Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 24 24. Wheat Cake and Sugar
After the wheat flour is cooked, it can be doubled without soup.

Although this was shocking to Zhou Ju, it was obviously not shocking enough.

But Qin Qing was talking about "noodles".

Noodles, as they sound, are similar to corn cakes, but they are easy to store and carry!

Every year, the Great Qin has various projects that require conscription of laborers, as well as the replacement of soldiers, logistical supplies, and the escort of taxes, grain, and other valuables from local areas.

Even if these people carry tens of thousands of bushels of grain, 70% of it will be consumed on the way!
The more people there are, the more they are escorted, and the more they can eat!

The Qin people mostly ate corn, not wheat flour or rice. Previously, when they traveled, they would carry corn, preserved meat, and other foods and cook them together. If a group got separated and ran out of food, their journey would be difficult.

But he soon calmed down.

Because millet is more drought-resistant and resistant to barrenness, and has fewer diseases and pests.

If it is changed to wheat, the planting process will be different.

Zhou Ju rubbed his knees calmly. After a brief moment of disappointment, he finally smiled again:
"It's just as Qin Qing said, a little surprise."

After all, although it cannot be grown on a large scale, the delicious food can be presented to the king!
At least the duck soup now seems to have a better aroma than before.

He then asked, "I wonder if this bread is delicious?"

Qin Shi really couldn't answer this question.

In her memory, steaming hot buns were, of course, soft and sweet. Some were very fluffy, while others were tightly packed with layers of dough. They were all smooth and soft to the chew, with a slightly sweet starchy taste.

But the flour made from wheat nowadays...

It is grayish and yellowish, and not fine enough, so it needs to be screened several times to avoid being rough.

So she couldn't guarantee it.

But fortunately, there is sugarcane that can be used to extract sugar to provide a base, so sugar is there both for its culinary significance and economic benefits.

So she still said confidently: "When it is done, I will invite Zhou Fuling to come."

The confidence and relaxed feeling she exuded made people feel quite good no matter how they looked at her. Therefore, Zhou Ju sat back down in a relaxed manner.

It was rare for him to leave the king's side, and he wanted to rest for a while.

……

At this moment, Qin Shi returned to the palace kitchen with a sigh, and found that one of the cooks was extremely skilled. When mixing the ground rice flour and the hot pepper grass evenly, he could get it just right with just a handful.

She couldn't help being a little surprised:
"Your movements are very skillful."

The cook felt a little disappointed, yet also a little proud: "I once brewed wine for the king. Polygonum aviculare can be used as a yeast, and I'm good at it."

Qin Shi was a little speechless: Yes, people just didn’t know how to ferment pasta at that time, because wheat was not so popular.

But since wine is loved by noble people, the development of skills will always be given priority.

Most of the kitchen workers looked confused before, probably because even the most basic [winemaking] is a secret recipe nowadays.

Thinking of this, she looked at the other person gently again: "If I let everyone do this, will your family secret recipe be lost?"

Yes.

Cook Jiumai felt particularly disappointed because of this.

But since the noble man had said it, he had no choice but to accept it, so he tried hard and actively to have the opportunity to learn new skills.

Chi Nu said from the side, "Lord Qin, that's not the case. They are all the king's attendants. Whatever they learn and use belongs to the king. There is no such thing as [family inheritance]."

Qin Shi thought: "They may not have the secret recipe, but they have also lost the skills they rely on for survival. There is still a difference between skilled workers and ordinary workers."

So he smiled and said, "Then practice your skills well. I also have a wine-making technique. If you perform well, I can let you do it first in the future." The cook Jiumai was instantly delighted: "Thank you very much!"

His movements were exceptionally swift. He mixed the hot water pepper and glutinous rice flour evenly, then rolled them into apricot-sized balls. He then placed them one by one in a winnowing basket, covered them with a damp cloth, and placed them on the stove closest to the main door in the palace kitchen to ferment...

The movement was smooth and flowing.

Seeing this, Qin Shi couldn't help but nod, and then he met Jiu Mai's expectant eyes again and couldn't help but smile: "I'll remember that."

Wu Zi also gave a look from the side - nobles can be kind, but they cannot forget their status.

Jiumai's whole body tensed up and he quickly retreated.

At the same time, the chefs who saw this scene became even more excited.

One of the cooks even boldly reported, "Sir, all the mulberry trees have been chopped. Would you like to strain the pulp for drinking?"

Qin Shi nodded: "Yes, filter out the sweet syrup, I will tell you how to do it later."

Then several more kitchen workers came over and without saying a word, they took the broken mulberry and smashed it hard with a stone pestle. After a mortar was pounded, they filtered it with fine linen cloth and finally got a jar of sugarcane juice.

If you want to smash them all, you may have to wait until nightfall, but now, the old duck soup in the pot is faintly revealing its rich aroma.

Qin Shi looked at the sky and then at the jar of sugarcane juice in front of him.

Because of several layers of filtration, there are no impurities now:

"First, divide it into three pots, pour it into the pot, and simmer over high heat."

"Once the syrup has thickened, reduce heat to medium-low, stirring constantly."

"And have someone prepare some lime water. When the sweet paste becomes too thick to stir, slowly add the lime water and continue stirring."

Everyone listened attentively, and then asked, "Is this making malt candy?"

In the weather at the end of July, malt sugar can easily go bad.

Qin Shi shook his head: "The candy I want to make won't go bad easily."

Seeing everyone's excitement, she emphasized, "However, I only know the method, I don't remember the proportions. There is still a lot of Zhuzhe juice here, so try it slowly."

It just takes some effort!

But this is the new non-perishable sugar!
We all felt that we had learned a lot and were now more motivated.

Qin Shi racked his brains, but could only remember the final step: "Wait until it cools and solidifies in a pottery jar, then slowly move it to a dry place with good wind. That's it."

She felt that her words were simple and had no specific proportions.

But for today’s craftsmen, they have to figure out the proportions themselves, of course!

Therefore they were so joyful that the sound of pounding mulberry trees in the distance seemed especially powerful.

At this moment, Zhou Ju came into the palace kitchen at some point.

Everyone here is busy, but unlike their usual cautiousness, one can even vaguely see a high spirit!
Including the inconspicuous Taiguan Cheng Zhu Kui, everyone had a smile on their face that could not be hidden at this moment.

He didn't understand what it meant, so he just took note.

Then he reminded, "Qin Qing, the king will have his meal in half an hour."

***
***
***
The ancients were incredibly, incredibly wise. Extremely so. Their access to knowledge was extremely limited, yet they managed to develop an entire civilization in such a poor environment. It's truly remarkable.

[Many times, when something doesn't progress in a certain period, it's not because they're stupid, but because they're restricted by the farming environment (including natural climate, species evolution, resource allocation, etc.)]

[Most grains used in malt sugar are simply boiled and concentrated, resulting in a slightly soft shape. They cannot be kept for long at high temperatures.]

The bookstore’s performance is not very good, and the editor asked me to change the introduction... I will change the introduction later, please forgive me if you don’t like it!