The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 226 The Family's Treasure

"Squeak-"

With a soft sound of the door being pushed open, Qin Lang and Danbao entered their home, which they had left long ago.

If you do the math, they've been away from home for a month now, from Bailushan City to Danju City.

After a month without cleaning, the house was covered in a layer of dust.

Qin Lang fanned himself in front of his nose and shrugged helplessly. "Looks like we'll have to clean the house today."

Upon hearing this, Danbao cast a pitiful look at him.

"Gulu~"

“Okay, you’re right, I’m a little hungry too.” Qin Lang rubbed his stomach and sighed. “Then let’s clean the kitchen first, have a good meal, and then clean the rest of the place.”

"Gulu!"

Danbao secretly swallowed and pushed Qin Lang into the kitchen.

First, they grabbed two handfuls of rice from the Traveler's Book, put them in the rice cooker to cook, and then one person and one spirit began cleaning the kitchen.

After cleaning up, Qin Lang looked at a cabinet in the corner under the stove and suddenly made a "shh" gesture to Danbao.

"Let me show you my family's treasures."

baby?

Danbao tilted his head, watching Qin Lang slowly open the cabinet door.

If I remember correctly, when Qin Lang left home, he seemed to have mysteriously placed some bottles and jars in this place.

When it asked Qin Lang, Qin Lang said he would find out later.

Is it possible that it can be taken out now?
Under Danbao's expectant gaze, Qin Lang excitedly took out the bottles and jars from the cabinet.

It contains sauces of various colors, including bright red, dark brown, and yellowish-brown, as well as some chili peppers, radishes, and other ingredients soaked in liquid.

As these items were taken out, a complex aroma, a blend of various sauces, slowly wafted into Egg Baby's nose.

"Gulu?"

"These are all my secret weapons." Qin Lang smiled, a hint of wistfulness on his face.

While this world is no less delicious than the previous one, finding the exact same sauce is virtually impossible.

In Chinese cuisine, many dishes require specific sauces or pickles. For example, shredded pork with sweet bean sauce requires sweet bean sauce, eggplant with fish-fragrant sauce requires broad bean paste, and fish head with chopped chili requires chopped chili...

Fortunately, Qin Lang knew a little about this.

After arriving in this world, he began to take time out of his schedule to prepare various common and frequently used sauces.

After such a long wait, the time for harvest has finally arrived.

"This is pickled chili pepper, this is satay sauce, this is sesame paste..." Qin Lang introduced the ingredients to Danbao as if they were his own family treasures. Seeing that Danbao still looked blank, he chose the explanation that was easiest for Danbao to understand.

"With these, I can make many more different kinds of food."

"Gulu!"

Danbao's eyes lit up instantly.

You should have said that earlier!

"Perfect timing, we can use these sauces when we cook later." Qin Lang's eyes darted back and forth between the various bottles and jars, and finally picked up a bottle of dark red sauce. "This is it."

The label on the bottle clearly reads "Doubanjiang" (fermented broad bean paste).

Under Danbao's expectant gaze, Qin Lang placed the ingredients he had bought on his way home on the table one by one.

A large piece of pork belly, a round cabbage, and corresponding side dishes.

"Let's make twice-cooked pork and hand-torn cabbage." After quickly planning the dishes, a hint of reminiscence flashed in Qin Lang's eyes.

"Now that we're home, we should have some twice-cooked pork."

After Egg Treasure's culinary skills enhanced the freshness of the ingredients, the pan was heated, and the pork belly was placed skin-side down in the hot pan.

After roasting to remove the pork skin's gamey smell, scrape off the charred parts with a knife, wash it, and put it in a pot of cold water with scallions, ginger, and cooking wine. Simmer over low heat. "The meat needs to cook for half an hour."

While the meat was cooking in the pot, Qin Lang began to prepare the other ingredients.

Smash the green garlic with the side of a knife and then cut it into sections at an angle. Cut the small red chilies in half lengthwise and set aside.

After preparing the ingredients, Qin Lang leaned against the table, resting his chin on his hand, quietly watching the occasional steam rising from the pot and smelling the faint aroma of meat that wafted up with the steam.

"This scene looks so familiar."

He suddenly smiled wistfully, as if he had returned to a long, long time ago.

Back then, he would also rest his chin on his hand, standing by the pot waiting for the meat to cook.

At this moment, Qin Lang suddenly wanted to find someone to confide in.

Fortunately, he has Egg Baby.

"Do you know why I said earlier that we have to eat twice-cooked pork when we get home?" Qin Lang asked softly.

Egg Baby shook its head, its little face showing confusion and curiosity.

"Gulu?"

Is it because this dish contains the character "回" (hui)?
"Because when I was a child, this was the dish my mother loved to make for me." Qin Lang looked past the stove and stared intently at the bottle of fermented bean paste on the other side of the table before starting to talk.

"On my journey of learning to cook, I have consulted many highly skilled and respected senior chefs."

"But this fermented soybean paste is the only thing they didn't teach me to make."

"This is a recipe my mom taught me, and it tastes different from other people's fermented bean paste."

"My mom isn't a chef, and her cooking skills are just average."

"Only twice-cooked pork is made by her in a particularly delicious way."

"When I was little, whenever I did something praiseworthy, my mom would reward me with a big plate of twice-cooked pork." Qin Lang smiled. "I could eat half a pound of pork by myself with rice."

"When I grew up, I became a chef."

"In order to improve my cooking skills, I traveled to various places to visit famous chefs and exchange cooking techniques."

"So I go home less often."

“Every time I go home, my mom makes me a big plate of twice-cooked pork, just like when I was a child.”

"I remember..."

Qin Lang rambled on about the bits and pieces of his memories.

He didn't know why he had suddenly become so sentimental. Perhaps it was because the sense of bewilderment and helplessness he felt after arriving in this unfamiliar world had never completely dissipated; it had simply been calmly suppressed deep within his heart.

Or perhaps it was because seeing Yang Xingze and his mother that they felt a certain resonance deep within their hearts.

Time passed by, and half an hour quickly went by.

Qin Lang's words came to an abrupt halt as the kitchen alarm clock rang.

Upon opening the pot lid, a rich aroma of meat wafts out. The pork belly inside is thoroughly cooked and has turned a grayish-white color.

After the meat has cooled, slice it into thin slices about the thickness of a coin.

Heat oil in a wok, add the chopped pork belly and a few peppercorns, stir-fry, and then suddenly open his mouth.

"Egg Baby, do you know why twice-cooked pork is called twice-cooked pork?"

Danbao looked at the pork belly in the pan, which was gradually turning brownish-yellow as it was stir-fried and was releasing a rich meaty aroma. He couldn't help but swallow.

It pondered for a moment, then its eyes lit up.

"Guru Guru~"

Is it because they are boiled in the pot, taken out, and then put back into the pot to stir-fry?

“That’s right, that’s exactly it.” Qin Lang nodded.

(End of this chapter)