When you think of sukiyaki, beef is usually the first thing that comes to mind. After that, you have the vegetables—scallions and shiitake mushrooms—along with shirataki noodles, tofu, and perhaps some crown daisy and eggs.
At any rate, the beef was undoubtedly the most important ingredient, so we decided to secure that first.
"If we're looking for beef, I recommend a butcher shop in a trade city in the western region of the Kingdom of Sinfonia," Kuro suggested. "The quality is excellent, and the prices are quite reasonable."
"I see... I half expected us to go off and hunt some legendary monster cow."
"We certainly could," Kuro replied with a smile. "There are cow-type monsters with delicious meat, but I don't think that fits our theme today. We aren't exactly trying to make the world's greatest sukiyaki or anything like that."
"Well, you're right about that. Even if I got my hands on incredible meat like that, I wouldn't know how to handle it properly. I’m the one doing the cooking this time, after all."
"Exactly. That's why I think something you can find in a shop is best."
She was right. If I had my heart set on ultra-premium sukiyaki, it would be faster just to hand Alice a platinum coin and let her handle it. Since I was the one behind the stove, I needed ingredients that were easy to work with. Kuro really was reliable; she had chosen a shop specifically with that in mind.
We teleported to the trade city via Kuro's magic and arrived at our destination. It was a classic, quintessential butcher shop. Unlike a modern supermarket, the various cuts of meat were displayed in glass cases, waiting to be selected and sold by weight.
"Hmm, I wonder which cut would be best?" I mused.
"I'm not exactly an expert on the specifics either," Kuro admitted. "Ah, wait! Shaltier—help us out!"
"If it’s sukiyaki you’re after, I’d recommend the round, the shoulder, the shoulder loin, or the rib loin," Alice said, materializing the moment Kuro called her name. Having a culinary expert like her around was incredibly reassuring.
"Round is lean and healthy, but it gets tough easily, so it's a bit tricky to handle. Shoulder has a nice balance of texture and umami, though the flavor is a bit strong and the marbling is light. Shoulder loin is beautifully marbled and melts in your mouth; it's the standard choice for high-end sukiyaki. Then there's the rib loin, which is all about that tender, buttery marbling... Personally, I think the shoulder loin is the safest bet."
"I see. That’s very helpful, thanks."
"You’re making some for me too, right?" Alice asked.
"...Right."
It was sound advice, and since sukiyaki is best shared among a group, I didn't mind. However, I realized that if Alice was joining us, we were going to need a mountain of food.
"Actually, Kuro, if Alice is eating with us, maybe we should just buy all four types. What do you think?"
"That sounds like fun," Kuro agreed. "We can compare the different cuts, and Shaltier gets to eat to her heart's content. It's a win-win."
"Then I’ll take all the cuts Alice mentioned."
Just as Kuro said, buying every variety would let us enjoy a taste test. Each cut seemed to have its own merits, and it sounded like a treat to experience them all.
"In that case, Alice, why don't you stay with us instead of disappearing? I'd appreciate the extra advice."
"Well, if Kuro-san doesn't mind..."
"Actually, neither Kuro nor I know the finer points of sukiyaki. Is there anything else we should pick up?"
Since we were all going to gather around the pot eventually, I figured it was better to have her help from the start. Neither Kuro nor I were particularly gifted in the kitchen, so Alice's participation was more than welcome.
"First things first," Alice said. "You’ll want to pick up some granulated sugar."
"Sugar? The kind used for cotton candy?"
"Yes, specifically the brown variety known as brown coarse sugar. The caramel produced by the heat during its manufacture gives it that color, and that same caramel adds a wonderful depth to the warishita. Since the warishita defines the flavor of the dish, it's a vital ingredient."
"I see. That’s a great tip."
I certainly didn't have any brown coarse sugar in my Magic Box. It was a relief to have someone around who knew these things.
"So, what's next on the list?" Alice asked.
"Vegetables, I suppose," Kuro said. "I was thinking we should get some from the Arclesia Empire."
"Good call," Alice agreed. "Generally, the Kingdom of Sinfonia is the heart of agriculture, but the vegetables found in that specific city in the Arclesia Empire frontier are in a league of their own. At least, within the Human Realm..."
"I think we should stick to ingredients we can find in the Human Realm this time," Kuro suggested. "If we start looking at the Demon Realm, we'll just end up deciding to get everything from Raz's field anyway."
"Well, that’s true enough..."
The two of them were already moving the conversation along at a brisk pace. Since they both knew much more than I did, I decided to leave the sourcing to the experts while I focused my energy on the preparation. Though, judging from the tone of the conversation, Alice clearly had no intention of doing anything but eating.
Serious-senpai: "Strictly speaking, wouldn't it be more efficient if Alice did the cooking?"
???: "How shallow. One shouldn't be a slave to efficiency alone."
Serious-senpai: "...You all just want to eat food Kaito made himself, don't you?"
???: "............"