As we prepared for winter, we had one significant concern: Mint’s eating habits.
During the day, when Mint is with us, she primarily eats soft foods like vegetables, fruits, and soup. She rarely consumes meat or fish.
…Rather, she ‘eats at night’.
In other words—when the sun sets and she falls asleep as a bud in the garden, she decomposes the bones and internal organs of her prey buried in the ground, absorbing the nutrients through her roots.
This is a natural feeding method for Mint, a plant monster, but it also raises some concerns for the future. With the arrival of winter, prey may become scarce.
Of course, we plan to go hunting, and if necessary, we can bury the stored meat in the ground. Still, I wanted to eliminate as many concerns as possible. If there was a way for Mint to easily obtain protein, that would be even better.
So, what to do?
In fact, the solution came to me quite easily. Rather, a food I was planning to make for another reason coincidentally aligned with Mint’s needs. It was a win-win situation.
The necessary ingredients could be gathered from the city of Sidera and the Dragon village. So today, I decided to give it a try.
It was something I hadn’t eaten since coming to this world.
Although it didn’t originate in Japan, it is a food that Japan takes pride in—a nutritional powerhouse rich in protein and antioxidants, soft, and easy to digest. It can be prepared in various ways and incorporated into everyday meals.
It’s tofu.
※※※
The ingredients needed to make tofu are simply two: soybeans and nigari.
Soybeans can be found in Sidera. They’ve been cultivated there for a long time and can be used directly in soups, as side dishes for meat dishes, or ground into paste.
As for nigari, I was able to obtain it thanks to the salt produced in the Dragon village. To put it simply—when sea salt is refined, the liquid that remains after the salt crystals are removed is what we call ‘nigari’. Interestingly, it seems they used to throw it away without any specific use.
I can’t forget the looks on the faces of the Lamias when I said, ‘Then please give it to me.’ I assure them that I had a proper use for it. I’m not some weirdo who treasures garbage. I swear…
「Now, we’ll mash these soybeans that have been soaking in water since last night. Don’t throw away the soaking water; mix it in while you mash!」
「Hmm. I’ll do my best!」
「Yeah, me too!」
「Uuu!」
「Bark!」
This is quite a task, and since I want to make as much as possible to experiment with different recipes, Karen, mother, and Mint are all helping out. After responding energetically, Chocola was wandering around our feet.
「…Well, you can eat tofu too, so look forward to it!」
「Bark bark, bark!」
Since we don’t have a blender, we’re doing it by hand, fully utilizing a mortar and pestle, a potato masher, and anything else we can find. Body enhancement magic is really helpful in situations like this.
After a while, what started as a rough mixture has become smooth and creamy, with no more chunks. I put it into a pot of boiling water and heat it gently, stirring to prevent it from sticking and ensuring it doesn’t boil over.
As it simmers, foam similar to scum bubbles up, which I skim off with a ladle. After a while, the smell transforms from that of raw soybeans to the inviting aroma of tofu. That’s when I know it’s time.
「By the way, I heard that tofu can become too solid if you use hard water.」
「Hard water… is that the stuff you mentioned before, with metal content?」
「Yeah. The fact that soybeans are common in the kingdom but tofu isn’t probably has to do with that.」
The drinking water on this continent is hard water. In contrast, the water from our tap—thanks to distorting causality and pulling in elements from Japan—is soft water.
When making tofu with hard water, the calcium in the water binds with the proteins in the soybeans. This is similar to how hard water extracts flavor more easily from meat.
「Alright. Now, let’s strain this through the cloth.」
The liquid that passes through is soy milk.
The residue left in the cloth is called okara—commonly known as tofu dreg.
「Okara is delicious too, so let’s use this for tonight as well.」
I’m thinking of making it the traditional way—stir frying—which brings back nostalgic flavors for me. I hope everyone will like it.
「This soy milk can be turned into a drink too. Let’s save some for that.」
Since it has a strong flavor on its own, it might be a bit much for first-timers. I have strawberries and bananas from the fairy realm of Tir na Nog, so a soy milk shake would be perfect.
I transfer part of it to another pot, pour some into a bottle, and put it in the fridge. Then, I warm the remaining soy milk again—just to around seventy to eighty degrees. I turn off the heat when I see a bit of steam rising and add the nigari at this point.
「Will this white stuff solidify with that water?」
「Yeah, it should. Unless I’ve overlooked something.」
The main component of nigari is magnesium chloride.
After removing the crystallized sodium chloride from seawater, the leftover water still contains magnesium chloride dissolved in it. This magnesium chloride binds with the proteins in the soybeans, causing them to coagulate.
This principle should hold true whether on Earth or in another world. I hope it’s safe to assume that the seawater here doesn’t lack sodium chloride.
I pour in the nigari using a spatula and gently stir it. Two clockwise rotations followed by one counterclockwise. I mustn’t mix it too much.
After a few minutes of watching, I notice that the solids start to separate from the liquid.
In other words—
「Success.」
These solids are the tofu.
I just need to wait a little longer, then scoop it out with a ladle and place it into a colander lined with cloth.
「Is this colander the one you bought when we went to Sidera the other day?」
「Yeah. I actually planned to make tofu since that time.」
The deep colander woven from bamboo seems like something you would find in Japan as well. I got a bit carried away and bought quite a few—about ten—much to Karen’s astonishment.
「Not only tofu, but you can use this for various things—it’s quite handy.」
「Still, I feel like ten was a bit excessive…」
「Well, it’s fine, isn’t it? It seems to be useful.」
Karen wears a serious expression, while mother gently reprimands her.
「Viole-sama, you’re spoiling him. No matter how much money you have, overspending isn’t good.」
「Ara, you’re quite responsible. It’s reassuring that Karen is in charge of the finances.」
「Mother, whose side are you on?」
Mother just smiles gently, ufufufu.
I fill the deep colander with tofu and place a weight on top. Once the water drains, it’ll be ready. If I leave it overnight, it’ll firm up and become more satisfying to eat. I plan to take half out by the evening for tonight’s side dish, while the other half will be a treat for tomorrow.
「Sui, there’s still a little left in the pot, right?」
「Yeah. You can eat it as it is; it’s called yose tofu. I want someone to taste it to see how it turned out… what should I do?」
「…! Mint, will taste?」
「Eh? You want to taste it?」
「Uuuu! But not only Mint, everyone will!」
「Okay. Thanks! Mint is so sensible.」
I pet Mint’s head as she wiggles excitedly, then transfer the yose tofu onto a plate. After portioning it out for everyone, I scoop about three bites each.
I sprinkle some salt and pepper, adding soy sauce as desired. For Chocola, I serve it plain.
Once we move to the living room, we all grab our plates and pop the tofu into our mouths at the same time.
The rich flavor spreads across our palates, with deep umami and richness enhanced by the salt.
「Phew, it turned out well. Ah, this brings back memories.」
Honestly, it tastes better than the ones sold in Japanese supermarkets.
Maybe it’s because it’s freshly made, or perhaps it’s the variety of soybeans used, or the natural nigari. The flavor of the tofu is strong, with a hint of sweetness from the soybeans. The slight bitterness from the nigari adds an interesting accent.
「That’s a mysterious taste. It’s gentle and soothing.」
「Yeah. Even though it doesn’t have a distinct flavor, it gives a sense of satisfaction.」
「Uuuu! Mint loves this! Very tasty!」
「Chomp! Bark!」
「I’m glad! It makes me happy that you like it.」
Chocola seems satisfied too. Since he’s had it occasionally before, this must be a nostalgic flavor for him as well.
「Hmm. It’s similar to what I made for His Highness Noapp.」
「Sesame tofu has a different preparation method, but in terms of enjoying the flavor and texture, they’re quite similar. It’s called ‘tofu’ because it resembles this dish.」
「Then this can be used in various dishes too?」
「I plan to get a little creative for dinner, so look forward to it! Of course, I’ll make sure it’s something Mint can eat too.」
「Uuuu! Like!」
Mint rushes over, hugging me tightly and rubbing her head against me.
As I pet her back, I squint at the western sun streaming into the living room.
—Maybe I should order a mountain of soybeans.
Leave a Reply