You shouldn't abandon a soul that you promised to love and protect forever!

 “What's next?" he asked.

"We need to grind some pepper." I pushed the mortar toward him, then poured a generous handful of peppercorns into the stone basin.

"And silphium?"

I gave him a genuine smile then. Silphium was a precious herb I used in many of my dishes, but in recent years it had become quite scarce and costly. It had a taste that was reminiscent of leeks, garlic, and fennel, but smoother and more aromatic. It was one of Apicius's flavors.

"Definitely silphium.”

― Crystal King, Feast of Sorrow