Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1709 The Secret to Deliciousness

"What? You woke me up in the middle of the night just for this?"

Fahrenheit was called to the kitchen with a bewildered look on his face.

"Why would I lie to you? This is incredibly delicious."

She didn't say anything, just followed behind Shangluo.

Upon reaching the kitchen, she first saw Han Xingzhi. There were other people there—upon closer inspection, it seemed there were quite a few, including the priest.

"Tsk. So it really was inviting me to dinner."

"What else do you think?"

"So if you wake me up in the middle of the night to eat, it has to be something really delicious?"

"Come on, Xiao Han, you tell us."

"It's incredibly delicious!" Han Xingzhi raised his hand. "My older brother really wasn't lying to you! This is simply the best thing I've ever eaten in my life!"

"You think so too?" She looked at Shangluo.

"It's not that exaggerated, but the taste is indeed quite good."

"Hmm, it's good that you're thinking of me with something good. Thank you very much—so what's for dinner?"

"Come on, try this." He made a whole pot of bean paste, and a big pot of stewed zucchini and eggplant. One was yellow, and the other was green; he served Phaethon a lump of each.

"." The two lumps in front of her were still steaming. Shang Luo hadn't plated them, so when the two lumps were placed in front of her, they were still slowly deforming and gradually collapsing into the shape of a plate—with the steam, they looked like two unidentified objects wriggling in the plate.

"Although it doesn't look very appealing, it actually tastes delicious."

"It's not that I don't believe you—it's just that you might be lying to me, but Xiao Han is unlikely to lie to me."

"Hmm~" Han Xingzhi nodded and said, "You're really good at judging people. I'm an incredibly honest person. When I say this is delicious, I genuinely think it's delicious."

Shangluo asked in confusion, "Then why do you look so unconvinced?"

"Because a large part of a person's perception of taste relies on their sense of smell. To me, these two lumps smell quite ordinary, without any of that 'incredibly delicious' feeling—and it's not that I don't believe you. It's just that while 'hunger' has an objective standard, there's no standard for whether something tastes good or not. Even the two of you would have different opinions about it, right?"

Han Xingzhi commented, "I have never eaten anything so delicious."

Shangluo's assessment was, "It's not that exaggerated, but it does taste pretty good."

"So I find it very strange that you two both say it's 'delicious' but to different degrees."

"So, you'll know once you try it." Shang Luo sat down in front of her.

Phaethon didn't say anything, but simply took a spoonful of bean paste and ate it.

She fell silent, then ate another spoonful of zucchini and eggplant stew.

After a longer silence, she ate a spoonful from each of them, one from each side.

She wiped her mouth with a towel and put down her spoon. "How is it? Isn't it delicious!" Han Xingzhi was extremely excited.

“I didn’t want to waste food, so I swallowed it. Then, I roughly understood what was going on. I also roughly understood why the two of you had different opinions about it.”

"Huh?" Shangluo asked, "Is it not tasty?"

“Come on.” Faetong stood up, pulled out a chair, and gestured for Shangluo to sit in her seat. “Why don’t you eat again?”

Shangluo sat down and took a bite. He also put down his spoon.

How does it taste?

"It tastes like ordinary bean paste. And it seems to have been cooked for too long, so it also has a burnt smell. All the 'deliciousness' I had before is gone."

"Huh? Really?" Han Xingzhi asked. "I don't believe it. How could something so delicious be gone just like that? Let me try it."

"Stop." Shang Luo picked up the plate. "You've gotten the most flavorful thing, kid. You're quite lucky. Alright, you're full. Go back now."

"Okay, I'm off then. Big brother, remember to call me next time if you need anything else."

"Okay, okay, you can go back now."

After he left, Shangluo put the plate back on the table and took another bite: "Hmm, as expected, the deliciousness is completely gone."

The magic failed. The bean paste tasted like bean paste again.

"So, his magic has a time limit?"

Phaethon nodded: "So, don't underestimate Roman alchemy. This kind of magic that makes food delicious isn't difficult in itself. But if you want to stabilize it and make it truly usable as a seasoning, that still depends on the power of alchemy."

"Their working principles are different, aren't they?"

“Yes, you’re very perceptive. In fact, the two sides are based on different foundations. Because, as I just said, everyone’s definition of ‘delicious’ is different, because the emotion of deliciousness is lofty and not rooted in human instinct.”

Deliciousness is not just about taste, but a comprehensive evaluation of food. Therefore, taste and appearance can sometimes be important indicators of whether a food is delicious or not.

Furthermore, finding something delicious requires more than just providing the body with necessary nutrients. It also necessitates considering its cultural context, experiences, and dietary beliefs—in other words, something might be considered delicious in culture A but not in culture B.

For example, in some places, people like to eat mandarin fish that has been aged to perfection. Locals believe that a perfectly aged mandarin fish will exhibit a rich fermented flavor and firm, garlic-clove-like flesh. However, to someone unaware of this, it looks like a fish that has been dead for seven or eight days and is considered rotten.

Most people in the world belong to the latter category. Because, instinctively, they see it as rotten fish. You have to eat it yourself to appreciate its deliciousness—of course, even after eating it, you may not realize it.

Compared to delicious food, hunger is much simpler. Because all humans experience hunger in a similar way, even among higher mammals. It's a basic human need for survival, two or even three levels below "delicious food."

"So that's how it is. That's why delicious food can have many layers?"

Phaethon nodded: "This is also the basis of many alchemical practices. Needs can be divided into five levels from low to high—physiological needs, safety needs, belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization. As for diet, it can encompass every part of these five levels."

The most basic need related to food is hunger, which is a physiological need.

When it comes to the need for safety, it requires that we not go hungry, which necessitates an adequate supply of food—specifically, in large quantities.

(End of this chapter)