Safflower

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Runs a noodle bar. Studied for it since he was a pog and discovered a minor spirit's hoard of stolen scrolls, all of which were noodle recipes. When the time came to start his business he packed up spirit and scrolls in a large gourd and struck out across the border to Wind territory, where there is always room for another noodle seller.

(Kept striking across Wind territory, very nearly to the opposite border, until other noodle sellers stopped recognizing their proprietary secret dishes on his regular menu... as long as he kept moving.)

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Eventually set up shop in Wanderin with a standing offer to itinerant noodle chefs of workspace in his stall for exchange of recipes. Most are friendly enough they don't find out any written recipes will wind up in his gourd anyway. The ones that do he tells the spirit was raised by ridgebacks. (Vangerdahast and Stickybeak are both offended, honestly impressed at how the spirit can circumvent absolutely any security measures devised, and baffled why of all things to be selective about it will only ever take noodle recipes.) Any that still complain have to take it to lair boss Rufus, who's murderously cranky about interruptions and deeply attached to the kamaboko ramen Safflower offers him gratis any time he comes by. It's said no one ever returns from complaining to Rufus.

Hodgepodge has no noodle recipes in her library (anymore), as every time Oddjob tries to make a copy the spirit steals it away to add to its hoard. To spite the spirit Hodge memorized her favorite recipes, as at least it can't steal them out of her head.

Prufrock has been doing brisker business in anti-theft talismans since Safflower settled in.

Probably shouldn't indulge himself with particularly whiny customers that complain about an unfamiliar menu by whapping them with a pillow that looks like bacon, but eh. He's the owner. Remy who gave him the pillow is always so happy to hear how much it brings him joy. (And hatchlings who come so often they have favorite dishes will whine on purpose with big hopeful eyes and giggle with glee to get bopped.)

The noodle stall cat, most commonly referred to as Soupstock. Not because the stock has cat in it (he doesn't shed that much) but because it's about the only thing that's been around longer. (Dashi did, once, have a normal number of all appendages. The dragons are pretty sure there was an Incident where the cat got confused between Saffle's stock pot and the swamprats' cauldron... but he's healthy, and still seems happy, so better to leave as is.) Doesn't actually respond to Dashi as a name so much as "sound of a food that may be in the offing," so by that metric could also arguably be called Tamago, or Chashu, or Narutomaki. Individual heads, whenever there's a reason to distinguish them, tend to get designated Pinkeye, Jade Eye, and Squinty.

Yes, noodles are so delicious even animals want to eat them. That does not mean animals should eat them. They should not. Not even if the fox is cute and acts hungry and really really likes noodles. Do not feed the wildlife. (His name is Tomato Paste Face and he doesn't wash his whiskers like the cat does and he'll eat anything with marinara except the actual noodles he just licks those clean and he's a great hunter of meatballs and any hatchling who sees him gets to order whatever they want even if it hasn't got any veggies or is a dessert no really, that's the rule...)