297: Chapter 296: Two Extreme Noodles (Part 2) 297: Chapter 296: Two Extreme Noodles (Part 2) Squid Ink!
Many may not know, but squid ink actually has a high culinary and medicinal value.
That being said, in a parallel universe, squid ink as an ingredient had been discovered by food enthusiasts much earlier, unlike in Xia Yu’s original timeline where it only became popular in recent years through media and folk science promotions.
Squid ink can be eaten raw or slightly cooked before being used in dishes.
Raw squid ink doesn’t taste very good.
At least, Xia Yu, now holding a full bowl of squid ink, can’t help but use his keen sense of smell; he merely sniffed it lightly, and an odor similar to mercurochrome with a hint of traditional Chinese medicine scent roamed around his nasal cavities, taking a good while before it was expelled.
And making noodles with squid ink wasn’t Xia Yu’s original creation either.
For instance, squid ink Italian seafood pasta.
In Neon’s homeland, they also make bread and ramen with squid ink.
Initially, Xia Yu could have mixed the flour with squid ink, which would have produced naturally black noodles with a seafood flavor, but he didn’t do so mainly because he was short on time!
Mixing the dough and kneading it would take at least 10 minutes.
Letting the dough rest would take another 10 minutes.
If the second noodle dish were to be made completely separate from the first, one hour definitely wouldn’t be enough.
So, Xia Yu combined the processes.
“Sizzle…”
The bowl tilted slightly over the frying pan, and the black liquid immediately spilled into the pan, mixing with the triple-rich soup.
It was like ink dropping into a pond, spreading its color quickly until the whole pot of soup turned pitch black, presenting an appearance that could arguably be described as “poor.” If it also emitted a foul smell, it would truly be a perfect dark cuisine.
But Xia Yu didn’t care.
The soup?
It wasn’t key in creating the appearance for the second noodle dish.
In other words, the black soup was merely the stage’s curtain.
How to adorn the black curtain and capture the audience’s attention depended on the chef’s skills.
In fact, this noodle dish, whether it’s the key to the ultimate secret or its “refined” and “beautiful” appearance, very much suited Xia Yu’s taste.
He didn’t know when he had begun pursuing the visual appeal of dishes.
This was a major factor in his decision to buy this recipe.
Xia Yu hurried to cook the second noodle dish.
On the other side.
Thump!
Thump!
Qiushan Hong suddenly snapped back to reality, jumping and hopping on the spot as if nobody was watching, stomping hard on the kitchen floor.
He obviously used a lot of force, eliciting a dull sound from the floor.
“The feeling of being on the ground!”
He let out a long sigh of relief.
Qiushan Hong bent down, picked up the chopsticks from the floor, placed them on the kitchen counter, and finally stared at the empty noodle bowl, observing the remaining half bowl of golden soup; his throat imperceptibly moved a bit.
He still wanted to eat!
But why did he feel so full?
The chaos in Qiushan Hong’s mind didn’t lessen in the slightest but intensified instead.
Even someone as knowledgeable as him couldn’t help but internally complain.
“The sound of being full…”
“Is this some kind of food doctrine?”
Qiushan Hong was perplexed.
Full?
Does “Food’s Profound Meaning” have this branch?
In fact, the Lin Chef community is also highly stratified; saying there’s a world of difference between one level and another is an understatement.
Newly promoted Lin Chefs have only grasped the most superficial aspects of “Food’s Profound Meaning,” the shallow, superficial mysteries, which are so-called “Voice of All Things.”
Isn’t it strange for ingredients to speak?
Yes, it’s unscientific!
But “Lin Chefs” themselves are already non-human existences.
Even without god-level talents like “super hearing,” they can still listen to and communicate with the voices of ingredients.
The voices of ingredients vary in strength, and establishing communication with the unruly “Fantasy Ingredients” and “Forbidden Ingredients” is also a pressing challenge most Lin Chefs need to overcome.
Then, moving up from the superficial level of “Food’s Profound Meaning,” it becomes more concrete.
“Fullness” is a kind of concrete voice.
It was so strange.
Why, of all things, was it “satisfied”?
Qiushan Hong couldn’t help but laugh and cry, for as a chef, as a restaurateur, he thought if someone had jumped several levels ahead and understood the profound meaning of food, the feeling should be “hungry,” not “satisfied”!
It was hearing the rumbling noise in the stomachs that stimulated the diners’ appetites, prompting them to quickly devour the dish and eagerly pay for another plate.
That was the normal way of thinking.
Qiushan Hong pondered deeply, frowning, as those around him exchanged puzzled looks.
“What have you discovered?”
Tiqie Xianzuowen’s commanding eyes were fixed on him.
Opening his mouth, Qiushan Hong found he didn’t know how to explain.
Just then, his eyes met Mars’ face, who was barely holding back a laugh, his shoulders trembling slightly as if he knew something.
Qiushan Hong was taken aback and quickly deflected the focus.
“You should ask him—” he pointed.
Mars, the big boss of the “Gourmet Club,” suddenly stood out among the crowd.
Ichise Hui and Eriina only vaguely knew of his identity.
Officially, Mars was still the Vice President of Orlando International College and, according to the official version, had crossed the Pacific Ocean to Neon to conduct research and study.
“Cough cough!”
Mars didn’t want to elaborate further, waved his hand, and changed the subject, “Lord Qiushan, this is your review session; we are all just listeners.”
A tactful refusal.
Thus, everyone’s gaze turned back to Qiushan.
“Let’s start from the cooking techniques of the noodle dish itself.”
Qiushan Hong confidently raised two fingers, his eyes gleaming as he said, “First, the noodles, a single strand!”
“Second, the soup, what you might call the ‘soul’ of the noodles!”
“As you all saw just now, the continuous strand of noodles; I’ve eaten many like this during my travels on the Chinese Continent, but I dare say, the noodles I tasted this time are far superior to those past ‘single strand noodles’!”
Unexpectedly, Qiushan Hong, who initially seemed to give an ordinary rating of “pretty good,” rated the noodles surprisingly high when he talked about them.
“Even noodles made by a Superior Pastry Chef can’t compare?” Mars was astonished.
Shaking his head, Qiushan Hong’s gaze settled on the black stick on the cooking counter.
“Unless it’s a Chinese Master Pastry Chef who also possesses a similar rolling pin, but as far as I know, there aren’t many heritage pastry chef families left on the Chinese Continent; having the tools is one thing, having the skills is another!” Qiushan Hong said earnestly.
Everyone thought of Xia Yu’s cooking performance earlier and fell silent.
Such exaggerated culinary skills.
It was unbelievable for Ichise Hui, Eriina, and Kobayakawa Ryodan that someone could complete the steps of ‘mixing’ and ‘kneading’ dough with just a single stick, if they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes.
“The second point is about the soup!”
As he spoke, a note of regret permeated Qiushan Hong’s words.
“In my view, the only shortcoming of this dish lies in the broth.”
“The flavor of the vegetables combined with chicken and pork bone broth, blending with the smooth texture of the noodles, forms a golden Ultimate Key that unlocks the Ultimate Treasure Vault, but it remains merely ‘Ultimate’…” Qiushan Hong sighed softly, “No matter how high the quality of the noodles, the broth’s limit is there, so, this is only ‘Special Grade One Star’ quality.”
At this statement, Tiqie Helinai was left literally speechless.
Isn’t ‘Special Grade One Star’ quality enough?
She felt an urge to roll her eyes in exasperation.
Lord Lin Chef, it’s not the fault of the noodles; it’s because you’re too picky.
Eriina couldn’t help but harshly criticize in her mind, though she dared only vent internally.
“By the way, what is this dish called?”
Qiushan Hong suddenly asked.
“Soul-Calming Noodles…”
A smiling voice answered him.