Long Live the Gourmet

Quest giver: Debroye
Location: Old Sharlayan (X:5.5, Y:8.2)
Quest line: Faculty of Medicine
Level: 85
Required quest: Under His Wing
Required items: 1 Golden Spice Ingredients
1 Golden Spice
Requirements: Alchemist
Culinarian
Experience: 120,450
Previous quest: Aroma Is Key
Next quest: Perfectly Delectable
Patch: 6.0

“

Debroye is practically bursting with determination and purpose.

— In-game description

Rewards

2 Giant Haddock Dip

Steps

Speak with Debroye in Yedlihmad.
Speak with Debroye inside the entrance to Radz-at-Han.
Question a High Crucible alchemist while accompanied by Debroye.
Question another High Crucible alchemist while accompanied by Debroye.
While accompanied by Debroye, speak with her at Mehryde's Meyhane.
Synthesize a jar of Golden Spice .
Deliver the jar of Golden Spice to Debroye.
Speak with Debroye at Maker's Meet.

Journal

Debroye is practically bursting with determination and purpose.

Dialogue

Debroye: As Professor Galveroche so eagerly pointed out, our Mervynbread cannot be considered a "perfect meal" until we load it with a sufficient quantity of ascorbic acid.

Debroye: The problem is, all the citrus fruit varieties grown in Labyrinthos have distressing low values of this key nutrient. They say it has something to do with how the false sun cannot entirely replace the effects of natural sunlight.

Debroye: Thus for our purposes, we are unlikely to improve the Mervynbread's levels of ascorbic acid simply by adding a Labyrinthos orange or two to the list of ingredients.

Debroye: And yet the professor claimed to have managed this feat. The question is, how...?

What will you say?

He synthesized the acid himself?
- Debroye: Yes, it's entirely possible. He may have manufactured the nutrient using elements extracted from readily available Labyrinthos produce.
He lied about using produce from within Labyrinthos?
- Debroye: I highly doubt that. Single-minded though he may be, the professor is not a man to bend the facts when it comes to scientific method.
- Debroye: I think it more likely he manufactured his own source, using elements extracted from the available materials.

Debroye: The process he employed, however, is a mystery.

Debroye: It would take me months to research a manufacturing method from scratch, but we cannot allow the professor to submit his panaloaf unopposed. We need to consult with another expert on the subject!

Debroye: Radz-at-Han is the home of alchemy and one of its noted practitioners, Master Jalvaaz, is the Near East's eading authority on nutritional science.

Debroye: I've never had the pleasure myself, but perhaps he will assent to an audience if we show up on his doorstep!

Debroye: The new aetheryte allows us to travel to Thavnair directly, so that should save us some time. Let us be swift! And sure! ...We might have to work on "efficient."

At Yedlihmad

Debroye: <groan>

Debroye: Ugh, I feel sick to my stomach... But it's nothing compared to the nausea I suffered after one bite of the professor's panaloaf.

Debroye: Come on. We'll find Master Jalvaaz in the city proper.

At Radz-at-Han

Debroye: So this is the fabled city of Radz-at-Han. It's even more vibrant than I imagined!

Debroye: ...Yes, this is my first visit to Thavnair. To be perfectly honest, this is my first time I've ever left Sharlayan.

Debroye: What of you, <name>? Have you been here before?

Debroye: Then you can lead the way. I've studied the layout of this place from top to bottom on parchment, but in the flesh, I'd probably get us lost before we'd taken ten steps.

Debroye: The documents I've read mentioned Master Jalvaaz's affiliation with the High Crucible of Al-Kimiya. I wonder, though... The man should be getting on in years, and he may very well be retired.

Debroye: Anyway, it's somewhere to start. Let's head there now, and see if he's still in residence.

System: Debroye is now accompanying you. Keep her at your side in order to proceed with quest objectives.

System: You can leave Debroye behind by entering a different area, or by speaking with her and selecting the option to part ways.

System: If you wish to have Debroye accompany you again, return and speak with her at the original location.

(Optional) Debroye: Now this is an impressive piece of alchemical apparatus! Why, I wager they could concoct almost any mixture they pleased in such a grand furnace.

(Optional) Debroye: Ugh...

(Optional) Debroye: Apologies, just some lingering aetherial sickness... Let's press on.

At the High Crucible

Apprentice Alchemist: Jalvaaz? Never heard of the fellow. He may have worked here once, but I know no one of that name among my present colleagues.

Debroye: Then I suppose he is retired after all. Actually, considering his age, there is no guarantee that the man is even...

Debroye: Ahem, well let us assume he is still among us for the moment. Shall we continue our inquiries on the floor below?

(Optional) Debroye: THey've spared no expense on this facility... When it comes to the field of alchemy, it would seem that Radz-at-Han is malms ahead of everyone else -- even the learned professors of Sharlayan.

Amiable Alchemist: You're looking for a "Jalvaaz"? The alchemist? That would be my great-grandfather, but it's been quite some time since he last worked here.

Debroye: Your...great-grandfather. He, uh, he was a great man.

Amiable Alchemist: He is! Over a hundred summers young, and still going strong.

Amiable Alchemist: As a prominent scholar of nutrition and health, he's always practiced what he preaches. Why, he's even spry enough to visit the tavern from time to time. If you head over to Mehryde's Meyhane, you might chance to see him there.

Debroye: That's wonderful news, thank you! I am very eager to meet him!

Debroye: There you have it, Tsu'na. Our next destination is Mehr-- <groan>

Debroye: Ugh...oh dear. Aetheryte travel did not agree with me. Ahem. Deep breaths, and away to Mehryde's Meyhane we go!

(Optional) Debroye: Oh my, authentic Hannish curries! That spicy aroma is to die for!

(Optional) Debroye: But as much as I would love to sample all the foods on offer, my gourmet research will have to wait...

(Optional) Debroye: So much alchemical equipment. Even with all the time I've spent at the Faculty of Medicine, I've never seen even half of these devices... Perhaps I should spend some time studying here in Thavnair.

At Mehryde's Meyhane

Debroye: I don't see anyone who matches the portrait from the books...which makes sense, considering how young he was in that particular picture. I wonder...what...he...

Debroye: <groan>

???: Miss...?

Booming Bystander: Ah... Don't you worry now, young lady! I'll brew a remedy that'll put you back on your feet in a twinkling!

Debroye: Thank you, sir, I feel ever so much better. I've never heard of a bout of aetherial sickness lasting this long...

Booming Bystander: Oh, no, my dear, you are quite clearly suffering from a severe case of anemia. All the symptoms point to a lack of ascorbic acid.

Booming Bystander: Without that nutrient, your body has trouble absorbing iron, which in turn leads to thinning blood, a disturbing pallor, and extreme fatigue.

Booming Bystander: The medicine I gave you will remedy the immediate issues, but I strongly suggest you rethink your dietary habits. We wouldn't want your youthful promise stolen by a fatal case of scurvy now, would we?

Debroye: Now that I think on it, I've been eating nothing but panaloaf samples since we started all this.

Debroye: It stands to reason that our yet-to-be-perfected meals would leave me low on ascorbic acid. Thaliak save me, I almost made the same mistake as Mervyn.

Debroye: Your knowledge of the nutritional sciences is most impressive, Master...?

Jalvaaz: Hm? Oh, it's just plain old "Jalvaaz" these days, my dear. I'm retired now, but I've learned a thing or two about healthy eating and longevity over the years.

Debroye: So you are Jalvaaz! I knew it!

Debroye: My name is Debroye, and I study nutrition at the Studium in Sharlayan. I come seeking wisdom from the foremost expert in the field -- that being you, of course!

Debroye: If you know of a viable labroatory method for manufacturing ascorbic acid, then I humbly request that you instruct me in the process.

Jalvaaz: Well, isn't this a coincidence? It wasn't long ago that a professor from your Studium approached me looking to solve the exact same dilemma.

Jalvaaz: Yes, I know of a method -- I was the one who discovered it! But the sweat of my brow comes at a price, Miss Debroye, and a rather rich one at that.

Debroye: How rich...?

Jalvaaz: The professor paid it without so much as raising an eyebrow, but I'm afraid the cost of my services is beyond the means of the average student.

Jalvaaz: Still, it hardly seems fair to turn you away at the gate. I tell you what, why don't I make you a deal?

Jalvaaz: You see, I have always been a lover of curries, but when you've eaten as many as I have, you begin to grow tired of the same Hannish flavors.

Jalvaaz: Then I recently came to learn of an Eorzean-style curry plate that I am desperate to try.

Jalvaaz: I obtained the recipe from a trader, and I've even gone so far as to gather the ingredients so the cook here can take a stab at preparing the dish.

Jalvaaz: But now destiny has seen fit to drop a pair of Western travelers in my lap. And who better to make Western cuisine than the natives of those lands, eh?

Jalvaaz: So here's my offer: you prepare the curry, and I teach you the method...provided my palate is properly tickled.

Debroye: We accept! I promise you, we will make the most delicious curry you've ever tasted!

Debroye: That other visitor was almost certainly Professor Galveroche. Which means the process he learned is one which can be followed using resources from Labyrinthos!

Debroye: And what's more, Eorzean curry is one of the Last Stand's most famous dishes. I've made it many times.

Debroye: First you carmelize the onions to bring out their swetness, add the boullion, dice your choice of meat and stew until tender, oh, and be sure to skim the floaty bits from the water, of course, and then...

What will you say?

Debroye, save it for the kitchen!
Uh, you lost me..

Debroye: Sorry, I did it again, didn't I?

Debroye: Anyway, yes, I know all the steps..aside from mixing the "golden spice." Master Dickon was always the one to prepare that ingredient.

Debroye: If you could take care of that part, then I'd be more than happy to handle everything else.

(Optional) Jalvaaz: As I said, I have all the ingredients you need and more besides. Cook away, and let me know if you're running low on anything! Ah, my mouth is watering already...

After preparing the "golden spice"

Debroye: How is that spice mixture coming along?

Debroye: Mmm, it smells wonderful! This will give our curry the perfect amount of zest...

Jalvaaz: Hmmm, so this is what Eorzean curry looks like -- the colors, the aroma. It's so different to what we serve here. Now, for the all-important taste...

Debroye: Is it...is it to your liking, sir?

Jalvaaz: ...It's fantastic! The more you eat, the more the layers of flavor compound into a luxurious orchestra of deliciousness!

Jalvaaz: They say you can taste the chef's intention in a meal, and your determination to impress me has infused every bite.

Debroye: Then, you'll share your method with us...?

Jalvaaz: Of course I will! A mean such as that is worth more than a man's weight in gold!

Debroye: ...So, coconut milk is the key.

Debroye: Thank you so much, Jalvaaz, sir!

Debroye: Ahem, there is one more thing I would ask, if I may. What, in your opinion, is the biggest secret to health and long life?

Jalvaaz: A well-balanced diet is important, no doubt about that, but I believe you must enjoy what you eat.

Jalvaaz: It's always seemed to me that digestion is aided by how much one relishes a meal. And the better one's digestion, the more nutrients one's body absorbs!

Debroye: Exactly! I've often thought the same myself.

Debroye: You've been a great help to us, sir. We wish you many more years of healthy living to come!

Debroye: And although I would love to more thoroughly explore Radz-at-Han's gourmet delights, we must hurry back to Sharlayan. Perhaps another time!

At the Studium

Debroye: Thank you, Tsu'na, for accompanying me to such a far-flung locale, and on such short notice! I don't know if I could have securet that alchemical process from Jalvaaz without your assistance.

Debroye: But now that we have it, our next batch of Mervynbread will be well and truly perfect! ...This time! ...For certain!