Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: The 'Song Sugar' Phenomenon
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Overwhelmed by the flood of chats, I felt my mind growing hazy.
I had no idea when the viewer count had swelled like this. The scrolling text was flying by so fast it was impossible to read properly.
Even amid the chaos, a few chats jumped out at me, mostly along these lines.
- Looks like he's dumping all the prepped sugar lololol
- Does a mojito normally take this much sugar?
- That's not the three spoonfuls I'm thinking of lololol
Huh. That's weird.
I tilted my head and asked,
"Ah, is there too much sugar?"
The chat window exploded a beat later with 'Yes's and 'Seems like it' messages.
It hit me all at once.
'People don't use much sugar when cooking at home, but how would I know that?'
In both my past life and now, I'm someone whose job revolves around researching restaurant recipes, far removed from home cooking. Plus, before my regression, I never interacted with the public like this, so I'd never had a chance to compare the two.
I don't know how home cooking works, and people don't know what's in store-bought food or how much, so both sides end up confused.
'But I can't exactly explain all that in detail.'
"Ah~. It might look like a lot of sugar, but you need to put it in generously for the best flavor. Not that it has to be super sweet, though. It's just that to match the taste of store-bought food, you have to add a certain amount."
I suddenly felt like I came off as some sugar abuser, so I hurriedly made excuses.
"It does make the seasoning a bit strong if you add that much sugar. Adjust the amounts to your taste. The reason I teach it on the saltier side as a base is so even cooking beginners can get good results easily."
Even if the ingredients aren't prepped well or aren't fresh, causing fishy or off flavors, as long as the sauce ratios are right, it won't show.
"And I'm not about highlighting the natural flavors of ingredients or anything~. I'm just showing you easy, simple ways to make tasty food at home?"
I pushed the mojito aside and prepped the next dish. I pulled out the pre-prepared ingredients and continued,
"Mom makes the best home cooking, so ask her about that. What I'm giving you is perfect restaurant-style! Recipes for that shop-bought taste. Not just this one—all the ones coming up after."
I flashed a grin at the camera.
"Food can be tasty with bold seasoning, but it's hard to make it tasty with light seasoning."
That's why store-bought food tends to be on the saltier side overall.
"Keep that in mind~. On to the next recipe."
I figured this explanation would clear things up.
"This one's an easy chicken stir-fry hotpot! A lot of people think it's hard, but it's not. The ingredients you'll need are......"
And just like that, I smoothly moved on to the next recipe.
Completely unaware of the aftermath that would follow this broadcast.
[Anyone see Song Woo-yeon on MySmallTelevision lololol]
(Screenshot from broadcast of Song Woo-yeon pouring sugar)
Is that the right amount of sugar???
→Lololol he explained it on the show, said it's restaurant-style so seasoning is strong
→Chicken stir-fry hotpot, right? Not sugar stir-fry?
→Watched the broadcast and he used sugar everywhere lolololol even said to add sugar if it's bitter, and if it's country bean paste not store-bought then add extra sugar lololol no recipe without sugar
→Isn't that super bad for your health?
→Guess restaurant food really is heavily seasoned;;
[???: Just add three spoonfuls of sugar]
(Screenshot of sugar piled high on a spoon like a mound of rice)
This much~
→Don't you usually level it off?
→The curve screaming zero self-control is hilarious lololololol
→But I tried the recipe and it was legit good. Biggest plus is you can just roll it up in perilla leaves. Tastes so good you sip away and before you know it you've chugged a ton of soju and it hits hard lol
→→Ooh sounds tasty, gotta try it
[Ah, is there too much sugar?]
(Screenshot of Song Woo-yeon dumping sugar)
Endure
→Are you insane lololololololol
→Insanely likable
→Recipes are tasty but diabetes worries me a bit lol
→Sugar girl incoming
[Did any moms see Coolgal's Chef Song Woo-yeon on the new show...? ^^?]
MySmallTelevision... seems like he's doing a new show ^^
I've always referenced his easy follow-along recipes on Coolgal, and now he's doing his own cooking stream.
Compiled the recipes here in case it's helpful for members~.
1. Perilla Leaf Mojito
Ingredients: 1/2 lemon, several perilla leaves......
→Thanks for sharing~
→Useful tips! Recommended
→Watched it too and loved it~. Saying you can use sugar if no corn syrup, or just use one type of chili powder if you can't tell fine from coarse made it so much easier!
→Should be useful for single dwellers too~. Recommended it to my college kiddo... lol she's the same age as him but can't cook a thing, gave her an earful and she slammed the door to her room...... sigh.
I rested my chin on my hand, deep in thought.
"Was the sugar really that much?"
I don't skimp on sugar in my usual recipes either. No, like I said—restaurant recipes need bold seasoning.
Joyruk nodded beside me at my words.
"Watching on broadcast made it look like even more. And since you told viewers to keep it in mind, it actually drew more attention."
"Hmm...... Should I cut back next time?"
But if I do, it won't taste how I want.
Home cooking should tone down the bold flavors, but as the president of a franchise company, pushing home-style feels off somehow.
As I tilted my head, Joyruk gathered the reports and said,
"The reactions aren't bad. Public opinion is mostly positive. It's even building a friendlier image."
"I'm just worried it'll create a 'bad for health' perception."
"Everyone knows eating out is less healthy than home cooking."
True enough.
I nodded at the clear answer.
"Of course, there are some health concerns or general franchise criticisms, but fun, lighthearted chatter overwhelmingly dominates. It actually helps the brand's down-to-earth image."
"Then that's a relief."
Phew.
I'd been worried my antics might tarnish the overall brand image. Glad it's not.
"You even got some fun nicknames."
"Nicknames?"
"Yes."
Slap.
Joyruk placed another report down. It was a large printout of a news headline......
'Song Sugar' Song Woo-yeon: "Sugar? A safeguard against beginners' failures" The title tacked onto my name felt pretty foreign. I'd usually been called something like 'Coolgal's Chef Song Woo-yeon.' Now 'Coolgal' or 'Chef' was dropped, replaced by a new moniker.
"......Song Sugar?"
No way it's shooting guard sugar. It's the sugar from sucrose, right?
"Yes. Sugar Girl, Sugar Chef, variations like that, but it's settling on 'Song Sugar' now."
This was genuinely bewildering. I'd never encouraged nicknames like this. Obviously, pre-regression I avoided broadcasts, so no nicknames ever stuck. This was totally unexpected, and I couldn't hide my bafflement.
"No, anyone hearing this would think I dump sugar everywhere. I mean, I do use a good amount! But not...... that excessively."
"Isn't that how 'memes' work?"
People take a tiny needle and hype it until it's a massive club—that's the saying that spreads around. Exaggeration isn't a idiom for nothing. Before long, how much sugar I actually use didn't matter anymore. It was more fun for them to amplify and reproduce the image of me as the sugar guy and crack up over it. I get it. I do, but...... it doesn't sit entirely well.
"Urgh."
But I can't suddenly sue people for defamation over them messing around. All I could do was hope it blew over quietly.
"Well, thanks to it, MySmall TV's ratings are solid. The PD's thrilled."
"You said it was Coolgal's Kim Seol PD who introduced it?"
"Yes, that's right."
I'd gotten a thank-you call last night. And an apology too. With all the sugar buzz, they added emphasis in editing, apparently. Watching live, they close-upped the sugar spoon and overlaid images of me dumping a whole bag—it was nuts. But stirring viewer interest like that is a PD's job. What can I say? Just humbly accept it.
"I should cut back on sugar from the next broadcast......"
"Haha. You could do that."
Joyruk laughed it off lightly, but I was dead serious. Come to think of it, the sunlight outside was getting nicely warm. Summer was creeping in. Oh, summer reminded me.
"By the way. Still on good terms with Jihyang Township?"
"Yes. We handed off last fall's harvest to the old clients, but starting this year, it's exclusively with us."
"And store count?"
"It's expanding faster than expected, but we've secured other suppliers too, so no shortages."
Good. Right on plan. 'This summer's supposed to bring record floods, skyrocketing produce prices.' Except for one place. Jihyang Township. That's why I rushed there last year to lock in the contract. Even pulled out the long-term deal card. Everything flowing smoothly had me nodding in satisfaction when Joyruk suddenly asked, "Why Jihyang Township specifically?"
"Pardon?"
"I didn't ask back then since it was so sudden."
Oh, had I never explained properly? I was swamped with spicy chicken feet new menu dev then.
"......Is there something special about the place?"
But. Was Joyruk the type to pry like this normally?