LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 125.2
For Breakfast, Leftover Rice With Dashi Chazuke
The dashi believer didn’t have much interest in whether eggs were soft or hard-cooked. Or rather, he could enjoy them either way.
So, since Yuuri was cooking two at once, he prepared them soft-cooked to his liking. There were no objections, so the deliciously cooked bacon and eggs turned out to be soft-cooked, just as Yuuri preferred. Once plated alongside the salad, breakfast was ready.
With the bacon and eggs finished, Yuuri poured the slightly cooled dashi over the rice in the bowl. As steam billowed out, he instinctively leaned his face back to avoid it. …Fogging up his glasses would be a hassle.
When Yuuri told Magg, who was already standing by with a spoon, to wait a moment, he sprinkled crumbled nori and katsuobushi over the dish. Ideally, ingredients like chirimen jako, shiso leaves, or mitsuba would add color and nutrition, but since this was an impromptu dish, those weren’t available. Well, it happens.
“Alright, it’s done. Let’s eat!”
“Roger.”
Carrying their bowls of dashi chazuke, the two moved to the table. Incidentally, Magg had already taken the bacon, eggs, and salad to the table the moment they were ready. …Today, Magg was moving remarkably quickly. He must have really been looking forward to the dashi chazuke.
Saying “Itadakimasu” in unison, they began their meal. Yuuri used chopsticks, while Magg used a spoon. Though their utensils differed, they both started by breaking up the umeboshi and rice. Since the umeboshi had been added whole, the idea was to mash it up and spread the flavor evenly. The rice, being cold and firm, needed the warmth of the dashi to soften. It was like a little prep step to make the meal more enjoyable.
After mixing everything together with the nori and katsuobushi, they began eating. Since he was using chopsticks, Yuuri held the bowl in one hand and shoveled the food into his mouth. That’s just how chazuke is meant to be eaten—no need to fuss over it. Though still hot, the gentle flavor of the dashi combined with the tangy umeboshi made it truly delicious. It was a comforting taste. The nori and katsuobushi also helped temper the umeboshi’s sourness, preventing it from being overwhelming.
Don’t underestimate chazuke.
With the addition of dashi, it becomes a step above, and by adjusting the toppings, it can transform into a proper dish. Something like tai chazuke, for instance, is considered a decent dish in its own right. There are even regional variations of chazuke, making it a versatile dish, dashi chazuke included.
When Yuuri glanced at Magg, he was eating with extreme satisfaction. Normally, Magg would devour any dashi-related dish at an incredible speed, but today was different. Since it was dashi chazuke, it was hot, and he also knew there were no refills. He seemed to understand that this was something to savor slowly and carefully.
Scooping the dashi-soaked rice with his spoon, he brought it to his mouth. His actions were repetitive, and his expression hadn’t changed, but it felt as though musical notes were dancing above his head. It seemed dashi chazuke suited the dashi believer’s tastes perfectly.
“Magg, is it good?”
“Delicious.”
“I see. That’s great.”
“Delicious… delicious.”
As Magg cheerfully answered, his words trailed off. Yuuri glanced over curiously and noticed Magg’s bowl was nearly empty. With just two bites left, the meal would be finished. Even though he’d been trying to eat slowly, food runs out when it runs out. Watching Magg, slightly dejected as he gazed at the emptying bowl, Yuuri couldn’t help but chuckle. Truly, the dashi believer loved dashi again today.
“Magg.”
“…?”
“Dashi chazuke is pretty simple to make, so you could have it at the end of a meal when rice is the main dish.”
“…?”
“Like after eating all the side dishes, you could pour dashi over the last bit of rice.”
“…Roger!”
At Yuuri’s suggestion, Magg’s face seemed to light up. …Or so it appeared. His facial muscles barely moved, but his eyes sparkled differently, and his aura was unmistakable. Joy radiated from him. …It seemed he really liked the idea.
Yuuri’s proposal was something he considered normal. While preparing dashi chazuke could be a bit of a hassle, finishing a meal with a bit of rice and chazuke wasn’t uncommon. After eating the main dishes, enjoying some pickles and chazuke was nothing out of the ordinary. Yuuri figured that next time, he’d need to make a larger batch of dashi since others might want some as well. That was probably a safe assumption. The Scarlet Lynx crew loved good food, after all.
“You can also enjoy it with toppings other than umeboshi. Let’s try different combinations.”
“Roger.”
Magg responded so quickly, as if his reply was perfectly in sync, that it was clear he was delighted by the offer. Seeing such a straightforward reaction, Yuuri smiled warmly.
Afterward, having dashi chazuke as a meal finisher when rice was the main dish became a trend at the hideout for a time. Deliciousness is justice!