Along the way, we talked a bit with the sausage artisan and his wife. We learned that the sausage-maker’s name was Gerulf and that he and his family lived halfway up a nearby mountain, where they honed their craft. They had set up shop there because the mountainside had the perfect climate for sausage-making and the like. They sold most of their wares at the village at the foot of the mountain, but they also brought some of it to the domain’s capital city, where they sold to Lord Hawke’s estate and at the market.
I suspected that they brought their wares to market whenever they sold to the lord’s estate. It seemed sausages were popular not only with Lord Hawke’s family but with the locals as well.
However, Gerulf was enthusiastic when it came to his trade and didn’t want to settle for mere popularity. He was devoted to coming up with new and delicious recipes. He’d definitely been excited to hear about the new trends in the capital. Ever since, he had tried to make sausages with herbs, and the flavors he had devised had been unprecedented. He was on fire, developing new products one after another.
I listened to him tell his story as we walked, and we arrived at our destination in no time at all. The inn where Gerulf and his wife were staying was two streets and three blocks down from the market. There were other inns and restaurants nearby, so it was a lively area. A reception desk lay right past the door, and beyond that was the dining hall. This design was pretty typical for Salutanian inns.
Gerulf guided us to the dining hall, and we settled at an open table. A man who looked like the innkeeper emerged from the kitchen in the back. He gave us a quizzical look, but then an expression of amazement crossed his face as he recognized Albert. He quickly bowed. Even here, people could identify Albert by his features.
After Albert gave the innkeeper a calm nod, the man turned to Gerulf. “So, uh, what exactly is your business here?”
“Apologies, but I need to borrow your dining hall for a bit.”
“Now I don’t mind, but—”
“I want them to try my sausages.”
Gerulf and the innkeeper seemed to be on friendly terms, so I could only assume that Gerulf stayed here often.
“They new customers?”
“No, they’re visiting from the royal capital. They say they’ve eaten herb-seasoned dishes before, so I’m after their opinions.”
“You mean for your new sausages, eh?”
“Yup, got it in one.”
We had come here to talk, but now the event had become a sausage-tasting. Once they finished their conversation, the innkeeper returned to the kitchen. When he came back out, he was holding a platter with a pile of thinly sliced dried sausages. “This good?”
“Yup. Thanks for the help. Now, m’lord and m’lady, please take a bite.”
At Gerulf’s urging, Albert and I exchanged a look.
“Let’s have a bite, then.” Albert was the first to dig in. After a bit of chewing, he looked at me and nodded.
I indulged in a munch as well. “Thanks for letting us try them.”
As I bit down, a familiar yet fleeting flavor filled my mouth.
What flavor is this again? I wondered, but it was gone before I could figure it out. I took another slice to try, but I had grown used to the taste and couldn’t detect it again. Uh, hmm. I’m at a loss here…
“What do you think of it?” Gerulf asked with a serious look as I finished my second slice.
“I think it’s excellent,” said Albert. “The flavor when you first put it in your mouth is refreshing.”
“Yes, I agree, though I think it would be better if the flavor lasted longer,” I added.
Gerulf leaned forward. “What?”
Gerulf’s intensity made me tentative to explain myself. “Huh? Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just that my tongue got used to the flavor right away, so I couldn’t really taste it after a moment.”
“You’re saying the flavor would be better if it were stronger?”
“Uh, yes. Maybe even just a little bit?”
“I see!”
I was afraid Gerulf might take offense, but he didn’t. It seemed he agreed with my opinion that the flavor could use some punch.
Gerulf explained that he preferred it a bit stronger himself. However, he had used a lesser number of herbs because he figured only a few people were used to the flavor profile. He was right that many herbs had their own peculiar taste, some of which might repel those who weren’t accustomed to them. The dried herb-sausages they had brought to market this time were mainly a test run to see how people reacted, so I agreed they were right to start cautious. With so few people familiar with the taste of herbs, it was safer to go with a lighter hand.
“If only we could adjust the strength of the flavor,” Gerulf said.
“Adjust it?”
I’d been thinking it would be a good idea to sell mild and strongly flavored sausages separately, but Gerulf didn’t seem inclined to simply offer different types. Although it would be nice if he could tweak the flavor to people’s individual preferences, he couldn’t just instantly knead more herbs into the sausages or anything.
While I was mulling over how to make it work, Albert offered a great suggestion. “What if you added the herbs later, like with salt?”
“Add it later…? Oh!” I found myself thinking about ham sprinkled with black pepper. Perhaps they could sprinkle the herbs on the exterior of the dried sausages just like they did with ham?