Chapter Twenty-three: I Shape the Rice into a Ball, and Put It into the Lunch Box
Making the rolled omelet didn’t take too long, and there was still time before the rice finished cooking. With the dishes washed too… Let’s see, why don’t I look around near Campy for anything edible?
As I thought, when I walk around the vicinity, I stumble upon an unexpected treasure.
“Wow, what a catch!”
“Rin, what are you planning to do with those leaves?”
“I was thinking we could use them in place of plates.”
In my hands are large broad leaves about twice the size of bamboo leaves, known as zeeram leaves. Geez, if you made a leaf boat out of these, it would be huge!
While not edible, these non-toxic leaves caught my eye as potentially perfect wrappers for the rice balls and omelet. You know, those rice balls and pickles wrapped in something like bamboo sheath that you often see in Japanese folktales, they just look delicious on their own, don’t they?
To be honest, I believe there was a cheap picnic sheet somewhere in Campy, so if I spread that on the ground, we should secure a place to eat. Then, if I also bring along a foldable mini aluminum table, we could place drinks like barley tea on it too…
I just thought that if we’re going to eat outside, it would be nice to pay attention to the ambiance… Yup. Plus, it seems like this zeeram leaf could be used as an ingredient for herbal tea if dried, so I plan to wash and dry it after the meal, and then make my own blend of herbal tea!
I intentionally declined Mr. Ville’s suggestion of casting a cleaning spell on the leaves and instead opted for a thorough rinse to ensure the dirt was removed and it retained a bit more moisture. Having some moisture helps prevent the rice balls from sticking too much when wrapped and also makes it less likely for the leaves to absorb oil, or so I heard.
As I wipe the moisture from the leaves with kitchen paper, a melody from the rice cooker chimes in, singing, "Your rice is ready☆." Is this tune "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"…? Come to think of it, there were rice varieties called "Seven Stars" and "Starry Dreams"…
Oops! I got a bit distracted there!
Unlike cooking rice in a pot or mess tin, rice cooker rice shouldn’t be left steaming. So it’s time to fluff it up!
When I open the lid, a rush of steam fills the air, carrying with it the sweet aroma of cooked starch, the savory scent of heated soy sauce, and the slightly bitter fragrance resembling caramelized sugar. All these scents overwhelmed my senses in an instant. And I also feel a hint of an earthy, mushroom-like woodiness.
"…Smells delicious…”
"The aroma alone is mouthwatering…”
Gently using a rice paddle, I fluff up the rice, making sure not to overwork it. By doing this, any excess moisture evaporates, ensuring the rice remains fluffy and delicious even when it cools down! And if you flip the bottom, you’ll find a beautifully golden crust, isn’t that just wonderful!
I lay a sheet of food wrap in the large bowl I found in Campy’s cupboard, and begin to heap a generous portion of piping hot freshly cooked seasoned rice into it. All that’s left is to shape it into rice balls… but… it looks really hot… But I have to do it!
“Ouch! Hot! So hot!”
“Are you okay, Rin? Need any help?”
“No, it’s hot but… I have to do it while it’s hot!”
Eek! Hot! I knew it would be hot but it’s insanely hot! While bouncing the rice in my hand, I’m desperately shaping it into rice balls! The rice itself is hot, but the steam escaping from the gaps is also scalding hot! With a gasping breath, I shape the rice balls as Mr. Ville watches me with a worried expression. But I can’t ask for his help. I can’t risk burning the palms of a frontline warrior like him!
…Plus, I may be biased, but I get the feeling if Mr. Ville made rise balls he’d compress them with excessive force… I want rice balls, not rice cakes!
Occasionally cooling my hands with water, I somehow managed to shape two regular-sized balls and four sets of two large ones. Even so, there was still a tiny bit of seasoned rice left…
“Mr. Ville, Mr. Ville! Have a half of this!”
“It’s quite dark though…”
“That’s the crunchy crust part! It’s the best!”
The fresh crust from the just-cooked seasoned rice is delightfully crisp and delicious. It absorbed moisture and softened as it cooled, but I think that’s tasty too. When I put the still-warm crust in my mouth, there’s still a slight crunchy sensation left. The crust is slightly bitter because it’s technically "burnt", but even more so, the rice tastes sweeter! Maybe it’s the contrast effect? That alternating crispy and chewy mouthfeel is also part of what keeps it interesting, I think.
I glance sideways at Mr. Ville. He seems to be also captivated, as he nods vigorously the moment our eyes meet.
"Quite different from a pilaf.”
“Pilafs have the rice sautéed first before cooking, so they’re crispy.”
"This one, on the other hand, is moist and has just the right amount of oiliness. It feels like it’ll really fill you up.”
"I didn’t sauté the rice itself, but I did pre-cook the other ingredients in oil. With the meat mixed in too, it should be quite satisfying.”
Once the rice balls cooled slightly, I arranged them on the larger leaves of the zeeram leaves I collected earlier. Although I shaped them quite large, the leaves were big enough to wrap them fully. Fantastic! As for the egg omelet with zeseri, I roughly divided it into four equal portions after cutting off the edges. Since omelets are thicker in the middle, I cut the widths a bit unevenly to portion it out.
Of course, the edges are reserved for me. The edges of dishes like omelet and pound cake are delicious! Mr. Ville looks at them with eyes that say, "That looks delicious too…" But, sorry, no nibbling on the edges because there’s no extra! Too bad!
I nestle the omelet quarters beside the rice ball sets and fold the zeeram leaves over them into tidy packets. If one leaf isn’t enough to cover, I layer another leaf on top.
Finally, I took out barley tea from the fridge, got some glasses…
"We’re back… I’m starving.”
"Oh yeah, we got a good haul! We ended up with more than the delivery amount!”
"It’s great to hear that everything went smoothly on your end as well.”
Right as I finished setting up, Aria, Ed, and Xenon returned. They are all carrying large bags, but their clothes and bodies do not appear to be soiled.
Since basic life magic can be used with just a bit of magical power, perhaps everyone used cleaning magic before returning?
Anyway…
“Welcome back! The food is ready!”
I greet them with a smile.
So then, shall we eat?!
The translator’s corner
The title of this chapter was originally in English.
Finally they are gonna eat her food, thank you for the translation <3
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