The rave reviews for my homemade pickled napa cabbage were a delightful surprise.
The fact that the practice of ‘eating rice with pickles’ had taken root in our home was a victory.
So, I decided to go all out. I wanted to show them how delicious it could be when fermented properly. I also pickled turnips and radishes, and even made salted nozawana greens. The turnips were done in vinegar, the radishes became takuan, and the nozawana was simply salted.
It ended up being quite a variety, but having one of these on the table is always handy. They make great snacks or even appetizers.
While the addition of chili peppers became a key ingredient, I had a feeling that the non-spicy versions, like chili-free takuan or nozawana, would also go over well.
Now, speaking of chili peppers…
Of course, I didn’t buy them just for pickling.
「It’s gotta be doubanjiang.」
「Bark?」
I muttered, hanging radishes from the eaves.
Chocola, who had been sniffing around the pillars of the porch, perked up and looked at me.
「With doubanjiang, the range of dishes expands so much. Mapo tofu, mapo eggplant, shrimp in chili sauce.」
「Bark……」
It might be more accurate to say it opens up a whole new genre rather than simply expanding the repertoire. Doubanjiang is incredibly versatile—great as a main ingredient or as a hidden flavor in countless dishes.
「But it’s not just chili peppers. We need broad beans, too.」
「Kwuunnn」
There’s a variety of broad beans similar to what we had in Japan, but just like back home, they’re only harvested in spring. So there’s no getting them right now.
Technically, you could use soybeans, but we already have miso as a soybean-based fermented condiment. And doubanjiang is kind of like a cousin of miso, so I wanted to keep them distinct by sticking with broad beans.
「Not that I have enough chili peppers to make a proper batch anyway… wait, where’s Chocola?」
「Bark!」
I turned to look where Chocola had been, only to find he had already wandered off. He had left me to my radish drying and was now happily wandering the garden, chasing his own tail in circles.
「Guess you weren’t really listening after all.」
「Bark!」
He trotted off toward the garden, heading in the direction of the pasture where Pochi was.
「Well, that’s a problem. Now I’ve got no one to talk to…」
「Hmm,then I’ll listen.」
「—! You scared me!」
Out of nowhere, Karen’s voice appeared from behind me.
「I thought you were upstairs?」
「I just came down.」
「I didn’t hear your footsteps at all…」
Karen sat down beside me on the porch, glancing at the radishes hanging overhead.
「Sui, you’re always drying something. It’s interesting.」
「Do I really dry that many things…?」
「Fish and tofu too.」
「Oh, you mean the overnight-dried fish and freeze-dried tofu.」
Among the fish we get from the Dragon Village, there’s one that resembles hokke. Drying it overnight brings out its flavor. As for freeze-dried tofu, well, that’s self-explanatory.
「Drying things enhances their flavor?」
「You sure know your stuff.」
「Fufufu,I learned it from dried mushrooms.」
Karen puffed up her chest with a smug smile.
Well, it made sense. We’ve been living together for a while now, and Karen’s the one who sees me doing these things up close the most.
「Not everything, though. The chili peppers I bought yesterday are being dried for preservation, not for flavor.」
「Like peppercorns?」
「Exactly. You use spices in small amounts over a long time.」
Our conversation was light, but Karen always listened intently to whatever I said. It was comforting, and I appreciated it.
「Alright, that’s the last one. I guess the takuan won’t be done in time before Grandma goes back.」
Grandma Seralinde had to return to Sidera around mid-month. She had research work piling up and supplies in the warehouse to manage.
With over ten days already gone since the New Year, that left about four or five more days.
Mint’s probably going to be sad when she leaves, though she likely won’t throw a fit. But feelings and rationality are two different things.
「Should we cook something special?」
「Hmm… I was thinking of something unusual rather than fancy.」
Before she leaves, I wanted to make at least one more memorable dish for her. But winter doesn’t offer much variety in ingredients, and we haven’t caught anything special lately.
I thought about making something she’s never had before, but since Grandma arrived around mid-last month, it’s been nearly a month. I’ve already run through most of my repertoire, and yesterday’s pickles felt like the finale.
「What about something new with those red chilies?」
「Kimchi comes to mind, but that’s too similar to the pickled napa cabbage. Plus, it’s spicy.」
The heat from chili peppers is both their strength and their weakness. Unlike pepper or other spices, chili’s spiciness has a unique quality.
That lingering burn—an almost painful sensation—could easily overwhelm a dish if not balanced well.
「Grandma seemed pretty okay with spicy food. She liked that other spicy seasoning.」
「Really? Still, I’m not sure about serving something too spicy for her last meal here…」
If I were to use chili peppers, I’d need to come up with something quick and unique. Maybe kimchi stir-fried with pork would work. The meat from the deeper forest still tastes amazing, even after freezing.
But I’d want to use some vegetables from our garden too.
Meat, veggies, and chili peppers—something spicy but also balanced.
「Ah…」
「What is it, Sui?」
I turned away from the porch and started walking toward the kitchen.
Karen’s puzzled gaze followed me as I opened the pantry and pulled out three bottles from the back shelf.
「What… what’s that?」
「Something I’d been working on.」
I returned to the living room and sat down on the sofa, placing the bottles on the table in front of me.
Karen sat beside me, looking intrigued. Her curiosity was written all over her face.
「I almost had it last time. But something was missing, you know? I could feel it was close, like one more thing would make it perfect. But I didn’t know what, and I couldn’t get any new spices either.」
I spread some parchment paper on the table and opened the bottles, carefully pouring small amounts of their contents. The scent that immediately filled the room was potent—enough to make most people cough, though for me, it was a nostalgic aroma.
「Is this… a spice blend? Did you mix a bunch of things together?」
「What do you think of this smell?」
「Hmm, it seems familiar… Oh, I remember! It’s like the smell from that fried chicken we had before!」
「Ah, right. I used it for the fried chicken.」
From the start, I wasn’t trying to make anything too fancy.
I wanted to keep it simple and familiar.
Still, something was missing back then, something crucial. But now, I knew exactly what it was.
It was spiciness.
The sharp, lingering kick that would tie everything together. And when it comes to heat, well…
「That’s right. Cumin and coriander give it the aroma. Turmeric makes it yellow. But even with pepper, garlic, ginger, and cinnamon… the final touch has to be this.」
I picked up the chili pepper. In spice form, it’s often called chili powder or cayenne pepper.
I mixed a bit of the chili powder into the existing blend on the parchment paper, tasting a small sample on my finger.
「Yeah. This is it. This is definitely going to work.」
I was sure of it.
「So… what kind of dish would you use that spice for?」
「It’s not just for sprinkling on top of something.」
I replied with a grin, undoubtedly looking rather smug.
「This is for a dish called curry. You use it to simmer ingredients, and then you pour it over rice. It’s one of Japan’s most beloved home-cooked meals, and father used to love it too.」
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