The reticent shopkeeper begins to cook.
However, Isaac’s expectations were greatly betrayed. It seemed that the dish had already been prepared and set aside in a pot, and he was now reheating it in a slightly smaller pot.
When the pot was placed over the fire, a sweet aroma began to rise along with a simmering sound.
It smells a little like well-stewed beans, but it’s also different.
“Shinobu-san, what is that dish?”
“Yes, it’s beef tendon doteyaki.”
“Gyusuji no Doteyaki, huh. Hmm.”
Translator’s Note
Gyusuji means beef tendon. Doteyaki is a dish where beef tendon is simmered in miso and mirin. The dote (bank) refers to the way the miso is traditionally piled up around the edges of the pot, resembling a riverbank.
It’s a name he’d never heard before.
What’s rolling around in the pot looks like beef, but it’s not a part that’s normally eaten. It’s probably the tendon, a part that doesn’t usually appear on the dinner table.
Unless it was stewed very carefully, it should be too tough to eat.
“What are you stewing with the beef tendon…?”
“Konjac.”
“Konnyaku…?”
Translator’s Note
Konjac or Konnyaku is a traditional Japanese jelly-like food made from a type of potato called Konjac potato (or Devil’s tongue).
Another name he’d never heard before.
He was confident that he was quite familiar with the cuisine of the Empire, the Eastern Kingdom, and the Northern Three Territories, but he couldn’t think of any ingredient that matched this in any of them. Its soft appearance made it look like some kind of offal.
Since it’s difficult to maintain the freshness of offal, it’s not widely distributed, so unique local names often become established. Even if it’s a familiar part, if it’s called by an unexpected name, it can be hard to recognize. He wonders if this, too, using beef tendon and offal, is a dish born from poverty.
But still, this aroma!
As it warms over the heat, the tantalizing scent becomes stronger and stronger. The sweet, rich fragrance, along with the simmering sound of the pot, hits his stomach directly, and although he should have just eaten tempura, he falls into the illusion that he is hungry.
“Here you are, sorry for the wait!”
With finely chopped green onions sprinkled on top. The Gyusuji no Doteyaki, served on a small plate, contains meat and konjac covered in a thick, light brown sauce.
Up close, the meat is indeed tendon. He is familiar with dishes where tough cuts of meat are stewed or grilled, and their chewiness is enjoyed. All of them are dishes that value the original flavor of the meat. However, he’s concerned about this aroma.
The rich aroma is sweet and intense. He worries it might overpower the flavor of the meat. With these thoughts in mind, Isaac takes his first bite.
It’s so tender! Partly because he had imagined tough tendon, he is astonished by its softness. And yet, the flavor of the meat is not lost. This flavoring, which should be called a sauce rather than a soup, goes very well with the meat.
And the konjac. It’s just jiggly, but this texture is interesting. When eaten with the meat, it becomes incredibly delightful.
“When it gets cold, I crave doteyaki.”
Shinobu pours not the usual lager called Toriaezu Nama into a large mug, but into a small, unglazed ceramic cup.
A fragrant aroma rises from the colorless, transparent liquid. The cup is a little hot to the touch. He takes a sip to try it, and his mouth is washed with a refreshing deliciousness.
“It goes well with atsukan, doesn’t it?”
“Is this sake called Atsukan?”
Translator’s Note
Atsukan is hot sake, as opposed to reishu which is cold sake.
He was also told the brand name, but he had never heard of Aizu Homare or Iide. They are names with a strange resonance that somehow feels foreign.
Translator’s Note
Aizu Homare and Iide are two sake brands.
He eats the Doteyaki and drinks the Atsukan. Just this alone makes happiness spread from the bottom of his stomach.
“Please tell me. This meat is beef tendon, right? How can you stew it so softly?”
The one who answered was not Shinobu, but the shopkeeper in the kitchen.
“We stew it for three days.”
Three days. The words almost make him dizzy. This is a tavern, not a palace kitchen. The person standing there is the tavern owner, not the head chef of royalty or nobility. And yet, three days. Isaac was speechless at the intensity of the passion put into a single dish. It’s not just time. The cost of fuel must also be considerable. Still, this is the taste. To achieve this taste, this shopkeeper stews the meat. No one can make fun of that. In fact, such a delicious dish has been created.
“Well, I’m impressed. To be honest, I thought I’d steal the flavor and take it back with me, but no way. It doesn’t seem to be that easy.”
“Doteyaki takes a lot of preparation. After simmering it for three days to soften it, we stew it to let the flavor soak in and let it sit overnight.”
“That’s quite something. Adjusting the flavor must be difficult, too.”
“We have an excellent taster in our shop.”
The shopkeeper looks at Shinobu, who sticks out her tongue happily. It’s a shop with this kind of warm atmosphere. He definitely wants to become a regular.
“Conversely, it seems I still have a lot to learn about the cuisine of the Old Capital.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll introduce you to some shops that are open for lunch. You probably have your shop to run at night, but walking around and trying food during the day might be a good way to learn a lot.”
“That would be great.”
At this time of year, the inns and taverns of the Old Capital are busy developing new dishes for the Grand Market. Being exposed to that kind of atmosphere should be beneficial for this shop, and there should be no harm.
After telling the shopkeeper the names and locations of the recommended shops, Isaac remembered one more thing he had to do.
“By the way, Shinobu-san, I have a favor to ask.”
“W-What is it?”
Perhaps intimidated by Isaac’s serious face, Shinobu also braces herself.
“…Another serving of Gyusuji no Doteyaki. A large one, if possible. And Atsukan, please.”
“Yes!”
He wonders what kind of poem Arnoux will recite after eating the food here. Eating Gyusuji no Doteyaki, he strangely wants to hear that clumsy poetry.