Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Influence

The morning of London streets was always acrid.

It wasn't because of the fog subtly rising from the Thames River in the evening.

The problem was the stall vendors who spread places in all directions and burned coal and wood.

Whether poor immigrant dense areas like Spitalfields or Shoreditch, busy streets like Covent Garden or Soho, industrial districts like Southwark market or the London Docks of the Thames River, stall vendors were lined up regardless of place.

If a place where laborers gather stall vendors also follow without fail.

That was because the majority of laborers didn't cook and eat at home.

1901. Dozens of years have passed since industrialization started, but the numerous laborers who flocked to London gradually found it difficult to take care of warm meals at home.

Well-off middle class put iceboxes in the kitchen, and if homeowners they would cook anytime comfortably with fresh ingredients taken out from the basement cellar, but laborers were mostly in the situation of living month-to-month in single room monthly rent.

Earnings at best a little over 30 shillings a week. Icebox was a luxury, and renting a cellar if eyes were shown even if obtaining cheap ingredients there was no place to store so one had to throw away soon.

Moreover to cook the effort that goes in isn't one or two.

One has to use clean water too, and to bring out taste spices were also needed.

But if trying to use coal for heating on cooking, the thought that filling one morning meal or so with stall cooking is much cheaper and convenient was becoming general common sense among laborers.

A society that barely turns relying entirely on stall food for two meals, or three meals a day like this.

That was exactly the reality of London running the cutting edge of 20th century capitalism.

Among them especially low-quality stall vendors, even if taste and texture were a mess and aroma was foul, if only edible there were countless cases of selling food close to waste at cheap prices.

Secretly gathering spoiled meat pieces and making pie, or soup boiled with vegetables just before rotting were now a level that wasn't even news distance of newspapers.

Laborers without money had to buy and eat even such food crying and eating mustard, and at some moment stall vendors who sold good quality and delicious food disappeared pushed by price competition. So more than half of the stall streets were filled with cheap, poor foods.

Of course the London Metropolitan Police didn't leave stall vendors who seriously violated hygiene as is.

If laborers ate spoiled food and got food poisoning in groups, several factories could stop business at once so it wasn't the direction capitalists wanted either.

In the end surprise crackdowns and periodic inspections were their countermeasure.

"Officer! This is only once! Because of jellied eels if not lowering the price business doesn't work so unavoidably just once...!"

"Make a reasonable excuse! Can you feed food made with moldy dirty sausage to your children too!"

"Please! I also had no choice to feed and raise children! The sausage I bought at proper price spoiled in half a day how do I do?!"

"Let's do the excuse at the Metropolitan Police!"

Today too one stall was caught in the officers' crackdown and swept away by the baton.

And several other stall vendors watching that appearance as if pricked by something hurriedly packed luggage and disappeared into the alley in a hurry.

James the dock laborer lost his soul at that scene.

Because this Monday morning, he bought sausage rolls for the children for 1.5 pence there.

The moment the children were happy floated in front of his eyes.

He made up his mind and bought something that looked delicious, and that was bread made with spoiled sausage!?

Nausea surged and the face burned, but for now there was no way.

Because the uncle remaining in the Scottish hometown sent a detailed letter saying the oat farming was a poor harvest due to the late cold this year and the living expenses for winter are tight right away, so he had no choice but to send part of the remaining savings.

With the remaining money the situation of barely eating rye bread this week. Fortunately there were a few cans of peanut butter left that he luckily bought cheap at the general store last week.

The children no matter how tasteless rye bread if slicing thinly, and mixing a little raspberry jam in peanut butter and spreading liked it very much.

'Can I safely pass this week? Or do I have to endure with cheaper food?'

Right now the coin in the pocket is 1 penny.

Naturally his gaze turned to the stall vendor selling jellied eels.

'Clearly last time they gave 5 pieces of jelly for half a penny. The taste isn't good but to fill the stomach there's no choice.'

Jellied eels.

I don't know from when, but this terrible food whose fishy smell stings the nose at some point spread like a trend among stall vendors.

Whether selling cheap because it's eel fished from dirty Thames River water, or selling cheap because seasoning roughly to the point taste isn't felt.

Still on this street with usually just 2 pence there were quite various things to eat, and if spending 3 pence one could eat Chicken and Chips until full, but among laborers whose pocket situation worsened lately jellied eels were selling more.

Still the price of jellied eels that was 3 farthings (*Farthing, copper coin of 1/4 penny value) at first, gradually competition attached and went down to 2 farthings (half a penny).

To James it was rather not good. Because as the price went down the taste also dropped together.

Just looking the stomach turns, innards removal was done roughly so disgusting, the slippery jelly on the surface especially had a severe fishy smell.

But as much as the eel flesh, if just enduring the smell and swallowing it was somehow edible.

When hungrier there were also people who added 1 penny more and ate a small meat pie piece alongside. Although minced meat was little, it was a much better taste than when eating jellied eels alone.

However today James was even sorry for 1 penny. Regrettable but he had to control the hungry stomach with jellied eels... Huh?

In an instant James discovered people gathered at a place other than the jellied eels stall they originally went to.

And somehow, something savory smell also came together riding the wind.

His footsteps naturally headed that way.

"Come, line up! Line!"

"It comes out soon! Grilled eel 3 pieces for only half a penny! If adding half a penny more one scone is included! Made deliciously with peanut butter!"

Sizzle.

Several grills that burned coal and made fire, putting gridiron (Western-style grill) on them, and putting several eel pieces skewered on tree branch skewers on top and cooking.

The delicious smell came from there.

"Grilling eel?"

"Is that eel? Did eel originally smell like that?"

"Not eating as jelly?"

"Isn't that Durand Grilling? Why not grilling pork and eel?"

It wasn't only James who stopped footsteps. Laborers passing around also all gathered at the unfamiliar food and smell seen for the first time in life.

"Hey, is that really eel? There's no fishy smell at all, isn't it another fish not eel? Where did you put the jellied eels you originally sold?"

One courageous person asked the stall owner abruptly.

The stall owner was a face James also knew. The old woman and daughter who originally sold jellied eels at this place.

He remembered vaguely hearing while passing the talk of pondering whether to close the business pushed by low-quality jelly of 2 farthings after selling jellied eels at 3 farthings.

"This is really eel! If you don't believe please eat! Because one skewer is only 2 farthings! From today I only sell this grilled eel!"

If eating as jelly one can eat 5 pieces of eel, if eating as skewer one can eat 3 pieces.

Moreover half a penny. Such cheap food until now was only jellied eels.

James briefly pondered then groped the pocket once more and immediately lined up.

One skewer and one scone. With that level it would cheer him up a bit before today's hard labor.

Just smelling saliva gathers.

There was exactly one time he had such an experience recently.

Pig belly meat that everyone avoided saying tasteless.

But hearing the talk from someone at the dock that if grilling that belly meat on the grill it's tearfully delicious, he borrowed the grill from the landlord and tried directly in the backyard.

It was really tearfully delicious. So the kids also couldn't sleep that night.

Only after promising to definitely do it every birthday or anniversary could he barely put them to sleep.

Hesitation was short, and action was fast.

Eel was really grilled soon. Just flipping the gridiron once or twice and already browned and cooked.

In the blink of an eye James's turn also came soon.

The owner's daughter who was taking orders rubbed her sweat-soaked hands on the apron and stared at him.

"Order. How shall I give?"

"Uh... Uh..."

She resembled the wife who passed away from tuberculosis a few years ago. So the eyes went more.

"...Please give two skewers."

"It's 1 penny. Here receive. Because it's hot be careful not to burn the inside of the mouth. Come, next customer!"

Originally he was going to buy one skewer and one scone, but seeing the skewer sizzling grilled in front of his eyes he unconsciously bought two.

From the start because it was a skewer it was also good that it was convenient to hold and eat. There was no need to reuse the inconvenient two-pronged fork (Carving fork) others used.

Usually when eating jellied eels one has no choice but to use the fork others used together. They say they wash cleanly again at the stall and put out but he never saw properly wiping.

James held skewers in both hands and stepped back. Looking back the line was already three times.

Surrounding stall vendors also sticking their heads out busily wondering what on earth that is was seen.

However all that was also brief, James's gaze headed to the skewer again.

Was the appearance of eel originally like this? It was appetizing to that point.

Soft and oily looking inside meat. And the crispy fried outside.

Sniff sniff.

He smelled before eating. Something spicy yet salty looking seasoning stimulated the appetite. Was the identity of the good aroma exactly this sauce?

James carefully bit one bite of the grilled eel. Praying it was as delicious as the smell.

"Hallelujah! What on earth is eel this chewy and delicious?!"

"Vkusno (*Вкусно, delicious)!"

"Ah, I can't stand this. Owner! Give two more skewers!"

"Damn! Jellied eels stall guys, they sold eel this delicious just grilling as that kind of trash until now? Ah, it's not words to you owner!"

Exclamations bursting from around!

Hearing that sound laborers passing by started gathering even more!

James also at some point discovered himself who ate both skewers in his hands. It was an amount that would be half a fish, when did he eat all?

James instinctively realized the application method.

This is delicious just grilling as is! The seasoning spread on the outside was also really delicious, but perhaps if just sprinkling a little salt and grilling it might be similarly delicious!

Eel! If running to the market even now one could fill the stomach very cheaply with freshly caught eel!

In his head the previous Durand Grilling flickered.

Eel much cheaper than pig belly meat.

The children might be happy.

Behind him hurriedly running to the market, even the stall vendors who sold jellied eels closed business and started lining up in front of the grilled eel house with empty faces.

"Line up! There are many! There are still 100 more skewers!"

"What? Only 100 left? Hey, don't be greedy in front and buy only one each!"

"Will one do? Give me 3, only 3!"

"Hey, you! Don't cut in line!"

That day, similar scenes occurred in various places of London's major streets.

And three days later, the appearance of one third of the stalls that sold jellied eels changing lines to grilled eel was carried with photos on the 3rd page of the 'Daily Express' paper.