An Exchange of Knowledge

Rosamel had been excited to meet Dan. She felt it was necessary to have friends in the food service industry. At least then she could feel a little solace when things went awry. She knocked twice on the door. She had a small smile as the white haired bun came to see who was disturbing him.

He was a bit surprised to not have to tilt his head to see her, much less to look her in the eye. He did not return her smile as he sat his mallet against his shoulder. His raised eyebrow conveyed the unspoken question of why she was there.

“Hi, I’m Rosamel. I own the Rose and Honey Teahouse. I heard that you make the best mochi and dango around.” Rosamel had a warm breathy, regal voice of a gentle, yet not soft volume. “I have always admired the art of these rice based treats, though I never have had the chance to learn.”

He almost smiled as he heard her compliment him, although he would have to take that compliment as hearsay seeing as it sounded like she had not tried his dango or mochi yet. Her admiration did cause him to finally speak. “You run a teahouse, yes? Meaning you make teas and sweets. Yet, you have never made dango or mochi?”

“You are correct. I was too busy learning the science of artisanal teas and making sure I could make a souffle without it falling,” she gave a half-laugh, blushing slightly. She always found it a bit nerve wracking when admitting there was something she did not know how to do when it came to sweets.

“How about a trade? I will teach you the basics of mochi and you teach me how to make a tea blend.” He offered this as it seemed she was very interested in knowing how to work mochi. He did not lose his gruff voice of expression as he talked.

She smiled and nodded. “That sounds like an excellent trade. I could even teach you how to dry the leaves and herbs so you could start from the beginning. It also depends on if you want a green tea, a white tea, a rooibos tea, or a black tea. The choice can be important if you are particular on the amount of caffeine you want to drink or the amount of antioxidants you want instead.”

Dan had to raise his hand to stop her. Her passion laid with tea, that was obvious. She was dedicated to her craft. He wondered if that dedication would carry over to his craft. His voice was not as rough now. “Follow me.”

She blinked, but was quick to follow him to his work space. She was handed one of his spare mallets. It was awkward in her hands until he showed her how to hold it. He took his time teaching her the proper methods of holding and swinging the mallet, not wanting to waste rice before she had a handle.

Dan had to admit that Rosamel had determination. She did not complain about having to repeat the process over and over, which showed her willingness to learn. He could not fault her much. When he felt she had the basics down, he brought her over to start working on some mochigome.

It took her a bit to get the rhythm down, but she adjusted as needed, heeding Dan’s instructions with ease. She did not let the burn that coated the muscles of her shoulders get to her. Dan had her stop after a few minutes, noticing her movements getting a big jerky. He finished this batch before speaking again.

“You have dedication, just not the muscles. Muscles can be worked on, though.” It was as close to praise as Dan would give. “If you come back later this week, we can work on something simpler and we can work on those muscles.”

Rosamel smiled, obviously more than happy to hear those words. She nodded before speaking. “I can gather supplies to teach you a tea blend then too. Do you want something high in caffeine or high in antioxidants?”

“Caffeine,” Dan replies without hesitation. He had thought about that while teaching her how to handle the mallet earlier.

“Okay, a black tea would be best. I can gather a few different items I usually use to make the black blends. I’m sure we will find a blend that is perfect for you.”

She left with a pep in her walk, Dan watching her like she was the most unusual bun to walk into his shop. She returned a couple of days later, a wicker basket full of tea supplies. They exchanged information, both diligent in learning the new skill they had wanted. Rosamel even taught Dan about the proper way to brew a tea, down to knowing the precise temperature to heat the water too.