I Became a Food Developer in Another World

Chapter 42: The Empire’s Three Great Delicacies

“Chicken, pizza, and hamburger? Are you the devil?”

Luciella said in a puzzled voice.

“If this continues, the people of the Empire……!”

“So you don’t like it?”

“No, of course I don’t hate it, but…!”

Luciella struggled for her people’s health, but it was a futile struggle.

“In order for the princess to taste various types of pizza, there must be many types of ‘cheese.’ The popularization of pizza will advance the development of cheese.”

In reality, cheese technology in the Empire was monopolized by the monasteries, and its manufacturing methods and aging techniques were at the level of the first millennium.

The reality of the Empire was that it depended on dwarves who possessed high-altitude cheese technology for cheese.

“Instead of relying on the dwarves for cheese, the Empire should become its own cheese developer, and pizza would be the foundation for such a ‘cheese superpower’.”

“Oh…!”

Luciella, mesmerized by the words ‘cheese powerhouse’, let out a shallow gasp.

Her pupils were swaying wildly like a sailboat in a storm.

“Ha, but that doesn’t mean the health of the people-”

“Our Empire has zero-cola. And there will be a variety of zero drinks in the future.”

“!”

“If the Zero Drinks will lower the obesity rate, the mint toothpaste will keep the people’s gums healthy.”

“…….”

Looking at Luciella’s silence, I added, as if that wasn’t enough.

“We could also work with the Ministry of Magic to create mouth rinses, floss, tongue cleaners, and other tools.”

“Don’t they make mint chocolate toothpaste?”

“No…….Uh, that’s something we can talk to the Gold Tower about, if you’d like.”

“Okay.”

Luciella smiled brightly and twirled her fork around the cheese on her Chicago pizza.

“This cheese, by the way, is really good. I think it would go well with fruit.”

She looked so cheerful that I wondered when she had ever been concerned about her people’s health.

‘No, this was all about the mint chocolate toothpaste.’

I felt cheated, but it wasn’t a lose-lose deal.

If the First Princess and her sponsored Gourmet Society store endorsed the chicken pizza burger, the White Tower’s finances would be even stronger.

‘Coke sales will increase.’

Increased sales will allow us to develop more processed food products.

The extra money would also be needed for future factories and resources.

It wouldn’t hurt to develop a mint-chocolate toothpaste that Luciella wanted.

If she wanted to diversify her cheese offerings with pizza, I wanted to increase the sales of Coke.

It was a mutually beneficial deal.

Of course, there were other reasons besides these calculations to push the chicken pizza burger to the top three delicacies.

The things that have been called “delicacies” in the Empire have been very hard to come by, and when you try them, you can’t tell if they’re “delicacies” or not.

Delicacies in the Empire were similar to ‘red fish’ in my previous life.

It was a delicacy because it was hard to find, not because it tasted great.

On the other hand, chicken pizza hamburgers were easy for anyone to make and eat due to the conditions of the empire.

They didn’t call it the “Three Fast Foods” for nothing.

In order for processed food to develop more rapidly in this world, it was necessary for these three fast foods to take root in the Empire.

Fast food that was easy and quick to prepare was the essence of processed food, hence the selection of the Three Great Delicacies.

One could argue that these are not really “delicacies,” but…….

‘Who cares.’

If it tastes good, it’s a delicacy.

There’s really not much to a delicacy.

*

Until recently, cheese was a luxury item due to its scarcity.

With the development of alchemy, the production of cheese increased, but the consumption of cheese in the Empire was still low.

However, with the advent of pizza, consumption began to increase dramatically.

“Look at all this grease and stretch.”

“Yum, it goes great with Coke.”

The sight of a golden brown pizza fresh out of the oven captivated the nation.

The combination of the crispy, chewy dough, the rich flavor of the lukon milk, the salty cheese, and the fatty ham made them say, “Wow!”

“Oh, yes, the three great delicacies!”

“These are the delicacies!”

Chicken, pizza, and burgers.

Gourmet’s newly proposed “Three Imperial Delicacies” were enough to win the Empire’s sympathy.

“And the mint chocolate…?”

“Ugh, stop talking about mint chocolate. Do you want to get axed by a dwarf?”

“Remember that fellow who went to lecture an elf about the taste of mint chocolate? I hear he’s in a nursing home now.”

There were many dwarves and elves living in the Empire.

Eating mint chocolate was to be refrained from, at least in their presence.

It may be a trivial taste for humans, but for both races, it was a “death sentence”.

The controversy over mint chocolate led to questions about gourmet.

“Honestly, gourmet doesn’t mean the big three delicacies.”

“It’s weird that dessert is a delicacy.”

The people immediately realized that the selection criteria for Gourmet were not based on popularity.

Gourmet was biased toward foods that only the upper class could afford.

Because of this, gourmet food has often been criticized in the past as being ‘their food’.

So when mint chocolate became the talk of the town, the reaction was one of outrage.

“I’ve never had caviar or anything.”

“You have to try it before you can sympathize.”

The controversy prompted Gourmet to post an apology and announce that “popularity” would be a factor in the selection process.

The newly announced Gourmet of the Year was “chicken, pizza, and burgers.”

“I think this is correct?”

“Mmm, I can’t argue with that.”

“The world is finally right.”

The people nodded in agreement at the irrefutable food choices.

It was hard to find anyone, human, elf, or dwarf, who didn’t like those three foods.

And then

“Wait, those were all developed by the White Tower.”

“What? This time too…!”

The words “I see!” came out of the mouths of the people.

*

“Coke’s sales have tripled.”

“Really? Then we can make ‘cans’ now.”

“Only if sales keep going like this.”

I nodded at Aria’s words.

‘Cans.’

In other words, canned goods were currently only used by the military.

Despite the otherworldly advances in alchemy, extracting aluminum from minerals was expensive.

It was very difficult for a non-military company to afford the cost.

Therefore, even at the White Tower, canned processed food was not available.

Of course, in addition to the cost, there was also the problem that canned food was a military secret.

‘Cans are managed like bullet casings…….’

In order to prevent the leakage of canned food technology, the military was managing cans like ‘bullet casings’ like the South Korean military in the past.

The Imperial Army was so serious about maintaining the security of canned food that if even one empty can went missing, the entire unit would spend the night searching for the missing can.

But that wouldn’t stop the canned goods from spreading throughout the land.

Armies of nations who questioned the Empire’s winning streak against the barbarians were already aware of the canned goods.

It was only a matter of time before the cans reached the rest of the world.

The Marquis de Hughes, the new commander in chief, knew this and had just authorized the manufacture of cans at the White Tower.

Of course, the authorization was for domestic use only, so no manufacturing in Yuren.

‘Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.’

Even though they were authorized to manufacture cans, there was still a cost issue.

Therefore, it was impossible to can all types of beverages right away.

The plan was to start with cola and work our way up.

“We’ll need to find alchemists first.”

“Do you think the Gold Tower will cooperate?”

“Not likely.”

I shook my head at Aria’s words.

The alchemists in the Gold Tower don’t do things unless it’s interesting to them.

Even if they were willing, making cans was not a job for one or two people.

“Maybe we should put out a call for recruits.”

“Yeah, make sure you pay them well……”

-Yuri! Is Yuri in there!

─Dorian, you shouldn’t be doing this in the Tower!

At that moment, an excited voice was heard outside, and a red-faced dwarf entered.

“There you are!”

“Long time no see, Dorian.”

It was Dorian Foster, the dwarf who had been remodeling the tower.

“Is it really you who invented this horrible food?”

“…….”

In Dorian’s gnarled hand, he held a crushed Mint Chocolate.

“I tolerated the mouthwash, but this is just too-”

“Dorian, why don’t you calm down with a beer first?”

Catching my gaze, Aria quickly went outside and returned with a bottle of beer.

“Hmph, this tastes a little different.”

“It’s a type of beer called Draught, released in the Empire.”

Waiting for Dorian to calm down with the beer, I denied any connection to mint chocolate.

“I’m sorry about the mint chocolate, but I don’t know about that.”

I had heard that our wizards had released some mint chocolate merchandise, but I had nothing to do with it.

That chocolate had nothing to do with me.

“…Are you sure that’s not true? The humans have told me that you were involved in the development of mint chocolate.”

“I don’t know why it’s known as such, but if you check, you’ll find that I’m not.”

With that, I casually changed the subject.

“By the way, you’re quite tanned.”

“Does it look that way?”

“Yes, I think your tan makes you look manlier.”

“Haha, that’s right, I’ve been carrying beer lately!”

Dorian’s face lit up at my compliment on his manliness, and he told me the rest of the story.

Dorian had recently started the second act of his life as one of the leaders of a Viking expedition.

Somehow, he’s wearing a fearsome twin axe strapped to his back…….

Anyway, he rambles on about his latest trip to the East.

“You mean the East?”

“Yes, don’t be surprised, I’m the one who brought chocolate back from there!”

“…….”

So, doesn’t Dorian have half the shares in the development of mint chocolate?

For a moment, I thought that Dorian was the one who brought the culprit from abroad, but I didn’t let it come out of my mouth.

Instead, I suggested it to him as he chugged the beer and recounted his adventures.

“Hey, Dorian.”

“What?”

“That beer, wouldn’t you like to try it in a can?”

“Can?”

“Yes, if you work in our factory, you can have all the beer you want.”

Why not work in a canned beer factory?

The pay is in beer.

*

While I was striking a deal with Dorian for beer, another event was brewing outside.

“We’ll discover the New World and come back!”

“Let’s find the New World!”

“Waaaaaah!”

With the arrival of the Vikings came a new fad in the world, long-distance sailing.

Ships that had previously stayed close to the shore began to leave the land and head out to sea.

People sought the promise of the New World, and maritime trade flourished.

The world was in the grip of a seafaring fever but with it came a side effect.

“Hee hee!”

“Ooh, it’s a ghost ship……!”

The sailors are shocked and run away when they see a boat full of dead people washing up in the sea.

It was the emergence of ‘scurvy.’