I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 370: Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Corn, New World (6)

“Viscount, what exactly is this dish?”

“These are potatoes, fried in oil.”

“Then come, sit here and enjoy them with a hamburger and some beer.”

It would have been even better if I had cola, but unfortunately, I lacked the means to produce carbonated water, so cola was out of the question.

Still, the combination of beer, hamburgers, and fries worked surprisingly well.

The emperor devoured the fries, the small hamburger, and the beer in no time.

Despite his deeply ingrained sense of etiquette, which led him to use a fork and knife to neatly cut his fries and hamburger, his eating pace had noticeably quickened.

For someone who had trained himself to eat with leisurely composure in all situations, the fact that he couldn’t control his speed now spoke volumes.

“I never imagined food could be this delicious.”

Leaning slightly toward him, I whispered just loud enough for only the emperor to hear.

“In two or three years, French fries and mayonnaise will be affordable enough for even serfs to enjoy without burden.”

“You mean to tell me that food fried in oil will become common? And eggs—aren’t they quite expensive? I find this hard to believe.”

“Peanuts are highly productive and yield a great deal of oil. In the Maasai Confederation, after peanut oil became widely available, even ordinary tribespeople were able to light their homes at night. As for eggs, poultry farms have been springing up across the empire, making them much easier to acquire. Compared to last year, the price of eggs has already dropped by half.”

The great and benevolent savior of mankind, Fritz Haber, created chemical fertilizers and forever changed agriculture. Because of that, modern people don’t even recognize the term soil depletion.

Many assume that farming means planting crops in the same soil year after year without issue.

That might be fine for rice, which consumes fewer nutrients from the soil, but if wheat were cultivated that way, the land would acidify and turn barren.

That’s precisely why wheat fields must always be followed by leguminous crops like soybeans or kidney beans.

Until now, we used these beans in four-crop rotation farming, but peanuts are far more efficient.

They produce a ton of oil, they store well when dried—completely superior.

And the high cost of eggs wasn’t due to their intrinsic value but rather the difficulty of keeping them fresh. With large-scale poultry farms now operating across the empire, that issue was naturally resolved.

Greater supply meant lower prices.

“Now, let’s move on to dessert. Instead of using fresh cream, we’ve used processed peanuts to create peanut butter for the cake, corn flour to make thin crepe-like tortillas, and sweet potatoes caramelized in sugar to create sweet potato mattang.”

“The fries were so good that I might be disappointed with everything else.”

“Please try them in this order: sweet potato mattang, then crepe, then peanut butter cake.”

The emperor picked up his fork and sampled each dish in sequence.

When he had eaten the burger and fries, he had shouted in delight, but this time, he seemed to have adapted—he didn’t let out any loud exclamations.

However, the way he silently focused on eating spoke volumes.

That alone made him the best advertisement for the food.

“Viscount Rothschild, this is exquisite. Compared to these, even imperial cuisine looks unimpressive. Would you be willing to share the recipes?”

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

Considering that these were 21st-century junk food and dessert recipes, if they had lost to the Toscana Empire’s cuisine, that would have been surprising. This outcome was only natural.

“Of course. I will ensure all the recipes are sent to the imperial kitchen.”

“My table shall be abundant for some time, then.”

At first, the emperor had shown displeasure at being used as a promotional tool.

But now, he didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Did they meet Your Majesty’s expectations?”

“My stomach is a bit full now. Let us step aside and enjoy a cigarette while we converse.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As the emperor and I naturally withdrew from the banquet, the nobles immediately rushed toward the food the emperor had personally eaten—sweet potato mattang, peanut butter cake, and more.

And after tasting them, their reactions mirrored his.

“This is a masterpiece!”

“Deus magnus, I had no idea such delicious food existed!”

“Peanut butter—this is divine!”

“French fries! They pair so perfectly with beer. Fries with mayonnaise... I could eat an endless amount of this.”

In Korea, these kinds of foods are typically favored by younger people, while older individuals tend to avoid them.

But that’s not because they don’t like the taste—rather, they dislike the heavy feeling in their stomach afterward.

Yet these nobles...

No matter how old they were, they had spent their entire lives eating rich, stimulating food.

It’s only natural they’d go crazy over peanut butter and French fries.

As the emperor led me to a secluded spot, he took a deep drag from his cigarette.

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“This tobacco is truly excellent. Taking a puff, sipping strong liquor, and enjoying these roasted [N O V E L I G H T] peanuts with cheese—this is the pinnacle of luxury.”

“It is an honor, Your Majesty.”

“Bring me more fries.”

“Too many fries are not good for your health.”

The emperor sighed and looked at me.

Then, he smirked.

“I shall ignore your advice. What are you waiting for? Bring me French fries and mayonnaise immediately.”

That night, the emperor ate three full plates of fries.

The next morning, I received word that his stomach was upset and he had eaten nothing but salad for breakfast.

If I gave my medical advice and it wasn’t followed, that was no longer my responsibility—it was the patient’s.

And separately from that, the nobles of the empire began hounding the Rothschild Trading Company, demanding potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and corn.

“One silver coin for a kilogram of potatoes. The world is ending, isn’t it, Sebastian?”

A single silver coin was worth twenty days of a laborer’s wages—it was enough to buy 120 kilograms of milled wheat flour.

Yet, despite the supply shortage, a kilogram of potatoes now cost one silver coin...

What, are potatoes some kind of caviar?

It was almost ridiculous.

“Many wish to buy, but only you, Viscount, have any to sell. This was bound to happen.”

“Peanuts, sweet potatoes, and corn are also skyrocketing in price. At this rate, next month it’ll be half a kilogram of potatoes for a silver coin.”

“Entirely plausible, sir.”

“The world has truly gone mad.”

Survival crops, meant to sustain people during famines, were now being sold as premium delicacies.

Is this the power of trends?

Now that I thought about it, when Sir Walter Raleigh first brought potatoes and tobacco to the British Empire, there had been a brief potato craze as well...

So this is also thanks to the British Empire’s legacy, huh?

“Well, it’s not like we’re selling at inflated prices. These fools insist on paying exorbitantly. That’s not our fault, is it?”

“The ones being deceived are the real fools.”

“We’re not even scamming them.”

Selling something worth one silver coin for ten gold coins wasn’t a scam—it was just a contract.

And if someone made a bad deal, that was their fault, not mine.

“Indeed, sir, we always deliver what we promise.”

“But, Sebastian, wouldn’t it be rude not to take full advantage of these idiots who believe peanuts and corn are worth a fortune?”

I, Fabio, am not a good man.

I am a man who exploits the foolishness of others and rakes in money like a greedy miser.

And there was one particular strategy perfectly suited for moments like this.

Potato King, grant me your strength.