Now then, can I do it?
I looked at the dried corn. What I have now is corn from the island of Targui. The corn was hard and dry to the touch.
Well, I’ll be lucky if I can make popcorn out of these, as I pondered while making preparations.
I prepared a frying pan, started a fire, added oil, and added dried corn kernels. At first, I used only a small amount of corn kernels, as this was an experiment.
I lightly rolled the corn kernels in the pan.
This should hopefully explode and produce popcorn.
Now, all we have to do is wait.
I looked at the corn kernels on the frying pan and noticed something.
……Oops, no time to look. I almost forgot to put the lid on. I put the lid on the pan in a hurry. If I hadn’t put the lid on, I would have been in trouble. The moment the popcorn was ready, it popped. If I didn’t put the lid on, it would have definitely popped out of the pan.
But it’s a shame that the lid made it impossible to see the popping moment.
Would that work if I build an enclosure to keep them from popping out, as I’ve seen in food stalls back on earth?
I heard a “pop!” in the pan as I thought about this. When one pops, another pop, and another, and another. “Pop!” It kept going on and on.
Oh, the popcorn seems to be done successfully.
I held back from opening the lid to check it out. Obviously, opening the lid too early will cause unnecessary problems.
I waited for the popping to stop as I rocked the frying pan to stir the inside.
After a while, the popping stops
Is it ready?
I slowly opened the lid and peeked through the crevice.
Oh, it’s done.
It wasn’t grains, but white popcorn!
I opened the lid and sprinkled some salt.
When the popcorn was salted, I turned off the heat and placed it on a plate.
Now then, how does it taste?
I grabbed the popcorn with my bear puppet and put it in my mouth.
“Hot!”
I didn’t realize how hot the popcorn was when I grabbed it because of the bear puppet, but the popcorn was piping hot because it had just been made.
But the popcorn in my mouth was the popcorn I knew so well.
I put it in my mouth carefully this time. Yes, it tastes nostalgic. After potato chips, I now have more snacks.
Now if only there was ice-cold Cola and a TV, it would have been perfect. I could have spent an elegant day watching anime. It’s a shame, though, because at least a manga or novel would have brought me back to my hikikomori days.
But I’m glad it turned out well. I threw popcorn in my mouth.
I think I could also make curry and cheese flavors, not just salt. And since I have soy sauce, maybe a soy butter flavor would be nice. I pondered over my snack pack.
I still have some corn kernels left, so I might make some.
Thinking so, I decided to summon Fina as a taste tester.
I took out my summoning tool, the mighty bearphone.
“Ah, Fina. Are you free right now? Yeah, I’m waiting, so come over right away.”
The bearphone was a very convenient tool.
In my original world, I had a smartphone but I rarely used the call function. Coming to this world, I reaffirm that long-distance communication was, in fact, convenient.
I decided to make more popcorn before Fina arrived.
While I was leisurely making popcorn, an out-of-breath Fina came in.
“Yu, Yuna-oneesan, what is that?” (Fina)
She didn’t have to run that would take her out of breath. I took out a towel for Fina, whose forehead was sweating bullets.
“I made some snacks and thought you might want a taste.” (Yuna)
“U~u, then just say so. Asking me out of the blue if I am free right now. And when I said yes, you suddenly told me to come right away.” (Fina)
Did I say that? I think I did. Well anyway, I let Fina sit in the chair and served her cold fruit juice. After Fina drank the fruit juice and settled down, I placed the popcorn on a plate in front of Fina.
“What is this?” (Fina)
Fina looked at the popcorn and asked. It can’t be helped because it’s the first time she saw it.
“It’s a snack called popcorn. I tried making various flavors, so go ahead and try it.” (Yuna)
“Etto, what about the spoon?” (Fina)
“Spoon?” (Yuna)
“Or a fork.” (Fina)
I never thought anyone would ask for a spoon or fork to eat popcorn.
Indeed, without any knowledge, it may be tempting to think it was necessary.
Popcorn was just as sticky on fingers as potato chips. Some people eat it with chopsticks to keep their hands clean, but I’ve never heard of anyone using a spoon and fork.
“You can eat them with your hands like potato chips.” (Yuna)
Fina looked at her hand, then grabbed the popcorn with her hand and put it in her mouth.
“So?” (Yuna)
“It’s salty.” (Fina)
Isn’t it~
Basically, popcorn itself doesn’t have a taste.
“Still, it’s soft and mysterious. But there’s also a hardness to it.” (Fina)
Oh, it’s the grainy part, yeah it’s hard.
“I’ve seasoned it in all kinds of flavors, so go ahead and try it.” (Yuna)
Curry, soy sauce, and cheese flavors were also available.
“Everything is delicious!” (Fina)
“That’s good to hear.” (Yuna)
“How did you make this?” (Fina)
“It’s corn. You ate it before.” (Yuna)
I put the corn on the table that we picked on our previous visit to Targui together with Shuri. (See chapter 423.)
“Yes, it was delicious when boiled.” (Fina)
“Well, that one was slightly different. I made this after drying the grains.” (Yuna)
I showed her the dried corn kernels.
“It’s very hard. How can this be that soft white stuff?” (Fina)
Evidence was always better than conceptualization. I made popcorn in front of Fina.
I put oil in the frying pan over heat and added dried corn kernels. Then placed the lid.
After a while, Fina was surprised by the “Pon!” sound. Fina was further surprised when she heard the series of “pon, pon, pon” popping sounds.
Seeing Fina’s surprised face makes me smile.
“Yuna-oneesan, it’s making a lot of noise. Is that okay?!” (Fina)
“It’s alright. But if you take the lid off now, you’ll be in big trouble.” (Yuna)
I really wanted to show her how popcorn was made. If only I had a glass lid.
Well, if it’s just to show her, I may only need one grain.
When the popping calmed down, I opened the lid, and the kernels of corn disappeared and were replaced by fluffy white popcorn.
Fina looked curiously into the pan.
“Now, watch, I’m going to put some in, and see what happens.” (Yuna)
I transferred the popcorn to a plate and put about three pieces of corn kernels in the pan.
Now I’ll make popcorn without the lid.
Then, after a moment, we heard a popping sound, and the popcorn bounced off of the pan.
“Well, it’s going to be like this, so that’s why we need the lid.” (Yuna)
“It’s strange that those hard grains would become like this.” (Fina)
Fina looked at the popcorn curiously.
Then, the popcorn I just made will be taken home as a souvenir for Shuri, who could not come. Of course, Tirumina-san and Gentz-san can eat it as well.
I just want to say one thing to Fina.
“Tell Tirumina-san that I don’t plan on putting it in the store.” (Yuna)
Whenever Tirumina-san saw a new food, she always asked me to tell her because she was worried about serving it in the store.
If we add more workload to the store, the kids would be in trouble and the bakery will go crazy. Perhaps at a school festival or a food stall, if I ever put it out, perhaps?
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Author’s Note:
The food story continues, but I couldn’t write it for a while unless I dealt with the story of popcorn first, so here it is.
I think it’s time to start a new arc.
[Notice] Starting today, a comic book version of the story has been started on Nico Nico Douga’s Nico Nico Seiga.
I will put the link below, so please take a look if you like.
[Notice] 13 episodes have been posted in the original comic PASH !. Please check it out at Comic PASH!
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