I Opened a Café in Another World.-Volume 1, Chapter 5: I learned about the food on the table.

My cry of anguish echoed across the breakfast table in the Claude mansion.

Gil and Tasia gaped. The head maid who was serving the food, Mary, and the butler Reid were shocked by my outburst. Seeing their faces, I came to my senses and realized I had voiced my complaint aloud. Oh no. I’m seated at the breakfast table in the Claude mansion, and I complained out loud. Our relationship was going so well, and now…

But it’s torture to have to keep eating such boring food forever! Oh, I miss soy sauce and miso so much.

“Uhm, Risa? Is the food here different from the food where you came from?”

Tasia lightly asked me, perhaps considering how emotional I became.

“…well, yes. Unfortunately…”

It was a bit late to repair what I did, but I still took the opportunity to talk to them honestly. After we finished breakfast, I explained the situation to Gil, Tasia, the head maid Mary, and the butler Reid.

“I lived in a country called Japan, whose food culture was recognized globally to be quite advanced.”

Sushi, Tempura, sukiyaki, udon. Curry and ramen also evolved in Japan, and was lauded as a staple in the Japanese diet. If even the tsukemono1 of the old days, or natto or umeboshi were here on the table, I could eat so many bowls of rice.

…Ah, they don’t have white rice here.

“The staple of this country is bread, right?”

“Yes. Not just this country, but also the neighboring countries as well.”

“I see…in the world I was in, the bread was very fluffy and different from the bread here. Also, the staple of the country I was born in was rice, not bread.”

“Rice?”

Everyone stared blankly at me.

“…rice doesn’t exist here, does it? Then do you eat any noodles?”

“…noodles?”

“…ah…well, noodles are made by mixing flour and water and kneading the dough into a string-like shape. Then you boil it and eat it with soup and sides. The flour can be made with rice or other grains.”

“Wow.”

“Also, what types of seasoning are there?”

“What type? Well, salt, sugar, and…ah yes, pepper.”

“And?”

“And? …that’s it…”

I expected as much, but I still couldn’t hide my dejection.

“It was quite bland, so that’s what I expected…”

“Your world must have a lot of seasoning, then?”

“Yes. I use more than a dozen every day.”

“A dozen!”

“That many?”

“Yes.” 𝒇𝗿𝙚ℯ𝑤ℯ𝑏𝒏𝑜ѵe𝙡.c𝐨ｍ

“It is no wonder the food is so different, then.”

It really is, Gil. What should I do…

“Oh, by the way, where would you say the food is most advanced in this world?”

My small ray of hope was stamped into oblivion by Gil’s words.

“That would be here, Feliformia. The capital is also an academic city, so there are a lot of people moving around. Trade is very busy here, too, what with all the large firms.”

I feel a bit bad as Gil was speaking of Feliformia so proudly, but I really wished it wasn’t so. Essentially, the cuisine in this country is the forefront of all cuisine in this world. It also erases the possibility that the food here at the Claudes is just especially bad.

“I see. For my last question, do you eat any sweets?”

“…We don’t have any sweets cuisine, no.”

Well, it’s not a cuisine. Technically it’s more of a food category, Tasia.

I sank into the sofa and my disappointment, deflated by the final blow.

“Risa~, are you oka~y?”

Gil was looking out for me after watching me sink lower with each question.

Hm. I have to do something about this myself.

“Gil, Tasia.”

“Y-yes?”

“From now on, I’ll make the food for the Claude family!”