Chapter 823: Chapter 786: Understanding a Foodie’s Heart

The fiery bonfire was lit, and in the cotton workshop, which had ceased operations, there was ample space for everyone to gather around the fire.

Barbecue is the eternal theme at Great Tang banquets; after all, boiled vegetables are truly unappetizing.

Today, since we went up the mountains, besides roast lamb, poultry, there’s roast bird meat, roast squirrel meat, roast pheasant meat, and so on, in short, the ingredients are abundant.

Of course, besides meat, the seaside folks can hardly lack seafood, whether it’s tasty or not, it needs to be included.

Shellfish, shrimp, and fish have been washed and brought to the fire.

Recently, Lin Wanwan taught the clan a new way to eat—drunken shrimp. A bite of pure, natural, pollution-free sea shrimp paired with the cool aroma of wine is exquisite.

The wine is corn husk wine and sweet potato wine, all local specialties of Great Tang, much cheaper than the rice wine and other grain brewed wines.

Moreover, corn husk wine is homebrewed, so there’s no regret in using it.

It’s just that people still don’t know how to brew sweet potato wine, but the county government has already gathered the heads of various workshops in Mao County for an auction.

The formula for sweet potato wine should have been sold off; it will eventually be available for sale and presumably won’t be more expensive than rice wine, given the abundance and cheapness of sweet potatoes.

No one knows if there will be another document from the county government to teach the villagers how to brew sweet potato wine. Everyone is quite expectant.

Apart from this, Lin Wanwan asked the mansion’s chef to steam two full barrels of rice — authentic large wooden barrels, the kind children could use as bath buckets.

Rice and meat, for the people of Great Tang, are rare luxuries, especially the refined rice from Lin Wanwan’s mansion, milled in multiple stages, far superior to any rice sold on the market.

And Lin Wanwan, her greatest pleasure is not eating, but preparing the ingredients, sprinkling various spice powders, and offering them to everyone.

The cheerful atmosphere of singing and dancing is what Lin Wanwan loves most; this is what is called emotional value.

She has the money, she has the grain, and she willingly spends to enjoy the festivities.

As the grand and lively bonfire banquet drew to a close, Hua Nong came belatedly to inform Lin Wanwan that the bear paw had been stewed.

"Ah, just stewed now?" Lin Wanwan was surprised, it had been nearly two hours since she returned home.

Hua Nong, deftly roasting fish for Lin Wanwan, replied, "Madam wouldn’t know, the bear paw takes time; it must be desoured first, then depilitated, quite troublesome. Hu Gong said it has to be done this way, or it won’t be as delicious."

"Alright then," Lin Wanwan expressed understanding.

She had thought she could taste bear paw at the barbecue feast, yet the bonfire was ending and the kitchen had just started stewing.

Indeed, it’s all about perfection in food preparation.

A bear paw with coarse skin and thick meat is not cooked as easily, or as quickly as regular ingredients, much like the triggering event in the Orphan of Zhao’s tragedy—a bear paw not stewed thoroughly.

When Xiao Chong sent bear paws, he also attached a mansion chef, thus the delicacy mainly cooked by Xiao Mansion’s chef, with Hua Nong assisting.

Ancient noble life is truly extravagant; for them, a chef’s value pales before a fresh, plump bear paw, pairing the delicacy with a chef.

Lin Wanwan had sent Xiao Chong a chef with modern culinary skills, and now Xiao Chong was reciprocating with a chef skilled in ancient cooking techniques.

Bear paw, esteemed among the eight delicacies, has been favored by literati since ancient times, most famously by Mencius with his saying "You cannot have both fish and bear paw."

Such a famous ingredient naturally has complex preparation methods, not simply simmered. If not meticulously cooked, the finished bear paw would be overwhelmingly rank, wasting such a precious ingredient.

Spices in Great Tang are expensive because they are scarce and necessary (for the nobility).

Material shortages only apply to common folk; for the nobility, spices to remove gaminess and greasiness are kitchen staples, consuming a meal that costs a commoner’s annual sustenance is commonplace.

The chef supplied by Xiao Chong, standing in Lin Mansion’s kitchen, felt elevated by the dazzling array of spices in glass jars.

Although he couldn’t taste them, all these delicacies were crafted by him.

For a chef, the toughest situation is "a clever housewife can’t cook without rice"—unable to realize his culinary ideas. Now, standing in Lin Mansion’s kitchen, everything he thought of and beyond, all the seasonings were here, for him to process the bear paw freely.

Pepper, cumin, everything was available, no need to be tightfisted.

This scenario was simply delightful.

When Lin Wanwan returned home, the bear paw hadn’t been fully stewed; it was still being stewed over low heat.

Lin Wanwan wasn’t impatient; exquisite delicacies are worth waiting for. Besides, she was already full of seafood, no need to rush.

When hunger strikes later in the evening, the bear paw would be ready, perfect for a midnight snack.

Unfortunately, little Qingyu would surely be asleep and miss out.

Lin Wanwan didn’t expect the preparation of this delicacy to take several hours when she instructed the chef in the evening.

Since arriving in Great Tang, this is the first time she’s tasting bear paw. She hadn’t spread the word to hunters, nor frequently hunted, so such ingredients hadn’t come her way.

If not for Xiao Chong’s delivery today, she wouldn’t have considered bear paw.

For Lin Wanwan, eating the adorable bears, modernly protected animals, evokes guilt.

Yet it’s hard to deny oneself, who can blame her standing on Great Tang’s land, the earth beneath her feet is Great Tang’s earth!

In Great Tang, she adapts to the customs!

That night, to wait for the bear paw, Lin Wanwan even lost interest in medical books, hearing it’s supposedly akin to fatty meat, remains uncertain.

If it truly resembles fatty meat, it would be disappointing, for Lin Wanwan dislikes fatty meat.

When night deepened and quiet, the bear paw was finally brought up.

The large stove simmered it for nearly two hours; the bear paw meat was soft and bouncy.

Lin Wanwan gently poked with chopsticks, and paired it with a spoon to scoop a piece into her mouth; the hot, slick bear paw entering her mouth made her shudder, as if the taste would seep from all her pores.

Eating gourmet truly brings joy!

At this moment, Lin Wanwan understood why Lu Shouyue would send people to competitor’s auctions, spending heavily for quality ingredients at times. Principles could change faced with gourmet.

This won’t do; enjoying alone feels too guilty. Lin Wanwan decided to wake Qingyu and Xiao Yixun to share together.

Sleep can happen daily, but bear paw isn’t a daily dish!