Paprick is a common butcher, carving slabs of meat from gargantuan monsters so elite chefs can prepare magic-granting meals for the rich. But Paprick's true passion is cooking, and if he can learn the secret art, his dreams of liberating his people and sharing the monsters' magic with the world could come true. He steals the precious ingredients needed to practise recipes at home, but if he's caught, he'll be executed.

As his desperation grows, he ventures into the black market and uncovers a spice imported from unknown lands. Combining it with the last of his stolen meat, he cooks a dish the world has never tasted before, with side-effects he couldn't have foreseen.

The dish's magic grows Paprick to a monstrous size, and legends of his powers spread among the people. Immediately, the rulers arrest him, but Paprick convinces them to make him a chef's apprentice-if they ever want to learn his recipe. However, his exposure to the world of high cuisine reveals the rot at its centre, and with his new power, rebellion is only a few recipes away...