.”

With the transaction complete, the two men walked away in silence.

A suspicious powder began to spread across the empire.