Spring mornings in Ningcheng always carry a chilly edge. Little chubby Xu Minian had a thick scarf wrapped around his neck, and only then did Liu Hongmei feel comfortable letting him go out.
"Do you know about the chill of spring and the cold of autumn? Don't think you're always complaining about the heat now. When you're my age, you'll know how important it is to keep warm. Dami, you should put your scarf on too. The morning dew is heavy, and girls especially need to keep warm."
Although it wasn't cold, Xu Milu obediently did as instructed.
Every mother probably has a heart that wants to urge her children to wear long underwear and cotton hats.
"Mom, it's only 6:30 in the morning. I don't have school or classes. Can't you let me sleep a little longer?"
Xu Milu tightened the scarf around her neck and exhaled a soft puff of white breath: "It's Saturday today, and Xiaomi rarely gets a day off, so let him sleep a little longer."
“I can go back to sleep after buying the eggs—Aunt Zhou mentioned in the group last night that those ‘plant-based eggs’ that are so popular online recently are only sold at government-designated vegetable distribution points and are sold per person. Otherwise, I would have gone with Qinqin’s mom long ago.”
Liu Hongmei held her daughter with her left hand and pulled her son with her right, looking just like a mother hen protecting her chicks.
"Plant-based eggs? Plant-based chicken eggs?"
Xu Milu suddenly realized that she had been focusing her time and energy on the food shop and the Journey to the West world, and hadn't really paid much attention to the Seed Research Institute. How come the wheat ear eggs were on the market so quickly?
Since the dimensional jump system was upgraded and could unlock plant gene locks, she had Zhang Cang lift the purchase limit on some otherworldly seeds.
Of course, there are still differences. Varieties that can reproduce and produce seeds are naturally more expensive and are only supplied to China. As for the wheat-ear and egg varieties, they are, of course, only supplied to the Chinese government according to the contract.
She thought the official sales would be delayed for a while before large-scale sales began, but it seems she was overthinking it.
The fact that Huaxia dared to directly launch "plant eggs" must mean that they have undergone rigorous testing.
"Yes, they're called plant-based eggs, and they've been really popular these past few days. There are advertisements everywhere, and they say that these plant-based eggs are more nutritious, cleaner and more hygienic than regular eggs, and have far fewer bacteria."
As Liu Hongmei explained, she opened her phone and sent a voice message:
"Ladies, hurry up and come over! It's too late to line up at 6:30. Anyone who wants to buy eggs, come on over now!"
It was just dawn, and everything outside was still shrouded in mist. Several breakfast stalls at the intersection were busy.
A simple table, a conspicuous sign, a sugar jar on the table, and an exceptionally simple blue plastic stool—that's a basic dining area.
"Do you have tofu pudding?"
Xu Minian immediately snapped out of it, running over excitedly:
"Boss, three bowls of tofu pudding, one without cilantro, and the other two without chili!"
Liu Hongmei simply sat down as well, and told Xu Milu to order three more fried dough sticks:
"Let's eat first before we go over. The supermarket isn't open yet, so we'll just be staring at each other blankly. Let's grab something to eat first."
"Boss, fry me three more youtiao (Chinese fried dough sticks)."
Xu Milu stood by the stall watching the owner work with great interest. She hadn't eaten breakfast outside for a long time, especially not at a breakfast stall like this one, which was full of local flavor. It was only available if you got up early; you couldn't see it at other times.
"Okay!"
The efficient boss responded and skillfully tore off a soft dough ball from the fermented dough. He shook it with special long chopsticks, and as if by magic, the dough ball was stretched into a long string. After being put into the pot, it quickly puffed up and was dyed with layers of beautiful golden yellow, bright and shiny.
After frying, place it on the cutting board and slice it. The crisp "crunch crunch" sound makes you imagine how crispy it is.
The tofu pudding in Ningcheng is savory, and the preparation method is quite complicated.
Soak the wood ear mushrooms until softened, cut the lean meat into cubes, marinate with cooking wine, salt, soy sauce and cornstarch for a while, then stir-fry the chopped wood ear mushrooms and prepared meat cubes in a wok until cooked, then add dark soy sauce and water and simmer until boiling, finally add cornstarch slurry to taste.
This is the soup for tofu pudding.
The freshly made tofu pudding is kept warm in a pot. When serving, a large round spoon scoops it out and places it into a large porcelain bowl, leaving a snowy white layer. Then, it's topped with crushed peanuts, pickled mustard greens, chopped cilantro, and chili oil, before being filled with broth.
Having a bowl of this sticky, hot, savory tofu pudding first thing in the morning makes me happy all day long.
Xu Milu likes to drink savory tofu pudding without chili. The soup, with added cornstarch, is thick and sticky. When you scoop it up with a spoon, it even sticks to the side of the bowl. When you take a sip, the tofu pudding is incredibly tender and soft, as if it can melt on your tongue immediately. The soup is delicious, and the peanut crumbs and wood ear mushrooms hidden inside add a few pleasant surprises.
The most amazing part is the finely shredded pickled mustard tuber, which has a slightly salty taste from the brine and a crisp texture. When you chew it, you can taste a refreshing sensation. When mixed with tofu pudding, it is simply the finishing touch.
Fried dough sticks are delicious with soy milk, but they're absolutely amazing with tofu pudding.
Xu Milu broke open the fried dough sticks that had been cut into pieces. They were hollow inside, with a crispy outer skin and a soft filling. Taking a bite, the "crunch crunch" sound brought a natural sense of satisfaction.
Break the fried dough sticks into pieces and soak them in tofu pudding; this creates a completely different flavor.
The crispy fried dough sticks become soft and fluffy, and the filling soaks up the soup. With one bite, the deliciousness of the soup, the oiliness of the fried dough sticks, the tenderness of the tofu, and the refreshing taste of the pickled mustard greens all come together in your mouth, tempting you to eat one bite after another, making it impossible to stop.
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