Chapter 251

Her disappointment wasn’t simply because dinner wasn’t bulgogi.

If it had been any other dish besides bulgogi, she wouldn’t have been this disappointed.

But porridge? Sure, it’s a dish with strong flavors, greasy, or meant for patients who need easily digestible food. At the same time, it’s also a dish made by people in poor districts to fill their stomachs with minimal ingredients.

The struggle of soaking grains in water to expand their volume and maximize the feeling of fullness.

That’s the image that generally comes to mind when thinking of porridge.

Given that porridge is seen as food for the poor, it’s no wonder that the porridge served in cheap inns is often the cheapest and most carelessly made, with bland seasoning and sometimes even the bitter taste of poorly processed grains or undercooked barley, and occasionally even small pebbles mixed in.

Of course, since Kurt made it, it wouldn’t be that terrible, but still, she couldn’t feel excited about eating porridge.

Her rational mind praised Kurt for his thoughtful decision to make porridge for Karina and Aila, but her emotions were separate from her rationality, feeling a slight sense of despair.

“Oh, I see. That’s good, Karina.”

“Thank you for changing the menu for me.”

“Don’t worry about it. And since this dish is tailored for patients, I didn’t add any seasoning. Everyone else can adjust the taste with soy sauce or salt according to their preference.”

“Got it. Thanks. I’ll enjoy it.”

“I’ll enjoy it too.”

With that, the group accepted the bowls of patient meal porridge Kurt made, seemingly without much thought.

However, among them, only Mari, who knew what dish Kurt had originally planned to make, held her bowl with a slight internal sob.

This was the curse of knowledge.

‘If only I didn’t know, I could have eaten the porridge without a second thought…’

But no matter how much she glared at the bowl with disappointment, it wouldn’t magically turn into a bowl of bulgogi.

Moreover, showing further disappointment would be rude to Kurt, Karina, and Aila.

Thinking this, Mari quickly composed herself and looked at the bowl of porridge.

‘Well, I can always eat bulgogi next time. Right now, Karina’s health comes first.’

After all, even if Kurt had made bulgogi for dinner, she would have been too worried about Karina eating such a heavy meal to focus on her own food.

Thinking this way, Kurt’s decision to make porridge was actually the best move to ensure everyone could have a peaceful meal.

“I’ll enjoy it too, Kurt!”

“…? Sure.”

With that, Mari perked up, picked up her spoon, and began chattering brightly, only to occasionally fall into a somber mood before cheering up again. Kurt watched her with a puzzled expression and gave a half-hearted response.

Mari took a big spoonful.

Fortunately, Kurt’s cooking was on a completely different level from what she had eaten before. It was nothing like the cheap porridge served in low-end inns.

Unlike the watery, grain-filled porridge that resembled soup, this porridge had a high density of grains, almost like sticky rice.

When she cautiously sniffed it, instead of the usual stale or low-quality grain smell, there was a rich, savory aroma that stimulated her appetite.

‘Huh…? This looks delicious. Why does it look so good?’

In her mind, porridge was cheap food, something poor people ate, and therefore carelessly made.

So, the idea of porridge having a delicious aroma was something she couldn’t comprehend.

But defying her preconceptions, the porridge had a savory, umami-rich aroma from the beef, the nuttiness of high-quality rice soaked in water and then fried in cooking oil, and the irreplaceable fragrance of mushrooms.

Especially since porridge, like soup, has the characteristic of blending the flavors of its ingredients through the medium of water.

Gulp.

‘How…? How can porridge look this delicious? Could it be that Kurt has the ability to make even porridge into a delicious dish!?’

This was a shock that shattered her 24 years of preconceptions.

The moment she considered this possibility, her stomach, which had been half-heartedly protesting the lack of bulgogi, began to stir again.

Along with it came a rising sense of anticipation.

With sparkling eyes, Mari slowly brought the spoon to her mouth.

‘Hot! It’s hot!’

“Hah…! Hah!”

Forgetting that the porridge hadn’t cooled, Mari quickly exhaled to cool it down and tasted it.

And soon, what burst softly in her mouth was the umami.

From the beef, the mushrooms, and even the rice grains fried in the oil used to cook the beef.

Every bite exploded with umami.

No, “exploded” wasn’t the right word.

The flavor gently enveloped her mouth, just like the smooth texture of the porridge.

As she slowly chewed, the texture of the rice, vegetables, and mushrooms softly crumbled.

The porridge didn’t melt in her mouth, but as she moved her jaw and her teeth met, it effortlessly dissolved.

Though it felt thick and lumpy when scooped with a spoon, in her mouth, it flowed smoothly like soup.

And instead of the texture disappearing as if it had never been chewed, the beef and mushroom porridge left behind its lingering aroma.

The intense umami that couldn’t be achieved by simply boiling beef in water, but only by frying it first before cooking.

Though the beef was completely minced, making its texture imperceptible, its flavor permeated every part of the porridge.

And the same went for the mushrooms.

Occasionally, the subtle natural sweetness of carrots and vegetables made its presence known.

A sweetness that couldn’t be replicated with sugar, a natural sweetness that, unlike the sharpness of sugar, was warm and comforting.

That subtle sweetness was a perfect match for the porridge.

“Haah…”

Mari, unknowingly, was drawn into the intense aroma of the beef and mushroom porridge.

By the time she came to her senses, the spoonful she had put in her mouth was already gone.

And then came the problem.

Since the porridge’s texture was soft enough for patients to eat, the satisfaction from eating it was minimal.

While taste and aroma are important, texture also plays a significant role in food.

Though the porridge was the most delicious she had ever eaten, Mari felt a sense of lack precisely because of that.

The aroma stimulated her hunger and offered her a delightful taste, but the absence of texture left her unsatisfied.

It was like seawater.

Drinking seawater doesn’t quench thirst; it only makes you thirstier.

Eating this incredibly umami-rich porridge without feeling the texture made Mari’s hunger even more pronounced.

So, she immediately took another spoonful and put it in her mouth, repeating the same mistake of blowing on it to cool it down while savoring the taste.

She continued this cycle, scooping, eating, and scooping again, focusing entirely on her meal.

But when she was halfway through the bowl, she realized something.

‘Come to think of it, what did Kurt say?’

Kurt had clearly said that the porridge had no seasoning, so everyone should add salt or soy sauce to taste.

Remembering this, she felt a shiver of excitement.

She had already eaten half the bowl, savoring the subtle sweetness of the vegetables and the savory umami of the beef and mushrooms.

‘And now, adding saltiness to this…?’

Imagining the taste of the beef and mushroom porridge with added saltiness, Mari soon realized.

‘That… would be the ultimate!’

With this possibility in mind, Mari quickly asked Kurt for a spoonful of soy sauce, mixed it carefully into her porridge, and watched as the once pure white porridge slowly turned a light brown.

Visually, it wasn’t the most appetizing color, but after smelling the salty, savory aroma, Mari was convinced.

‘This is definitely going to be delicious.’

As she took a bite of the soy sauce-enhanced beef porridge, she immediately knew she had made the right choice.

The savory umami, already beautiful on its own, combined with the salty soy sauce to create an addictive flavor that made her feel like she could eat endless bowls.

And that wasn’t all.

‘The deep, rich flavor of the soy sauce doesn’t fall short of the savory umami of the beef and mushroom porridge! No, it actually enhances it!’

This was the indescribable depth of flavor that only soy sauce, aged over time, could bring.

That depth mixed with the beef and mushroom porridge, creating a synergistic effect.

For a moment, Mari hesitated between salt and soy sauce.

And if it were based on her usual taste, she would have chosen salt.

After all, salt has a clean taste and wouldn’t change the color of the porridge, making it visually appealing.

But her lingering desire for bulgogi unconsciously led her to choose soy sauce, and she soon realized that this choice was a masterstroke.

Admittedly, the soy sauce-mixed beef and mushroom porridge wasn’t visually appealing.

But inside, there was a depth of flavor that overshadowed any aesthetic concerns.

Of course, choosing salt wouldn’t have made the porridge any less delicious.

Salt has its own clean saltiness, which wouldn’t have been bad.

But at least for Mari, the complex, deep saltiness of soy sauce was the best match for this beef and mushroom porridge.

“With this flavor, I could eat several bowls!”

With that, Mari finished the remaining porridge in her bowl, then started over, seasoning one bowl with soy sauce, another with salt, and the last one without any seasoning.

In total, she emptied four bowls.