I love dal. I love cooking. I did not love this story. I guess it just didn't work for me. I need more exposition to figure out what is going on. Too little here. I got that there was some kind of generational migration ship, but that's about it....
Whereas I've never had dal, have no idea what it is, and once managed to burn hardboiled eggs. (I am not proud of this.)
I liked the way the recipe changed, to adjust for measuring tools and available ingredients. The bit about written messages from ancestors reminded me a little of EP640 'Paradise Regained'. I think knowing the exact details of what happened in the background of the story isn't entirely necessary - though I'll admit I was curious about the mechanics of the gravity disaster. (
As is often the case nowadays, I listen while driving - which is good because I get to hear a story on the way to work, but less-than-ideal in that paying attention to the road takes precedence to listening intently.) In any case, I would love to see more stories in this setting.
In short - I adored the flavour of this story, and knowing the specific ingredients used to make it is not a pre-requisite for enjoying the thing.