Chapter 468 New Ways to Eat Sweet Potatoes
Shen Qing watched them mix sweet potato starch with water and pour a thin layer into a large iron pot. After it changed color and slightly burnt the edges, they lifted the lid and spread a large piece of dough flat on the chopping board.
Repeat this process until the pile is as thick as a finger.
Then cut into strips with a kitchen knife and shake them loose.
Shen Qing understood, this is sweet potato vermicelli!
The only difference is that instead of boiling it in water, it is pan-fried.
The wisdom of the working people is indeed endless. How long has it been since they figured out this way of eating it?
Xu Hongmei, who was preparing the food, felt embarrassed when Shen Qing looked at her. She explained, "This is really delicious. We usually stew Chinese cabbage with lard residue and then add sweet potato vermicelli. It has meat and vegetables, and this is hot, filling, and oily."
"Yes, sweet potatoes are not only abundant in yield, but also very delicious! Eating refined rice and white flour occasionally is fine, but how can you eat them every day? That would require a lot of money.
Besides, this sweet potato noodle is so troublesome, and eating it at night is the best way for everyone."
"We also have beef soup and mutton soup to go with it. We add sweet potato vermicelli to the beef soup or mutton soup, and sprinkle with chopped green onions or coriander. It's really fragrant."
"Don't worry, Shen Qing, it's not shabby."
Shen Qing: ...She remembered a local delicacy.
Huainan beef soup is served with sesame cakes. If you want to eat it alone and feel full, you can also add sweet potato vermicelli. Drink it in one gulp and you will feel refreshed all over!
She replied, "It's not shabby, it's definitely fragrant, and it's not necessarily worse than refined rice and white flour. Some foods are not as good with refined rice and white flour as with whole grains."
Shen Qing's words really touched everyone's heart!
"Yes, you're right! For example, the iron pot stewed goose with pancakes, the cornmeal version is actually better than the pure white flour version. Isn't that strange?"
"There's also porridge with red dates, and millet is actually sweeter and more suitable than rice, which is also strange."
She had thought that rice was precious and must be delicious, but after trying it, she found that it was not as rich and sweet as millet.
Shen Qing continued, "Yes, each food has its own merits, but we just haven't discovered it.
Your vermicelli is very good, the only downside is that it's a bit too much trouble."
These words immediately opened up the women's chatterboxes, and they had endless topics to talk about when it came to food.
"Who says it's not? You have to mix the powder, heat the pan, and spread the dough. The fire can't be too big or too small. If it's too big or too small, it will easily fail.
In other words, don't rush. If you rush, you will definitely be too late."
"Yes, it's for a wedding banquet. I wanted to give everyone something fresh to eat. Plus, the beef bone soup and mutton offal soup are already cooked, so it's not a big deal. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have enough time."
"This kind of food is time-consuming. It would be much easier if we could just take it out and put it in the pot."
After hearing this, Shen Qing took over the conversation naturally: "Maybe it's possible? If it's cooked in the same way, wouldn't it be cooked if it's dried and preserved?
When it’s time to eat, take it out and put it back into the pot, isn’t it the same?”
Xu Hongmei's eyes lit up and she said in surprise, "I think it's okay!"
"It takes a lot of time to spread them out one by one..."
Shen Qing guided: "Can we boil it in water? Mix it into a paste, just like making dumplings. The difference is that after it's done, we can scoop it out and dry it in the sun for storage. We can make a large batch at a time, so it's convenient for eating next time."
Farmers' work is concentrated together. On weekdays, they have a lot of free time, as they just need to prepare three meals a day. But when they are busy, they don't even have time to eat a meal, so food must be prepared during free time.
Secondly, it changes the taste and is easier to preserve.
"Oh, I've made it before. It's different from dough dumplings. Dough dumplings are cooked after a while, but this one is cooked for a long time and still has a white lump inside. It's hard to chew and not tasty."
"You put it in hot water, the outside is cooked but the inside is still raw! It's wrapped so the inside can't be cooked;
But in that case, why don't we make it a little thinner? Wouldn't it be easier to cook?"
"How can I make it thin? It's not noodles, how can it be stretched thin? It breaks when I try."
"How about a mold? Wood or something should be fine, right?"
Amidst the lively discussion, Shen Qing quietly interjected, "How about using a gourd ladle? Pour the paste into it, then punch a few tiny holes in the bottom. When the paste leaks out, it will become vermicelli, right?"
"Right, right! That's a good idea. Let's go find Carpenter Guan. He has a steady hand and the holes he drills will definitely be small and even."
"Okay, shall we go now?"
"Go ahead, go ahead. If you don't go, I'll always feel uneasy. Besides, we've finally gotten together and we have the ingredients ready. If we miss this opportunity, we'll miss this shop!"
"Okay, I'll go right away~"
Shen Qing: ...When it comes to cooking, people who are good at cooking are indeed action-oriented.
That night, the whole village enjoyed fresh food again.
Add sweet potato vermicelli to beef soup or mutton soup.
Unlike the sliced dough that is baked, this time it is boiled directly in water. The dark brown and slightly transparent vermicelli is paired with hot broth with chili oil. It absorbs the broth and has a rich taste with the sweetness of sweet potato. It is so satisfying to eat it up in one gulp!
Su Mu exclaimed as he ate.
I whispered, "Auntie, is this what you made from the sweet potatoes I gave you?"
When my aunt gave it to me, she said it had a large yield and tasted good, but she didn't say it was so delicious.
And it looks completely different, how did they come up with this way of eating it?
Shen Qing smiled and nodded: "Yes, these women in the village are amazing, they came up with new ways to eat;
You eat a lot of beef and mutton, so this would be a perfect match."
Su Mu's concern grew stronger, and she hurriedly asked, "Does Xiangnan know anything about sweet potatoes? I want to ask him."
She has a very good relationship with Jiang Xiangbei, but Jiang Xiangbei is better at doing business. He now owns several food shops and is very busy. Jiang Xiangnan loves to eat, and his biggest hobby after going to Chenzhou is to look for chive sauces of different proportions and send them to shops in Beijing.
There are also cattle and sheep from different pastures... the difference in where sesame flowers are produced...
She felt it would be more appropriate to discuss sweet potatoes with Jiang Xiangnan.
"As for the third brother's passion for food, no one understands it better than him." Shen Qing joked.
Su Mu felt relieved. It just so happened that Jiang Yu was getting married. Although Jiang Xiangbei was in the capital to look after the shop, Jiang Xiangnan was there.
In the next few days, the women in the village were busy repeatedly adjusting and modifying the vermicelli.
Shen Qing asked Jiang Xiangzhong to participate in the whole process and take notes - if there were any failures, the reasons should be summarized and a note should be made at this step as a reminder.
Shen Qing increasingly felt that this book was more like a book teaching how to cook.
The women had never seen such a scene before. It was the first time someone was taking notes with a pen and paper, and they didn't know where to put their hands and feet.
Hearing that the entire Dajing Dynasty might learn according to the book, he suddenly became more confident and energetic!
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