Dragon Beard Noodles
"Ah, I'm so satisfied."
Putting down the plate, Leonora Nakiri couldn't help but lick the bits of oil off the corner of her mouth. Then she patted her belly, looking very content.
Perhaps because of the spiciness, her usually fair face turned a bit rosy, especially under the light, giving her an extra touch of charm.
"Here, have some water to ease the spiciness."
Zane, being thoughtful, poured a cup of water and placed it in front of her.
"Thank you."
Leonora paused for a moment. Then, without saying much, she picked up the cup and started drinking the water eagerly.
The taste of the Giant Panda Magical Mapo Tofu still lingered in her mouth, so even drinking water had a fragrant taste.
---
"Your Giant Panda Magical Mapo Tofu, just like the previous Magical Mapo Tofu, focuses on flavor and texture, right?"
"And the Six Flavors Magical Mapo Tofu has one flavor that is hot! So, I want to ask, how did you keep the tofu sealed in the wooden mold from losing its heat?"
After finishing her water, Leonora looked at Zane with curiosity.
While it's undeniable that the Giant Panda Magical Mapo Tofu is creative and unique, Mapo Tofu requires a hot temperature, so hot it is almost inedible. And tofu sealed in a wooden mold couldn't stay heated continuously.
So, how did Zane manage to keep it warm?
Clearly, she couldn't figure this out.
---
"When I showed you the bottom of the wooden mold, didn't you notice?"
"I lined the wooden mold with tinfoil, which has insulating properties. Tinfoil helps food heat evenly and prevents it from burning."
"Additionally, it aids in sealing and insulating the food."
"Tinfoil?"
Hearing this, Leonora widened her eyes, realizing what she missed.
She couldn't help but slap her forehead and let out a bitter laugh. "Ugh, I can't believe I, the head of the Nakiri International Research Society, overlooked such a basic concept!"
"How interesting, to be able to bring a new twist to Chinese Mapo Tofu."
Nearby, Taki, who was helping in the kitchen, overheard Zane and Leonora's conversation and couldn't help but admire it.
"Indeed, his cooking always brings surprises!"
In the end, Taki could only sigh deeply.
---
In life, there's a kind of beauty that is rare and hard to find: the beauty of first encounters.
This is often hard to achieve between people, but it's possible with the tavern.
Delicious food always connects with memories. Many customers who come to the tavern to eat and drink usually order their favorite dishes and savor them quietly.
As time passed, the number of customers at the tavern increased, and business got better and better.
"Chef Zane, one bowl of Dragon Beard Noodles, extra spicy."
"Alright, please wait a moment!"
Dragon Beard Noodles.
The most attractive feature of these noodles is their fineness.
To make perfect Dragon Beard Noodles, the noodles must be as fine as possible.
In the late Qing Dynasty, Xue Baozhan from Shaanxi wrote in "A Brief Discussion on Vegetarian Food" that a type of "Shen Noodles" was popular in Shaanxi and Shanxi. The method of making it was most prominent in Taiyuan, Shaanxi, and Tongzhou.
These noodles were as thin as leeks, fine as hanging noodles, could be triangular or hollow, and were resistant to cooking without breaking, soft yet elastic.
These Shen Noodles are now known as Shanxi pulled noodles.
Pulled noodles can be steamed, boiled, baked, fried, or stir-fried, each with its own unique flavor.
There are many types of noodles: large pulled noodles, small pulled noodles, Dragon Beard Noodles, and hollow noodles, among others.
Generally, noodles with less than seven folds are considered large pulled noodles, while those with more than seven folds are considered Dragon Beard Noodles. The ones made at home are usually small pulled noodles. Thus, the most attractive feature of Dragon Beard Noodles is their fineness.
Zane began making the pulled noodles.
First, he dusted the countertop with high-gluten flour and kneaded the dough, incorporating water until it was stretchy.
Then, he quickly rolled the dough into long strips about 3 cm wide and dusted them with more high-gluten flour.
Grasping both ends, he swung his hands up and down simultaneously, making the pulling motion coordinated, standard, and elegant.
Leonora, who hadn't left yet, watched in awe!
---
One pull was one fold.
One fold doubled the number of noodles. Starting with one thick noodle, one pull turned it into two thinner noodles.
Repeating the process several times, the noodles separated, becoming thin strands that floated in the air like silver ribbons, dazzling to watch.
Zane's pulling speed was incredibly fast.
The bundle of noodles in his hands seemed to come to life.
Even more impressively, he stretched it to eight folds, which is:
2 to the power of 8, or 256 noodles.
As everyone watched in shock, he didn't stop, continuing to merge and pull the noodles, creating more strands.
Nine folds, ten folds...
Leonora finally reacted: "No way? This... This should be the tenth fold, right?"
Then, Zane repeated the pulling motion once more.
"Eleven folds?"
---
By this point, the tavern's atmosphere was extremely tense.
While everyone wondered if he could stretch it to an incredible twelve folds, Zane paused, sweat starting to form on his forehead.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and calmed himself down.
After about ten seconds, he opened his eyes and continued pulling the noodles. At that moment, time seemed to stand still.
Finally, he reached twelve folds.
This meant he had stretched a small piece of dough into:
4096 noodles!
---
In China, noodle shops are everywhere, but it's rare to find one representing Shandong cuisine.
The reason could be that Shandong noodles are so common, like tomato egg noodles or fried noodles as snacks—these are all masterpieces of Shandong pulled noodles.
In fact, Shandong pulled noodles have a beautiful name: Dragon Beard Noodles!
It is said that over three hundred years ago, clever people in Shandong made pulled noodles from wheat, becoming a royal delicacy of the Ming Dynasty.
Because the pulling motion was grand, and the noodles were as thin as hair, the emperor was delighted and named them Dragon Beard Noodles.
Today, Dragon Beard Noodles, although not as popular nationwide as Lanzhou Beef Noodles, have gradually gained popularity for their convenience and delightful taste.
With the development of the food industry and market competition, the standard for Dragon Beard Noodles has been defined as 14 folds, or 16384 noodles.
During the noodle-pulling process, performers often incorporate various dance moves.
---
After stretching the noodles, Zane quickly placed ingredients like squid, eggs, shrimp, clams, mushrooms, fish slices, and peas into a bowl.
He poured in a carefully prepared fish broth, covered the pot, and set it to medium-high heat.
Five minutes later, he uncovered the pot, and the rich broth began bubbling.
"This broth looks so rich. How much did he put in?"
Leonora, who had just finished the Giant Panda Magical Mapo Tofu, couldn't help but swallow.
Zane, busy as ever, swiftly added the Dragon Beard Noodles to the broth, arranged the ingredients neatly on top, and poured in the broth.
He covered the pot again and let it cook for another two minutes, placing chopped green onions on top of the noodles.
Finally, a delicious bowl of Dragon Beard Noodles was ready!
---
Slurp, slurp~
Soon, the sound of people eating noodles filled the tavern.
The broth contained peas, squid, eggs, shrimp, and clams. These ingredients were simple and common.
But the Dragon Beard Noodles were incredibly fine.
Fine enough to float on the broth, reminiscent of dragon whiskers.
No, these noodles were even finer than whiskers, almost breaking with the slightest pressure from chopsticks.
"These noodles melt in your mouth, like a snowflake resting in your warm mouth. They are thin and long like hair, smooth and delicate, giving a soft and comfortable feeling!"
After a brief pause, the customer who had tasted the noodles took a deep breath and continued eating.
---
Fragrant.
Very fragrant.
So fragrant that you wished you could wrap the aroma in plastic wrap and keep it forever.
---
One bite of noodles.
One sip of broth.
Some meat and a bit of green onions.
The ingredients were simple yet delicious.
The finished Dragon Beard Noodles were clear and fresh, especially the broth, which concentrated the essence of all ingredients, making even a tiny sip incredibly flavorful.
Although the fineness of the noodles was a highlight, the most crucial part was retaining the traditional Chinese noodle soup style, showcasing its unique taste through the broth.
Indeed.
Stretching the noodles to hair-thin strands didn't mean much. The preparation and seasoning of the broth were the core, the soul.
Just like this customer, who felt a rush of warmth and a sense of bliss with just a small sip of broth.
---
Pepper buns.
A famous traditional Taiwanese snack.
Freshly rolled dough, freshly filled, freshly baked—every detail reflected the maker's craftsmanship.
In Soma Yukihira's skillful hands, the dough gradually took shape.
He filled the dough with minced pork, chopped green onions, lots of pepper, and special spices. After wetting the dough, he sprinkled it generously with sesame seeds, sticking each one on the hot oven walls.
The crispy crust, juicy filling, the sharp aroma of pepper, combined with the sweet taste of pork, made for a delicious treat.
Initially, Taiwanese people called
pepper buns "Fuzhou buns."
But because they added pepper for flavor, and "pepper buns" and "Fuzhou buns" sounded similar, they changed the name to "pepper buns," without affecting the inherent deliciousness.
Especially after baking, they emitted a rich, burnt aroma, making them very tasty.
---
For the school festival.
Soma had prepared well. Knowing that the eighth seat, Kuga Terunori, was skilled in Chinese cuisine, he developed a pepper bun.
Holding the freshly baked pepper bun, it looked like a large bun, feeling heavy.
At the same time, a strong sesame and pepper aroma hit his nose.
Biting into it, the aroma intensified, and the meat juice burst out, filling the air with a delightful smell.
The meat and green onions were perfectly mixed, with the slight spiciness of pepper highlighting the sweetness of the pork.
The more he chewed, the more the aroma of onions and meat filled his mouth.
Even the golden crust's aroma was irresistible.
The pork and vegetables balanced by the pepper didn't taste as spicy as imagined. Instead, it enhanced the meat's flavor, with every bite full of juicy goodness.
---
Hmm!
How to describe it?
In the ocean of food, some flavors may make you frown at first but become unforgettable after savoring them.
Pepper buns are one such unique dish.
Hot!
That's the first impression.
But what follows is a balanced spicy and fragrant taste.
The pepper and green onions are the soul of the buns. Roasted directly on the oven wall, they are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and spicy.
With a sweet and sour plum juice, the oily taste would disappear instantly, making you want more.
In summary, the taste and texture of pepper buns are a comprehensive experience.
Combining the dough's softness and elasticity, the meat filling's richness and juiciness, the pepper's spiciness, and the green onions' freshness...
When these elements constantly mix and collide in your mouth, they create an unforgettable taste.
"It feels like I'm still missing something with the cooking time."
"I even mimicked the authentic pepper bun oven, digging a hole under a large overturned water jar, placing an iron plate, and covering it with a large paint bucket."
"And used charcoal to heat the oven and the iron plate, removing the coals and sticking the buns on the jar wall, baking for 15 minutes."
"Strange!"
"What could be wrong?"
Swallowing, Soma Yukihira analyzed the process and felt a bit frustrated.
This pepper bun would have satisfied him before, but for the school festival, it wasn't good enough!
----------
For 10 advance chapters: patreon.com/angelictranslating