The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

'Spicy taste and aroma.'

It was exactly what Gio had been looking for.

Of course, there was more explanation about the Crying Hem.

…A herb growing like a concave bell. When dried in sunlight for over a month, it turns pink, and its leaves become plump. The refined pink Crying Hem produces an intensely sweet taste enough to tear your tongue apart. When pickled with the juice of these leaves, Lulupu petals greatly aid in optic nerve recovery.

Refinement Method: Dry the Crying Hem under the sun for over a month. The optimal time is when they turn deep pink and the leaves thicken to about 3 cm. Extract the juice from the leaves that have become swollen due to absorbing moisture from the air. This itself makes an excellent pain reliever, and if you put Lulupu petals in it and store it in a cool place, you can create a medicine for optic nerve recovery within three days.

But it was too long.

He just skimmed through it.

The only part that caught his eye was the 'spicy taste and aroma' part. Whatever optic nerve recovery benefits it had, the goal here was to enjoy some tasty sausage, not to find a remedy.

“Does it look like morning glory?”

While not identical, its fluttering lace-like leaves and vines clinging to trees were quite similar in form. However, its leaves were much larger than Morning Glory's….

“It's almost as big as my hand.”

“Coorrrr?”

“Yeah, it's pretty big.”

Despite Gio's hands not being particularly small, the size of Crying Hem was slightly larger than his palm.

“And the vine being a deep white colour is also unusual.”

The leaves of Crying Hem displayed a green gradient that darkened towards the tips. Its vine connected to the leaves was opaque white, which seemed like it would stand out prominently at night.

“Anyway….”

He harvested some peppers.

'I'll try making chilli powder with this.'

He was very pleased.

“Let's check how it is.”

He plucked and tore a Crying Hem before sniffing it. The pungent and spicy aroma was exceptional.

Although not exactly the same as Earth's peppers, it was close enough and had a uniquely soft scent that seemed like it would pair well with the nutty flavour of the meat. Though the complex aroma was almost dizzying. ŘÁ

'It's like a mix of chilli, Sichuan pepper, and… a faint hint of star anise? It also has a subtle sweetness similar to pandan leaves …. Since the meat already has a walnut or hazelnut-like aroma, if I use this right, I might just whip up sausage with the taste of dandan noodles¹.'

As Gio thought this far, he muttered.

“But….”

There was a problem.

“This seems like it would be overwhelming if used too much.”

As someone who eats everything, he had no issue with strong chilli aromas. However, the flavour of Sichuan pepper, star anise, and pandan leaves might be a bit too potent.

The numbing spiciness of Sichuan pepper and the mushy sweetness of pandan leaves could be overlooked, but the star anise….

“This is a bit too strong.”

“Coorrrrrr…”

And tearing a small piece and tasting it confirmed his thoughts.

“Yeah, it's too strong.”

The aroma was so intense it seemed to pierce through his nose into his brain.

“An assassination?”

Technically, it was closer to suicide, but the scent was that extraordinarily sharp.

Star anise is typically used to mask the gamey smell of pork. Its unique trait is its pungent yet somewhat bittersweet aroma.

The problem was that its 'sweetness,' when combined with the subtle sweetness of pandan leaves, gave an overwhelming heaviness.

“I shouldn't use too much of this.”

The earlier description mentioned that, with the right process, this plant could become intensely sweet, and noticing traces of peculiar sweetness in its scent, he vaguely understood. If handled correctly, it could indeed become very sweet.

“But it's not bad.”

“Coor…”

“Don't worry, Honey. I'm not going to make you eat it raw.”

After all, it was all going into the sausage anyway.

At that moment, he suddenly had a thought.

“…Are all the ingredients I'm using medicinal herbs?”

“Coo.”

“What kind of sausage am I even trying to make?”

Anyway, if there were too many, he'll wrap the rest for Yoo Sung-woon.

***

After a long adventure.

Gio returned to his cabin and proudly declared:

“I did it.”

He had found ginger.

“It's quite different from the ginger I know, but the flavour and aroma are similar enough to call it ginger.”

“Coo coo.”

“I'm not bluffing, it really is that similar.”

Arum

It has light brown skin and a faint pink hue. The flesh is dark red. It contains a high amount of starch, making it efficient when dried into powder. It can be consumed without additional refinement. A plant in the ginger family, characterized by its sharp aroma.

Refinement Method: Thinly slice and dry the pieces used as tea are effective for headaches. If powdered and dried under sunlight, it aids digestion and is excellent in restoring immunity.

“See?”

“Coor…”

There wasn't just one kind of ginger on Earth anyway.

“There's also a variety called galangal. It has a more complex aroma and softer flavour than the ginger commonly used back in my hometown….”

“If this is boring, you're free to say so.”

“Coo.”

“Okay, then.”

The 'Arum' found this time completely won Gio's heart.

The taste was quite spicy but leaned more toward a fiery sensation than numbness. The aroma was as strong and pungent as ginger commonly used in Korea, and if utilized properly, it seemed like it could make an excellent spicy and pungent spice.

“Ta-da.”

And there were plenty of other things he'd found this time.

“This is nutmeg….”

Raven Walnut

The shell is red, the flesh is white, and the seed is black. Mainly …

… the seeds are the part used, which can be consumed raw or dried. It's commonly used as a spice for its soft and deep flavour. The shell and flesh can be made into medicine.

Refinement Method: The seeds can be steamed and eaten in a softened state after peeling off the flesh. They can also be finely chopped or dried until hardened to be used as spices. The shell, when dried under the sun for over a day and brewed, became a medicinal drink beneficial for joints. The flesh, when its juice is extracted and solidified, becomes an ointment effective for healing external wounds.

“What a stubborn friend you are.”

“Coorrrr….”

“Glad you agree.”

Even Honey seemed to approve.

Anyway, he had found a nutmeg-like spice named Raven Nut. Even on Earth, it was a well-regarded spice—not overly stimulating, but capable of neutralizing odours and elevating the sophistication of dishes.

And the biggest discovery.

“The discovery of vinegar is truly remarkable.”

Wow, the wonders of nature!

“It's not just that, it's truly vinegar crafted directly by nature ….”

“Coooorrrk?”

“I think it's a bad habit to want to eat anything you think you can absorb all at once, son. If you keep doing that, someday you might eat something strange and end up with a stomachache, so try to develop some self-control.”

“Corrrrrrrrrrr…”

“Well, vinegar is not something that just forms naturally in nature.”

Life was truly an intriguing thing.

“I was already considering making vinegar or alcohol from Goby fruits.”

The ingredients for making vinegar were diverse.

“You can make vinegar with grains like rice, barley, or wheat… fruits like dates or peaches, flowers like lotus or roses, or even honey.”

However, the process of making it required significant effort.

“That's how it is with all fermented foods.”

The crucial point of fermentation was that if one isn't careful, it could easily turn into spoiled porridge. Only by maintaining the proper temperature and amount to cultivate the right bacteria can proper fermented food be achieved.

And as he had thought several times before, this place was a chef's paradise.

“There's even a large tree that produces vinegar on its own.”

It was a rather peculiar-looking tree.

There were trees with round, bead-like bulges near the roots on the base of each trunk, and among them, there was one that was particularly hard and was in dark red.

Attracted by the tangy scent, he approached and noticed vinegar seeping out bit by bit from the swollen trunk.

“It was an amazing sight.”

Gio had to once again cry out to the god of Heaven and Earth.

Candytrap Tree

A tree with a rounded base resembling candy. It is monoecious, with leaves on the outside but fruits growing inside the swollen trunk. The fruit of the Candytrap Tree, with a strong sweet and bitter taste, begins to rot from the inside if not taken out on time. Depending on various conditions, this fruit mixes with the tree's sap to become vinegar, juice, or fruit wine.

Refinement Method: By extracting the fruit before fermentation and soaking it in the Salasala tree sap, it can be used as an excellent nutritional supplement.

'I should also look for trees that produce juice or fruit wine.'

Anyway, that was all of the miscellaneous ingredients.

“The time has come.”

He was ready to make sausages.

“This is the main activity.”

“Coong?”

“You have served your purpose with your cuteness. Just watch.”

Gio washed his hands.

“I wonder how the intestines I soaked before have become.”

Gio approached the basin where he had soaked the deer's intestines.

Modern sausages typically use collagen casings. This would have made production much easier, but since this place was completely isolated in the middle of the forest, far from the modern world, Gio had no choice but to stick to the traditional methods.

“No matter how much I searched, I couldn't find casings in the cabin.”

“Cooo?”

“Painting casings is a bit difficult.”

Casings made of paint seemed like it would tear easily, which felt unsettling. He also thought it would be a hassle to draw the thin, transparent casings one by one.

Honey, staring at the intestines, let out a low cry, as if to say it were different from what it knew.

“It's been prepared, so it will be slightly different from what you know. All the fat or foreign substances that completely filled the inside have been removed, leaving only the skin, so the shape has also changed a bit from how it was.”

There was no bad smell in the intestines pickled in the sour fruit.

“Maybe it's because the meat didn't have any musty smell to begin with.”

After checking the intestines were cleaned and deodorized, Gio lifted the basin containing the intestines. Now, he planned to go down to the kitchen and start chopping the meat.

“When making sausages, it's best to use tough and strongly flavoured parts. Depending on preferences, deciding how tough the meat should be and which parts to mix is one of the pleasures of cooking.”

“Corrrrrrrrrr…”

“Since we can't eat it now, why don't you just step back and see?”

He immediately minced the meat.

“At this rate, the piglet will snatch it all away.”

He needed to make the sausages quickly.

“It should be fine to do a little more in this part.”

“Coong?”

“That'll improve the texture.”

How the meat is minced also greatly affects the sausage's texture.

If cut coarsely, it would be hard for the pieces to cling together but result in a thick, chewy, and lumpy texture. If minced finely, it will have a soft texture that slowly melts in the mouth.

“Mixing them appropriately works even better.”

On Earth, the uniformity of ground meat size was crucial due to drying issues, but this place was a painting brimming with the wonders of nature. Thanks to this, Gio could design sausages with unique textures.

Slightly coarsely cut pieces, or completely minced.

'The texture will be good if done this way, and it will also improve the appearance as it will fill the gap with the casing .'

After completely mincing the meat, Gio brought the ingredients to mix with the ground meat.

Milky Way Mary' to add the aroma of pepper and chilli, 'Crying Hem' to provide an intense and stimulating taste and aroma, and 'Arum' of the ginger family, which is definitely spicy like chilli and pungent.

He smoothly removed off-odours and added a sophisticated flavour with 'Raven Walnut,' along with the sweet and tangy vinegar from 'Candytrap Tree' that adds variation to the taste ….

How exciting.

“Nice.”

He couldn't contain his excitement.

“Who else could have such an experience?”

Mysterious ingredients found deep in a quiet forest devoid of human presence. The experience of cooking with ingredients holding flavors one couldn't have imagined, while breathing in the refreshing phytoncides.

That day, Gio made approximately 10kg of sausages.

In his enthusiasm, he got a bit carried away.

“I admit my mistake.”

He nodded.

“There's nothing to worry about, it's okay.”

“Coong.”

“We have Mr. Yoo Sung-woon.”

“Cooorr.”

They both agreed on how to deal with the excessive stock.

***

“Gio, are you here?”

Yoo Sung-woon went to give Gio some fish-shaped buns after a long while.

“I saw the student we met last time selling fish-shaped buns, so I bought a bag.”

“I see. Thank you for your kindness.”

“It's nothing big, so just take them. If you really feel you must return the favour, keep it simple with some food like before.”

“I happen to have just the right dish.”

“Oh, really? Perfect timing, I was getting hungry.”

How much time had passed?

He exited the gallery, holding a paper bag full of sausages.

“… This isn't appropriate at all.”

Though it was a completely different situation, he couldn't help but feel a bit cheated.

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