Rei gave me a wry smile. “It means that our food expenses rack up like crazy though, so I can’t say it’s that enviable. Ah, hang on, enough about sugar levels! I specifically chose stuff with dried fruits because of your hobby, Mikura, so talk about that instead! Making dried fruits in a humid country like Japan might be a challenge, but if you use a fridge dehydrator skillfully, it’s doable. They store for a long time, and they become even more delicious if you sprinkle sugar over them. They’re one of the most prominent preserves around the world!”
Just as I was about to reply, Kon beat me to the punch. He said in a spirited, overjoyed voice, “I know! I’ve heard that before! Mikura made some biscuits with dry fruits some time ago! They were downright amazing, so I can’t wait to have these too!”
Right, I did make some biscuits with dry fruits for him before, now that he mentions it. I was pulling up the memory in my head when Rei let out a small chuckle and puffed out his chest with pride. “Yeah, I heard all about that from Techi. I’m sure you can tell that I made them on purpose because I heard about the biscuits, right? I came to show you what a pro can achieve.”
Then, he sighed and shook his head slightly. “On that topic, it’s been somewhat rough for me lately. Mikura made all kinds of stuff for the kids to try, and sweets have been all the craze for them, so business was booming for a while… But it didn’t last, sadly. In fact, our sales are actually kind of going down these days. ’Cause, y’know, Mikura is an amateur, but he can still make such high-quality stuff, so more and more families are searching up recipes on the Internet and making their own desserts, which hurts my business… So I felt like I’ve got to prove that the work of a pro is on a whole other level to everyone. You can think of it as me throwing down the gauntlet.”
Rei proceeded to pour hot water into the pot with the dried fruits. After hearing his speech, I could only smile with slight exasperation in response. I reached into the paper box and picked up one piece of biscotti—it appeared that he’d made a large block before cutting it into smaller pieces for easier consumption—and carried it to my mouth.
The recipe for biscotti involves baking it twice, which means that one of its defining traits is the complete lack of moisture. Thanks to that, they have a long shelf life, and you could store them for a long time. You could say that they are a type of preserve, in fact.
Because it’s extremely dry and thoroughly baked, the texture is hard and crunchy instead of crumbly and crunchy, and it’s simply irresistible. With the addition of crispy crunchy nuts and soft chewy dried fruits, biscotti becomes a snack with a lot of variety in texture, flavor, and subtle undertones. It’s rather versatile, pairing well with classic drinks like coffee and tea, desserts like ice cream and gelato, and even wine.
While I reviewed my knowledge about biscotti in my head, my mouth was still busy chewing on the special biscotti by our resident professional pâtissier. He’d added a great variety of dried fruits, which asserted their flavors and depth dominantly. Mmm, like he mentioned, this is on a whole other level—it’s the taste of something you can only purchase at a store made by a professional. It would be almost impossible for an amateur to reproduce the same quality.
I took one bite after another, but never once was I disappointed. All the dried fruits and nuts were exquisite, and I could taste it. Hidden behind the strong taste of these additions was the quieter plum syrup, which he’d likely brushed over the entire biscotti. The contrast of subtle and strong was very elegant.
I nodded to myself. “Yum. Anyone can tell you’re a pro, Rei. It’s amazing.” As I spoke, I glanced at Kon.
The beastchild was clutching firmly onto a piece of biscotti with his tiny hands and gnawing at it single-mindedly. He wasn’t smiling or wearing a face of satisfaction—with a serious expression, he moved his mouth at a stunning speed, making rapid rhythmical crunching sounds as he enjoyed his biscotti. That one biscotti soon turned to two, then three, then four… One after another, they disappeared down his stomach.
Though Techi wasn’t quite on the same level, she was absorbed in eating her biscotti as well. Yeah, I should’ve expected nothing but the best from Rei, especially when he’s cooking to impress.
Rei scratched his cheek sheepishly. “Weeell, you could say that I wasn’t playing fair in this case though. I bought fruits from fancy brands that are incredibly delicious as-is, and I even carefully selected the cream of the crop that’s most suitable for making dried fruits. These are basically the best dried fruits you could ever get without holding back anything, which means I completely disregarded the costs involved. If I want to sell them, they’ll be so expensive that I can only display them in fancy confectionery shops or in hotels.
“So… Yeah. They’re more for showing off my skills and to promote my pâtisserie. If I want to actually profit off them, each small piece would probably have to cost around ¥500… Or maybe even up to ¥1000 or ¥2000. I haven’t calculated all the expenses properly, so I can’t be sure, but that sounds about right.”
I gaped at him. I’m snacking on such fancy biscotti without any reservation? That means I’m practically eating money! I quietly shuddered.
I was still on my first piece, and Rei had finally started on his first piece after his speech. Conversely, I didn’t know whether they’d been listening, but Techi and Kon didn’t slow one bit, looking as if they might guzzle down ten or twenty pieces at the rate they were going.
Even if I ignored the costs, there was still the problem of sugar. Deciding to have self-restraint and only nibbling on one piece, I then reached out for the fruit tea. In the background, Techi and Kon were still going strong, taciturnly eating as if there was no tomorrow. Until the very end of the party, they never stopped snacking on Rei’s biscotti.