Kino no Tabi:Volume17 Chapter9

"Land of Cooking" —Original—

(1/5)

This is a story that happened in a certain country.

“Everyone! Have you heard about the ‘wandering chef’?”

In one room of a certain hotel, a man said excitedly.

And hearing him, a number of men and women in the same room brightened up and spoke up one after the other.

“Oh I know! They say it was a traveler who can turn any ingredient into something delicious!”

“And according to rumors, this traveler hides his identity to avoid directing attention to himself!”

“Yeah! He would prepare meals in secret, and when the final product was to his satisfaction and if he feels up to it, he would leave behind the recipe once he departs from a country!”

“I heard the same thing. It must be true since a lot of merchants have said so.”

And so, this was how the subject of the ‘wandering chef’ gained a huge upsurge in the room.

And then,

“But, why talk about the wandering chef now?" Someone asked.

The man who gained the attention of everybody in the room by talking about the wandering chef cried out without concealing his seething emotions.

“Listen up! This news is sure to blow you away! A merchant who entered the country a while ago said that the wandering chef has stopped by a country not far from here! And because there’s only one road around these parts, he will definitely come to our country!”

Their eyes widened up, and they exclaimed one after the other.

“Eh! When?”

“Is that for real? When?”

“No way! When?”

“W-when is he coming?”

The man answered with a shake of his head.

“I don’t know that much! It could be tomorrow or next month! But if he comes, you'd want to try some of his cooking, won't you?”

“Why of course! But it depends on his mood, right? I heard there are times when he would totally refuse to cook, you know?”

“That’s why we’re going to pester him until he does! It’s not like our reputation is on the line! I’m sure he’d budge with a little bit of persuasion! Of course, the chef will pretend to be someone else to avoid attention!” The man said, and everyone agreed.

“We could say something like ‘the students are studying culinary arts at school, and would like to try a traveler’s cooking’!”

“That’s it! Let’s go with that plan! Let’s also gather the best ingredients from our country!”

“Then chicken would be the best! After all, in this country it’s against the law to raise chickens without letting them run free! In the olden days, our chickens have been admired for being tender and flavorful!”

“Good idea! We’ll make him cook an unbelievably delicious chicken dish, and then, we'll make it into our specialty!”

“For sure, we’ll be getting lots of visitors!”

Outside the room where all this excited talk were taking place, that is, along the corridor, was a signboard.

It says, ‘Restaurant Owners’ Regular Assembly’.

“But it won’t do if we don’t know who this wandering chef is!”

“Indeed! We don’t know anything else other than the fact that he is a traveler...”

“Don’t we have a description, at least? If we know that much, we can ask the immigration officers to secretly inform us as soon as he enters the country! Of course, we have to bribe them a bit.”

“Well, that’s that. But I obtained some credible information!”

“What sort?” “What sort?” “What sort?” “What sort?”

“That wandering chef is—”

“Is?” “Is?” “Is?” “Is?”

“Fond of brown coats!”

——

On a certain evening.

“I would just like to ask one more time... Does this brown coat really belong to you? And you wear it during the winter?”

Outside the gates, a traveler was asked such a question.

The one asking it was a young female immigration officer.

And the one being asked was a young traveler in a brown coat, who goes by the name Kino.

“That’s right. I’ve always had it.”

Kino answered, and the motorrad (Note: a motorcycle, only to note that it cannot fly) with her added,

“It’s like Kino’s trademark, or something! There’s no way Kino would part with it!”

Upon hearing this, the immigration officer chuckled—an eerie one at that. And then,

“I know right! Isn't brown wonderful? Now here’s your permit. Come in, come in! Please proceed through this pathway. Just push Hermes along with you!”

She stamped on the permit papers delightfully and handed them to Kino.

Kino lightly bowed as she accepted the papers, which she neatly folded and stowed into her black jacket’s pocket.

Then she pushed Hermes along the tunnel that penetrates into the thick walls.

After a while, Hermes asked in a voice only loud enough for Kino to hear.

“I wonder what’s up, Kino? That immigration officer lady was tense for some reason. I wonder if she liked your coat? Or maybe it’s really about brown?”

Kino shook her head.

“I have no idea at all. By the way Hermes, what do you mean by ‘brown’?”

(2/5)

The day after they entered, Kino spent the entire morning going around the country.

As it was not too big of a country, they finished touring it in just one day.

And when evening came, as they were riding on the narrow roads to return to their hotel,

“Greetings, traveler!”

“Whoa!” “Aah!”

A young woman leapt right in front of Kino and Hermes.

Kino quickly hit the brakes. She was somehow able to stop in front of the woman, and cut Hermes’ engine.

“H-hello... That was dangerous, you know?”

“That’s right! If we ran over you, it would really hurt!”

Kino and Hermes said with a tinge of displeasure. The woman stuck her tongue out.

“Tee-hee! Sorry about that!”

And apologized with no hint of remorse. Then she went straight to the point.

“Traveler, please cook for us!”

“H-huh?” “Eh?”

As the woman’s words were beyond their expectations, Kino and Hermes were only able to stammer out clumsily. In addition, Hermes exclaimed,

“Eeeeeeeeh?”

And the woman, as if refusing to lose against Hermes, said in a voice just as loud,

“I’m attending a culinary school! I am interested in dishes made by travelers! We have chicken—the product this country is famous for! We also have vegetables! Please!”

“Wait, even if you say please...,” Kino said in confusion.

“You want to taste... Kino’s cooking?” Hermes asked in an extremely worried tone.

“Yes!”

Kino looked at the wide grin on the woman’s face, contemplated for a while, then asked,

“If I cook for you, will you let me eat some?”

“Eh? Kino? W-wait a minute! Kino!”

“Why, of course! Please add flavor to our country’s delicious chicken, traveler!”

“In that case, I have no reason to refuse. That is, if I can leave all the preparation to you.”

“Yay! Then how about tomorrow just before noon? We’ll send someone to pick you up from the hotel, okay?”

“Other than departure, I have no other plans for tomorrow, so I guess it’s okay.”

“All right! Then tomorrow it is! I’m looking forward to it!”

Then the woman happily skipped away, leaving Kino and Hermes alone in the middle of the road.

“How strange. Well, it’s fine as long as I get to eat for free,” Kino said.

“Will you really do it? I mean, it’s fine if you’re the only one who eats that stuff you make... but will you let the people here eat your cooking?” From below, Hermes asked with evident terror.

“Well, those are the conditions.”

“T-they don't know, do they...?”

“Know what?”

Kino tilted her head, and Hermes cried out.

“But Kino! Even that person who fears nothing, that Master, avoids your cooking like the plague! It’s the most extremely, absolutely, decisively indescribable thing that ever existed! The poor citizens of this country might die! Nine times over!”

“Ahaha, surely it’s not that bad. This time, I’ll make it sensibly,” Kino said as she started Hermes’ engine.

“Hey Kino, it’s not yet too late! Can we leave now?” Hermes said almost pleadingly.

“It’s not yet three days, you know?” Kino answered readily.

And as they launched off, Hermes mumbled.

“Everyone, run.”

—

The next day.

Despite all of Hermes’ worries, they were picked up at the hotel.

There were about twenty adults other than the woman they met the previous day. All of them threw words of gratitude to Kino one after the other.

“Er, right... Thank you...”

Kino was surprised as there was much more people than she had anticipated.

“Please let us observe as well!”

“That’s fine with me... but in exchange, I can’t tell you how I’m doing things, okay...?” Kino said, but only because it was not good enough of a dish to be taught to so many people. However, everyone there took it to mean that she was concealing her secret technique.

“We don’t mind at all! Now, please come this way!”

Kino and Hermes were guided to a fine restaurant. It was reserved.

And on the backyard, there were plenty of chicken running free. They were running and leaping energetically, and some could even fly for a rather long distance.

“Those chicken look delicious,” Kino said with sparkling eyes.

“It’s too late.”

Hermes stayed silent after that, as if he had foreseen everything.

(3/5)

Free-range chicken, vegetables, and every possible seasoning there is.

The best ingredients were prepared all for the sake of Kino’s cooking.

“Is it really all right for me to make whatever I want?”

“Of course! We won’t say anything while you’re at it!”

And so, Kino wore the apron and rolled up the sleeves of her shirt.

The chicken that Kino made them catch for her was hanging upside down with its feet tied together. It has become docile after a while.

And with the knife that she always used, Kino slit the chicken's neck.

When all the blood has been drained from the chicken, she plunged it in boiling water and plucked its feathers. And after warming the down feathers left on its skin, she cut open its stomach and removed its entrails. Now it has become chicken meat that can be sold in a butcher’s shop.

The onlookers observed as the chicken was chopped up into pieces by Kino, who has lost the option to just barbecue the chicken whole.

“Hmm, the traveler’s quite skilled, I see.”

“Just as we expected!”

“Brilliant!”

They watched her with admiration.

After chopping the chicken, Kino contemplated for a while in front of all the vegetables and seasonings prepared before her. All of these the audience watched without any undue interference.

“Hey, motorrad.”

One person talked to the seemingly bored motorrad. Hermes spoke after being silent for some time.

“What is it?”

“Your partner sure knows how to handle knives.”

“Of course. Back in Master’s place, Kino was carefully trained in the art of using knives.”

Hermes stopped before he could add, ‘for fighting’.

“I can’t wait to find out what kind of stuff the traveler’s making!”

“Um, let me just confirm one more time... Will all of you really eat Kino’s cooking?”

“Why of course! If we don’t taste it, we couldn’t possibly stea—, I mean, remember its flavor!”

“Hmm... Well, good luck.”

And despite all of Hermes’ worries, Kino seemed to have finally decided on what to make.

Kino dexterously chopped onions into thin slices. Then she cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and used plenty of cooking oil to fry it to a crisp.

Without paying heed to the glares of the audience who were trying to steal her effortless techniques, Kino continued to busy her hands.

Kino stir-fried the onions in a saucepan, and fortunately, was able to do so without burning them. Finally, she placed the pieces of chicken into the pan and began to add seasonings for the finishing touch.

At this point, the audience has gathered around the gas stove. Hermes was left alone at the back.

“These people must be daredevils...”

Muttering words that no one would hear.

“Kino’s cooking is terrible, you know? Of course she did not eat it, but when Kino told her the stuff she put in the pot, that Master looked as if she would die at the prospect of eating Kino’s cooking!”

At that point, Kino was pouring lots of vinegar into the pot. She did not even measure it. She was pouring it straight from the bottle. Furthermore, she tossed, not a spoon, not a pinch, but a bowlful of chili into the mixture. She simply tossed everything that was in the bowl.

Meanwhile, Hermes went on mumbling.

“And even though at first Master said they were to share all housework, after that she said it’s perfectly fine to leave all the cooking to her. It was that terrible. See, Kino puts in too many seasonings. And to think she’s always very careful in measuring the propellant she puts in her persuader!”

The contents of the pan absorbed the red hue of the chili. Then Kino threw in some more pepper, prickly ash, and horseradish into the mix for good measure.

There was no hesitation in her actions, as if everything she was doing were things she has decided on from the start. Her expression was brimming with self-confidence.

“I’m sure she hasn’t really decided on anything.”

Of course no one heard what Hermes said.

Kino then sampled a piece of the chicken, and chewed it carefully.

“Okay.”

She nodded with satisfaction. She turned off the flames of the stove.

“It’s done.”

“Oh!” “It’s finished!” “Finally!”

“Traveler, what is the name of this dish?”

“Huh? A name? It doesn’t have one. I only invented it today.”

“I see! So it was on instinct!”

“Eh? Well yeah, I guess.”

“As expected!” “That was a daring choice of seasonings!” “And with no hesitation at all!”

“You seemed to have used quite a lot of those chili... So much it turned the chicken red.”

“Yeah, I just felt like I had to use them all.”

“Oh! Naturally!”

“Those are words no novice would use!”

“This traveler is truly a genius chef...”

“Shall we eat it together?”

“Those words are a joy to hear! But the honor of eating it first goes to its creator! Please, have a fill of our country’s chicken!”

“Then if you’ll excuse me... I’ll go ahead.”

She put a large serving in her plate, and started to eat. Kino ate with gusto.

“Oh, he’s gobbling it up!” “He sure seems to relish every bite...” “It looks like it, but maybe it’s not that spicy after all.” “Damn, I’m getting hungry.”

“Hm, I believe it’s quite delicious.—Everyone, please have a taste.”

(4/5)

Kino, who cooked, ate, and stuffed herself full, and Hermes, who only looked on from beginning to end, finally departed the country that afternoon.

While running leisurely along the road inside a forest bright with the colors of autumn, Hermes spoke up.

“Kino, now that we’re out of the country, and so far that we couldn’t even see the walls, I’ll be completely honest with you. The faces of those people while they ate your cooking looked really horrible."

Hermes was watching as the faces of the people who ate Kino’s dish transformed into an expression that has no word to describe it.

“Yup,” Kino nodded, then quickly added, “Seems like it. Maybe it was a little bit too spicy?”

“A little bit? The chicken looked like tomatoes, you know?”

“I thought that much spice was just about right. And when I tasted it, it doesn’t seem like it can’t be eaten. The prickly ash was also effective, it made the dish more fun to eat,” Kino said honestly, with no jest or sarcasm in her tone.

Hermes, the one who did not have to eat Kino’s cooking by virtue of being a motorrad, asked some more.

“Then what about the chicken? They seem to be particularly proud of it, you know?”

“Oh, it was really chewy.”

“That’s it? What about the savory flavor of the oozing fat, or its freshness, and all that jazz?”

“Fine, I guess. But isn’t it great that they all ate it enthusiastically? I thought I’d make some extra so I can take some with me for dinner, but they ended up eating all of it.”

Hermes finally gave up on getting across his meaning to Kino, and changed the subject.

“I can never understand it, Kino. If it was too spicy to eat, they can just say ‘Hot!’ and refuse to eat it. But all of them ate frantically, as if they were in some competition. They were sweating while they ate!”

“Maybe it’s delicious no matter who eats it? That must be it. From time to time, even I—”

“Nope, that’s definitely not it. How should I put it... Maybe you’re just the type who would still do it despite knowing that you have disastrous talents in cooking, Kino.”

“That’s because the chicken looked so delicious.”

“Though the finished product sure didn't look like it.”

“At any rate, it was a fun country.”

Kino’s face broke into a wide smile.

“At any rate, it was a weird country.”

Hermes mumbled.

—

The day after Kino and Hermes’ departure, a ‘Restaurant Owners’ Special Meeting’ was held in the country. Everyone who ate Kino’s cooking surrounded a table.

“E-everyone... I heard that the traveler has already left... What do you honestly think about the dish...?”

“Terrifying.” “Outrageous.” “Demonic.” “Frightful.” “Out of this world.”

Everyone expressed their impressions one after the other. They uttered adjectives that normally don’t describe food.

“You bet... There’s just one thing I could say about it. It’s a flavor that hasn’t been tried in this country!”

“No doubt.” “Exactly.” “Uh-huh.” “That’s right.”

“It was very original, wasn’t it? Moreover, the ingredients were thrown in without measurement. They say geniuses are of that sort.”

The man talked heartily with his eyes on the ceiling.

Then he slapped the table as he stood up, and clenched his fists.

“If we fail to comprehend the style of a genius chef, people will say that we have unrefined tastebuds! That flavor should be reproduced and made into a tradition at all costs! We have to hand it down to the next generations! It will be no simple task, but we should do our best!”

“Yeah!” “Okay!” “Let’s do it!” “Yes!”

—

Days have passed since then.

The seasons have changed. Soon it was summer.

It was on a certain warm day, with gigantic columns of clouds soaring in the sky, and with cicadas raising a clamor in the forests.

“Please let me in...”

A lone traveler knocked at the gates of this country.

The same lady immigration officer who welcomed Kino dealt with the traveler.

“Welcome, traveler! It was quite hot this year, eh?”

The traveler, a man in his thirties, arrived in the country by walking. He wore shorts and a T-shirt.

“Yes... It was really hot, so I disposed a lot of my clothes in the previous country. I’m also quite hungry.”

“Then please try our famous dish we call ‘Chicken Kinoyaki’!”

The man’s eyes glinted sharply upon hearing the immigration officer’s words.

“Oh, there’s such a thing? I’ll look forward to it.”

And so...

“One order of Chicken Kinoyaki!”

A deep-red chicken was right in front of the man. As soon as he entered, he rushed into the nearest restaurant and ordered the famous dish.

“...”

He gaped at the dish that was presented to him.

He looked at the reddish pile that was sitting on his plate.

(5/5)

After staring at the dish for a while,

“Wow... this dish is so... red!”

The man expressed his honest impressions. He looked as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and blinked his eyes several times.

“So intense, don’t you think?” The one who brought the dish, the restaurant owner himself, said in delight. The man asked,

“I heard that this country’s specialty is chicken... but if I’m not mistaken, this red thing is chili, isn’t it?”

“Indeed! The recipe calls for as much chili as there is chicken! Then add a whole cup of vinegar, and liberal amounts of prickly ash! It’s a bit different from the delicate flavor of those sold in shops, but we still followed the recipe!”

“Well... this is quite...”

“They say it’s hard on your first time, so we have prepared plenty of water for you!”

“Thank you very much. Um, thanks for the food...”

And so, the real ‘wandering chef’ ate this dish.

—

That evening, the traveler arrived in his hotel with a pale face.

It was still quite hot but he was breaking into cold sweat.

The middle-aged man who owned the hotel found him.

“Welcome back. Your room has been prepared. Oh, you don’t seem well...?”

The man answered with a lie.

“I-it seems I tired myself out during the journey... It’s probably just fatigue...”

“That’s not good. Please, eat lots of our delicious food to regain your strength,” the owner offered cordially.

“You mean this country’s famous dish...?” the man asked.

“Of course, it’s Chicken Kinoyaki!”

“Y-yes... of course...”

“You can also order it in this hotel. Since you’re tired, shall we bring it to your room?”

“Eh? Um... well...”

It seems that the man was about to refuse, but his tense expression suddenly changed.

“Please do! —Also, will you lend me some cooking utensils? And please tell me where I can get some ingredients!”

He cried out with all his might.

—

It has been several days since this traveler departed.

A ‘Restaurant Owners’ Special Meeting’ was held in the country.

“You must know why we gathered everyone in this emergency meeting today. As we all know, the dish that the ‘wandering chef’ Kino made, the dish now popularly known as ‘Chicken Kinoyaki’, has pervaded the masses.”

“Uh-huh.” “Indeed. “Yeah.” “That’s right.”

“However, another traveler made modifications to the recipe, and left it before he departed!”

Right in front of this man and the other owners was a plate.

Inside it were two kinds of dish. The first one was ‘Chicken Kinoyaki’, while the other was,

“That’s the reproduction of the recipe.”

“Hmm.” “I see.” “Is that so?” “Oh.”

It was a rather red chicken dish, though not as much as Chicken Kinoyaki.

“I wish to read the letter that he has left behind.”

The man opened the letter and read out loud.

‘To the people of this country,

I apologize for this personal matter.

I thought I have become very skillful in cooking. As a result, I have become conceited. But upon coming to your country, I realized that I have not yet fully mastered all kinds of flavor. From here on, I shall study and train even harder.

Knowing that it is very rude of me, I added my own flavor to your beloved dish, ‘Chicken Kinoyaki’.

It is not my intention to make a mockery of your beloved ‘Chicken Kinoyaki’.

It is only my joy to let you know that this combination is also plausible.

Sincerely yours.’

The man who read it wore a bitter expression as he said, “By all rights, a dish prepared by some nobody should just be ignored, but if people who tried it thought, ‘This isn’t so bad!’ and start serving the recipe in their restaurants, things will get complicated.”

“True.” “That’s right.” “Worrisome.” “Indeed.”

“We don’t need imitations of our famous dish! If we allow it, then the distinction will soon disappear! I was terribly upset when I first heard the news. But when I tried it— it really wasn’t bad at all. However, it’s no match to the impact of Chicken Kinoyaki. It’s probably because of the fruit and vegetable paste that mixed in with the chicken that suppresses its spiciness. This is probably easier to eat for children and the elderly.”

“I see.” “Yeah.” “That’s true.” “I agree.”

“And so— I have a suggestion!”

—

This country has two famous dishes.

‘Chicken Kinoyaki Original’ and ‘Chicken Kinoyaki Mild’.

No one knows the real story behind it. And no one will ever know.

But to this day, this country’s people still ate it heartily.

And they recommend it to all travelers who visit their country. This dish that bears the name of a certain traveler.

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