Breaking news from the research institute had Kim Sehee rushing over to snag a cherry tomato.
Kim Seyoung, probably because she’s tied up with cosmetics, didn’t get anything, but Kim Sehee, in charge of food, had a lot to do with cherry tomatoes.
The cherry tomatoes seemed to be mostly cultivated already, and there were a ton of them. Seeing dozens hanging from a single vine was almost unbelievable. Some branches were so overloaded with cherry tomatoes that they snapped on their own.
“Is this the new crop from the Starlight Research Institute?”
“Yeah. What should we even call this plant that looks like a cherry tomato? Ever since the Gate appeared, a lot of weird stuff has been popping up.”
“By the way, can a cherry tomato the size of a 500-won coin really pack 1,000 calories? I can already imagine scientists flipping out over this.”
One of the researchers sliced a cherry tomato on the desk with a knife. Inside, it was just a regular cherry tomato. No extra ingredients or anything.
“Since it cuts easily, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything extra inside.”
“Just looking at the outside, it’s a normal cherry tomato.”
Kim Sangtae, the food development lead at Starlight Food, picked up a cherry tomato.
“No matter how I look at it, I can’t believe a cherry tomato this size has 1,000 calories…”
Kim Sangtae, staring at the cherry tomato with curiosity, popped it into his mouth. Since the research institute had already verified its safety, it was faster to just eat it than to dig through paperwork.
As he chewed, his eyes widened. It was way tastier than your average tomato. The juice burst out, and the natural tomato flavor was much more pronounced.
“This is incredibly delicious!”
“Right? Regular cherry tomatoes can’t even compare.”
“Here, you try one too.”
Some researchers hated tomatoes.
“Tomatoes are a bit…”
“I don’t get why people who eat tomato ketchup or tomato sauce just fine hate the actual fruit.”
After the boss gave them a look, one researcher, just a humble office worker, had no choice but to eat the cherry tomato with tears in his eyes.
But it tasted different from regular cherry tomatoes. Even though he ate it reluctantly, the researcher was surprised by how good it was.
“This is actually tasty…?”
“See? It’s a bit different from regular cherry tomatoes.”
The cherry tomato became a flavor everyone could enjoy. But after eating one or two, the researchers started clutching their stomachs, feeling full.
“Just one of these makes me feel so full.”
“Ugh. I shouldn’t have eaten two. I guess I’ll skip dinner tonight.”
Everyone who ate the cherry tomatoes complained about feeling full. Kim Sangtae also felt stuffed after just one.
“This… If one makes you this full, it’s not great as a food product.”
If one has too many calories, it’s hard to eat in large quantities. For a product that needs to sell in bulk, this wasn’t ideal. But Kim Sangtae had a different thought.
“True, but wouldn’t this be great for soldiers or patients who have trouble eating?”
“And it’d be perfect for hunters taking down Gates, right?”
One of the toughest things for hunters tackling Gates is meals. It’s hard to eat safely beyond the Gate, so they often reluctantly pack combat rations. Cooking in the field isn’t easy.
Most Gate raids take over two days, so it’s unavoidable. People without magic can’t cross the Gate, so civilians can’t bring food in.
The high calorie count per tomato is great news for people who struggle to eat or are in special situations. This cherry tomato could be marketed in a whole new way.
——————————————–
The high calorie count per cherry tomato wasn’t great news for Starlight Food, which needs to sell a lot of food. But what if we think about it differently?
This cherry tomato could be an excellent food source. It contains most of the nutrients humans need, making it a complete food on its own.
It could go into combat rations for soldiers or be a great food option for patients battling illness.
When seriously ill, people lose their appetite, and hospital food is notoriously bland.
There was something.
First off, it wasn’t sold in the general market but was distributed experimentally through affiliates of the Starlight Guild. The response was positive. Among them, hospitals showed the most favorable reaction.
Medical staff were initially skeptical about Hana’s cherry tomatoes, but after trying them, they were full of praise.
“If this nutritional analysis is accurate, cherry tomatoes could be the best diet for patients.”
“If just one can make you feel this full, maybe we won’t even need hospital meals anymore.”
“But where’s the fun in gourmet eating then?”
“Hey! Patients battling illnesses might not even have the energy to eat regular meals…”
However, since cherry tomatoes are so small, you couldn’t survive on them alone. You could live on just cherry tomatoes for about a month, but any longer and you might face nutritional imbalances. Not that you’d die immediately, though.
Though research is still lacking, it’s said you could easily last a year eating only cherry tomatoes.
“It’s the best food for patients with no appetite.”
“Exactly. Even if they lack the strength to eat, just one cherry tomato would be enough.”
The most positive reactions came from patients who had stomach cancer or underwent stomach resection surgery.
Once the stomach is removed, weight drops rapidly. People who’ve had their stomachs removed think their stomachs can still stretch a bit, so they believe they can eat as much as before, but reality is different.
Nine out of ten people who’ve had their stomachs removed lose weight. Some lose dozens of kilograms without even exercising, because even a little food makes them feel bloated and full.
“I really hated hospital food, but this saved me.”
“After my stomach was removed, I lost weight, but now it’s coming back.”
While some might see weight loss as a good thing, for hospital-bound patients, it’s not a good sign. Not being able to maintain your desired weight means your body isn’t in good shape.
But there was another place that reacted just as positively as hospitals…
“Hey, I’ve been thinking lately. Why are so many new products coming out from our Starlight Guild?”
Decades after the Gates appeared, you’d think most by-products would’ve already been discovered. Most by-products’ effects were already well-known.
So, for a while, new items were at a standstill, but recently, new things have been popping up frequently.
“Senior, it just looks like a regular cherry tomato, doesn’t it? Can I really skip packing meals?”
A junior was packing for a Gate raid. Checking weapons and packing food and drinks were standard before heading out.
But the senior only packed a large bottle of drinking water and a few cherry tomatoes. The junior couldn’t understand the senior’s actions.
“Senior, don’t ask me for food inside the Gate.”
“Don’t worry. Once you try this, you’ll change your mind.”
“Come on, how can a cherry tomato the size of a coin fill me up? It won’t even make a dent.”
“This has more calories than it looks. More than the food you’re packing.”
“I don’t want to be a test subject for our guild’s new product, Senior.”
“Just try it once and decide.”
Seeing the senior pack dozens of cherry tomatoes in a plastic bag, the junior sighed deeply. The junior decided to pack much more food than usual, expecting the senior to ask for a share later.
As they set out to raid the Gate, the junior kept an eye out for when the senior would ask for food.
‘He’ll probably hold out for a day for pride’s sake. He’ll likely ask for food by tomorrow afternoon…’
But even after the afternoon passed and the Gate raid ended, the senior seemed fine. In fact, his stomach looked slightly more protruding than when they entered the Gate…
