Food Intelligence King

Chapter 49 Become bigger and stronger and create greater glory

Because Zhang Jinsheng's pork is truly freshly slaughtered every morning, he gets up very early in the morning and usually closes the market and goes home to rest by noon.

I don't get to buy steamed buns from Chen Zhou very often in the evening.

"I knew my brother was right. He uses good meat and ingredients every day. How could people not tell the difference when he makes buns!"

Old Zhang speaks so nicely.

Considering that this was his most important pork supplier, Chen Zhou invited him:

"Once the shop opens, let's get together sometime."

"No problem," Old Zhang waved his hand. "Once you open your shop, business will definitely be even better than it is now. How about making breakfast this time?"

"We'll make it and start selling it in the morning." Chen Zhou nodded. "I rented a shop at the entrance of the residential area."

Old Zhang immediately said, "I'll deliver to your door from now on. I can bring it along in the morning so you don't have to make a trip every day."

"That's daring!"

Chen Zhou trusted Lao Zhang's meat and felt at ease with him.

After all, this was someone who taught me even how to choose pork.

After chatting for a while, the two started talking about hog futures.

Old Zhang said that Chen Zhou caught a good opportunity. Upstream aquaculture companies announced a reduction in the number of pigs slaughtered in July, and futures prices rose slightly.

Ask him if he has closed out his positions.

All the money Chen Zhou earned from this went into shop rent.

Old Zhang, showing great tact, didn't inquire about the specific profits, only reminding Chen Zhou not to invest too much. He himself was a good example.

After he left, the woman killing fish across from Zhang Jinsheng started teasing him:
"Hey, Brother Zhang, you've landed another big client."

Old Zhang said modestly, "Not a big client. What's so big about it? It's just a small breakfast stall."

But then, his gaze grew increasingly resolute.
"It will definitely grow bigger and stronger in the future. I'm just waiting to work with it to create new glories."

The fishmonger, who knew a little about Zhang Jinsheng's past experiences, remarked with emotion, "Brother Zhang, you've certainly experienced the ups and downs of life."

After hearing this, Old Zhang remained calm and composed.
“Start from scratch and do solid business. You shouldn’t fail to succeed.”

Today happened to be the day to pay rent, so Chen Zhou bought some meat and vegetables and went to his aunt's breakfast shop.

The aunt and uncle had almost finished cleaning up the shop.

They even hired an auntie to help with the cleaning.

Chen Zhou greeted him:

"Auntie, the rent is here!"

The old woman put down her work, greeted her with a smile, and said politely, "You went out of your way to do this?"

Chen Zhou smiled, "It was just a small thing."

The rent was agreed upon in person, and the aunt told Chen Zhou:

"It's Friday today. We'll go cancel the business license in a bit. Then you can use this shop and start a new one yourself."

Having gone through several tenant changes, my aunt is indeed more experienced than I am.

But if we go to the service hall at this time, by the time they get there to do their business, the efficiency of the service windows will probably not be very high.

Chen Zhou could only say:

"No need to rush. It will take a while before I move in and officially open for business."

My uncle is a slow-paced person.

He liked Chen Zhou's suggestion very much.

"Alright, we'll get this done in the next few days, by next week at the latest."

Then he asked Chen Zhou what name he planned to give it.

"Community canteen. If there are duplicate names, add or subtract a few words."

This is the result of Chen Zhou's discussion with his wife yesterday.

Uncle praised, "What a great name! What was it called in the last century? The Commune Dining Hall!"

Chen Zhou recalled his clay pot and the story of Old Feng.

It used to be a communal canteen, now it's a community canteen, which can be considered a kind of inheritance.

Chen Zhou also helped them out at the store.

Finally, the aunt handed the key to Chen Zhou, reminding him, "Change the lock yourself."

Chen Zhou nodded. He had already bought it online along with the tableware and other items.

Back home,
Chen Zhou planned to use the dozen or so eggs he had at home to boil a pot of tea eggs to try first.

Ms. Lin usually buys this outside, but at home she always boils it.

I estimate that most families are like this.

One or two tea eggs are not worth boiling, and too many might be too much to finish.

Commercial use is indeed more suitable.

Of course, tea eggs are definitely more flavorful than boiled eggs.

Moreover, after peeling, the egg's surface has amber-colored markings, making it look even more beautiful.

The method is not difficult.

Wash the eggs with clean water and put them in a pot of cold water.

It doesn't need to be fully cooked, just cooked until it's soft-boiled, making it easier to peel.

Then comes the key to tea eggs: the braising liquid.

The spices used include Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, and fennel seeds.

The main ingredients are scallions and ginger. Salt, sugar, and light soy sauce are used for seasoning, while dark soy sauce is used for coloring.

As for the tea in the tea eggs, Chen Zhou used very ordinary and common black tea; he wasn't Uncle Yu—

There's no need to use ancient tree Pu'er tea to boil a tea egg.

Crack the eggs into small cracks, wait for the braising liquid to boil, then use a slotted spoon to scoop them out and put them back into the pot.

Simmer the eggs in the braising liquid over low heat until fully cooked. After a few minutes, turn off the heat.

The eggs need to be soaked in the braising liquid to get the color and flavor.

The best tea eggs require time to ferment.

It can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two days at a low temperature.

But Chen Zhou still decided to try two first. He was simply hungry after a busy morning.

The tea eggs taken out of the braising liquid did indeed darken in color and had a more pronounced aroma.

The aroma of spices is infused with the delicate fragrance of tea leaves.

It smells really good.

Peel back the eggshell; the egg is clean and white with a slight brownish tinge in the crevices.

As for the taste, it's not much different from a boiled egg.

Only in the places where the braising liquid remains can you find a slight hint of saltiness.

Chen Zhou thought to himself:

"When you open a shop, if you want to sell tea eggs in the morning, you have to cook them at least the night before."

Otherwise, it would become a fake tea egg, with absolutely no flavor!

With the new store location finalized, the steamed bun stall's business was truly nearing its end. But Chen Zhou continued.

The same group of renovation workers came out together to buy steamed buns.

You could tell there was some reluctance in their eyes.

They spoke one after another:

"We're leaving in a couple of days, and these steamed buns of yours are absolutely gorgeous."

"It's a pity I won't be able to see the day you open your shop."

Of the 5% mentioned in the intelligence, these two masters definitely account for it.

Chen Zhou smiled and replied, "It's nothing. Before I leave, I'd like to invite you to sit in the shop for a while."

"Opening so soon? Didn't they just put up the sign?" the two chefs asked curiously.

Chen Zhou explained:
"There's still some work to be done at the newly rented shop, and I was hoping you could come and help out."

“No problem.” The two readily agreed. “We’re from the same hometown as the landlady, so just let us know if you need anything.”

Chen Zhou stated:

"The price is whatever it is. And there are plenty of steamed buns."

Upon hearing this, the two masters were even more willing.

(End of this chapter)