Fire rain...
Bathing...
Water flow...
Cookware...
With his brave and reckless nature kicking in, since Zhang Wei requested it, Wu Yong directly waded into the water!
"Wow oh oh!"
"What's wrong?"
Wu Yong let out a strange cry, and those around him immediately asked.
Wu Yong continued, "This water feels completely different from before. I feel like I'm stepping on an essence, as if undergoing a medicinal bath..."
Medicinal bath?
Because of the mud balls below...
Is this cooking, or bathing culture?
Could it be that this is the fully realized harmonized hot spring water?
He wasn't imitating a hot spring, but a medicinal bath?
Wu Yong dug out a mud ball from the bottom of the water. It was extremely heavy in his hand. If the pool wasn't shallow enough for him to stand on the ground, he wouldn't have been able to float it up.
"Boss, how do you eat this thing?"
"Just pry it open. Don't get any of your bathwater on it. Of course, if you don't mind, I don't either."
Pry it open...
With a gentle punch from Wu Yong, the outer mud shell cracked, revealing the green leaves inside...
What?
It's like lotus leaf rice?
Beggar's chicken?
Zhang Wei explained, "Wrapping with mud and then using lotus leaves as an insulator isn't just for roasted chicken."
"Lotus leaf rice, pork belly... Because the mud heats evenly, this cooking method is actually very popular, but this isn't ordinary mud..."
Jun Qing took a small piece of the shell and green lotus leaf from Wu Yong and brought it to his nose to sniff gently...
Then he exclaimed in surprise, "This isn't mud! And this isn't lotus leaf either!"
He scraped off a bit of powder and put it in his mouth. The flavors of over twenty kinds of spices flooded Jun Qing's mind...
As for the leaf, it had a slightly bitter tea flavor...
"It's a combination of spice powder mixed with sawdust and wood powder, carbonized under high temperature and pressure... This leaf is also very strange, remaining vibrant green at this temperature... What is this?"
"It's ozone grass leaf! I've fed you ozone grass before, but you're probably seeing its leaf for the first time."
Using ozone grass leaves instead of lotus leaves.
As the green leaves were peeled back, a rich aroma of meat wafted out, a wondrous flavor that Jun Qing had never experienced before.
A gourmet world ingredient!
It must be!
The meat from the human world could hardly reach such a fragrant level!
Zhang Wei, standing beside him, chuckled, "Good luck! You found Icefield Giant Dragon meat on your first try!"
Icefield Giant Dragon?
The Icefield Guardian they mentioned earlier, whose blood had a temperature of 1500 degrees!
Peeling back the green leaves, the accumulated heat and aroma rushed out, an unparalleled flavor that had never been experienced before!
Jun Qing said with a hint of nostalgia, "That Icefield Giant Dragon from back then... I didn't expect you to still have it."
The meat of the Icefield Giant Dragon was incredibly difficult to process. Although it was of high grade and nutritious, its taste was hard to compliment.
Otherwise, even eating it raw as sashimi would have been a good option.
Dry, tough, stringy, gamey...
It seemed to possess almost every flaw a meat could have.
Other than being energy-rich and highly nutritious, it had almost no advantages.
But this aroma...
Jun Qing swallowed his saliva and looked at Zhang Wei, "This perfect meat aroma actually comes from Icefield Dragon meat... I can hardly believe it!"
Could it be that the cooking method was responsible for the Icefield Dragon meat being overshadowed...
In fact, in Zhang Wei's hometown, there was a saying: there are no bad ingredients, only improper ways of preparation.
Crayfish, carp... and so on, are all ingredients that are inherently of lower quality, but can become delicious if the right method is found.
Crayfish even became extremely popular for a time.
At this moment.
People had gathered outside the hot spring resort, all drawn by the aroma of the food.
The scene was even more exaggerated than when the Century Soup appeared, and everyone's mouths began to water!
After shattering the outer shell and opening the lotus leaves, they were placed on the water surface at Zhang Wei's signal.
He never expected this dish to float on the weak water!
Wu Yong picked up a piece of meat. The glistening fat shimmered on the chopsticks, like incredibly soft jelly.
Upon entering his mouth, the fat melted instantly!
An abundance of meaty aroma exploded from his mouth, so strong that people far away could clearly smell it.
"This... smells so good!"
"And there's no greasiness at all!"
"I just ate a large piece of fat, why does it feel like I'm eating jelly!"
On the ozone grass leaves were lumps of meat, each about the size of two fists. Their appearance was very primitive, with no knife work involved.
Wu Yong raised the leaf and shouted, "Everyone, come and try!"
The crowd responded, and several people, through carelessness, accidentally dropped their meat into the pool.
Each time, there were expressions of regret. Such a delicacy was being wasted.
But the meat... was just too soft.
And surprisingly light, just like the weak water...
Compared to the exquisite taste, Jun Qing and Mr. Luo were more interested in Zhang Wei's cooking techniques. What kind of skill could create such a dazzling scene?
Zhang Wei waved his hand, "Everyone, don't just stand there. There are many more delicious dishes here!"
All those qualified to participate entered the pool and dived down to dig up the mud balls.
It was then that everyone was surprised to discover that these mud balls were all different, varying in size... and their ingredients were also different!
"My portion is Ten-Feathered Chicken. The spices used are completely different from before... there's no star anise or cinnamon used to cut the greasiness. Instead, mugwort, orange peel, bay leaves, etc., are added to enhance the aroma... The chicken fat expands within the meat..."
"The chicken meat contains a syrup component, which greatly alleviates the greasiness of the Ten-Feathered Chicken... I can also taste a hint of orange wine... all used to remove the fishy smell and greasiness!"
"And the leaves used inside are not ozone grass..."
Mr. Luo pondered carefully.
Could it be that...
All the ingredients here were composed of different spices, ingredients, and seasonings?
What an enormous undertaking!
Sharing his thoughts, Zhang Wei shook his head and smiled, "It's not that extreme. For similar types, we can make more than one. Just like the East Slope Icefield Dragon meat earlier, there were over a dozen portions."
"Then how many of each type are there?"
"That... I don't recall. In short, I found many ingredients that tasted terrible and were difficult to cook, and processed them deeply. Just the Icefield Giant Dragon had over twenty different parts prepared, each with its own exclusive spices, side dishes, and so on."
Mr. Luo couldn't believe it, processing such inferior ingredients...
And achieving such astonishing flavors!
Moreover, looking at the dense mud balls in the entire water hammer, it was impossible to tell how many there were. What a terrifying amount of work!
Any single mud ball could hold a surprise, and each could be considered an outstanding dish on its own...
A group of chefs brought various food balls to Zhang Wei, expressing their doubts.
"Boss, your 'Haidilao' is truly supreme. Whether it's the concept, aroma, taste, or creativity, it's flawless... Boss, was the explosion of the pot a special effect for the show, or did it have a special meaning?"
Zhang Wei explained, "It's a pressure cooker! When released, it naturally creates an explosion effect, just like popcorn. Those water columns are weak water, caused by the accumulated heat inside."
"I see! Then why were the fire rain and meteors so spectacular? I've never seen ingredients emit such light!"
"It's high-temperature coal fire. The weak water at the top acts as a seal. When they've released enough, the ingredient balls at the bottom will naturally pop out."
"High temperature? Coal fire?"
"Exactly. The outer shells of those spices are made of Magic Pea Vine skin. Under the high temperature of 2500 degrees in a pressure cooker, they can last a long time before being incinerated. This temperature is even brighter than burning charcoal, so when they appear, they look like fireworks, emitting light."
The general idea was that the spice shells were wrapped in a highly heat-resistant insulating layer. However, under high temperature, they still carbonized. Upon contact with oxygen when they flew out, they produced that effect.
The thickness of the insulating layer determined the internal temperature of the ingredients. For something like Icefield Dragon meat, it was thinner, making the inside hotter. For Ten-Feathered Chicken, it was thicker, and an internal temperature of two to three hundred degrees was already very high, otherwise, the food would easily burn.
As for the multi-colored appearance, it was because different powdered ingredients were mixed externally, acting as dyes when they rubbed against the air.
The true purpose of this hot spring was for cooling. These balls, heated to over a thousand degrees, were comparable to magma and had to be cooled by this weak water before they could be eaten.
And the spices on the outside, mixed with the remaining phosphorus powder, combined sufficiently with the water to make the water have a medicinal bath effect!
Interlocking!
The perfect combination of gourmet food and bathing!
The complex preparation of the ingredients inside...
The name "Haidilao" and the fitting way of eating...
This strange blind box-like surprise cuisine...
In terms of creativity, it had reached its peak!
At this moment, Xi Feng walked over and said, "The aroma of the dishes just cooked has spread throughout the entire Gourmet City, even the Delicacy Treasury Academy and the Gourmet Bank have sensed it... Boss, why is this aroma so... astonishing!"
Xi Feng still remembered.
The moment the cookware exploded, he was completely immersed in the rich aroma.
Clearly, each ingredient was quite ordinary...
Besides the concept, the strongest aspect of this dish was its pervasive, vibrant, and striking aroma!
This unreasonable concentration of fragrance was as if the flavor was charging towards one's nose!
"What is the essence of smell?"
The sudden question startled Xi Feng.
He then scratched his head and said, "I'm not a chef, how would I know?"
"It's sort of physics knowledge. The essence of smell is molecules, and temperature can accelerate the movement of molecules. To use a down-to-earth example, cold dishes and steaming hot stews, there's a huge difference in aroma between the two."
Generally, fried and grilled food stalls have the strongest aromas. High-temperature oil and flame-grilled cooking bring about aroma molecules with high kinetic energy.
For cold drinks, cold dishes, and cold food, it's difficult to achieve an aroma that travels for miles.
In ancient times, some vendors, to attract diners, would use spirits to accelerate the dissipation of the already active alcohol, achieving the effect of "good wine needs no bush."
The pressure cooker, upon explosion, released a vast amount of heat, giving the aroma molecules unparalleled mobility. Therefore... that's why there was such astonishing aroma!
More and more mud balls were being fished up and opened!
Sauce-Fragrant Dairy Cow Whole Leg...
Spicy and Numbing Five-Flavor Drunken Vinegar Duck...
Whole Cut Sesame Roasted Chicken...
Sticky Rice Red Date Leaf Rice...
Red Carrot Taro Paste Candy Roast...
Crimson Pork Ribs...
Five-Spice Carp Skin...
Crab Roe Paste Fish Roe Mixed Rice...
Zhang Wei stated honestly, "Thirty-two of these were a friendly contribution from Mr. Cang Ma. I must thank him here. I've learned a great deal from our exchanges and figured out many new theories."
Cang Ma waved his hand, "My contribution is insignificant compared to yours. You cook like a whirlwind, and your mind is full of ideas. Young people are truly energetic, I'm getting old..."
Jun Qing leaned in and quietly asked, "Then how many types did Mr. Zhang Wei make?"
"Guess?"
"Sixty?"
"Guess bigger!"
"One hundred!"
"Still too small."
"Could it be two hundred..."
Cang Ma said seriously and with some amazement, "We initially selected a total of two hundred ingredients, divided into 560 different parts and textures... For example, the Icefield Giant Dragon was divided into leg meat, backbone meat, claw meat, scale meat, belly meat, and so on."
"Could it be..."
"Exactly. After I completed 32 different textures and flavors, Zhang Wei had already finished preparing the rest, even having time to chat with me! When he cooks, he's like having three heads and six arms..."
Cang Ma still remembered the scene of cooking back then.
Zhang Wei had actually summoned the Food Demons...
Keep in mind that all Food Demons are ravenous gluttons with only an endless desire to eat. They even affect emotions and intelligence after being summoned, but Zhang Wei's Gourmet Demons were completely different!
That magnificent chef's uniform, seven variously sized cleavers spinning and dancing around him, even capable of duplicating into countless numbers, truly an anomaly among Food Demons!
An... intelligent Food Demon?
Unimaginable!
Everyone ate with hearty laughter. Only Yan Yan, one of the four salt merchants, had a strange expression. The delicious food before him brought unparalleled happiness, and the stronger the Gourmet Bank became, the greater the threat to the monopoly position of the four salt merchants.
And once their monopoly position was lost, the profit of the merchant association would drop significantly.
Prevention...
Pacification...
Acquisition...
Replication...
Destruction...
Prevention was outdated, this was a problem of information lag. He would deal with the person in charge later.
Acquisition was extremely difficult. Not to mention the reserves of the Gourmet Bank, Zhang Wei's personality would never agree to an acquisition.
As for replication, it was even harder. To this day, Yan Yan didn't know where Zhang Wei got those top-tier ingredients. He only heard that people from the Tower of Scholars claimed it was an ingredient repair technology.
Yan Yan had once proposed sharing the technology and signing a contract for a large sum of money, but Zhang Wei had ruthlessly refused.
It seemed that other than destruction, there was no better option.
But this kind of thing couldn't be done casually. Otherwise, Yan Yan wouldn't need to keep something like Tai Sui God.
Guardians of the Human World absolutely would not allow such a situation to occur.
Even if they defeated the Gourmet Bank, the benefits gained would not offset the activation of the Supreme Gourmet Association of Humanity.
"Alas... it's difficult!"
Yan Yan let out a long sigh of helplessness.