Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 39

Extracurricular Story 39. Imperial Miscellany (4)

Hyang, having spent the night reveling in the ‘amazing and addictive pain,’ summoned his officials the very next day.

“About that ingredient I ate yesterday. I think it’s time we gave it a proper name. What suggestions do you have?”

“……”

Seeing the officials’ silent response, Hyang asked with a slightly worried expression.

“Why aren’t you answering? This isn’t like you all.”

“We hesitate to inform you, Your Majesty, but we haven’t yet encountered it ourselves, and thus haven’t found a suitable name.”

“Huh? You haven’t eaten it yet? I assumed you learned about it through the naturalized Meshica [referring to the indigenous people of the Meshica region] natives?”

“We… we apologize, Your Majesty.”

“There’s no need to apologize. This is a perfect opportunity. Try eating it here and now.”

“Your… Your Majesty?”

The officials looked at Hyang with surprised expressions.

However, Hyang continued speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Just think of it as a stronger sansho [Japanese pepper] or chopi [another type of Japanese pepper]. Go ahead and give it a try.”

“Yes, yes… We obey your command.”

The officials reluctantly picked up the chili peppers, their faces etched with resignation, as if they had already accepted their fate.

In that instant.

“Kuh! Keuaaak!”

“Cough! Cough!”

“Water! Waaater!”

The officials who had dared to bite into the chili peppers screamed and bolted from the room.

After such a commotion, the officials swiftly devised a name and presented it to Hyang.

“It’s so numbing and painful that it should be called Gocho (苦椒), using the character for suffering (苦) and the character for sansho tree (椒).”

“I think that’s quite fitting. Let’s present it to His Majesty on the mainland.”

At this, the officials replied in unison.

“We obey your command!”

‘Huh? Why do they suddenly look so excited?’

Hyang’s instincts were sharp. The officials carried out the order with undisguised glee.

“When His Majesty receives something precious, he always shares it with his subjects.”

“He’ll share it this time too, right?”

“Of course, wouldn’t he?”

The officials packed the chili peppers with mischievous smiles.

‘Misery loves company!’

Time passed, and a letter arrived from Wan, who had received the Gocho.

-Is there something I have done wrong?

-If you have any complaints, please tell me!

* * *

However, Hyang wasn’t finished yet.

“If there’s Gocho, there must be Gocho paste! [Korean chili paste]”

Hyang immediately went to the royal kitchen, found the head chef, and issued his command.

“You’re ordering me to make paste with Gocho?”

“That’s right.”

At Hyang’s command, the head chef tried repeatedly, using all his culinary knowledge, but each attempt ended in failure.

So, Hyang decided to intervene once again.

“How did Grandma Go make Gochujang [another name for Korean chili paste]?”

Hyang diligently searched his memories of the 21st century.

The place where Hyang had opened a smithy in the 21st century was a rural farming village a bit outside of Yangsan.

It was a village populated almost entirely by elderly people, with the youngest ‘Youth Association President’ being 63 years old, excluding Hyang.

Since there were so many old people, one might expect traditional handmade sauces to be commonplace, but factory-made sauces were actually more common.

This was because they lacked the physical strength required for the labor-intensive traditional methods.

Of course, there were some who stubbornly insisted on making their own sauces.

Grandma Go, who lived closest to Hyang, was one of them.

As a result, Hyang was always called upon to help Grandma Go whenever she made sauces.

Following Hyang’s advice, based on his memories from that time, the head chef finally completed the Gocho paste and presented it to Hyang.

“Huh? There are two types?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“What’s the difference?”

“The one with the darker red color is extremely spicy, while the one with the lighter color is milder.”

“Is that so? Let’s see.”

Hyang nodded after dipping chopsticks into each Gocho paste and tasting them.

‘The red one is a ‘die trying’ level of spicy, and the orange-like one is an ‘eat it if you dare’ level.’

“Both have their own unique characteristics, so record the methods for making both.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. And I have a request.”

“A request? What is it?”

“Gocho paste is a unique and unfamiliar sauce, so it’s difficult to imagine foods that would pair well with it. Please provide us with your guidance.”

Seeing the head chef openly waving the white flag, Hyang immediately offered an answer.

He suggested ‘Jeyuk Bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork)’ and ‘Gochujang Jjigae (Gochujang stew),’ dishes most familiar to those who live and eat alone.

“How is it? Not bad, right?”

“Although the spiciness makes it difficult to eat casually, it possesses a flavor that makes it worth the effort.”

“Right? If we put our minds to it, we can create even more dishes.”

“I will try my best.”

Hyang, pleased by the head chef’s favorable comments, returned with a bright smile.

The head chef, watching Hyang depart, muttered while staring at the Gocho paste jars in front of him.

“I sincerely hope this doesn’t happen again. Perhaps I should offer a bowl of clear water and pray for deliverance?”

However, before long, the head chef found himself worrying once more.

Because a new ingredient appeared as if summoned by his fears.

This time, it was tomatoes.

* * *

As the stabilization of the Meshica region progressed smoothly, reports on all sorts of ingredients were sent to Hyang.

Among these was the report on tomatoes.

‘Finally!’

Hyang rejoiced inwardly at the sight of the tomatoes brought by the official, but outwardly he feigned ignorance and asked a question.

“What is this?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, it is an ingredient that the natives call ‘Shitomateul’.”

“Since you’re already calling it an ingredient, it must be even better than Gocho, right?”

“Properly ripened Shitomateul has a pleasant savory taste.”

“Savory taste… Good.”

And, before long, the head chef was given another assignment.

“You want me to make sauce with Shitomateul? Oh, for crying out loud!”

Despite his muttered curses, it was a direct order, so the head chef had no choice but to repeatedly attempt the challenge.

However, weary of repeated failures, he sought Hyang’s assistance.

But this also proved to be a difficult problem for Hyang.

“I’ve only ever eaten ketchup, I’ve never made it myself! Cooking wasn’t exactly my area of expertise. And Grandma Go was a fan of Korean food, not Western food!”

In the end, Hyang resorted to a clever trick to solve this predicament.

-Send a chef from Il Venezia [a fictional Italian-themed establishment].

“When it comes to tomatoes, the first things that come to mind are pizza and pasta. So, Italy it is!”

Wan, upon receiving Hyang’s request, dispatched Alberto to Shinji without a word.

Fortunately, Fabio, a chef from Rome, had recently arrived in ‘Il Venezia,’ so there were no major complications.

The first thing Alberto did upon arriving in Shinji was to taste the Shitomateul.

“It’s quite an interesting ingredient, isn’t it? Then…”

Next, Alberto observed the natives’ cooking methods.

After examining their techniques, Alberto soon created a plausible Shitomateul puree.

“Something’s missing?”

Alberto, sensing a lack after tasting the puree, began to experiment with various spices and seasonings.

Hyang, upon hearing the news, tasted and provided feedback on each of Alberto’s creations.

Based on this evaluation, Alberto continued to refine his combinations.

During this process, Hyang earned the nickname ‘Weird Food Emperor’.

This was due to his serious demeanor while evaluating sauces that were difficult for ordinary imperial citizens to comprehend.

However, after numerous attempts, proper tomato puree and edible ketchup were finally created.

In imperial terms, it was the birth of ‘Shitomateul porridge’ and ‘Shitomateul thin sauce’.

Before long, they became known as ‘Shito porridge’ and ‘Shito water sauce’ among the populace.

Once a proper tomato puree was developed, Hyang sought out Alberto.

“Do you remember the dish I made when I was a crown prince? Was it Focaccia?”

“Ah! I remember! Come to think of it, I have something to tell Your Majesty.”

“To me? What is it?”

“A friend from Rome has recently arrived, and he knows a similar dish. He said they call it pizza in Rome.”

Hyang’s eyes lit up at Alberto’s explanation.

‘Jackpot!’

Hyang, barely managing to maintain his composure, continued to speak.

“That’s right. What I was thinking was, spread Shitomateul porridge on the pizza dough, sprinkle cheese on top, then add salami and herbs and bake it in the oven. What do you think?”

Alberto’s eyes widened with excitement upon hearing Hyang’s suggestion.

“That sounds incredibly interesting! If it works, it could be something truly special!”

“Then let’s give it a try!”

Soon, an oven was constructed, and a pizza with Shitomateul porridge was baked.

Hyang, receiving a slice of pizza fresh from the oven, inhaled its aroma with a satisfied expression.

“It smells absolutely mouth-watering.”

‘That’s right! This is what pizza should smell like!’

Hyang, taking a bite with eager anticipation, beamed with delight.

‘It’s so good to see you again, pizza! It’s been too long!’

“It’s worthy of being called a delicacy!”

After that, Alberto’s luggage for his return to the mainland included a book containing the recipes for ‘Shitomateul porridge’, ‘Shitomateul thin sauce’, and ‘Imperial Pizza’.

And, before long, the meals of the imperial citizens began to take on a distinctly red hue.

* * *

The method of making Gocho and Gocho paste quickly spread to the mainland.

The mainlanders of the empire, who were passionate about food, embraced these new ingredients and cooking methods with enthusiasm.

“Is this even something people can eat?”

“It’s not for eating, it’s for torturing people, isn’t it?”

Even for the imperial citizens who were already familiar with sansho and chopi, the initial encounter with Gocho was intense.

However, before long, they began to develop an addiction to Gocho.

“But why do I keep reaching for it?”

In addition, as the recipes for Gocho paste and Jeyuk Bokkeum became widely available, the meals of the imperial citizens became increasingly red.

The reason for their love affair with Gocho was its vibrant color and intense flavor.

Until then, the seasonings used in the meals of the imperial citizens were primarily the yellow of soybean paste or the brown of soy sauce.

In this context, the red color of the newly introduced Gocho paste was a refreshing shock to the senses.

And even more impactful than the color was its intense flavor.

The powerful taste that completely overwhelmed the individual flavors of the ingredients in a dish was a welcome aid for those who weren’t skilled at cooking.

Thanks to its intensity, even mediocre dishes could be considered palatable.

Of course, it was even more beneficial for those who were already proficient in the culinary arts.

A prime example was kimchi, which traditionally only had a salty taste, but was transformed into a complex flavor profile with the addition of Gocho’s clean spiciness.

Furthermore, with the introduction of Shitomateul, the meals of the imperial citizens became even more ‘reddened’.

As the tastes of the imperial citizens evolved with the introduction of Gocho and Shitomateul, neighboring countries also began to encounter these ingredients.

“It’s quite an interesting food ingredient.”

The reaction of the Myung people, who were as passionate about food as the imperial citizens, or even more so, was positive.

However, the reaction of the Japanese, on the other hand, was extremely negative.

“Those crazy imperial bastards, are they trying to poison themselves!”

The imperial citizens who heard about the Japanese reaction were bewildered.

“Are those the same people who eat pufferfish eggs?”

Interestingly, as Gocho and Shitomateul gained popularity, the consumption of garlic by the imperial citizens skyrocketed.

“This Gocho and garlic surprisingly complement each other, don’t they?”

“That’s true, but try dipping fried garlic in Shito water sauce. It’s a delicacy, I tell you, a delicacy!”

As time passed, less spicy varieties of Gocho were developed through selective breeding, and the imperial citizens’ ‘Gocho love’ became firmly established.