Chapter 30.2 ?

“It’s an onion soup with three kinds of cheese.”

Unlike the creamy soups most people think of, this was a transparent brown soup relying solely on the sweetness and savoury flavour of onions.

“…….”

The thick yellow and orange cheese melted perfectly, covered the soup so much that you couldn’t see through it.

Gio gently scooped up the soup.

‘The cheese isn’t that thick.’

The inside of the crispy grilled outer layer of the cheese was soft and delicate. Perhaps because it was in contact with the onion soup, it had absorbed the deep savoury flavour unique to well-fried onions.

‘The onion’s texture is well-preserved. Even though it was cooked so tender that it melts on the tongue, the onion’s original form is still visible, which means they made this soup with extreme care. It must’ve taken quite a bit of time.’

Cheese on top of onion soup. A common combination, yet Gio didn’t particularly like thick cheese on top. It was due to his personal preference that didn’t like how the cheese became rubbery when the soup and bowl cooled down.

‘Some might say that thick cheese adds texture, like radish or meat in soup… but that’s not for me. I just want to eat soup.’

However, the bowl of this soup maintained a warm temperature, and the cheese was neither too thin nor too thick, making it easy to scoop. Thanks to this, the natural flavour of the onion was even more emphasized.

“…….”

“Do you like it?”

“It feels nice, like it’s warming my body.”

“Indeed, onion soup feels like a bit of a healing dish.”

“I think so, too.”

The process of sautéing white, firm onions until they turned a deep caramel colour. That process was the key to making onion soup. If the onions were burnt or undercooked, you’d end up drinking bland onion water instead of tasting its savoury flavour.

But this soup, which had extracted every bit of sweetness, savoriness, and richness of the onions, was worthy of being called a healing dish. With ordinary effort and time, one wouldn’t be able to bring out all the flavours of the onion to this extent.

‘Kidnapping.’

Let’s kidnap the chef.

“This is a cheese flower salad with Amura purée.”

Upon hearing the new dish and the unfamiliar term, Gio naturally turned to look at Yoo Sung-woon.

It was a beautiful salad with a pale yellow sauce drizzled on top, cheese shaped like flowers scattered around, surrounded by neatly trimmed flower petals.

“…….”

“…….”

An explanation was needed.

“…….”

“Ah… are you curious about the ingredients?”

“If it’s alright, may I ask what Amura is?”

“It’s one of the representative fruits successfully cultivated after being brought from a dungeon. Do you know avocado?”

“I know.”

“It’s a fruit with soft flesh similar to that, but with a strong nutty aroma like that of nuts. The fruit contains a massive amount of oil, and that oil doesn’t burn easily at most temperatures, so I hear it’s often used in Chinese cuisine.”

“Then the flesh itself…”

“That’s right. This is the first time I’ve seen a place that uses Amura as a purée. Last season, there was a fruit salad. Histoire changes its menu every four months, so it’s always fun to visit.”

“I see.”

The fruit called Amura had a pale yellow colour, even lighter than a chick.

‘…It has a nuttiness similar to that of peanuts or walnuts.’

But it didn’t immediately remind him of nuts. Strictly speaking, it was more like the subtle sweetness and nuttiness you get from chewing rice for a long time.

Then, in the end, a rich sweetness like honey, and the tanginess unique to fruits hit—adding variation to the flavour.

‘It’s definitely rich in oil. It almost feels like marbling in beef…’

This sweet oiliness, somewhat reminiscent of bone broth, paired perfectly with the refreshingly spread petals. Gio’s eyes naturally fell on the cheeseflower, which resembled the shape of a korean rosebay.

“…….”

When he slightly split the cheeseflower, he could see that it was a ‘flower’ grown naturally like this from the beginning.

“… Cheese flower…”

“Are you interested? Should I get you some seedlings later?”

“Please do.”

“Alright. I’ll buy it for you on the way back after the tour.”

“Thank you.”

A flower that grows into cheese—what an exciting story to gather up all the childhood innocence anyone ever had. It seemed like something straight out of a fairytale he had read as a child.

‘Considering how much effort it takes for humans to make cheese, this is an incredibly charming flower.’

What even is cheese in the first place? Wasn’t it a symbol of effort, where you boil and boil the sweet milk, roll and roll it until one finally got a small quantity after all that work?

And now, this processed product was naturally growing as a flower—how could that not be surprising? The petals were thin and beautiful like a work of art.

‘What’s the mechanism behind this? The taste itself seems similar to Tête de Moine cheese…’

The semi-hard cheese maintained its shape but crumbled softly when touched, with the softness and nuttiness typical of milk, but with a strong, nutty aroma and a pungent, spicy flavour.

The cheese flower had a slightly stronger spiciness on the tip of the tongue, but it wasn’t unpleasant. It was just enough to refresh the oily taste of the Amura purée and the characteristic richness of the cheese.

‘This combination is a work of art. Could the chef be a living cultural treasure?’

Above all, the cheeseflower, being twice as sweet and nuttier than Tête de Moine, also carried a hint of honey. It was like the delicate sweetness you get when you flip over a korean rosebay flower and sip the nectar.

That sweetness matched the salad so well, it was almost frightening. Gio was excited at the thought of planting this flower back at the cabin.

“You look really happy.”

“Yes.”

What an obvious thing to say.

“Humans are happiest when they eat.”

“Uh… really?”

“Well, I am, at least.”

It had been that way since he ate the potatoes his grandmother roasted in the hearth. He couldn’t escape from this extremely primal pleasure.

The rest of the meal course was just as fantastic. There was gratin with a rich truffle aroma, french fries lightly topped with cheese, slow-cooked beef brisket infused with the aroma of wood, and garlic that was made into crispy chips.

For something known to be oily like French cuisine, the harmony was exquisite, making it a course that didn’t get tiring.

“How was it overall?”

“It wasn’t just good, it was excellent.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it…”

If you’re going to mimic humans, why don’t you at least pretend to care about your surroundings?

‘Humans are more social creatures than you think…’

Yoo Sung-woon, who had to bear the brunt of ‘what the hell is that’ gazes directed at Gio, smiled bitterly.

korean rosebay (pink azalea):

from what I look around, seems like most azalea is poisonous, only this pink azalea is edible.

Tête de Moine cheese (the only thing I know is that this cheese is expensive):