At most, it was the privileged class of the feudal dynasty that had great power, and sometimes they really didn't take certain things seriously.
Zhu Yunying had no intention of deliberately changing anything. As the most privileged class, he naturally wouldn't instigate a revolution or anything like that, much less weaken imperial power or the interests of the landlord class. At most, he would impose some restrictions.
After briefly dealing with Zhu Yunying's affairs, Zhu Yunying then focused on matters of the court.
Yan Zhenzhi has arrived. Although he is currently preoccupied with governing the Yellow and Huai Rivers, he is still the Minister of Works of the Ming Dynasty, and there are many things that need to be done well. He is essentially standing firm in his post until the very end.
Looking at Zhu Yunying, Yan Zhenzhi said seriously, "Your Majesty, the tree oil that was sent is a good thing, but it's not quite suitable."
Zhu Yunying was taken aback for a moment, then hurriedly asked, "What happened? What went wrong?"
Yan Zhenzhi was also somewhat amused and embarrassed, saying, "Your Majesty, it's not that the tree sap is inedible, it's just that the dishes cooked with it don't taste as good as our rapeseed oil."
Zhu Yunying was also stunned, then suddenly realized something, and felt a bit absurd and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The culinary culture of Chinese civilization has a long and rich history, and stir-frying generally began to appear in the Song Dynasty and gradually spread. Although some seasonings had not yet appeared, the basic forms of Chinese cooking techniques and styles had indeed begun to take shape.
Techniques such as frying, boiling, and cooking have also emerged, and high heat is considered a characteristic of Chinese cuisine. Rapeseed oil is undoubtedly the most suitable, which is something that everyone takes for granted.
However, palm oil and olive oil are actually not very suitable for Chinese cuisine. This is probably one of the reasons why, hundreds of years later, palm oil and olive oil occupy a huge share of the global edible oil market, but it is difficult for them to gain a foothold in Chinese restaurants.
Olive oil and similar products are relatively expensive because they are not suitable for stir-frying, but are better suited for cold dishes and the like.
The emergence of palm oil is similar. Zhu Yunying initially thought it would be an excellent source of oil for the people of the Ming Dynasty, alleviating their lack of oil in their diet. But looking back now, he was somewhat naive.
You can't do without oil, because without oil you won't feel full. Many big men eat seven or eight steamed buns in one meal, do you really think that everyone in ancient times was a big eater? Actually, it's because they didn't have enough oil in their stomachs, so they all seemed to be able to eat a lot.
Yan Zhen looked directly at Zhu Yunying and continued, "Your Majesty, we have pondered this for a long time and consulted many chefs. It's just that this tree sap, even if used to make a few dishes..."
Zhu Yunying naturally understood Yan Zhenzhi's meaning: palm oil is fine for making certain dishes, but it lacks versatility. And it's impossible for ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty to buy palm oil and then only use it to cook a few specific dishes; it doesn't make sense, and it is indeed quite inconvenient.
Zhu Yunying smiled and said, "There's nothing we can do about it. We've oversimplified things. We only thought that there was oil in the South Seas, but we didn't realize that it wasn't suitable for the people of our Great Ming."
Yan Zhenzhi disagreed, saying, "Your Majesty, I still believe that tree sap is necessary. Although it cannot compare to rapeseed oil and is indeed more troublesome to use, for us common people, being able to eat oil is already a wonderful thing!"
This was also Yan Zhenzhi's true feeling. At first, he really thought that palm oil was the same as rapeseed oil, and he had heard that it was abundant in Southeast Asia and had a very high oil yield. He even thought it could replace rapeseed oil.
Even if it can't replace it, it doesn't matter. A large amount of palm oil will reach the Ming Dynasty, which will definitely allow more people in the Ming Dynasty to enjoy oil and fat, and will definitely relieve the people of the Ming Dynasty from their worries about the high cost of oil.
However, after a series of experiments, it would be a lie to say that Yan Zhenzhi was not disappointed. The tree oil couldn't be used for stir-frying, which meant it wasn't suitable for ordinary households. This stuff simply couldn't compete with rapeseed oil.
But it's okay. Disappointment aside, we still need palm oil; it's still somewhat useful.
Zhu Yunying understood Yan Zhenzhi's meaning and nodded slightly. "What you say makes sense, my dear minister. Although it can't compare to rapeseed oil, it still has some use and can at least provide some sustenance for the people of our Great Ming."
That's exactly the case. With the current level of productivity and material conditions, we shouldn't expect too much. At this point, the most important thing is to have enough to eat, and even being completely full is a luxury.
The goal is to minimize hunger and ensure that the people of the Ming Dynasty can have some oil and fat to eat. That's better than anything else. Thinking about perfection, about having meat at every meal and having a little wine every now and then, is unrealistic.
Ordinary people are still struggling to make ends meet, so they have no right to be picky. Being able to eat and wear clothes is better than anything else!
Although he was indeed a little disappointed, Joo Yoon-young didn't say much. Actually, Joo Yoon-young hadn't intended to use palm oil instead of rapeseed oil from the beginning; he had only considered palm oil as a supplement to rapeseed oil.
As for now, although palm oil is not as useful as rapeseed oil, it's better to have it than not. It's that simple. Zhu Yunying has no right to be picky, and the Ming Dynasty has no right to reject this or that.
Something is better than nothing.
This is what can be done in this era: the right to be picky. Ordinary people don't have it, and even emperors don't really have it.
Zhu Yunying discussed some matters with Yan Zhenzhi, whether it was palm oil or the governance of the Yellow and Huai Rivers. These were all major issues, and they were matters that had to be addressed. Naturally, Zhu Yunying needed to pay more attention to these matters.
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