#560 Over A Cup of Tea

Winter is almost over.

But before the snow melts, there is one more project I’d like to try: tea brewing, something I have been thinking about doing for a long time!

It’s one of the ideas that came to mind when deciding what refreshing beverages we can make on the farm.  

However, it was put on hold for a while because we needed to grow tea trees to harvest their leaves, the source of tea.

Now, we’re going to grow enough tea trees to start a tea plantation.

And we’ll pick lots of tea leaves!

It’s been a while since I’ve done anything farm-like that I’m so excited, my beat is hearting!

Thus, I decided to start our tea garden in the dungeon orchard.

Dungeon orchard.

This facility, set up in Veil’s mountain dungeon, is a place that aims to grow fruit efficiently by taking advantage of the dungeon environment.

Since a dungeon is a distorted space, the temperature, humidity, sunlight, and other environmental factors can be controlled as desired by its guardian.

In addition, because this dungeon is modeled after a mountain, there’s a good irrigation system, making it the most suitable for growing fruit trees that are suited initially for mountainous terrain.

The dungeon orchard was created by utilizing the dungeon’s advantages. 

I heard that the type of tea tree I want to grow is also suitable for growing in a mountainous area, so I chose the dungeon orchard.

There is still a lot of unused space, so we’re going to clear it and plant some tea trees!

...Still, I’ll be using the Hand of Supremacy to stimulate the growth of the trees.

Once the sprouts appear, we will sprinkle hyper-fertilizer to accelerate their growth.

With Platy’s carefully-made fertilizer, crops can grow many times faster than usual.

Even regular crops can be harvested within a few days of being sown, but since we’re growing trees, it’ll take longer, so I waited until winter.

After Orkubo’s Castle and the Pandora Fiasco, the field was finally ready.

The landscape now looks like the foot of Mt. Fuji.

“It’s picking time!”

I asked the ex-automaton girls to do the picking for us.

I mean, tea-picking is usually done by young girls.

I think.

And so, we finished the first picking!

I have to process into the style of tea I’m familiar with.

Green tea, matcha, black tea, oolong tea, genmaicha, hojicha, etc.

All of them should have the same original raw material: tea leaves from tea trees.

Apparently, they become distinct teas depending on how they’re processed.

I don’t know the specifics of what kind of processing is done.

Oof.

If I don’t know how to process them, there’d be no tea to drink!

Ahh!

No, wait.

I can’t just give up on brewing tea after coming this far.

There must be a way.

With the Hand of Supremacy, I should be able to find a way to brew delicious tea. 

As a test, I grab a freshly picked leaf and rub it.

Then, the leaf on my hand...

“Is turning into a decent tea leaf!”

You know, a dark, needle-thin green tea leaf!

If I pour hot water into it, I bet I’ll have brewed the best-tasting green tea ever!

“The Hand of Supremacy has solved everything yet again!”

If I rub another leaf while wishing for a different one...

“Black tea, please, black tea, please...!”

It became a black tea leaf.

“Matcha, please, matcha, please...!”

A green powder came out from between my hands.

The Hand of Supremacy produced various tea leaves without any detailed work process!

It’s been a while since I’ve felt its versatility.

“But no! I can’t keep relying on my ability!”

Especially after I learned a lesson after encountering Pandora.

I will continue my research and learn how to make green tea, black tea, and matcha using the proper process.

Don’t worry, I have a rough understanding of it.

Black tea is made by fermenting tea leaves, while green tea is steamed without fermentation.

Matcha is made by grinding tea leaves with a millstone into a fine powder.

...If memory serves me right.

I’ll proceed with my research by relying on these hints!

I have faith that I’ll someday be able to brew otherworldly tea without being embarrassed by it!

...But, for today, let’s enjoy the tea made with the Hand of Supremacy and taste-test it.

“First, boil the water...”

I know, I know.

Seething hot water is not good for green tea.

It’s better to thoroughly decoct it in 80C hot water. 

It’s better to boil the water slowly at about 80 degrees. It’s supposed to be sweeter and mellower with no astringent components...I believe!

But what went wrong was that I had not prepared any utensils for making the tea, not even thinking about what would happen after the tea leaves were ready.

No teapot, no teacups.

Guess I’ll make those next.

I’ll just make do with what I have for now.

I brew the tea leaves in a pot, strain the liquid with a colander and pour it into a regular cup.

And then, I drink it.

“Ahh... What a relaxing flavor.”

Such is the appeal of tea.

Alcoholic drinks and juices are good, but people will still come back to this comforting drink.

“I’ll try another kind of tea next!”

Next up, we’ve got black tea!

“Golden Syrup!”

Strange. As I add sugar and milk and drink from my cup, I feel like I’m having an afternoon in an English city.

Then, I tried matcha.

Truth be told, I’ve never had matcha, even in my world.

“But if I’m not wrong...I think they use a special whisk to mix it or something...”

Since I have no idea what this “special whisk” is, I don’t have one.

Anyway, I nonchalantly put some powder in the cup, poured hot water, and mixed them with a chopstick.

“It’s not foaming at all...”

I had a bad feeling from this point on.

I took a sip of the matcha, which I thought was utterly dissolved, when in fact...

“...It didn’t dissolve completely! Blegh, the undissolved powder is stuck in my throat, and I-”

It seems further research is required so I can make better matcha.

However, it would be disrespectful to Sen no Rikyu to make it too easy to drink good tea.

Back in my world, I didn’t have the slightest interest in the tea ceremony, but in this fantasy world, I will explore its ways and spread the splendor of tea in all its glory!

“What’s this, Master?”

I was immersing myself in the world of tea when someone appeared.

It’s Veil!

I’m not surprised anymore because she always shows up whenever I’m making something new.

“You’re later than usual, huh? Is it because I’m not making food?”

Recently, I’ve come to realize that Veil and the others’ food sensors have different sensitivities.

If something is sweet or juicy, they take the bait.

On the other hand, if the food is bitter, inedible, or doesn’t seem to fill their stomach, they aren’t as responsive.

“Eh? What’s this? Are you making aojiru again, Master?”

“It’s not aojiru!!!”

I agree that it’s hard to tell the difference when it’s in its powdered form...

But aojiru and matcha are two different things!