Shokugeki No Douluo Dalu (Patreon)

Chapter 96: Dragon Whisker Noodles

"Hmm!"

Qi Han stretched lazily, waking up from his sleep on the second day. It was already morning.

"System, what time is it now?"

He glanced out of the window and began to contemplate.

The sun is already high up in the sky. I hope I didn't oversleep and miss the shop opening.

[It's currently 9:30 AM, Host. Don't worry about oversleeping; the system will wake you up when it's time to open the shop.]

That's good.

It's 9:30 AM now, and at 10:30 AM, the three employees will arrive at the shop for their working meals.

Now the question is, what can I do in an hour?

Qi Han thought, I should learn three new dishes!

He floated, but not entirely.

With his current ability to create one-star recipes, a one-star recipe would be relatively easy for him. In the system's space, one hour translates to two and a half days, which is more than enough time to learn three one-star recipes.

With a thought, he entered the system space, took out the one-star recipe collection, and quickly decided on the first dish he wanted to learn. "System, exchange for a one-star recipe: Dragon Whisker Noodles."

[Do you want to use one one-star self-selected recipe fragment to exchange for a one-star recipe: Dragon Whisker Noodles?]

"Confirm!"

Dragon Whisker Noodles are a traditional northern Chinese noodle dish that has a history of over 300 years. They are made by hand-pulling noodles, and it used to be a custom to eat Dragon Whisker Noodles on the second day of the second lunar month in celebration of the Dragon Rising Festival.

However, this traditional delicacy has now become part of everyday dining and can be enjoyed year-round.

There are many types of noodles in the one-star recipe collection, so why did Qi Han choose this one? He did it purely for fun.

He remembered watching a master make Dragon Whisker Noodles when he was a child. With a simple flick of the wrist, the noodles would flow down like a waterfall, and the performance left a deep impression on him.

The key to making Dragon Whisker Noodles lies in the noodle-pulling technique. One pull, two ends, and it's called "one buckle."

In the Earth culinary industry, the standard for Dragon Whisker Noodles is 14 buckles.

The quantity of Dragon Whisker Noodles doubles with each buckle, so how many noodles are there in 14 buckles?

The answer is 16,384 strands of noodles.

However, the Dragon Whisker Noodles provided by the system are not of this level of difficulty.

Qi Han carefully counted the movements of the phantoms in the training space. In those beautiful and intricate movements, the white strands, as numerous as stars, reached a staggering one million strands.

Twenty buckles.

That's the system's requirement.

Noodles of this level of thinness only need a brief blanching in boiling water, and in the next moment, they can be placed directly into the soup.

A bowl of Dragon Whisker Noodles was quickly brought to Qi Han by the phantoms. As he looked at the oil droplets floating on the clear soup and the scattered green onions on the surface of the soup, Qi Han couldn't help but swallow saliva.

The soup for Dragon Whisker Noodles was made using a slow simmering technique. It was prepared with smoked ham from a badger, ham from a badger, and colorful chicken, resulting in an exceptionally rich and flavorful broth.

Qi Han carefully picked up the strands of Dragon Whisker Noodles, as thin as hair, and placed them in his mouth.

The noodles had a chewy texture, not becoming too soft due to their thinness, nor clumping together in the soup, which would have affected the texture.

The mouthfeel of the Dragon Whisker Noodles, enveloped in the broth, was a completely new experience for Qi Han. The strands of noodles were springy and delightful in his mouth, while his taste buds danced with joy due to the rich soup.

His movements became faster and faster, and in no time, he finished a bowl of Dragon Whisker Noodles, leaving not a drop of soup behind.

He touched his warm stomach and chuckled, feeling motivated to practice.

The cooking process for Dragon Whisker Noodles wasn't difficult, and the steps of stewing the broth and seasoning were straightforward for him. The only challenge was in pulling the noodles. Solving this step would lead to success in making Dragon Whisker Noodles.

Qi Han didn't have much experience in noodle pulling, but his Spirit power and stability as a Spirit Master allowed him to progress rapidly.

After two full days, Qi Han was already able to successfully achieve the nineteenth buckle.

Only the final buckle remained.

Qi Han recalled the movements of the phantoms, lifting one hand high while letting the other naturally hang down. Between the gentle shaking of both hands, countless hair-thin strands of Dragon Whisker Noodles were lightly shaken, resembling an inverted galaxy and a hanging waterfall, yet not a single strand broke.

With a final motion of his hands coming together, Qi Han let out a sigh of relief.

Twenty buckles!

The following steps held no difficulty. Soon, Qi Han held a bowl of Dragon Whisker Noodles made by his own hands and grinned foolishly.

Impatiently, he picked up a chopstick and sent it into his mouth. The taste was exactly like the Dragon Whisker Noodles prepared by the phantoms, and it brought a satisfied smile to Qi Han's face.

Every time he successfully created a new recipe, the sense of accomplishment was indescribable.

"System, what's the price for Dragon Whisker Noodles?"

[Dragon Whisker Noodles Price: 10 Gold Coins per serving]

Attention to detail.

Noodles themselves don't have much cost; the key is in the technique. However, the broth in this pot is quite expensive, and it even uses the Hundred-Year Rainbow Feathered Chicken.

If it weren't for the fact that one Hundred-Year Rainbow Feathered Chicken could make a large pot of broth, enough to prepare many servings of Dragon Whisker Noodles, this soup alone would have qualified it as a two-star recipe.

"No, this soup is so delicious; I need another bowl."

Qi Han picked up the empty bowl, ladling out another bowl of hot broth and enjoying it.

Very satisfying~

After being fully satisfied, Qi Han didn't waste time and immediately said, "System, exchange for a one-star recipe: Xiaolongbao."

Xiaolongbao, commonly known as soup dumplings, originated in the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, Kaifeng, and evolved into its current form in the Jiangnan region during the Southern Song Dynasty.

In many places today, people mistakenly believe that making smaller-sized buns qualifies as Xiaolongbao. However, this misconception is far from the truth, as the two are fundamentally different dishes.

Compared to Dragon Whisker Noodles, the preparation of Xiaolongbao was much simpler. Soon, the phantoms brought a steaming basket filled with ten adorable Xiaolongbao to Qi Han.

In the steamer, these ten small dumplings looked round and lovely, lying at the bottom of the steamer. They emitted a faint aroma, and the fragrance of Xiaolongbao wafted into Qi Han's nostrils.

Qi Han picked up one Xiaolongbao with his chopsticks and couldn't help but examine it curiously.

Each Xiaolongbao was only about half the size of a fist, small enough to be held in one palm. Their surfaces were neatly pleated, resembling an umbrella from top to bottom.

He took a gentle bite, and as a small opening appeared on the Xiaolongbao's surface, a rich meaty aroma burst forth, causing Qi Han to take a deep breath.

Xiaolongbao contained a fair amount of soup inside, so Qi Han carefully blew on the opening to cool the soup, preventing it from burning his mouth. Then, he took a gentle sip.

The rich and flavorful soup instantly entered Qi Han's mouth, and his taste buds seemed to rejoice in this moment.

After sipping the soup, the Xiaolongbao slightly deflated. Qi Han used his chopsticks to dip it into the vinegar dish placed on the side, took a quick dip, and then devoured the entire dumpling.

With just one bite, the meat filling, along with the soupy broth, merged seamlessly with the chewy outer layer. The addition of the tangy vinegar created an indescribably delightful texture.

After finishing one Xiaolongbao, Qi Han's eyes lit up as he stared at the remaining nine in the steamer.

All of them are mine!