Chapter 30

As I lifted the spoon to my mouth, something caught my eye.

It was Karina, sweating profusely in front of the soup, much like Mari, who was sulking with the soup right in front of her.

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you eating?”

“W-well…! Kurt said it!”

“What did he say?”

“He said that clams are creatures with no arms, no legs, no nose, no ears, and no eyes! How am I supposed to eat something like that!”

No. Well, he’s not wrong, but…

When you put it like that, it does sound like a really weird creature.

“Do you really think I’d order something you can’t eat? Everyone else is eating it just fine.”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

As I said, the most popular dish at this inn seems to be the bomb clam Clam Chowder, as most of the guests here are eating the same thing.

Mari, who looked around, also realized this and couldn’t find anything to argue back, only whimpering and poking at her spoon.

In her head, she understood that Clam Chowder is a popular dish, but emotionally, she still didn’t feel like eating it.

I could’ve just eaten three servings myself and ordered something else for Mari and Karina without forcing them to eat it…

But personally, I can’t stand it when someone refuses to eat even a single bite without a valid reason like allergies or disliking the taste.

Even if it wasn’t a dish I personally made.

“Refusing to even taste the food is disrespectful to both the chef who made it and the creatures used as ingredients.”

That was my conclusion as a chef, and also as a hunter.

Having reached that conclusion, I looked at Mari with a stern gaze and said,

“If you keep throwing a tantrum like this, I won’t take you to the sea later.”

“*Whimper*… Fine. I’ll eat it, okay?”

Finally, Mari reluctantly scooped up a half-spoonful of the Clam Chowder, avoiding the clams, and brought it to her mouth.

I would’ve been willing to eat it for her if she had tried it and then said it didn’t taste good.

But leaving even a single spoonful untouched was unforgivable.

I mean, she’s not a child throwing a tantrum over side dishes. What’s her deal?

Once I confirmed that both of them had taken a spoonful, I could finally focus on my own serving of Clam Chowder.

…

The color of the Clam Chowder was a milky white with a faint yellow tint.

Usually, Clam Chowder with celery has a slightly pale hue, but the warm, bright color suggested that this recipe didn’t include celery.

Stirring the spoon, I could feel the thick, heavy consistency, indicating that the soup was quite rich.

At this level of thickness, the liquid would cling to the spoon and drip off slowly rather than falling in quick drops.

Personally, this is my preferred consistency.

The aroma rising from the soup was distinctly seafood-like, but it wasn’t overly fishy, suggesting that the clams were well-prepared.

Not only that, but the rich, savory smell that strongly stimulated my senses was likely from potatoes, butter… or maybe just milk.

Along with the dairy’s savory aroma, there was also a hint of fatty, meaty richness, possibly from bacon? I’m not sure if it’s pork, but it seems like some smoked meat was added.

The balance was just right—neither too strong a clam flavor nor too overpowering from the other ingredients.

No wonder the merchant confidently recommended it.

The variety and abundance of ingredients in the soup made it a solid dish in terms of composition.

Having assessed the dish visually and by smell, it was time for the main event: tasting it.

Normally, I don’t have high expectations for this world’s culinary standards, but…

This dish seems worth getting excited about.

*Slurp*

The first thing that hit my tongue was the smooth, salty flavor of the soup.

There’s a distinct oceanic taste that comes with seafood dishes, a kind of saltiness you can’t get from non-seafood dishes.

And besides the sea’s saltiness, the flavor in my mouth was likely from butter.

From the looks of it, I thought they used milk instead of butter, but tasting it, it seemed like they used both.

The potatoes were cooked just right—maintaining their diced shape but crumbling softly with no resistance when pressed, soaking up the chowder’s broth.

The finely chopped bacon, though sparse, added a burst of texture and flavor as the potatoes and carrots crumbled in my mouth.

This is genuinely delicious.

In fact, my own cooking is more about throwing in every ingredient I can find for personal satisfaction, without considering efficiency.

But this dish, unlike mine, is made with food cost in mind, requiring compromises.

After all, business is about making a profit.

However, cutting corners too much with cheap ingredients lowers the quality and customer satisfaction.

On the other hand, obsessing over perfection can lead to dishes that don’t turn a profit, sometimes even causing losses.

The key is striking a balance between cost and quality to maximize output.

And this Clam Chowder walks that tightrope like a skilled acrobat.

For example, they reduced the amount of butter but compensated with milk to maintain the dairy’s richness, or used bacon from a different meat that still delivers a comparable flavor to pork.

Personally, I’d add a touch of pepper for a strong finish, but that might be asking too much.

Now, let’s taste the star of the show: the clams.

What does a bomb clam taste like?

Thinking that, I scooped up a spoonful of the clam along with the broth and put it in my mouth.

*Munch*

*Munch*

The first thing I felt was pain.

Pain?

Why pain?

No! It’s spiciness!

The unexpected spiciness hit me like a sneak attack, and I opened my eyes wide, slowly chewing the contents in my mouth.

What’s this? There was no spiciness in the first spoonful I tasted earlier.

And soon, I realized why.

The source of the spiciness.

It was the bomb clam, the main ingredient of this Clam Chowder.

So, that’s why it’s called a bomb clam.

I might’ve been mistaken about bomb clams all along.

Thinking about it, it was strange from the start.

A clam, a creature that lives underwater, causing explosions.

Isn’t that weird?

The ecosystem is mysterious, so it’s not strange for strange creatures to exist, and with the concept of mana-mutated monsters, anything can happen.

The “bomb” in bomb clams doesn’t refer to a physical explosion but rather a chemical reaction that causes pain to living creatures, like spraying a liquid.

There’s a creature called a skunk.

It’s known for releasing a foul-smelling gas to ward off predators, but it’s slightly different from common knowledge.

What skunks spray isn’t gas but a liquid from a gland near their anus, and while the smell is terrible, the real power lies in the tear-inducing chemicals within.

Similarly, this clam releases a spicy liquid to protect itself.

Ironically, the very liquid it uses for defense has made it a delicacy among humans.

The spiciness from the bomb clam was far from the peppery heat I had hoped for.

Instead, it was a nostalgic kind of spiciness.

Yes, if I had to categorize it, it was like chili pepper spiciness.

But unlike chili peppers, it left no lingering aftertaste, disappearing cleanly.

It was almost refreshing.

I thought the dish would be too rich and strong to eat much of on its own, but…

The bomb clam’s spiciness washed everything down so refreshingly that I felt like I could eat this Clam Chowder endlessly.

Alternating between the smooth soup broth and the refreshing spiciness of the clam, I suddenly wondered and pressed down on a clam in the soup with my spoon, causing the bomb clam’s juices to seep out and infuse the chowder with a spicy kick.

I’m not sure if “spicy” is the right word for a soup made with milk and butter, but this was definitely spicy.

Eating the soup and clams separately was enjoyable, but crushing the clams to let their juices blend into the soup was also a treat.

I was wrong.

I thought this inn made excellent dishes considering food cost, but…

This dish is excellent even without considering food cost.

Having underestimated this world’s culinary culture, I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the rest of the Clam Chowder like I was dining out.

Until Mari called out to me in an angry voice.

“Kurt! What is this! This dish! It hurts! The food hurts!”

“*Groan*… I trusted you… I really trusted you…!”

Oops. I was so impressed by the Clam Chowder’s flavor that I forgot about the two of them.

Looking up at Mari, I saw her glaring at me with teary eyes.

And Karina, who had suggested we go eat pork cutlets, was giving me a betrayed look, like a child taken to the dentist.

Oh no, I come from a culture that enjoys spicy food, but Mari and Karina aren’t from that culture.

So, it might not suit their tastes.

Maybe I should eat their portions and order something else for them.

Thinking that, I soon saw Mari’s expression and couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s so funny!? Is it fun to see an elf in pain from eating food?”

“Kurt! I’m disappointed in you…!”

“You say that, but you’re still shoveling spoonfuls into your mouth.”

“…Huh? W-what? Why is this happening? Kurt! This is weird! My tongue hurts…! But I can’t stop eating!”

“*Gasp*… My body’s moving on its own…!”

What, I was worried for nothing.

They’re both enjoying it.

Mari, though flustered, kept moving her spoon, bringing the contents to her mouth.

The spiciness was painful, but the endorphins released by her brain with each bite kept her going.

Sweat dripped down her face, making her skin glisten, her hair sticking to her cheeks, and occasionally getting in her mouth as she wiped it away, eating the Clam Chowder with a sensual mix of sweat and moans.

Karina, too, was drenched in sweat, her clothes clinging to her body, but she paid no mind, eagerly eating the Clam Chowder.

With two beauties eating soup with flushed faces and moaning, the inn had more customers than usual that day.