"How did you come up with this idea?" Colin looked at Yuan Zhou with a complicated look in his eyes.
"When I was familiarizing myself with the cooking method of the Fermented Chili Fish, I always felt that the taste of the fermented chili wasn't quite right. So, I started to study it," Yuan Zhou said calmly.
"Can I take a look at your notebook again?" Colin looked at the notebook in Yuan Zhou's hands.
"Sure," Yuan Zhou nodded his head.
When Yuan Zhou brought the notebook over, Colin didn't wait at the same spot. Instead, he took a few steps forward and received the notebook eagerly.
This time, Colin flipped through the notebook from the very end. As expected, the cooking method of the fermented chili was recorded at the very end of the notebook.
But that wasn't all. There were also excerpts from the ancient history of China's salt policy, as well as the production areas of the fermented chili in Guizhou. There were even records of the purple garlic used in the fermented chili.
"What you've written here is correct. The purple garlic produced in Ying County should be the best. However, the fermented chili is still produced in your province. Although it isn't as good as the purple garlic in Ying County, it is especially suitable for the production of fermented chili," Colin pointed at the notebook and said.
"But I've used both of them before. I discovered that the purple garlic from Ying County can preserve the fermented chili better without adding salt," Yuan Zhou said.
"Oh? The people of ancient times didn't have the purple garlic from Ying County, "Colin said.
"They didn't, but the purple garlic from that time had the same effect as the ones in Ying County. It can't be crushed by a car or trampled on by a foot. The color won't change after a long time, the taste won't diminish, and the color won't change after a long time. Even the mashed garlic can be stored for a few days," Yuan Zhou said.
"That's possible. I need to think about it carefully," Colin said after a moment of silence. Then, he started to think carefully.
After Colin finished thinking, the two of them continued their discussion.
Actually, it wasn't that Colin and Yuan Zhou were unwilling to let go of the small matter of the fermented chili. It was just that the fermented chili, or more accurately, the acid was too important to the people of your province.
Your province doesn't actually produce salt, the entire province's salt comes from the supply of other provinces. In ancient times, transportation was not developed, whether it was a human or a horse, it would take a lot of effort. Therefore, the Miao people in your province invented the method of using acid to replace salt.
Therefore, in Gui Province, if you don't eat sour food for three days, you would have to walk in a hurry. In the past, Gui Province couldn't live without sour food, but now, you can't live without it. That's why pickled chili, a seasoning that uses sour as a flavoring, occupies many major dishes in Guizhou cuisine.
From a scientific point of view, the role of salt in the human body was to regulate the balanced distribution of water in the human body, maintain the osmotic pressure inside and outside the cells, participate in the formation of gastric acid, promote the secretion of digestive juices, increase appetite, ensure the acidity and alkalinity necessary for the action of pepsin, maintain the balance of acidity and alkalinity in the body, and maintain the normal circulation of body fluids.
However, in ancient times, due to the lack of salt in your province, you could only make various fermented sour condiments, including fermented chili peppers, to replace the role of salt. Because nitrite would be produced in the process of making acid, it could also participate in the formation of gastric acid and increase one's appetite.
This is also the scientific origin of the saying.
"Nowadays, people in Gui Province don't have to worry about salt anymore, but we still can't forget the taste of pickled chili peppers," Colin concluded after a long discussion.
Yuan Zhou didn't answer. He just listened to Colin in silence.
After Colin sighed with emotion for a while, the tea on the table was almost finished. At that time, Zhou Shijie said timely, "Let's change the tea and continue."
"Oh, all the tea is finished." Colin suddenly understood and looked down at the table.
"That's right," Zhou Shijie said with a smile.
"Ok, let's call it a day. Isn't Yuan going to open his restaurant in the evening?" Colin raised his head and looked at the clock on the wall.
"Yes, thank you, Uncle Colin." Yuan Zhou nodded.
"Alright. Shall we just leave without changing the tea?" Zhou Shijie asked.
"Um, let's go." Colin nodded.
Yuan Zhou also nodded. Just when Zhou Shijie was about to stand up, Colin suddenly sighed with emotion.
"Little Yuan, welcome to your province." Colin frowned and changed his words. "Forget it. Don't come." But after a pause, he changed his tone. "You should still come to your province. But don't come too many times." "That's right." Zhou Donghuang nodded.
"Ok." Yuan Zhou nodded his head solemnly.
When Colin said that, his tone was no longer sighed with emotion. Instead, it was extremely complicated. He looked at Yuan Zhou with joy but also worry and dissatisfaction.
As for the way she looked at Zhou Shijie, her gaze was much more direct. It was filled with dissatisfaction.
"You old man, you only know how to trick me." Colin scolded.
"Hahaha, I'm broadening your horizons." Zhou Shijie smiled and accepted Colin's venting.
"Yuan, you're really good. See you next time." After saying that, Colin stood up and walked out of the room.
He didn't even look back. His footsteps were fast and firm.
"What?" Yuan Zhou turned his head and looked at Zhou Shijie in puzzlement.
"Hahaha, this guy runs so fast." Zhou Shijie laughed.
"Don't worry about him. He's in a complicated mood and can't bring himself to work hard," Zhou Shijie explained slowly as he led Yuan Zhou out of the room.
"Why?" Yuan Zhou asked subconsciously.
Yuan Zhou really didn't understand. Colin had been fine when they were talking about the dishes just now. Why did he act as if he didn't want to see him?
"That old guy doesn't want to see you, but he likes you very much. But he has a disciple. Do you understand?" Zhou Shijie said with a smile.
Yuan Zhou paused for a moment and then nodded his head, indicating that he understood.
Just as Zhou Shijie said, Colin walked out of the riverside courtyard quickly. He liked Yuan Zhou, but he didn't want to see him.
Yuan Zhou was merely a third of his age, yet he had already reached such a high standard. Zhou Shijie had personally affirmed Yuan Zhou's standard of Sichuan Cuisine and Zhou Shijie had personally tested Yuan Zhou's standard of Guizhou Cuisine. With such a standard at such a young age, how could Zhou Shijie allow Yuan Zhou to go to Gui Province?
If Yuan Zhou went to Gui Province to communicate with him, his disciples and grand-disciples would be ashamed to death. Although Yuan Zhou was of the same age as him, he was not on the same level as him.
Although Yuan Zhou's Guizhou Cuisine level was not as good as his, Yuan Zhou had started to learn from the essence of Guizhou Cuisine. Colin was sure that it was only a matter of time before Yuan Zhou could learn to his current level.
How could Colin let his disciples meet such a person? He believed that his disciples were also geniuses in cooking. Sometimes, geniuses could improve their progress if they had a rival. However, a rival like Yuan Zhou could only hurt them.
"This guy is a monster." Before Colin got in the car, he looked at Yuan Zhou who walked out of the courtyard with Zhou Shijie and murmured.
"Sigh. Why is he so young?" Colin sighed and then got in the car and left.
Colin didn't like Yuan Zhou, but he liked him very much because he couldn't refuse a person who was so hardworking and talented in cooking.
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