A Bite of Douluo Continent

As he mastered more and more dishes, and the business of Hanshi (a type of cold food) became more and more prosperous, Qi Han's mentality also became somewhat impetuous.

Three-star dishes possess magical effects and phenomena, and are much more difficult to master than one-star and two-star dishes.

For Qi Han, the sense of accomplishment from mastering each of these magical dishes far surpasses that of one-star or two-star dishes.

Therefore, he instinctively believed that diners would also be particularly fond of these dishes.

It's like wanting recognition from others after working hard to accomplish something.

But this was just his assumption; he had always overlooked the fact that the prices of three-star dishes were unacceptable to most diners.

Samsung cuisine is indeed delicious, but the price remains a major factor limiting its acceptance by more diners.

Therefore, it is what Qi Han considers the best and most delicious, but it is not what diners consider their favorite.

Perhaps this is why the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish won first place.

A serving of Squirrel Mandarin Fish costs only 52 Gold Soul Coins, a price that most diners in the Cold Food Festival can afford. The Squirrel Mandarin Fish's stunning appearance, amazing fried aroma, and perfect overall taste make it stand out among the two-star dishes.

There might be an added bonus from the new dish being launched, but this dish becoming number one is entirely justified.

Qi Han smiled more and began to enjoy his breakfast.

Having readjusted his mindset, Qi Han also made a decision regarding the issue of the low number of three-star restaurant recommendation votes.

He chose to respect the diners' decision.

Since the three-star dishes received fewer votes, let's put them later.

Even if the price list cannot be displayed on the wall due to the number of votes, Qi Han still respects the result.

After all, the number of recommendation votes represents how much diners like the dishes.

Place the dishes that diners prefer at the front of the menu.

That makes sense.

(P.S.: I've always wanted to write this down. Some readers might think that the three-star recipes should be given more weight, or that diners who have tried the three-star recipes should be given more weight, so that the three-star recipes can stay at the top. But that would go against the original intention of Hanshi. Food can be rated, but diners should not be treated differently based on how much they spend. Something that is expensive and out of reach of the masses cannot stand out.)

Chapter 317 The Essence Remains the Same Amidst Variations

The plain congee was just as delicious as yesterday. Today, Qi Han chose to add sugar to the congee, as if trying out a sweeter way of eating it.

Don't add too much sugar. Congee is already thick, so if it's too sweet, it will be cloying and affect the taste.

I picked up the bowl and took a big gulp of the slightly sweet white porridge, the sweetness lingering on my lips and teeth.

White rice porridge, being a thick rice soup, already contains a large amount of starch.

During the cooking process, the gelatinized starch is completely released from the rice grains and flows into the rice water. After being broken down by salivary amylase, it brings a subtle sweetness from maltose. This sweetness, combined with the white sugar added to the porridge, makes the originally mild sweetness even more intense.

From its silky smooth texture to its lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth.

This simple bowl of white porridge offers a surprisingly complex culinary experience.

After swallowing a mouthful of plain porridge and feeling the warmth in his stomach, Qi Han turned his gaze to the three kinds of pastries he had ordered.

Crab roe cake, crispy fried meatballs, and sweet and soft taro.

Crab roe cake is oval-shaped with a unique orange-red color on its surface.

Qi Han was no stranger to this color.

Crab roe is this color.

Thinking about the name of the pastry, Qi Han became interested and picked one up with his hand to examine it closely.

As he moved closer, the aroma of the crab roe cake slowly filled Qi Han's nostrils.

Crab roe cake is steamed, not baked, so its aroma is milder and it won't have the overwhelming fragrance of a cake shop.

A subtle sweet aroma is accompanied by the fragrance of crab. The crab flavor is not strong, but it seems to have a magical power to make one's mouth water.

Crab roe cake is not very big, slightly smaller than an egg, and it feels very soft to the touch.

Therefore, when Qi Han took a bite, he got half of the crab cake.

After chewing a few times, Qi Han's face showed a look of amazement.

The crab roe cake had a delicate, soft, and elastic texture, which was somewhat familiar to Qi Han. He couldn't help but think of a food from Earth.

Steamed sponge cake.

Yes, the texture of this crab roe cake is quite similar to that of steamed sponge cake, but the specific flavors are different.

Like steamed sponge cake, it has a light sweet taste, but also a rich crab flavor that slowly spreads between your teeth as you chew.

If I had to describe it, this would probably be a steamed sponge cake with crab roe flavor?

If this flavor were available.

The crab flavor and the sweet taste do not conflict. Don't forget that Qi Han once cooked crab-stuffed oranges, and that hint of orange aroma actually highlighted the purity and freshness of the crab flavor.

This crab cake is similar in that although the main body is a soft cake similar to steamed sponge cake, one bite is full of crab flavor.

After savoring the taste for a moment, Qi Han popped the other half of the crab cake into his mouth, a hint of lingering satisfaction on his face.

There's not enough to eat.

Fortunately, there were two other types of pastries.

Qi Han reached out and picked up the crispy fried dough ball, examining it closely.

To be honest, the first thing Qi Han thought of when he saw this name was a common snack on Earth.

Taro and sweet potato balls.

This amazing food, with its golden-yellow surface, crispy texture after frying, and soft, rich taro paste inside, is so delicious that you can almost never get tired of it.

Especially the moment it comes out of the pot, the explosive sweet aroma is absolutely mouthwatering.

But when Qi Han actually saw the crispy, flaky meatballs, he knew that the two had absolutely nothing to do with each other.

The crispy meatballs are also spherical, but larger, about half the size of a fist.

The golden-yellow surface is evenly sprinkled with white sesame seeds, and you can smell the rich aroma of deep-frying when you get closer.

On the surface, these crispy, crunchy balls do look somewhat like sesame balls.

However, the feel of the dough to Qi Han's hands was different from that of the sesame balls, and...

Why does it feel a little light?

Could the valley be hollow?

Thinking of this, Qi Han couldn't help but pick up the crispy pastry and take a bite.

"Crunch, crunch." After a series of crisp sounds, a rich aroma burst forth in Qi Han's mouth.

These crispy fried balls are savory. The slightly salty crust becomes crispy and tempting during the frying process. The white sesame seeds sticking to the surface have a unique sesame aroma, which adds an extra touch of color to the monotonous fried aroma, making it richer and more three-dimensional.

This feeling... is somewhat like the crispy crust of a spring roll?

Qi Han fell into deep thought. He looked inside the crispy meatball through the bite mark.

It was indeed completely hollow.

The thin outer layer of flaky pastry is all that makes up this crispy pastry ball.

So... this is a spring roll that looks like a sesame ball but has no filling inside?

But I must say, the pure, crispy, and fragrant flavor is quite interesting.

In his previous life, Qi Han had wondered what spring rolls would taste like if they didn't have any filling.

Now, I'm experiencing it firsthand in the Douluo Continent.

Although it was about half the size of a fist, the completely hollow crispy pastry didn't weigh much, and Qi Han finished it in just a few bites. Then, Qi Han's gaze turned to the last type of pastry.

Sweet and fragrant taro.

The word "taro" in this dish easily reminds Qi Han of taro and sweet potato balls.

Wait... why do I keep thinking of taro and sweet potato balls?

Maybe it's because I haven't eaten for too long?

Qi Han seemed to be deep in thought.

Looks like I'll have to find a chance to redeem these taro and sweet potato balls later.

If I remember correctly, it was a one-star dish.

Shaking his head, Qi Han refocused his attention on the only remaining pastry on his plate.

The more he looked, the stranger Qi Han's expression became.

Finally, he couldn't resist picking up the spoon next to him and gently patting the sweet and fragrant taro with the back of the spoon.

"Snapped!"

After a soft sound, watching the pale purple, glossy surface of the sweet and fragrant taro ripple and tremble twice as it was gently tapped with the back of the spoon, Qi Han became even more certain.

Yes, it's you!

Butt... oh no, bunny pudding!

This sweet and fragrant taro is surprisingly similar to the rabbit pudding that Qi Han had eaten several times in his previous life.

Although it wasn't molded into a rabbit shape, but rather a simple little square, its glossy light purple color and equally bouncy texture made it almost indistinguishable from a bunny pudding.

Interesting, could this be taro-flavored milk pudding?

Thinking of this, Qi Han used the side of his spoon to scoop out a spoonful of the sweet and fragrant taro and put it in his mouth.

The sweet and fragrant taro has a soft and glutinous texture with a slight elasticity. As you chew it, it naturally releases a milky aroma, and within this rich milky aroma, there is also a taro fragrance, which is even more mellow than the milky aroma.

Therefore, its addition seems to elevate the milky flavor, giving it a richer and more complex taste.

It really does taste like milk pudding, or rather... this is taro-flavored milk pudding?

A smile involuntarily crept onto Qi Han's face.

Many of the new foods I've tried so far can be found in similar dishes on Earth. Perhaps this is what they mean by "the essence remains the same despite all the variations."