Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Advertisement (2)
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"Is this the place?"
"Looks like we need to go in over there?"
We drove up to a fork in the road. Even though the navigation showed it, these rural paths were unfamiliar, so we got a bit lost. We finally reached our destination after taking one wrong turn.
"Nice to meet you, Haneul. I'm Cha Min-jong, here to assist with the shoot."
"I'm Kim Haneul."
"I'm Lee Juyeon."
A middle-aged man in a hat came out to greet us.
This was a Shine Muscat farm under contract with Oju Foods. They supplied high-quality Shine Muscats every year, and they were the stars of today's ad shoot.
We exchanged brief greetings and dove right into filming.
"Hello, subscribers. We've got an ad today, so we're visiting Habaek Farm. Could you give us a quick introduction?"
Cha Min-jong appeared on camera. He flashed a friendly smile and spoke.
"Hello, I'm Cha Min-jong from Habaek Farm. I'm here to help with today's video shoot."
A vast plastic greenhouse stretched out in front of the building. It was so huge that even on tiptoes, my sister couldn't capture the end of it in frame. I steadied her as she wobbled, then we stepped inside.
The air hit us differently from outside.
Along with the stuffy heat, the damp earth scent and the fresh, green aroma from thousands of leaves assaulted our noses all at once.
"Wow."
"Warm, right? Shine Muscats are sensitive to temperature, so we use smart farming to systematically control temperature, humidity, and more."
Inside the long greenhouse, grapevines stood in neat T-shaped rows, a bit taller than human height.
My sister lifted the camera again, slowly panning the interior. Even through the lens, we could see the massive circulation fans on the ceiling and devices misting fine water vapor.
The setup was top-notch, for sure.
"When it comes to Shine Muscats, sugar content is key. What's the Brix level here?"
"Honestly, the Shine Muscats on the market these days aren't that sweet. Back when they first got popular, they hit around 19 Brix, but now they barely reach 17."
Cha Min-jong confidently plucked a few nearby berries and handed them out.
Munch, munch.
"As you can taste, they're incredibly sweet. Our premium Shine Muscats average 19 to 20 Brix."
Just as he said, they were really sweet.
I checked that they didn't taste like pesticides even raw before handing some to my sister.
Maybe because she'd been tired from the long drive since morning, the sugar perked her right up.
"Not just sweet—they've got this subtle mango note at the finish. Sensitive palates would definitely pick it up."
"Whoa, you nailed that detail. Top-grade Shine Muscats are supposed to have a mango flavor."
I nodded silently and touched the soil at my feet. The dark brown earth was moist yet fluffy, full of air. Instead of the sour chemical fertilizer smell, there was a faint, earthy aroma of well-fermented compost.
"The soil feels a bit special too."
"Whoa, you've got a good eye."
Cha Min-jong looked at me in surprise at my mutter.
"We say we're not growing grapes—we're growing soil. We use our own cultured microbial (EM) liquid fertilizer and do annual soil tests. GAP certification is standard, of course."
Cha Min-jong led us on, clearly eager to show more.
He took us to another section of the greenhouse, where several women wielded small scissors, relentlessly snipping something off unripe green grape clusters.
"That's berry thinning. Too many berries spread the sugars thin, but trimming them concentrates the nutrients for even tastier Shine Muscats."
Cha Min-jong's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Wow, you've done your homework. Most people don't know about berry thinning, but yes—exactly like Haneul said, it's essential for premium quality."
To be honest, it wasn't from studying; it was knowledge I'd picked up visiting a winery in my past life.
In France, wine is practically a national drink. Some parents introduce it to kids young to build their palates, others sip it casually. It's a staple on every table.
Back when I was studying wine, the farm owner taught me all about cultivation methods.
I used that knowledge to scrutinize this farm. Subscribers would eat it, so better know what they're getting.
"This area's drier. Irrigation control?"
"Yes, exactly. We deliberately manage moisture to concentrate the sugars."
"How about fertilizers? The leaf color suggests potassium top-dressing."
"Spot on. We cut nitrogen early and use potassium to build sugar storage."
"Deficient leaves must affect photosynthesis—how do you manage that?"
"Well, first off..."
I fired off questions, and Cha Min-jong answered diligently. Midway through, he burst into disbelieving laughter.
"Obviously in distribution... Wait, hold on. Are you really a cooking YouTuber? You don't secretly run a farm, do you? How do you even know to ask these things?"
"Sorry if I overdid it. Just felt like I should care since subscribers will eat it."
"No need to apologize—it just threw me off. These aren't Google-level questions. I thought you were in the industry. Ask away!"
I shook my head. I'd asked everything I could.
Farming was a side effect of my wine studies, not as deep as cooking. Plus, the video might turn into a documentary instead of entertainment, so I stopped there.
"Alright, let's head to the kitchen. Lunchtime anyway—time to show your skills."
Clink. Clink.
"Whoa, Haneul, this is seriously good."
"Glad it suits your taste. What about you, Sister?"
"Obviously delicious."
For lunch, we whipped up simple egg fried rice. I'd originally planned something salty like army stew to highlight the sweet Shine Muscats.
But I spotted 'how to make egg fried rice' in my sister's portal search history and switched menus.
I wiped a grain of rice from her lip, then stood up.
"Already?"
"Keep eating. Just prepping."
The ad video's finale was cooking with these Shine Muscats.
Fruit is great raw, but pairing it amps up the flavor.
I pulled out ingredients I'd packed.
I'd brainstormed a few desserts beforehand.
Desserts, no matter how tasty, are still afterthoughts.
Like how a salty dessert after salty food just tastes salty—gotta match it to the main course.
"Need this too?"
"Yeah, thanks."
My sister quickly finished the leftover rice and helped prep. Things wrapped up fast.
I mic'd up and started filming.
"When making desserts, understand your ingredients' traits. Unlike mains where you can cover flaws, desserts don't forgive easily."
Shine Muscats: crisp texture, sweetness, heat-sensitive. I'd play to those strengths.
"First dish: Shine Muscat Sando."
Sando uses soft milk bread and cream for a pretty cross-section—SNS gold, with great taste-to-effort ratio.
"Whip cold cream with sugar. Add mascarpone for firmer, nuttier results, but it's optional."
I spread wrap wide on the counter. Laid a bread slice on it, smeared thin cream on top. Key: no gaps between grapes and cream.
"Top with the last bread slice and wrap tightly."
This stabilizes the cream in the fridge and bonds everything. Anyone can make it with the basics.
"Pop this in the fridge and onto the next: Shine Muscat Caprese."
Caprese is an Italian salad—traditionally tomatoes, but swap or mix with Shine Muscats. Still a salad at heart.
For color pop, I used both.
"Halve the Shine Muscats and cherry tomatoes. Cube mini mozzarella, rinse and dry basil leaves."
I arranged prepped ingredients on a wide plate. Visuals matter, so I plated colorfully.
Finally, drizzle olive oil, zigzag balsamic glaze for visual flair.
"Salad works as dessert or with wine."
Too bad we were driving—no wine packed.
Last up: cream cheese canapés.
"Mart stores sell tons of crackers. Grab some and try. Great kid snack."
I chopped nuts. Lined crackers on a plate, topped with cream cheese, grape slices, nuts. Honey or maple for extra sweet.
For elegance, I added lemon zest and a touch of honey.
Three Shine Muscat desserts done.
"Honestly, more options exist. Blend with soda for sparkling ade, mix with yogurt and granola for a parfait, or bake into cake with a crust."
Universal appeal, sugar base—versatile for desserts.
I pulled the sando from the fridge and plated. After plenty of shots, I offered to the two.
"Dig in."