Chapter 3: The Clear Soup Noodles of Another World
Evening.
In the castle's kitchen on the ground floor.
At this time, the servants were gathered in groups, eating their dinner. In this world, apart from nobles like Bruno, most ordinary people could only have two meals a day: breakfast and dinner.
"This is what you're eating today?" Bruno asked, picking up a piece of black, hard, and coarse bread.
The sudden appearance of the lord made the servants eating their meal nervous, and the cook washing ingredients was visibly shaken.
"Yes, yes... it's our food," stammered the servant, quickly responding.
Bruno examined the black bread, tapping it against the nearby stove. The bread made a loud clanging sound as it struck the stove.
It's rough and hard—this must be the legendary black bread...
Bruno had heard about medieval black bread before and had some vague recollections from the original owner's memories.
Impression, but it was only today that he saw it with his own eyes.
"Is this what you eat on a regular basis?"
"Yes, my lord. Having such black bread is considered a luxury. The old steward is kind, so the bread we get is made from barley, oats, or rye, mixed with some bran and peas. It's much better than the usual black bread."
Hearing this, Shabi quickly added, "This is considered a paradise compared to what most commoners get. Though they sometimes catch a few fish to improve their diet, black bread remains their staple. Most bread they eat contains small stones, sand, bran, and weeds, making it tough to chew and unpleasant to taste. Some even have to grind peas or acorns into powder to make their bread."
Even though he had anticipated it, Bruno was still somewhat shocked. This world truly seemed impoverished.
Could he... change this impoverished and backward world?
He observed the kitchen's ingredients and utensils carefully after the servants had risen. Compared to the peasants who often barely had enough to eat, his situation seemed much better.
The kitchen had more variety than he had imagined. In addition to common fruits like apples, lemons, and peaches, there were also many unknown wild berries. The vegetables included cabbage, onions, celery, carrots, and... beets!?
"Are you planning to cook yourself, my lord?" Shabi asked softly.
"Depends on the situation…" Bruno replied casually.
"That's not appropriate, my lord. It's not fitting for you to be here among the servants. If word gets out, it could damage your noble reputation," Old Fort said with a frown.
"Is it really that big a deal if I don't do it myself? Besides, the cook here isn't very skilled. I might as well give him some pointers," Bruno said, a bit helplessly.
In this era, there seemed to be an insurmountable divide between nobles and commoners, so Bruno's actions today would be seen as extremely disrespectful by most nobles.
Old Fort nodded reluctantly. Though he had watched Bruno grow up, Bruno was still the master of this land. Without Bruno's trust, his position would be no different from that of an ordinary servant.
The cook, who was kneading dough, was so frightened by Bruno's comment that he immediately knelt down. "I'm sorry, my lord, for not making dishes to your liking…"
"Get up. This time, I'll teach you how to make noodles. Study it well for the future," Bruno said.
"You're amazing, my lord, you know everything!" Shabi praised with a smile.
Bruno: "…"
While waiting for the dough to rise, Bruno selected some vegetables that looked relatively fresh and had the servants clean them carefully.
As for the meat, the kitchen had plenty of dried meat hanging by the windows—common beef and lamb, and even some game. However, due to being stored for too long, the surface of the meat was covered with mold, and there was a faint rancid smell in the air, indicating it wasn't fresh at all.
To preserve meat, people in this world mostly dry it out and store it, without using much salt. The production of salt here is still rudimentary, and the coarse salt used by common folk has a bitter taste. Even nobles like Bruno have access to only slightly better salt, and they use it sparingly, being cautious not to waste it.
When the dough had risen enough, Bruno decided to roll up his sleeves and get to work. Although Old Fort had more to say, he held back, accepting that it was perhaps best to let it go. After all, it was more important to ensure the nobles' reputation remained intact.
Bruno kneaded the dough, finding it had become somewhat elastic, so he took a portion and began rolling it out on the workbench with a rolling pin. Despite not cooking much in his previous life, he managed to make noodles with a fair degree of proficiency.
Though the process was a bit bumpy, the final result was satisfactory. As he looked at the unevenly thick and thin noodles piled on the board, Bruno felt a small, contented joy.
There was no iron pot, but there were earthenware pots. Bruno watched the lively flames of the stove until the faint aroma of the noodles began wafting from the pot. At that moment, his stomach audibly protested its hunger.
Bruno served the noodles, adding a bit of pork fat and salt. The blend of the rich aroma from the oil and the fragrant steam from the noodles made the dish irresistible.
"The Count truly has great wisdom!" Shabi praised as he swallowed.