Chapter 522 - Stir-fried Dongpo

Translator: Xiong_Guoqi  Editor: DesTheSloth

Stir-fried Dongpo is a Hakka dish in the Dongjiang Regional Cuisines. The flavorings were simple, scallion, ginger, red and green bell pepper and the auricularia auricula. Moreover, the pig’s intestines needed to be medium-well boiled beforehand before it can be stir-fried.

Therefore, Yuan Zhou could make this Stir-fried Dongpo quickly.

In just a little while, Yuan Zhou carried three plates of the dish to the customers.

“Here is the Stir-fried Dongpo dish for you two. Take your time and enjoy, please.” Zhou Jia carried the plates to them and said carefully.

She also carried the dish to another person who had ordered it. It was a young girl.

“Um.” Wu Hai and Ling Hong nodded the head at the same time as an answer to her.

“Looks really good.” A customer who had also ordered the dish but was still waiting for it happened to sit beside Ling Hong.

“It does look nice.” Ling Hong nodded his head.

The person was the one that didn’t like nor hate the dish. He ordered the dish just for the sake of Yuan Zhou’s reputation.

However, the color of the dish in front of him attracted his attention.

The large intestine was flesh-colored and was cut into triangular slices; so were the green and red bell peppers as well as the smaller-sized jade white garlic slices with golden yellow edges and the green sliced scallions.

The entire dish was placed in a lotus-leave-edged plate. The lotus leaves painted along the edge carried a pale green color, which appeared refreshing and beautiful. More importantly, it whetted people’s appetite with its appearance.

Upon seeing that, Ling Hong picked up the chopsticks and started to eat without hesitation.

The person beside him could do nothing but watch Ling Hong squint his eyes and chew the dish blissfully.

Ling Hong ate for quite a while. Once he opened the eyes, he found that person was still staring directly at him.

It was known that people would always feel that food would be very tasty when they watch others eating it. This would lead to the person that was eating feeling the food becoming even more delicious as they gaze back at the person staring at them.

“What are you staring at me for?” Ling Hong looked at that person with puzzlement.

“Nothing. I just feel that your dish is very delicious.” This person looked well-behaved yet had fixed his eyes on Ling Hong’s plate.

“Oh. Do you want a try?” Ling Hong was so generous that he moved the plate toward that person.

“Thank you.” The person answered without hesitation. He asked Zhou Jia for the Welcoming Set Meal and then immediately picked a piece of pig’s intestine with the chopsticks.

Such things could only happen to Ling Hong. If it were Wu Hai that sat on the other side, he would answer, “It’s indeed very delicious,” very calmly even if he was stared at or asked

After that? There was no after that, of course. Having attempting to steal meals from the plate of others, how could anyone expect him to give his meals to others? It would never happen unless that person promised to order another serving of the dish for him later.

Therefore, it was quite important to choose the right seat. After all, Ling Hong wasn’t as thick-skinned as Wu Hai.

“You are welcome.” The dish had already been stuffed into that person’s mouth for a taste before Ling Hong even finished saying that.

However clean the pig’s intestine was washed, it still had a kind of unspeakable taste. Therefore, many people didn’t like eating it. This person was also one of them. Just when the pig’s intestine entered his mouth and he prepared to frown, however, he smoothed his knitted brows unexpectedly.

When it entered his mouth, it tasted soft and chewy. The more he chewed, the stronger the fragrance, a kind of fragrance like and also unlike meat. Meanwhile, it also had a faint hint of plants.

The most important thing was…”Hiss. So spicy.” The person couldn’t help fanning toward his mouth to relieve the spiciness.

“Haha. It’s indeed very spicy.” Only then did Ling Hong take a big mouthful of watermelon juice and say that smilingly.

There was obviously no chili in the dish. Nevertheless, it had a kind of fragrant and spicy feeling along with some umami flavor, which made people drool.

“Right. It’s spicy and delicious. Besides, it has no offensive smell at all.” This person nodded his head continuously.

“Here’s your Stir-fried Dongpo. Take your time and enjoy, please.” At that time, Zhou Jia carried the Stir-fried Dongpo ordered to him.

“Thank you.” The person no longer spoke to Ling Hong, but instead, started to eat the dish in front of him.

The spicier the dish was, the more people wanted to eat it.

The pig’s intestine stuffed in the mouth this time had another new taste. The pig’s intestine was first cooked medium-well and then it was stir-fried in a hot flame, emitting the sizzling sound of “Pi Li Pa La”. When it was scooped into the bowl later, the intestine had shrunk slightly.

As a result, it tasted chewier and tougher. The outer layer was soft and glutinous while the inner layer became more fragrant as he chewed it. Also, the more he chewed, the stronger the peppery taste became. It was both fragrant and peppery, simply making people unable to stop.

“I’ve never expected this thing to taste so good.” Basically, whoever had meals in Yuan Zhou’s restaurant would articulate while they were eating. This person was no exception.

“Everything in the plate is delicious.” Ling Hong added at the side.

“Of course.” Wu Hai had thought Ling Hong was talking with him, thus he answered in an obvious manner.

Fortunately, no one pointed that out. Though with his thick-skinned temperament, Wu Hai wouldn’t feel embarrassed, either.

Nonetheless, the customer beside Ling Hong reached out his chopsticks again and picked a piece of red bell pepper.

The red bell pepper between his chopsticks was glossy and bright-colored. The red was beautiful and eye-catching.

“Ka Ca, Ka Ca”. As soon as the red bell pepper entered his mouth, he slightly chewed it. It emitted a clear and melodious sound at that moment.

It had a unique delicate fragrance and the slight spiciness from the vegetables as well as a feeling of sweetness.

“I see. The sweetness contained in the pig’s intestine is exactly the taste of the red bell pepper.” This person suddenly realized what the sweetness was.

“That’s right. It’s supposed to be this taste.” Ling Hong also ate a bite again and confirmed.

There were only 13 pieces of Stir-fried Dongpo on a plate. Of course, it meant the whole large intestine was cut into 13 pieces. Even if Yuan Zhou cooked three plates of the dish at a time, he would guarantee the quantity in each plate.

13 pieces of Stir-fried Dongpo, some green and red chili flakes with some slices of scallions were all eaten up very soon.

That’s right. The garlic slices in the plate were also edible. The garlic slices fried beforehand had a slight piquant and a hint of acrid taste. It couldn’t be better to eat it with a piece of pig’s intestine. Moreover, it could stimulate the special fragrance of the pig’s intestine.

“The taste is hot, fresh, and delicious with a soft and chewy texture. It’s truly delicious. But why is it the most expensive dish?” Wu Hai stroked his small mustaches and asked with a puzzled look.

“Because people could exchange it for Mr. Su Dongpo’s treasured scrolls of calligraphy or paintings with this dish during those times.” Yuan Zhou explained cleanly.

“The treasured scrolls of calligraphy or paintings of Mr. Su Dongpo? With this one?” Wu Hai pointed at the plate even cleaner than that licked by the dogs and asked with an unbelievable look.

“Yes.” Yuan Zhou nodded his head primly.

Then, the restaurant suddenly fell silent for a while.

Who was Su Dongpo? He was a very important author in the Song Dynasty and the most significant representative of literature during the Song Dynasty as well as … If you really didn’t know this person, you can check his achievements from the internet.

From such a renowned historical figure, people could obtain his treasured scrolls of calligraphy or paintings with a single plate of super delicious Stir-fried Dongpo? Wu Hai felt that Yuan Zhou was simply bullsh*tting with a serious expression.

“Haha. Oh, so it is.” Suddenly, a customer burst into laughter and revealed a look of “Oh, I see.”

Yuan Zhou returned to the kitchen without turning a hair and continued to cook. After all, he had been fed up with Wu Hai’s unbelievable look with his mouth hanging wide open.

“So what?” Wu Hai asked subconsciously.

“It’s a rumor of which the authenticity is not confirmed. It’s rumored that when Su Dongpo was banished from the court and when he passed by Gan Zhou, Jiangxi Province, he was conquered by the unique taste of this dish. After he arrived in Huizhou, he still couldn’t forget the unique taste; therefore, he ate the stir-fried intestine to go with the liquor whenever he drank. When the local folk found he liked this dish so much, they often stir-fried the pig’s intestine in exchange for his treasured scrolls of calligraphy or paintings. Some even called this dish the Stir-fried Dongpo. And that is how the name came about.” This person revealed that.

“…” Wu Hai was speechless.

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