The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 518 The Enchanting Purple Sea Serpent

Previously in Yuehu City, Qin Lang resolved the decades-long feud between four disciples of Mr. Gu Cong, and thus obtained the last recipe left by Gu Cong.

That was a dish called "Hanging Tail Dragon Collar," which was no less difficult to cook than the famous dishes served at state banquets in my previous life, and required three main ingredients: fish, crab, and snake.

Fish is a common ingredient, and even top-quality fish is not hard to obtain. Qin Lang himself has the rare Quanzhen fish. For crabs, there are top-quality Yuehu crabs from Donghu Crab Farm. Only snakes are extremely difficult to obtain.

This relatively uncommon food is rarely raised, and top-quality specimens that can match fish and crabs are even harder to find.

But standing before Qin Lang at this moment was the Serpent Eater.

Having visited so many cities, this was the first food recommender he had met who was testing snake ingredients, so the other party probably had a supply channel for snake ingredients.

If he can pass the test and win over the other party, he might be able to find out a stable supply channel for snake ingredients.

In this way, the dish "Hanging Dragon's Lapel" can truly come into existence.

In addition, Qin Lang has already obtained six Level 1 Food Recommender badges in Mingjing State.

If he can obtain Jia Long's medal, he will be qualified to challenge for the state's Level 2 Food Recommendation in Mingjing State.

"Interesting." Seeing that Qin Lang genuinely wanted to participate in the assessment, Jia Long nodded slightly. "Let me make it clear beforehand, I won't go easy on you."

"Snake ingredients are relatively uncommon, but that doesn't mean I'll lower my standards."

"If your cooking isn't up to par, don't even think about getting my food recommender badge."

"Don't worry, Mr. Jia Long." Qin Lang's eyes were full of confidence. "I also know a little about cooking snake dishes."

“It’s good to have confidence.” Jia Long chuckled. “Come with me.”

After saying that, he put his hands behind his back, turned around and left.

"Qin Lang, are you really going to cook snake?" Zhao Qian hugged her arms, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms.

Just imagining that long, thin, smooth, scale-covered, cold creature gave her goosebumps all over her arms.

That's a snake!
She didn't even dare to touch it!
Can something like this be used as food?!

"Coward, it's just a snake!" Cao Dongdong curled his lip, then gave Qin Lang a thumbs up. "Qin Lang, I believe in you!"

"I've never eaten snake meat before in my life!" He swallowed hard as he said this. "I wonder if it tastes good."

"The taste shouldn't disappoint you," Qin Lang smiled.

“I have indeed heard of some places where non-venomous snakes are eaten.” Tang Yu, who was standing next to him, also showed interest. “We can try it today.”

"Huh?!" Zhao Qian scratched her head in frustration. "Sister Tang Yu, aren't you afraid of eating snake meat? It's a snake!"

"If it were an insect, I would probably be more resistant," Tang Yu thought for a moment, "but with snakes, I personally feel okay."

"Sigh!" Zhao Qian sighed and hugged herself, feeling all alone.

Seeing this, Cao Dongdong's eyes lit up. "Since you're so scared, why don't you give me your share later?"

"No way!" Zhao Qian refused without hesitation. Although her expression was conflicted, she gritted her teeth and said, "I trust Qin Lang's cooking!"

"It's just a snake, I have to try it!"

"Don't worry, I'll try my best to process the snake meat to the point where you can't tell where it came from." Qin Lang chuckled.

As they chatted, Jia Long led them to a small hut. "This is where I raise snakes," Jia Long casually explained, "and it's also the location for the assessment."

After saying that, Jia Long pushed open the door of the hut.

"ah!!!!"

Upon seeing the situation inside the door, Zhao Qian, who was already afraid of snakes, turned pale, jumped three feet high, and timidly hid behind Tang Yu.

Even Cao Dongdong couldn't help but gasp at this moment.

"Don't be afraid." Tang Yu patted Zhao Qian's shoulder, but looking at the situation inside the room, even she, who was usually so bold, felt a little scared.

Snakes! Snakes everywhere!
The room was filled with a water vat, each containing snakes as thick as a forearm. Under the light, the purplish-black snake scales gleamed with a cold light, making one's heart tremble.

"Don't worry, these snakes won't get out," Jia Long chuckled. "Besides, they're not venomous and aren't very aggressive."

Qin Lang, however, was not afraid.

He looked at the room full of snakes and couldn't help but show a surprised expression.

These snakes live in water tanks and have a flatter body than normal snakes, with their tails evolved into paddle-like shapes similar to fish.

"Water snake?"

“Strictly speaking, it’s a sea snake,” Jia Long said slowly. “It’s a type of marine snake called the beautiful purple sea snake, which lives in shallow sea areas.”

"Normally, sea snakes attack with venom, but these sea snakes are different. They are non-venomous and hunt small fish in shallow waters with their amazing swimming speed. As a result, they have delicious and chewy meat, making them a top-quality snake food."

"I chose this area as the assessment site so that it would be convenient to collect seawater to change it regularly and ensure that their living environment is suitable."

"These beautiful purple sea snakes, are they bred by you?" Qin Lang asked, a look of surprise and delight on his face.

If that's the case, then wouldn't he be able to pick up the goods directly from Jia Long?
“No,” Jia Long shook his head. “What kind of farming is this?”

"I just ordered a batch from a friend to temporarily store, and I'll order the next batch once it's used up."

"I see." Qin Lang nodded in understanding.

Although Jia Long did not breed these beautiful purple sea snakes, his friend did.

Once I pass the assessment, I'd like to ask Jia Long for a recommendation; it shouldn't be difficult.

"You can choose any snake here; they're all top-notch quality." Jia Long pointed to the snake tank, indicating that Qin Lang could choose for himself.

As for whether the densely packed snakes in the water tank were creepy, that was not a concern for him.

In his view, a chef who is afraid of snakes cannot possibly cook snakes well.

"Okay." Qin Lang nodded and strolled towards the water vat.

His gaze swept over the beautiful purple sea snakes in the tanks, and he quickly locked onto one of them. He stepped forward, opened the lid of the tank, and, to the astonishment of Zhao Qian and the other two, swiftly grabbed the fattest one.

The beautiful purple sea snake that had been pulled out struggled fiercely, its arm-thick body twisting and turning as it tried to coil around Qin Lang's wrist.

Although it was as thick as a python, it was still a sea snake, and its coiling methods were not strong enough. Qin Lang quickly used his other hand to press down on its vital spot, and the beautiful purple sea snake was soon subdued by Qin Lang.

Seeing this, Jia Long nodded almost imperceptibly.

(End of this chapter)