In an instant, the continent of Europe was in turmoil. With the arrival of the Chinese in Genoa, the continent of Europe that seemed to have been peaceful for a short while was once again in turmoil. The two sides that were engaged in an intense war — Spain and England — seemed to have heard some news. No one knew what each of them was planning, but Spain's attacks were more incisive, while England's defensive counterattacks were more intense. The war became more ferocious.
At this moment, Chen Longzheng was still living in the VIP residence next to the governor's mansion. He was not too aware of the turmoil in the outside world. His main worry was not here, but the food. These days, he could not get used to the food here. Other than noodles, which were slightly edible, the rest of the food, especially meat, was difficult to stomach.
The beef and mutton had a fishy smell, just like the Europeans. Did they not learn how to cook with spices? Even if the meat was roasted and not half-cooked, it still had a fishy smell, making Chen Longzheng want to vomit. It could not be helped. Other than noodles, Chen Longzheng had been eating bread and jam for the past few days. These things were sweet and sour, so he could barely eat them.
Chen Longzheng also learned about the problem of spices through Ricci. He knew that these things were now monopolized by Spain, an old maritime power. Of course, Genoa had spices, but they were too expensive. The nobles could not bear to use them normally, and would only bring them out during banquets to keep up appearances. The rest of the time, they would eat such things. This was already the highest standard of hospitality.
Chen Longzheng began to regret that he did not bring more seasonings from China. Now that he had a pot, ladle, and a chef, he had used up all of the spices and seasonings. The rice and wheat had also been eaten up, and there were only some potatoes and corn left on the ship. It was only when Chen Longzheng really lost his appetite from eating the noodles and jam that he had no choice but to summon the chef from the ship's port, asking him to take the blame and come over to save his life.
The two scapegoating chefs knew the cause of Chen Longzheng's problem, so they searched the entire Genoa and finally found an ingredient that could solve the problem in his current state — eggs!
Steamed eggs, poached eggs, and scrambled eggs with potatoes — these were the three dishes he came up with to solve the problem. It was a pity that this chef did not know how to cook, and so he could not accurately use European flour to make food. Although there were no seasonings, steamed eggs and poached eggs were unnecessary, as long as there was oil in the pot. As for the scrambled eggs with potatoes, he found some meat sauce similar to fish sauce from the European chefs' kitchens. After stir-frying on a large fire, it actually had a different taste.
Along with the bread, Chen Longzheng had a great meal. It was like a tornado sweeping away the clouds! Ricci was actually also captivated by China's food. After staying in China for so many years, and after arriving in Myanmar, he was further captivated by the glutton Xiao Ruxun's improved Chinese food. He had long become a captive of food. These days, eating bread, jam, and roasted meat was rather torturous, so he quickly followed along to satisfy his craving. The moment he ate the stir-fried dishes, he felt as if he had returned to his hometown.
Speaking of which, it was quite funny. At this time, there was no stir-frying in Europe, only stewing and roasting food. However, they had pots, iron pots that were similar to those in China. Where did the pots come from? They also came from China.
This matter could be traced back to the Song Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, the Chinese began to use iron pots to stew and stir-fry. When iron pots quickly became popular, the Song merchant ships would also use iron pots to cook on the ships. Some Arab merchants boarded the Song ships and saw the black thing. They were very curious and asked what it was. The Song people replied that it was a pot used for stir-frying.
The Arabs did not know what stir-frying was, but they knew what a pot was. At that time, except for the Chinese, basically everyone in the world used clay pots to cook. The iron pot could withstand heat well, and it had a large volume. It was not easy to break, so it quickly became popular all over the world. In addition to silk, porcelain, and tea, China's iron pot was also a best-selling product in the world. The Song people made a fortune because of this.
This thing was not valuable in China, but how valuable was it abroad?
It was impossible for the European people to obtain it. Some monarchs and wealthy lords made wills to pass down the iron pot as an important inheritance …
Naturally, it was popular in China because China's technology was advanced. However, the nomads in the north were not so lucky. They did not know how to make iron pots, but iron pots were very important cooking utensils. They needed it in daily life. The Central Plains Dynasty was worried that they would melt the iron pots to make weapons, so they did not sell them. However, this thing was an extremely rare thing among the nomads. They were reluctant to throw the pot away when it was broken. They would use cowhide to patch it up and continue to use it. When the two brothers separated from the family, they would split the iron pot in half.
So sometimes, when they went south to rob, it was fine if they failed. If they succeeded, their first choice was not the people or money, but the iron pot. You could see a group of Ming Army riding horses panting as they chased after them. In front of them, a group of nomads riding horses carrying iron pots on their backs happily ran back! To them, that iron pot was really more important than money!
So, when the two chefs of Chen Longzheng carried the iron pots from the port to the governor's mansion, the pots on their backs received the unanimous attention of the people.
Wow, an iron pot! I've seen it in the Feudal Lord's house. It's a treasure! I can't even touch it. This is an authentic China iron pot! How much is it worth!
If they could understand European languages, they would know what the Europeans were whispering to each other.
They had the pots, but they did not have the skills and ability to cook. So, when the governor heard that Chen Longzheng had found a Chinese chef to cook Chinese cuisine, he was very interested. He hurried over to see the food of the Chinese and coincidentally bumped into Chen Longzheng and Ricci eating dinner.
It was still the same: poached eggs, steamed eggs, scrambled eggs with potatoes, and wheat rice. The governor was very surprised by the food he had never seen before. Chen Longzheng handed him a bowl and chopsticks for him to enjoy. In the end, the governor stared at the chopsticks in his hand with a dumbfounded expression, not knowing how to use them. Chen Longzheng then forced a smile and taught him how to use the chopsticks to eat. The governor picked up a slice of potato with his chopsticks and placed it in his mouth. When he chewed, the door to a new world was instantly opened.
After Chinese calligraphy swept the upper class of Europe, Chinese cooking once again swept the upper class of Europe.
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