"Everything is ready." Yuan Zhou stood up and walked to the door, waiting for them.
Just as Yuan Zhou reached the door, Liu Xi and Liu Jian walked over together. The two old men looked alike and even walked in a similar manner.
"Hello," Yuan Zhou greeted them.
"Good afternoon, Head Chef Yuan," Liu Xi and Liu Jian said in unison.
"Please come in. The tea is ready," Yuan Zhou gestured for them to come in.
"Thank you, Head Chef Yuan. Next time you go to Yun Province, we will be your guests," said Liu Jian.
"Then let this old man lead the way to your province," said Liu Xi.
"Ok. Sorry to trouble you two," said Yuan Zhou.
"Don't mention it. Exchanging cooking skills will help everyone improve. This is a good thing," said Liu Jian straightforwardly.
"That's right. Don't mention it, Head Chef Yuan," said Liu Xi.
"Then let's go in and start," said Yuan Zhou as he opened the sergestes wall view door.
Once the door was opened, the begonia tree was revealed. There were many green begonia fruits hanging on the tree. The leaves were slightly red and the branches looked very beautiful.
They walked inside. The courtyard wasn't big, but it was arranged cleverly and elegantly. A stone table was placed at the side of the house facing the sun. On the table, a small red clay stove was emitting white steam. Obviously, the water inside the stove had already boiled.
Beside the stove, there were teacups, small cups for drinking tea, tea boxes for storing tea leaves, small bamboo clips, and three matching purple clay cups.
The stone bench beside the table was covered with a woven straw cushion.
Such an environment coupled with such a tea stove made people feel at ease. There was a sense of communication, which was very good.
"Head Chef Yuan, although the place in front is small, it's a completely different world once you enter," said Liu Jian.
"The second floor is a pub. They drink there at night," said Yuan Zhou as he pointed at the second floor surrounded by the bamboo forest.
"Brilliant. Head Chef Yuan's design is brilliant," praised Liu Jian.
"It's indeed ingenious," said Liu Xi with a nod.
"Let's exchange here," said Yuan Zhou as he led them to the table.
"Okay." Liu Xi and Liu Jian nodded and followed Yuan Zhou to the table.
"Please sit." Yuan Zhou gestured with his hand.
"Let's sit together," Liu Xi said.
Only then did the three of them sit down.
After they sat down, Yuan Zhou personally demonstrated a simple tea ceremony. In the end, he poured tea for all three of them smoothly and smoothly.
"Please have a drink." Yuan Zhou put down the teapot.
"I didn't expect Boss Yuan to have such great culinary skills at such a young age. His tea ceremony is also not bad," Liu Jian lamented.
"I'm not proficient in the Way of Tea. I only know a little about it and can only moisten my throat," Yuan Zhou said earnestly.
As they drank, the three of them chatted about tea leaves. After the first cup of tea was finished, Yuan Zhou poured tea for the two of them and then spoke again.
"Let me get the ball rolling first. Let me talk about Yunnan Cuisine first," Yuan Zhou said.
"Let's skip the pleasantries. Head Chef Yuan, go ahead," Liu Xi and Liu Jian straightened their bodies and revealed a serious expression.
"Okay. I will start now," nodded Yuan Zhou and said unhurriedly.
"Every region's cuisine is related to the local environment. Yunnan Cuisine is no exception." Yuan Zhou said, "Therefore, I have roughly divided Yunnan Cuisine into five categories: Northeast Yunnan, West Yunnan, Southwest Yunnan, South Yunnan, and Central Yunnan."
Liu Jian listened attentively. This method of categorization was quite peculiar.
"As Northeast Yunnan is close to the inland, it has relatively convenient transportation. Since ancient times, it has had many contacts with the Central Plains and is also bordered by Sichuan Province. Therefore, the cuisine and taste there are similar to Sichuan Cuisine. Spicy dishes such as Zhanyi Spicy Chicken, Qujing Steamed Shredded Pork, and Spicy Fried Wild Mushrooms are representative."
"As for West Yunnan and Southwest Yunnan, they are inhabited by ethnic minorities. In my opinion, as they are bordered by Tibet, Myanmar, and Laos, their culinary characteristics are influenced by Tibetan, Hui, and monastery cuisines. However, they still retain their own characteristics and develop their own ethnic cuisines. Among them, Dali Milk Fan is one of the representatives."
Yuan Zhou paused for a while before continuing, "Lastly, South Yunnan is rich in natural resources and has a mild climate. The staple food there is glutinous rice. The flavor is more similar to that of Southeast Asia, such as pineapple rice."
"In the middle of Yunnan, the central region is a place that is inclusive and absorbs the strong points of others. Famous chefs like you, Chef Liu Jian, are gathered there, right?" Yuan Zhou concluded.
After Yuan Zhou finished speaking, Liu Jian looked at Yuan Zhou with a complicated expression before looking at his brother, Liu Xi.
"At first, my brother, that's him," Liu Jian pointed at Liu Xi and continued, "He said that Head Chef Yuan is proficient in Sichuan Cuisine, Qianzhou Cuisine, Yunnan Cuisine, and some Jiangnan Cuisine. He even said that you are a master of cooked wheaten food and that you can even compete with the master of ice sculpting. At that time, I didn't believe him."
Yuan Zhou and Liu Xi listened quietly, waiting for Liu Jian to continue.
Liu Jian sighed and continued, "I know there are geniuses in the world, but a person's energy is limited. How can he accomplish so many things at such a young age?"
"Let me say something shameless. I have studied Yunnan Cuisine for my entire life, but I can only be considered a master of it. What about you, Head Chef Yuan? You are a master of three different cuisines. You really can't compare yourself with others. "
Liu Jian sighed with emotion for a long time.
As it was Yuan Zhou himself who was being praised, Yuan Zhou could only keep a straight face and allow himself to be praised. He didn't want to disturb the nature of others praising him. After all, it was quite comfortable to be praised.
Liu Xi, on the other hand, revealed a gentle expression on his solemn face and teased.
"What do you think? Are you convinced after hearing this? "Liu Xi said with a smile.
"Of course I am. Although Head Chef Yuan only briefly talked about the taste of Yunnan Cuisine, from his simple explanation, I can tell that Head Chef Yuan is very familiar with Yunnan Cuisine and has his own understanding of it," said Liu Jian.
"I'm still learning," said Yuan Zhou.
"Head Chef Yuan is being too modest. We are the ones who need to learn. It's the right decision to come here," said Liu Jian while shaking his head.
"Let's continue. I know that Old Man Ke Lin has also been here some time ago. He specializes in flavors. Let's talk about the cooking methods of Guizhou Cuisine today," said Liu Xi impatiently.
"Then let's talk about Yunnan Cuisine. Head Chef Yuan hasn't talked to anyone about Yunnan Cuisine, right?" said Liu Jian hastily.
"Okay," Yuan Zhou agreed with a nod.
In any case, Yuan Zhou was well prepared. He wasn't afraid at all.
Just as the atmosphere was heating up and the three of them were chatting away, a powerful voice came from outside the door.
"Yuan, Boss Yuan, Head Chef Yuan, Yuan Zhou, is your bowl rack really made of rosewood?" The voice came from afar and was very clear. The three of them stopped talking simultaneously.
"Dadada Ta." Along with heavy footsteps, Zhang Yan appeared in front of the three.
In the past, Zhang Yan was as gentle as he could be when dealing with Yuan Zhou. He had always treated Yuan Zhou as a treasure. He was the epitome of bragging about Yuan Zhou.
This was the first time he shouted at Yuan Zhou like this. Today, he had come here in a hurry for two things. The first was the bowl rack. As for the second …
The moment he saw the two people sitting together with Yuan Zhou, Zhang Yan immediately put away his flustered and exasperated expression and looked at Liu Jian and Liu Xi solemnly and defensively.
"You are a chef of Guizhou Cuisine and a chef of Yunnan Cuisine. What are you doing here at Yuan Zhou's place?" asked Zhang Yan solemnly.
It couldn't be helped. Zhang Yan was naturally wary of chefs who weren't from his province. After all, even carpenters were trying to snatch talents from the chefs of Sichuan Cuisine.
…
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