Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ - Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Kudzu Powder and Special Sake

After boldly declaring my intention to persuade the people of the spirit village with the power of sweets, I asked Colt for two things.

First, to prepare a gathering place for everyone except those afflicted with the disease, where I would offer the sweets.

Second, to provide a room where I could cook.

I spent the day preparing, and tomorrow, I will conduct the persuasion and sweet’s presentation.

After healing Chloe’s mother, we had a brief strategy meeting with everyone.

It would involve a bit of deception, but I planned to secretly use the Healing Heal magic on those who hadn’t fallen ill yet when handing out the sweets, hiding the existence of magic, and then reveal that the sweets were an effective remedy for the disease after everyone finished eating them.

Then, we would persuade the sick to eat them. That was the plan we came up with.

It was Tina’s idea. This way, I could avoid exposing my magic. Originally, I had only thought about gaining trust by presenting sweets.

But it was a good plan. Fortunately, the population of the spirit village was less than two hundred, so it was entirely feasible.

Now, all that was left was to make sweets that everyone would pick up and that even the sick would enjoy eating.

◇

“Kurt-sama, we’re ready whenever you are!”

“Yes, let’s go. Tina.”

After being shown to our accommodations, we stepped outside.

Tomorrow, we needed to gather ingredients for the sweets we’d be offering.

The stars of the show this time were the peach-like Pinaru fruits. And then, there was…

“Kurt-sama, there are plenty growing here. Help yourself!”

“Yeah, let’s get to it.”

So, we headed for the thickets of kudzu growing alongside the waterway.

From the roots of the kudzu, we could make kudzu powder. Such splendid kudzu; it must have impressive roots.

Using both the Pinaru and kudzu powder, we would create a sweet treat for tomorrow.

“Earth.”

I squatted down and placed my hands on the ground.

My affinity attribute was earth. I utilized its power. The earth swelled up, pushing out the kudzu roots from the ground.

The kudzu roots were as thick as Tina’s thigh, some as large as a meter in size.

“Wow, they’re huge. They look just like yams.”

“They must be absorbing plenty of nutrients. It’s probably thanks to the water and soil of the spirit village. They’ll definitely make excellent ingredients for sweets.”

While just before winter is the best time to make kudzu powder, given the starch buildup in the roots, these roots were so well-grown that it shouldn’t be a problem.

“Tina, wash the roots with water and tie them up with string. Let’s bring back as much as we can.”

“Yes, Kurt-sama.”

Tina quickly washed the kudzu roots in the waterway and then bundled them up with string.

Once I had dug up the necessary amount, I joined in the task.

After piling up the kudzu roots, I strengthened my physical abilities and easily lifted them up.

“It looks like just ordinary tree roots, but they’ll turn into sweets, huh?”

Tina spoke up as she carried as much as she could.

“That’s right. Making kudzu powder from kudzu roots takes a bit of effort, but it’s the best ingredient for sweets.”

Normally, it takes about three days to make kudzu powder properly.

But this time, I planned to compromise a bit and finish it overnight, even if it meant sacrificing some quality.

◇

Returning to the borrowed room, I filled a water jar with plenty of water.

Then, I placed the kudzu roots on a stone slab made with earth magic.

I stacked another stone slab on top.

Using earth magic again, the stones began to move, crushing the kudzu roots into fibers.

Next, I submerged small stones in the water. Activating earth magic once more, the stones crushed the kudzu roots further, causing starchy juice to flow out.

Crushing the kudzu roots and extracting the juice would normally be labor-intensive tasks. However, thanks to magic, it was much easier.

I sensed someone behind me. It was Chloe, the elf. She carried a large basket on her back, filled with peaches… Pinaru fruits, and grape-like Papurus. I had requested the harvest for use in making sweets.

Seeing me at work, she opened her mouth with a slightly surprised expression.

“Oh, so you really intend to use that grass?”

To them, kudzu was just an annoying weed.

Turning it into sweets must have seemed quite strange to them.

That’s precisely why using it held significance.

“Of course, although we’re not using the grass itself, just the roots. Also, thanks for bringing the Pinaru fruits and Papurus. You did a great job picking out the ripest Pinaru fruits and selecting the sourest Papurus as instructed.”

“I made sure to only pick the ripest Pinaru fruits, so rest assured. And I chose the sourest Papurus as you asked.”

In addition to the peach-like Pinaru fruits, this time we would also use the grape-like Papuru.

“That’s great to hear. I’m almost done with this task here.”

I finished squeezing out the juice from the roots, pulling out the roots once all the juice had been extracted.

Only the brownish water remained in the water jar.

I further filtered this water through a sieve to remove the crushed wood roots and small stones.

“Hmm, so you squeezed the crushed roots in the water. What’s next?”

“I’ll let it sit overnight. The bottom will turn into clear liquid, while the top will become black. I only want the white liquid at the bottom, so I’ll discard the top.”

This process is known as removing the lye.

The lye dissolves into the water and accumulates on top, while the kudzu starch settles at the bottom. Solidifying the settled substance produces kudzu powder.

Ideally, at this stage on the first day, there would still be impurities mixed in, and the process would need to be repeated two or three times to increase purity. However, there isn’t enough time for that.

The kudzu powder produced may be of slightly lower quality, but there’s no choice but to compromise.

“That’s right. This is lye removal, isn’t it? We do the same thing with mountain vegetables.”

“It’s similar.”

Though the details differ, the process is essentially the same.

“Then, maybe I can help.”

Chloe approached and peered into the water jar.

Her face was close, making me feel a bit nervous.

“Here we go.”

As Chloe waved her hand over the water jar, the water rippled.

“What on earth are you doing?”

“I’m influencing the water to enhance its dissolving power.”

“You can do such convenient things?”

“It’s easy. You just have to encourage the water to do its best.”

Following Chloe’s words, the brownish water rapidly darkened.

The lye accumulates on top, while the starch settles at the bottom.

What usually takes overnight to accomplish was completed in an instant.

“I’m surprised. Water magic can do something like this. With this, there’s no need to compromise.”

Swiftly, I discarded the darkened water on top and was left with a brownish-white liquid. I filtered it to remove impurities.

If it weren’t for Chloe, I would have dried this liquid to make kudzu powder. But with Chloe’s magic, we could repeat the process to increase purity.

There was no need to compromise.

With clean water added, everything was ready.

“Chloe, can I ask for your help one more time?”

“Yeah, leave it to me.”

Chloe activated her water magic again.

Once more, the top darkened.

The rest was the same. I discarded the darkened water on top. The previously brownish-white liquid became even whiter.

After repeating this process three times, a perfectly pure white liquid was obtained.

“Wow, it’s so pure. It’s amazing that something like this can be obtained from that weed.”

“When you evaporate the water from this pure liquid, it turns into a white mass. Crushing it produces kudzu powder, the finest ingredient for sweets.”

“It seems quite labor-intensive.”

“Normally, it would take about three days. But it’s worth it. Thanks to Chloe, it seems like we can do it in one night.”

“Hmm, shall we shorten that one night a bit more? After all, we just need to evaporate the water, right?”

“That’s true, but why?”

“If that’s the case, I’ll have the pure water move aside.”

With that, I activated water magic. All the moisture was removed from the white liquid, leaving only a white mass. It had a slightly sweet aroma and felt smooth to the touch.

I crushed a corner of it. The particles turned much finer than sugar.

Perfect. This was the kudzu powder I wanted to create.

Artisans from the previous world would probably cry if they knew kudzu powder could be made in such a short time.

“It’s perfect. Thank you, Chloe. You really saved me. This is the first time I’ve seen kudzu powder of such high quality.”

I squeezed her hand tightly and expressed my gratitude.

With the blessings of the water and soil of the Spirit Village, and thanks to water magic, the kudzu powder had been raised to the highest purity.

Seeing such high-quality ingredients stirred the blood of the chef within me.

“Well, yeah, from now on, I’ll help you a lot, so rely on me. Kurt, you’re my mother’s savior, and besides, I broke the rules, so I’ll be indebted to Kurt’s village.”

Chloe blushed and replied shyly.

After that, Chloe mentioned that she would come to my village. Initially hesitant, I decided to accept her words, as she insisted that having herself there would be essential for bridging the gap with the Spirit Village.

Once Chloe’s illness was resolved, she would come to my village.

“Now, thanks to you, Chloe, we finished making the kudzu powder earlier than planned. Shall we have a little chat? There are two conditions that must absolutely be met for the sweets we’re going to treat everyone to this time. Tina, Chloe, do you understand what they are?”

Upon my question, the two of them pondered.

Then, Tina spoke first.

“Is it about being delicious?”

“That’s important, but it’s not the answer I’m looking for.”

Taste was just the basic requirement.

That would be essential even outside of this situation.

“Oh, I got it. It’s something that everyone hasn’t tried before.”

Tina exclaimed.

“Correct. Now, what’s the reason for that?”

I prompted.

“If you’re going to present something as medicine, it won’t be convincing unless it’s something everyone is unfamiliar with.”

Chloe answered.

“Exactly! That’s why I chose kudzu. No one in this village has ever eaten kudzu. By using it, we can create a mysterious confection that no one has ever seen before. Plus, kudzu is incredibly good for the body. So, calling it medicine isn’t entirely a lie.”

I explained.

“Yes, I got it right!”

Tina cheered quietly, doing a small fist pump.

The decision to use kudzu was made to highlight its rarity and visual impact.

In reality, kudzu is indeed a potent medicine with various benefits: it helps eliminate waste from the bloodstream, improves circulation, warms the body, enhances immune function, stabilizes the autonomic nervous system, boosts endocrine function, and prevents aging.

It has been highly regarded as a panacea in Japan and China since ancient times.

“Tina, that’s amazing. You got it right. I need to get it right too… Oh, I got it! It needs to be easy to eat. It won’t be medicinal unless it’s a gentle treat that even patients can eat.”

Chloe added.

“Absolutely right. I have to make a rare confection that nobody has eaten before and, at the same time, something gentle enough for patients to eat.”

I confirmed.

It’s quite a challenge.

Rare confections are difficult to make, and delicious treats typically contain a lot of fat, making them heavy.

“Kurt-sama, can you really make something like that?”

Tina asked.

“Yes, I can. With this kudzu.”

I replied confidently.

“I’m looking forward to it. I can’t wait to try it.”

Tina expressed eagerly.

What I’ll be making is a Western-style confection made using Japanese confectionery techniques. It’s one of my specialties and the one I won a competition with during my study abroad days.

Everyone in the Spirit Village can enjoy the unfamiliar texture and beautiful appearance.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Here it is. It’s sake brewed in the Spirit Village. Using alcohol in confections is something I’ve never heard of before.”

Chloe said as she took out a bottle of sake from her basket.

It was essential for this confection.

I had requested for a strong sake, but would it meet my expectations?

I decided to give it a try.

As I opened the bottle, a fruity aroma mixed with the characteristics of grains wafted out.

My eyes widened. Could it be?

“Isn’t this sake made from rice?” I exclaimed, unable to contain my surprise as I took a sip.

It brought back nostalgic memories, almost making me teary-eyed. It had a taste reminiscent of Japanese sake, enveloping the tongue with a pleasant sweetness akin to Daiginjo.

“Rice? No, this sake is made from Lamma.”

Chloe replied.

“Lamma? Does it consist of small, white grains?”

I inquired.

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s our staple food in the Spirit Village.”

It definitely sounded like rice to me.

What a paradise the Spirit Village was turning out to be!

I couldn’t bring myself to destroy it anymore. I longed to taste rice again.

“Well, I chose the strongest sake available. I brought out Colt’s prized sake.”

Chloe added.

“Ah, that’s perfect. With this, I can create the finest confection.”

I remarked, swiftly adjusting the recipe I had in mind.

And then, the final image emerged.

I envisioned a confection far more splendid than what I had initially imagined.