Chen Fan had only taken a few steps forward when he found the ingredients to make steamed buns.
The area beneath their feet was completely dark.
"Chen Fan, what are these things under our feet? Why are there so many of them?"
"It's pitch black, kind of like soaked black fungus..."
Liu Feifei stopped and then asked with a look of curiosity.
These things do look a bit like soaked black fungus, but some of them also have a hint of emerald green color.
"This is lichen, a perfect ingredient for making steamed buns!"
"It seems we're quite lucky today, actually managing to find such a large patch of ground ivy."
Chen Fan quickly smiled and explained.
Ground lily, also known as ground fungus or ground soft fungus, has high nutritional and medicinal value.
It has high nutritional value, and is rich in protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and other trace elements.
It contains a variety of nutrients and has the effects of clearing heat and reducing internal fire, replenishing blood and qi, and nourishing the spleen and kidneys!
In many rural areas, this type of lichen is very popular.
The price on the market is also very high.
"Can this thing actually be used to make steamed buns?"
"It looks soft and mushy, doesn't seem very appetizing." Liu Feifei squatted down and poked it with her finger; it was soft and smooth.
It looks very similar to real black fungus...
"Of course you can eat it, and it tastes really good!"
"You'll find out when we get back."
"With so much wild vegetable in this area, we can eat steamed buns more often from now on," Chen Fan said with a smile.
The two then began picking up wild vegetables, which were scattered all over the ground, so they picked them up very quickly.
In no time, the two had filled half a basket.
"Alright, that's enough for today!"
"We should have enough steamed buns for tonight, and we can make some soup tomorrow."
The two then headed toward the shelter.
Half an hour later, we returned to the shelter...
"Chen Fan, these lichens need to be washed, right?"
"I'll go and give myself a good wash!"
After returning to the shelter, Liu Feifei took the initiative to do the cleaning work.
"Okay! After cleaning, cut these lichens into small pieces."
"Then add seasonings and pork cracklings and mix them together. That will make the filling for the buns."
"I'll go and make the soap base."
After briefly assigning tasks to Liu Feifei, Chen Fan went to attend to his own business.
Because the temperature on the island is very high, the lard that was just rendered has not yet completely solidified.
The current situation is just right, and the next steps are also very simple.
Adding some alkaline water to rendered lard will solidify it.
That will make it a perfect soap base...
As for alkaline water, that's even simpler.
Simply put wood ash into water, stir it evenly, and then filter it to get alkaline water.
However, to make the soap even more effective, Chen Fan added several soapberry fruits to the water-saving solution!
This way, the soap will clean better and produce more lather.
...
Because the wood ash had already been burned, this task was completed very quickly.
In just over ten minutes, the lye water was ready.
Next, pour the water into the rendered lard and stir clockwise until evenly mixed.
After it gradually solidifies, it can be left to stand for a period of time, at which point it will form natural soap.
After the mixture of lye water and lard had fully blended, Chen Fan found several bamboo tubes and filled them with the mixture.
This helps the soap hold its shape better!
It can be taken out and used after three days.
"Chen Fan, I've almost finished preparing the filling for the steamed buns. Would you like to take a look and see if it's okay?"
"Should we add any other seasonings?"
Just after Chen Fan finished making the soap, Liu Feifei's voice rang out.
"Okay, I'm coming right away!"
Chen Fan quickly went over.
Then I tasted the filling of the bun, and it was just right.
It contains some minced ginger and lemongrass, which can enhance the aroma and freshness.
"Great, great, this tastes excellent. This filling is perfect for steamed buns."
"Let's start making bread and buns now..."
Chen Fan nodded.
Then, some starch was taken out, and the dough was made.
Using sago palm starch to make dough is definitely not as comfortable as using wheat flour.
Liu Feifei tried several times but couldn't get the starch to stick together.
In the end, he gave up in frustration and could only leave the matter to Chen Fan!
However, Chen Fan worked very quickly, and soon he had kneaded the dough and divided it into small pieces.
Then these sentences were rolled out into individual dumpling wrappers.
"Do you know how to wrap?" Chen Fan asked Liu Feifei.
However, Liu Feifei probably rarely gets involved in this kind of thing on a normal day!
After all, being an actor means having a very busy schedule.
Even when she's not acting, she has to attend a lot of events.
There's simply no time to cook for myself.
Chen Fan had even seen some minor celebrities on variety shows before, who couldn't even tell whether to put the tomatoes or eggs first when making scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
When frying eggs, they can turn them black and charred.
Even a nobody like him is like this!
I doubt that a top-tier celebrity like Liu Feifei would make steamed buns.
"Uh... I don't know how!"
As expected, Liu Feifei ultimately shook her head honestly.
Because she had never imagined that one day she might make steamed buns by hand, she had never learned how to do it.
After all, given her previous lifestyle, she wouldn't have needed to cook for herself.
"Come, let me teach you..."
This result was expected, so Zeng Fan was not surprised.
Instead, he smiled and began to teach.
"Uh-huh!"
Liu Feifei nodded quickly and then began to study very seriously.
He stared intently at the actions Chen Fan was performing.
"Look, the first thing is to put the filling on top. Don't put too much filling on, or it will be difficult to wrap."
"Then press here with your thumb, and then use your index finger and thumb to pinch the edges together counterclockwise!"
Chen Fan taught quite meticulously.
You can basically learn it by just one glance.
It's just that I'm not that skilled with my hands yet.
"It looks so simple!"
"But how come a grown man like you knows how to make steamed buns?"
Liu Feifei followed Chen Fan's example and started wrapping the dumplings. Then, she asked a question with some confusion.
It's truly unbelievable that a grown man could make such beautiful steamed buns.
"Haha! I used to make these at home a lot when I was little, so I guess this is a basic skill."
Chen Fan replied with a smile.
Our family wasn't well-off in the past, so the children started doing chores at a very young age.
Whether it's farm work or household chores, they can basically do it all.
Rolling out noodles, making steamed buns, making dumplings—he can do it all with ease.
This applies to both boys and girls...
Of course, that was in the countryside back then. Nowadays, children in rural areas probably don't know these basic skills anymore.
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