A Bite of Douluo Continent

"Huh? Boss Qi knows about Holy Soul Village too?" The boy was a little surprised, then realized, "That makes sense. After all, it's the legendary home of the Sea God, so it's quite famous."

"However, that village has now been renamed Divine Soul Village. Divine Soul Village now holds a very high status; it is the richest of all the villages near Notting City." As he spoke, a look of longing appeared in the boy's eyes.

"I'm not from Shenhun Village. My hometown is called Zhilan Village, which is quite far from Shenhun Village," the boy explained before continuing.

“In my hometown, there is a delicacy called Mo Wu Tuan, which I particularly like. However, because it doesn’t look appealing and tastes a bit strange, many people don’t like to eat it.”

"I don't think that's right. Mo Wu Tuan is really a delicious food, so I hope more people can like it." The boy's expression was very serious.

“I heard that the Shrek Food Festival is the biggest food festival on the entire continent. If I can make it into the top ten in this festival, I will have a chance to let more people know about this kind of food.” A light shone in the boy’s eyes. “So, I brought food from my hometown to participate in the food festival.”

Qi Han paused for a moment. He had seen the name "Mo Wu Tuan" before when he was looking at the dishes participating in the food festival. Since there weren't many out-of-town dishes participating in the food festival, and the name was quite peculiar, he still had a vague impression of it.

but…

Qi Han didn't think the food the other person cooked could be in the top ten.

Especially after tasting the competition dishes from Kowloon Cuisine and Lin Lang Fang.

"It's quite difficult to get into the top ten." Looking at the boy's shining eyes, Qi Han couldn't bear to discourage him directly.

"I know," the boy said with a smile, showing no sign of discouragement. "You have to try."

"Actually, I've been here for several days now. After all, I need to prepare ingredients and such. The stall only opened yesterday." The boy scratched his head awkwardly. "I could have set up a stall on the side of the street, but because the taste of the Mowu dumplings is... a bit strange, it affected the business of other nearby vendors, and they criticized me. So I had no choice but to set up a stall in this place where it won't affect other people."

In fact, he had just started making the Ink Crow Balls yesterday when he almost got beaten up by the stall owners around him, but he was too embarrassed to say that in front of Qi Han.

Qi Han nodded knowingly. No wonder this young man chose to set up a stall in such a remote place.

Dishes with strange flavors are very difficult to be accepted at first. Even with the reputation of Hanshi, it was quite difficult when they first launched the bursting fat intestines. It is understandable that the boy's stall was deserted.

"I've been making inquiries these past few days, and Mr. Qi's Cold Food Restaurant is the most prestigious restaurant in Shrek City. This afternoon, I heard that Mr. Qi went to Kowloon Cuisine and Linlangfang, so I was thinking, could Mr. Qi also try the food I prepared..."

"And then?" Qi Han asked, suddenly becoming somewhat dissatisfied as he listened.

Why does it feel like this little guy wants me to advertise for him?

"Huh? What then?" The boy scratched his head, not quite understanding Qi Han's meaning.

"Well..." Qi Han's gaze towards the boy held a more scrutinizing tone, "After I've tasted your food, what do you want me to do?"

“Well…” the boy smiled sheepishly, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I’ve thought about that yet.”

"Just hearing that you came to the food street made me want to let you try my food. If you think it's good, I might have more courage to continue."

Only then did a hint of melancholy appear on the boy's face.

He came here alone, hoping to make his hometown's cuisine more popular, but no one cared and he was driven away. After experiencing so much injustice, his smile was just a forced one.

Qi Han's brows slowly relaxed as he realized he had misunderstood the young man before him.

The boy was not as materialistic as he thought.

"What's your name?" After chatting for so long, Qi Han realized that he didn't seem to know the other person's name.

"My name is Ye Lingqing." The boy smiled shyly.

"Ye Lingqing, I think I understand what you mean. Now, can I try your food?" Qi Han asked with an encouraging smile.

"Okay!" Ye Lingqing exclaimed excitedly. "Please wait a moment, the Mowu Group will be ready very quickly."

Watching the boy's busy figure, Qi Han's face lit up with a smile.

But the smile on his face quickly turned strange.

The smell of this black pudding...

Chapter 292: The Douluo Continent Version of Stinky Tofu?

The cooking of Mo Wu Tuan is not yet over.

But at this moment, a unique scent of black ink began to spread in the air nearby.

Indeed, as Ye Lingqing said, this smell is unacceptable to many people.

"Meow!"

Gulu couldn't stand the smell. It suddenly jumped out of Qi Han's arms, leaped onto the wall, and squatted down where it could see Qi Han. It cautiously peered into the distance at the stall that was emitting the strange smell.

Cats have a more sensitive sense of smell than dogs, so this kind of smell is definitely not something Gulu can tolerate.

Qi Han was slightly distracted by Gulu's movements, but once he was sure Gulu was alright, his attention quickly returned to the stall.

Sniffing, Qi Han's face showed a clear look of disbelief.

Is this... stinky tofu?

Yes, the peculiar smell wafting in the air right now is at least 80% similar to the stinky tofu from Earth.

This coincidence made Qi Han restless. He stood up and asked, "May I watch from the side?"

“Sure.” Ye Lingqing smiled. “Many people in our village know how to make this black glutinous rice ball; the method isn’t a secret.”

With permission, Qi Han moved closer to carefully observe Ye Lingqing's movements.

Ye Lingqing's cooking was nearing its end. He took a specially made spherical strainer and slowly scooped a ball that looked somewhat like a black coal out of the hot oil, put it in a bowl, then ladled a spoonful of broth from another pot over it, sprinkled some seasonings on top, and smiled slightly, "Boss Qi, would you like to try it now?"

"Okay." After taking a deep look at the black sphere in the bowl, Qi Han took the bowl and sat down in the seat next to him.

As he moved closer, the stench that was all too familiar to Qi Han slowly filled his mouth and nose.

Anyone who has eaten stinky tofu can smell a faint, deeply hidden fragrance within its pungent odor, and Qi Han was no exception.

Looking at the black sphere, about the size of a fist, whose surface was slightly bulging from the explosion, Qi Han felt an even stronger sense of familiarity.

Is it really stinky tofu?

Aside from the shape not quite matching, this black glutinous rice ball in front of me is basically no different from the stinky tofu from my previous life.

“Boss Qi, Mo Wu Tuan is supposed to be eaten with a small spoon, but after I came to Shrek City, I found that your chopsticks are more suitable for tasting Mo Wu Tuan, so... you don’t mind, do you?” Ye Lingqing handed over a pair of chopsticks and asked nervously.

Judging from his tone, he seemed a little embarrassed because he had used the chopsticks that Qi Han had introduced.

"Of course I don't mind." Qi Han chuckled, took the chopsticks Ye Lingqing handed him, and carefully stabbed them into the surface of the black clay ball.

"Crack!"

With a soft crack, the crispy black outer layer of the fried tofu was easily broken open, revealing a pale yellow interior. A stronger aroma of stinky tofu also filled his nostrils as the outer layer broke open.

Qi Han remained expressionless, picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it directly into his mouth. After chewing it briefly, he nodded to himself.

It is indeed made using a method similar to that of stinky tofu.

Although this black glutinous rice ball is somewhat different from real stinky tofu, the underlying principles are likely similar.

The unique black color of stinky tofu and the pungent smell it emits during cooking all come from the brine.

The raw materials used to ferment and make brine include black soybeans. After fermentation, the brine turns black. Therefore, after fresh tofu is cut into pieces and soaked for a period of time, the resulting stinky tofu will have a dark black color, and its stinky smell also comes from this.

In the Douluo Continent, where the simple process of using brine to coagulate tofu already exists, if someone were to discover this black brine by chance, then the emergence of a delicacy similar to stinky tofu would become possible.

Although it's unknown who discovered this in Zhilan Village, where Ye Lingqing lives, it's clear that Mo Wu Tuan is the Douluo Continent version of stinky tofu.

Another chopstick went into my mouth, and as I chewed, the stench gradually faded, and a hint of fragrance became more and more obvious. The loose and porous structure inside the black glutinous rice ball allowed it to soak up the soup, making it taste especially delicious at this moment.

As he tasted it, Qi Han gradually discovered the difference between this black glutinous rice ball and stinky tofu.

The two brines may share some of the same raw materials, resulting in an almost identical odor, but when actually tasted, the flavors differ because some raw materials are completely different.

Of course, this is not a flaw, but rather a matter of different flavors.

Meanwhile, Ye Lingqing, who was standing to the side, already showed an excited expression on her face when Qi Han took a bite without hesitation.

Boss Qi didn't care about the taste of the black glutinous rice ball!

Will he like it?

Seeing Qi Han take another bite with a relaxed expression after finishing his first bite, the boy became even more excited.

Gu didn't speak until he saw Qi Han finish the Mo Wu Tuan, then he cautiously asked, barely suppressing his excitement, "Boss Qi, what do you think of the Mo Wu Tuan?"

Qi Han then came to his senses and realized that he had not yet given a response to the anxiously waiting boy beside him.

He smiled apologetically, and said with a hint of encouragement, "Very good."

Boss Qi really loves the Mowu Troupe!

Ye Lingqing's eyes lit up. With Qi Han's approval, all the grievances he had suffered before seemed to vanish at this moment.

This is Shrek City's best chef, and he thinks my Ink Clay Dumplings are pretty good!

Is there anything more exciting than this?

"but…"

Qi Han's change of tone made Ye Lingqing's heart jump again.

Seeing the boy become nervous again, Qi Han smiled and said, "Don't be so nervous. I'm just offering some suggestions."

"A small suggestion?" Ye Lingqing subconsciously repeated Qi Han's words, and after realizing what Qi Han meant, her eyes brightened even more.

Boss Qi gave me some advice: Could we make the Mowu Dumplings even more delicious?

"You fried the black glutinous rice balls in hot oil, right?" Qi Han paused. "Perhaps you could try frying the black glutinous rice balls briefly until they set, then draining the oil. Once the oil temperature reaches its highest point, you could fry them again?"

Qi Han didn't actually know much about stinky tofu, so he could only offer some suggestions regarding its taste.

Through his previous observations, he discovered that Ye Lingqing was unaware of the double-frying method, which is actually the key to making many fried foods crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Deep-fried food is relatively rare in the Douluo Continent, so it's possible that this simple trick hasn't been discovered yet.

"Control the oil... double-fry?" Ye Lingqing scratched his head, somewhat confused.

Although there were some unfamiliar words in Qi Han's suggestion, he could still understand the general meaning.

It means taking the black glutinous rice ball out halfway through frying, and then frying it again until the oil temperature reaches its maximum.

Can such a small change really make the Mowu Dumplings even more delicious?

He had a slight doubt in his heart, but since it was Qi Han who made the suggestion, he still trusted him.

"Mr. Qi, please wait a moment, I'll try now."

He couldn't wait to return to his stall and fry the black glutinous rice balls according to Qi Han's instructions.