Putting Aside Nationalistic Bias, It’s Really Delicious

8 – In fact, with one plate of stir-fried chicken gizzard, it’s basic to drink three bottles of soju.

“Why… why do you eat gizzards?”

Kobi asked me with a face that really doesn’t understand.

Yeah. Foreigners who encounter chicken gizzards for the first time all have this reaction.

I can understand.

– Oh, how do Koreans eat chicken gizzard? Did they have such preferences?

Not only the reaction of foreigners but also the reactions of people from other worlds, no, the imperial citizens, were within the understandable range.

Kobi, who almost looked down on me, took a step back.

“I thought Lucas was a good person, but I didn’t know you had such a hobby……”

“Chicken gizzard, no, cocoa gizzard, is not really talking about actual gizzards.”

“Then what is it?”

I looked at him for a moment.

“What do you think?”

“Pardon?”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“Well, not really.”

“You’ll find out once you try it.”

I patted my stomach.

Kobi’s face turned pale.

Chicken gizzard.

Some people misunderstand it as actual feces due to the name, but in fact, chicken gizzard refers to the muscles near the chicken’s intestines.

Thanks to its uniquely chewy and firm texture, this amazing dish is the best side dish for alcohol, whether it’s fried or stir-fried.

‘Fried goes well with beer, stir-fried with soju.’

Since the alcohol I brought this time is soju, today’s dish is stir-fried chicken gizzard.

But even after my heartfelt explanation, Kobi still didn’t come closer and kept his distance.

“Um, I, I think I should go first. I just remembered an urgent matter at the capital.”

“Where are you going?”

No, this isn’t happening.

You’ve already ignited my desire for approval.

“I, I left a campfire burning at my house. Haha! If I don’t put it out soon, I think the whole house will burn down.”

“You know a campfire won’t burn your house down.”

Do you know what I did to the foreigner who ignored my chicken gizzard?

-K-Food, it’s delicious. The chicken gizzard is so good…..

I fed him chicken gizzard until his stomach was about to burst.

Kobi. You can’t leave now.

I grabbed the wrist of the fleeing Kobi.

No matter how mysterious the gnome race may be, it’s impossible to break free from the grip of a knight.

“Ugh!”

“Please try some before you go.”

“I’ve told you several times, Lucas, my taste is not like that…”

“Eat and go.”

“Uh…”

I forcibly dragged the whining Kobi into the restaurant.

“Save me…”

I heard a faint scream but ignored it.

Since that scream would soon turn to joy.

***

Kobi, the top manager of Golden Wagon Trading Company and the right-hand man of the company’s owner, was the best salesperson of Golden Wagon last year.

He was a gnome who was not only good at calculations but also friendly with natural spirits and animals.

Among them, Kobi was particularly skilled in calculations and counting.

It was all thanks to his sales and calculation abilities that Golden Wagon, which had expanded its business to the outskirts and provincial territories of the empire through a wagon-pulling method, gained power in the heart of the capital.

He was one of the wealthiest people in the empire, the number two man in the trading company.

He had originally just been responsible for the work he was entrusted with in the capital, but he came on a business trip all the way to the provinces at the request of an old friend.

It wasn’t just because it was a friend’s request.

It was because that friend was Lucas.

In seven years of trading, Lucas had never once been late with a payment.

He was a knight who, despite his status, did not despise gnomes and had a good disposition.

On top of that, he could cook delicious food.

Kobi had eaten Lucas’s cooking a few times when Lucas was the cook of the Imperial Princess Knights.

It was so delicious.

‘I came all the way here on purpose.’

But then!

I was greeted by a strange dish made with a weird ingredient.

He faced the biggest crisis of his life today.

‘Ddong-jip? What the heck is that?’

Coby watched Lucas preparing ingredients while humming a tune.

“Ar, are you seriously going to feed me that ddong-jip?”

“You keep doubting. Want to take a look?”

“Well, uhm…”

Lucas, who was washing the ingredients in water, took out a bowl containing ddong-jip.

“Do you know the advantage of the British noble estate? Although it’s in the countryside, the land is surprisingly fertile, so various food ingredients are abundant. There are poultry farms, livestock farms, and the farms are very fertile. It takes about an hour to ride a horse to the beach.”

Coby couldn’t say anything about how, of all those ingredients, the dish being served just had to be ddong-jip.

“There’s a poultry farm managed by the noble estate. I asked the farm manager to call me when they were slaughtering chickens. I got it from there.”

The bowl was full of red flesh.

“This is CoCo Ddong-jip.”

‘The color is fine.’

Coby gulped inwardly and shook his head.

This is crazy.

How could the color be okay?

Do you know what this is?

Ddong-jip!

Ddong-jip!

How could you be fooled by the color without even knowing what’s inside?

“It will be delicious.”

Lucas grinned, looking at the appalled Coby.

Coby felt that smile was like that of a devil.

“I-I’ll trust you.”

At least, the dishes he had made had never tasted bad before.

Having finished preparing the ingredients, Lucas began cooking.

Coco cut the large intestine to a suitable size.

The intestine was meat with no fat at all.

You could tell how tough the texture was just by cutting it.

‘Did poop really get stored in there?’

No way.

Next to the intestine was galrec, a seasoning frequently used to enhance the taste.

Galrec, a unique ingredient known to any imperial citizen with a taste for its spicy and distinctive aroma.

Eating it raw would cause a spicy sensation in the nose, so people usually cut or ground galrec to use as a seasoning…

But why was there so much galrec?

The amount of white galrec was almost as much as that of the intestine.

“Are you planning to use the galrec for the market tomorrow?”

“Galrec? Oh, garlic? I’m going to use it all for stir-frying.”

“What?”

Intestines with that much galrec.

It was an impossible combination.

If it wasn’t Lucas, he would’ve told him not to joke around.

“It’s really delicious. Don’t doubt it.”

He put a little water in the frying pan and cooked the intestines.

While boiling the intestines, he cut the root part of the galrec.

Then he added all of the prepared galrec.

“Ugh!”

“Hey! I told you not to doubt.”

“But…”

Is this really the right way?

No matter how good Lucas’s cooking skills are, people can make mistakes too.

If this dish is a mistake now?

Developing a new menu using me as an experimental subject?

Coby’s head was spinning.

“It’s cooked just right.”

Lucas, who took out lightly boiled Galreck and intestine, drained the water from the frying pan and poured oil, intestines and Galreck on top.

Sizzle!

The intestines and Galreck, which began to be fried in oil, made a delicious noise.

‘Would it be okay?’

Despite the anxiety, the smell wafting in the air was quite pleasant.

‘Yeah, if it can’t be avoided, let’s enjoy it.’

Though he wasn’t sure if he could enjoy it.

As he spoke, Lucas sprinkled oil made of crushed salt and sesame seeds over it.

The savory smell of intestines and Galreck frying in sesame oil stimulated his sense of smell.

This is it.

The reason why Lucas’s cooking tastes better.

Watching the cooking process in front of him, the sounds and smells of the process stimulated all his senses.

“Coco Intestine Stir-fry.”

Lucas, who put the finished food in a bowl, offered the dish with a bright smile.

But Coby couldn’t just laugh.

Galreck and intestines.

What on earth does this taste like?

***

Every time I offered chicken intestines, I laughed inwardly at Coby’s horrified reaction.

At first, I thought about simply explaining that Coco was a beast of Galreck.

Coco, an animal similar in appearance and body structure to a chicken.

This guy’s muscles were quite tasty too.

Initially, it was a bit less chewy than chicken gizzard, but the flavor was quite deep.

I thought about explaining it to reassure him, but seeing his reaction, I couldn’t do it.

It’s too delicious to see his reaction when teased.

Contrary to me, who smiles every time a dish is completed, Kobi’s face was gradually getting rotten.

I served the fried intestines and put a bottle of soju next to it.

The best drinking snack.

Koko muscle stir-fry, a dish more delicious with drinks after finishing work than any other snack.

Swallowing the drool that comes out, I poured soju into an empty glass.

A glass of soju with chicken gizzard.

I’m dying to eat it right now, but first, I have to see the reaction of the gnome sitting across from me.

“Please, try it.”

“……Alright, I will.”

Probably even a prisoner dragged into a torture chamber would have a brighter face than him.

“You’re not really teasing me, right?”

I can’t stand this any longer.

It seemed like he wouldn’t eat, so I picked up my chopsticks first.

I picked up a whole piece of garlic, called Galleggi in this world, and a Koko muscle and put it straight into my mouth.

Crunch!

“Ugh.”

The perfectly roasted garlic’s aroma and the Koko muscle’s texture, chewy like cartilage, filled my mouth.

That savory taste, the long-forgotten taste, called for soju.

I immediately picked up my soju glass and took a shot.

“Ugh!”

This is heaven.

Under normal circumstances, it would be polite to clink glasses and have a drink together, but this time is different.

“Please try it. It’s really delicious.”

Only then did Kovi, full of suspicion, pick up his chopsticks and take a piece of the dish.

“If you eat it with garlic, or shall I say, galrek, it tastes even better.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Kovi took a bite of the dish.

Oh, wow!

“Oh?”

“Delicious, isn’t it?”

His eyes widened as he looked at me.

“What is this…? Was the so-called intestine always this delicious? It feels different from just meat?”

“Of course. It’s a special part.”

He closed his mouth at that remark.

I should stop teasing him now.

“Actually, the location of the chicken intestine is around here. Above the stomach.”

“Above?”

“It’s internal organs. It’s the area with the most solid muscles, so the texture is quite unique.”

“Then that means…”

“It’s not really the place where the excrement is collected.”

“Ah.”

Kovi finally let out a sigh of relief.

“I thought Lucas was teasing me, and I was so surprised.”

“It’s the usual reaction. Have a drink and try it. It’ll taste even better with the galrek.”

I filled my glass with soju and held it up.

Cheers.

After downing a shot of soju.

“Ugh!”

A collaboration of intestine and whole garlic in one bite.

The savory taste of the two ingredients mixes together in the mouth.

The garlic even adds a subtly sweet taste.

The remaining spicy alcohol taste of soju mixes with the intestine, creating a rich flavor.

“This is it.”

“Wow, Lucas! This is…”

Kovi’s exclamation of admiration.

Taking his reaction as a cue, I ate another piece of intestine.

“Delicious, right?”

“Why didn’t you serve me this delicious dish until now?”

In response to his question, I raised the blue soju bottle.

“I didn’t have the best partner for it until now.”

Chicken intestines without soju are like fish-shaped buns without red beans.

Giving one’s mouth a coating of the savory chicken intestines, and then allowing the soju to wash away that grease with each swig!

The fiery taste at the moment of gulping down the soju.

In a flash, we end up getting drunk, talking about all sorts of things until dawn, and finally even discussing family matters – our favorite guilty pleasure.

That is the combination of chicken intestines and soju.

Kovi nodded at my words.

“I have to admit. It wouldn’t have been this delicious without the alcohol. Somehow, my hand keeps reaching for the glass. It’s the best food pairing for drinking. The soju and chicken intestines go so well together, right?”

Kovi’s hand reached for the glass again.

It was somewhat bizarre to see a boy who looked no older than 15 drinking soju.

I had a sudden urge to scold him like a Confucian old man.

‘I might as well be an older brother to him.’

The boiling desire of a Confucian boy was suppressed within him.

“Kuh, your skills haven’t rusted after all.”

“What’s there to rust? It’s only been a few months since I quit.”

“Khm, that’s what I’m saying.”

Kobi spoke while picking up a piece of intestine with chopsticks and eating it.

“How about reconsidering? As our company’s exclusive chef…”

“No. I’ll never do it.”

Ugh, it spoils the taste of the alcohol.

Who do they think they’re sending dew from my brother’s grave?

“Tell them if they really want it, the company chairman should come personally.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Yes. I’m serious.”

I won’t go even if I die.

No, I won’t go because it feels like I’d die.

“Understood. I’ll relay it to the chairman. Tell him to come personally if he wants it.”

Kobi takes another bite.

He expressed disapproval earlier, but he’s eating it quite well.

“It’s delicious, isn’t it?”

Kobi gave a thumbs up.

Oh how chewy!

This texture is insane.

Ah, the soju is sweet.

The taste of my hometown is sweet.

******

Under the Star and Moon, we drank together.

At first, I thought it only tasted moderate.

But after drinking, it felt like heaven.

It goes well with soju.

Please give a lot of love to GW soju.

Cheap liquor, my ass! I have good taste too!

Is that everything you got?

Recommended menu: Coco intestine – Soju

-Golden Wagon’s Chief Manager (Important future in Top franchise) Coby-

—-

The next day, Coby took off early in the morning, saying he had lots of work to catch up on.

When asked about not having a hangover remedy, he replied, “The spirits will take care of it all. The gnome’s recovery ability is the best in the continent. Ugh!”

He rushed off, not wanting his top franchise boss to find out he had eaten too much of my food.

He seemed to have forgotten that he wrote the review too.

With the official opening just a day away, I headed to the beach, an hour away by horseback from Zazak’s Residence, to prepare for the new menu item.

“Ugh, I still feel the lingering buzz… My stomach is uncomfortable.”

I drank a bit too much while drinking with Coby.

“Ugh!”

My stomach feels like it’s churning.

Circulating mana throughout my body should help me quickly get over this hangover.

But that wouldn’t be as poetic, would it?

I struggled to maintain my balance on the swaying horse as I continued onward.

This isn’t drunk driving.

The horse moves on its own, after all.

“Uh, please take care of me.”

I should’ve had something to eat before leaving.

“Should I try the new menu for hangover relief…?”

That didn’t seem like a bad idea.

Clip-clop! Clip-clop!

After an hour’s ride, we arrived at the seaside.

The salty scent of the sea tickled my nose.