Chapter 102

Chapter 102

Metric System Terrorism

The atmosphere of the Department of Food Innovation was as expected.

Whether construction not yet finished carpenters clattering all around, workers moving flower pots here and there, employees busily running around.

Since a new department it was so.

Exactly the chaotic atmosphere as thought.

I soon heard my name, and was hurriedly guided to the reception room by a surprised expression employee.

There two familiar faces were sitting and having a heated conversation.

The first minister of the Department of Food Innovation Sir Samuel, and Chairman Balfour the epicenter of all this commotion.

Chairman Balfour seemed very good mood. To the point the usual sharp energy also much softened.

That is he created a new government department where his plan fully melted so if mood not good it's strange.

Only Chairman Balfour discovering me made a puzzled expression. Because I suddenly barged in without any appointment.

"Suddenly why here? Clearly I thought I conveyed you don't have to do government work."

"What... Selling my name so in the newspaper and now coming and saying such words? Anyway Sir Samuel, sincerely congratulate the minister inauguration."

"Thank you. Sir Durand, although a bit early time would you drink even black tea? Cookies are also prepared."

"No, just one glass of water to moisten the throat."

Just in time good. If explaining again later it would have been bothersome. I poured out my experience to the two people.

The matter Princess Victoria ruined schnitzel.

And all kinds of problems that made even royalty ruin cooking.

"So, your words are to standardize all the recipes floating in the market now according to your standard for improving British cooking, right?"

"Yes. You said my dishes are delicious, right? Then everyone just cooking the same way as me is fine, right?"

Only then Chairman Balfour made a satisfied smile. Until now moved passively swayed by his plan, but this time I took the lead so thought praiseworthy?

"Good! Finally thought of disclosing your cooking know-how to the British public? Publish a recipe book! Publication cost will support with policy. Collaborating with Escoffier would also be fine! I'll say in advance—"

"Wait a moment, Chairman. With such it's no use at all."

"...Why?"

The reason was obvious. Now British people's cooking level was almost no different from uncivilized society.

No one informed the correct answer. So a world where fake recipes run rampant saying correct answer.

One had to start education again. Setting the standard, and inducing cooking according to that level of whether it improves or not.

Anyway if having to change, that standard naturally in the direction most convenient for me!

One has to change all the weights and measures related to cooking!

The problem was how much Chairman Balfour insists on the imperial unit system. If he really didn't like the imperial unit system, he would have already changed by any means.

That is a person enthusiastic enough to persuade the Marquess of Salisbury and make a new department, but about the unit system he couldn't do so, right?

The imperial unit system maintained until now means, for some reason politicians want status quo.

Whether cost a lot, or afraid of people's resistance.

So about the unit system problem I decided to completely wash my mouth and immediately throw the main point.

"In fact I have an ability others don't have. That's exactly the intuition of instinctively sorting the amount of ingredients that brings out the best taste whatever dish one makes."

"Was it so? Indeed, your dishes were always something special. Thinking about it Escoffier also seemed to have said such story. Excellent chefs have their own ingredient standard. Even if innately born with such ability it's not strange. So?"

Isn't this superpower?

This much is really my ability. Big data created by experience accumulated exploring and experimenting numerous cooking recipes for over ten years.

Even chefs who cooked better than me I knew in the previous life all did that degree.

I was that metric system standard, so currently suffering a lot from the imperial unit system. Because mental calculation absolutely can't calculate!

"For optimal taste accurate measuring tools are needed. With the cups or spoons people use now one can't properly match the amount of ingredients. In such state even spreading recipes, the standard different from me so won't be properly applied. So I'm thinking of designing and spreading new measuring tools matching my standard. Please support this part."

"Is that... possible?"

"Not easy, right. But there is possibility. Thanks to the protection of St. George."

Although said my standard, in fact planning to secretly apply the metric system.

But Chairman Balfour seemed deeply stuck only on the part 'Jean-Paul Durand's cooking'.

"Changing the standard of British cooking with Jean-Paul Durand's standard... Changing... This will become a tremendous slogan!"

No, I also wasn't thinking of doing such a great thing?!

But for now I was thinking of leaving the chairman to misunderstand. At least interference shouldn't be done.

From now what I'll do was no different from terrorism on the imperial unit system!

"Sir Durand, specifically what are you planning to make? You have to inform the plan in detail to be able to support."

"To make delicious dishes the length of ingredients or amount of spices etc. have to be accurate. But people can't even properly cut ingredients to a certain length, and spices also put excessively a lot, or put too little. To unify that standard... Thinking of making such tools. Exactly drew in real size."

I unfolded the design drawing on the table.

My first work completed pondering all night yesterday. The second measuring tool only conceived in the head so couldn't draw the drawing yet.

"This... is a spoon?"

"Yes. A measuring spoon. But if flipping it looks like this."

"The back as a ruler?!"

The spoon was planned to be made able to hold exactly 15ml. Even in modern times that was the standard of 1 tablespoon and most familiar to me too. The basic unit of cooking often called '1 large spoon' in recipes.

And on the back of the handle included a 20cm ruler to add practicality.

Omitted the scale. In this era there's no technology to precisely print on metal types, and even if putting it would soon wear and couldn't be used as a tool.

So I decided to mark only the necessary parts in relief. If doing so even if worn one can sufficiently use as a ruler!

Front measuring spoon! But the back of the handle ruler!

From my experience, even with only this tool one could sufficiently measure even simple recipes and more! Especially even baking!

"Good! Making a ruler with relief instead of scale! Really an efficient cooking tool suitable for Britons!"

And Chairman Balfour and Sir Samuel who saw my design drawing didn't even have any suspicion.

That is obvious. Who remembers the exact distance sense of centimeters or inches usually and lives? I also don't know that! Since there's a ruler just measure, and immediately forget length or whatever!

In fact even informing Britons the metric system they only feel inconvenient at first but once used to they used well. Already completed test through Miss Edith.

But why can't change to metric system?

Because couldn't overcome just one big resistance. Exactly the fraction-based counting method deeply rooted in English.

Just looking at sterling pound it was clear. Deliberately using coins like 'half penny', or saying 12 pence is 1 shilling...

What one can say meet 15 minutes later, deliberately saying see in a quarter of an hour later...

All this was the legacy of the duodecimal and sexagesimal used by ancient Babylonians.

English is a mixed language formed receiving influences of Germanic, Norman, Latin etc.

The Babylonian style fraction system deeply rooted even to time, currency, measurement, particularly strongly remained in English that indiscriminately absorbed various language expressions and even dominated Britons' way of thinking!

The imperial unit system also ultimately seemed tangled trying to maintain octal or duodecimal multiples to match this fraction-based counting method.

Even if changing all others this fraction-based way of thinking can't change. Unless lifting English whole.

But then just matching the metric system to that way of thinking is fine, right? No need to even talk about using the metric system?

So I was thinking of applying the ruler scale like this.

20cm, 15cm, 10cm, 5cm, 2.5cm

Divided exactly in 5cm units. If doing so while maintaining the fraction-based counting method as is, actually one could measure according to the metric system!

Half of 20cm is 10cm, quarter is 5cm, and eighth is 2.5cm.

But since unit notation was completely omitted, no one could notice this is a metric system ruler, right!

Someone saying if bringing another ruler and comparing it gets caught? Not at all! In Britain metric system rulers don't exist in the market at all! Since no one wants they don't even sell!

How did I draw?

A month ago, accidentally obtained a metric system measuring cup from the random box. Fortunately all kinds of units were marked there.

So long ago asked Mr. Royce and changed all the kitchen tools of my restaurant matching the metric system!

And I was planning to stamp standard tools with casting based on this design.

Unless someone does the bizarre act of directly taking this to France and comparing with a ruler, no worry of being caught at all.

Moreover even if caught like that, is there something to be a problem? Ultimately it's a measuring tool matching my cooking standard, right? Since no unit display it's legal, right?

"Although looking simple a very efficient tool! Combining a ruler with a measuring tool! I've traveled various countries in the world but until now there was no person who thought like this at all! Excellent!"

"Hmm. As expected Jean-Paul Durand. Genius."

This was also Columbus's egg.

In fact, until 1901 it was an era like the dark age of cooking, so no one thought of accurately cooking using measuring tools.

Looking at recipes sold at bookstores, spices described as 'appropriately', 'as much as caught in the hand', 'as much as one wants to eat' way was half! So no matter how trying to improve home cooking it doesn't improve!

Other fields everyone gathered wisdom and developed, but the reason particularly cooking had no development was exactly this.

In fact even modern measuring tools didn't derive from cooking.

The start was the development of chemical technology.

As industrialization progressed the necessity of precise manufacturing gradually increased, and especially in pharmacy and chemistry fields measurement using the metric system started being introduced and tools like measuring cups were born. Then someone started applying this tool to cooking and it became popular.

Even after that the concept of accurate measurement introduced even to recipe books is a time still dozens of years left ahead. Even Escoffier couldn't go that far.

As far as I know even the simplest measuring cups and measuring spoons supplied to homes was also after World War I.

So, well, now even if hearing genius sounds there was nothing to say. Because it was an idea jumping dozens of years over the era.

Surely reverse someone measuring drugs or measuring with my cooking tools? Hey, who does such a stupid thing?

"There's one problem. Since the material is the material simply borrowing the market distribution network this tool would need quite a long time until it spreads. How are you thinking of solving that? Just borrowing your name, looks a bit overwhelming."

"So. Making a mold with iron and coating with enamel, is this absolutely necessary? Production cost would be quite a lot."

"Necessary. Because then it'll look luxurious. And if making casting and mass producing the cost doesn't come out as much as thought. This I already confirmed at the workshop. Individual unit price won't be much."

1901, according to gentry standards the materials of basic kitchen tools were as follows.

Tableware is silver.

Plates are porcelain.

Worktables are marble.

Frying pans are copper with nickel plating.

All materials prioritizing heat resistance and hygiene, and my restaurant also wasn't much different. None of the materials used in modern kitchens were invented.

No stainless alloy either, no ceramic alloy or carbon steel, heat-resistant glass either.

Plastic? Of course none. Polypropylene of course none.

If tools making food people eat heat resistance, durability, non-toxicity are essential.

The problem was heavy metals.

Nickel, this guy is a headache. Heavy metal so carcinogen, but in this era no one knew that fact and just used casually.

Copper the same. If long-term exposure there was toxicity but no one knew.

So I changed all that to enamel coated products but never explained the reason once.

Instead made the excuse of 'luxury'. Then no one regards strangely.

"But you, now didn't you say you'll spread that measuring tool to the public? How spread luxurious things to citizens? No matter how lowering the unit price, if luxurious price will attach so hands won't easily go."

"I said spread, didn't say I'll sell."

"Not selling...?!"

"Yes."

Who said selling at shops?

Chairman Balfour's question was in fact a part I also expected.

So decided to change the strategy. Toward utilizing people's psychology.

If expensive one doesn't buy. But if giving as 'special free gift'?

And that method was also already thought. A method sufficiently likely to work.

"Leave the distribution method to me. There's one plan thought of. Within two months ahead one tenth of London homes will already have this tool. The recipe book also I'll talk again when that time comes."

"Hmm..."

"Sir Samuel please find a factory that can produce this. A place possible for casting mold production and enamel coating. Since there would already be factories producing frying pans it won't be difficult. If partially subsidizing the cost it would be good."

"I wasn't trying to suspect you. Looks okay. Do you need more money? I'll give as much as one wants so do freely. Stepping forward for improving British cooking is reassuring."

"I'll sufficiently give government support. Very curious what plan."

"You'll know soon. I'll surprise you."

I one-shot the cold water placed in front of my eyes and stood up from the seat.

"If finding the factory please inform. I'll organize the distribution method and come. If the realization possibility of the plan becomes certain, then I'll tell again. If things go well I might return again in the afternoon later."

"That fast? I'll wish luck. Might become crazy curious."

I unhesitatingly ran to the hotel Mr. Doyle is staying.

To ask to just correct a few lines of the content of detective Holmes that will be included in the November issue draft not many days left immediately.

The chef character that newly appeared in the Holmes series, borrowing my name without even hiding, Jean-Pierre Dumont.

Appearing from the first issue so currently very topical in the world!

To the point this guy solidly contributed to my fame exploding in current London!

Daring to possess my sub character in the novel without even my permission?

It was time to properly pay the price.

My measuring tool, have to make this guy use first!

Then won't people get a bit curious?

Probably become crazy curious even faster than Chairman Balfour?