Shokuki: Start with an izakaya and make everyone cry

Jun Shiomi, her image seems to be fixed at the age of 18 forever.

According to her, the reason why she looks like she "hasn't grown up" and her appearance has hardly changed since she was in junior high school is because of the effect of eating spices regularly.

Um!

Eat more spices.

Can you keep your appearance unchanged?

Zhang Fan naturally did not want to do more in-depth research on this issue.

But there is a fact that cannot be denied: Jun Shiomi does indeed have extremely high attainments in the field of spices!

…

"What a stake."

"A shop owner who runs an izakaya."

"In terms of spices and brewing technology, you can know more than me, an authoritative expert."

Xi saw Run and felt a little admiration.

"My opinions are just crude opinions, not very profound."

Hearing this, Zhang Fan felt a little humble.

But his modesty made Shiomi Jun roll his eyes and replied angrily: "Shopkeeper, in the spice business, no one can fool me casually."

"No matter how low the alcohol content is, red wine will become sour as long as it is heated."

“That’s why we have to use cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, star anise and other spices to enhance the flavor.”

"And your mulled wine, obviously the proportions of various spices are the most perfect and balanced. Even I may not be better than you."

"At this point, it's not an exaggeration to say that you are a master of spices."

After saying that, Xi Jianrun touched his belly.

The mulled wine she had just drank had helped her get over her alcohol addiction, but it also aroused her appetite.

So, she could only take a deep breath of alcohol, raised her head again and said to Zhang Fan: "Shopkeeper, I seem a little hungry. Can you order some side dishes now?"

"Okay, what do you want to eat?"

“Tom Yum Kung!”

Zhang Fan:? ? ?

…

18th century.

Siam, during the Thonburi Dynasty.

When the Chinese King Zheng Xin came to power, Princess Miaoyun fell ill and didn't want to eat anything.

King Zheng Xin was so anxious that he asked the royal chef to make some appetizing soup for the princess. Unexpectedly, after drinking this bowl of soup, the princess felt very comfortable and her condition improved.

King Zheng Xin was so happy that he named this appetizing soup Tom Yum Soup and personally designated it as:

National soup!

And in Thai.

Tom Yum means "sour and spicy", and "Gong" means "shrimp".

In short, Tom Yum Soup, which is hot and sour shrimp soup!

Therefore, the tomgyin dish ordered by Jun Shiomi is actually a Thai dish from Southeast Asia. Tom Yum Goong is a Thai dish.

Mainly composed of Thailand's unique lemon leaves, lemongrass, chili peppers and shrimps, the soup combines hot, sour, sweet, salty and strong spice flavors.

In terms of making, this soup is not troublesome.

But to cook it, you need several raw materials unique to Thailand, and the most important ingredient is:

Thai lemon!

This is a unique flavoring fruit in Southeast Asia and should not be found elsewhere.

Another condiment is fish sauce, a soy sauce-like condiment that is a common condiment in Guangdong and Fujian. It is also a commonly used aquatic condiment in Fujian, Chaozhou and Southeast Asian cuisine.

Maybe in the early days?

It was spread to Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries by overseas Chinese.

…

"There's a lemon missing."

"So, I may not be able to cook this dish now."

Without thinking, Zhang Fan had no choice but to tell the truth.

"I have it here."

On the side, Ye Shanliang took out a Thai lemon from his pocket. Zhang Fan was stunned by this operation!

In the end, he could only accept the lemon and start doing Tom Yum Kung.

The color of Tom Yum Goong soup is mainly produced by shrimp soup, and chili paste also plays a role, but it will still be rosy without adding tomatoes, let alone tomatoes.

First prepare the ingredients, fresh shrimp, lemongrass, ginger, coriander and straw mushroom, fresh chili, coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar...

Wash shrimps and straw mushrooms.

Wash and chop red pepper, lemongrass and galangal, and slice green lemon.

Heat the oil pan, add the prawns in the olive oil, and stir-fry until pink. Add water to the pan, then add salt and coconut milk.

Add chopped lemongrass, chopped red pepper, lime slices, mint leaves and bay leaves to the water.

Cover after boiling!

Add the straw mushrooms and simmer for about 3 minutes.

Add fish sauce and fresh lemon juice to taste and serve.

…

After putting it on the table.

Just look at the whole bowl of tom yum soup, the color of the soup is bright and attractive tomato red.

This color comes from the fresh shrimps and other spices in the soup, which makes it look full of energy and enthusiasm.

On the steaming hot soup surface, there are also a few pieces of emerald green lemon leaves and lemongrass floating on the surface. The addition of these spices not only adds flavor, but also adds a bit of Southeast Asian style to its appearance!

In the soup, you can see shrimps, clams and other seafood ingredients.

They were cooked just right, smelled delicious, and felt tender and delicious.

at the same time.

Mushrooms and some vegetables also add color to the soup!

All in all, both the color and the ingredients can attract the attention of diners and make people want to taste it.

"Run, he can really make Tom Yum Soup."

Seeing this, Ye Shanliang couldn't help but gasp, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Hmm~"

"It smells delicious!"

Xi saw Run and said slightly drunkenly.

The whole bowl of tom yum soup, although the ingredients may seem messy, but when combined together they will produce a wonderful reaction.

The source of spiciness in the soup is a kind of chili pepper, which is very spicy. Other seasonings include special curry paste, lemongrass, shrimp paste, fish sauce, etc.

It seems to only have two flavors: hot and sour, but when Shiomi Jun tastes it carefully, it seems to have a variety of flavors.

This is thanks to the complex seasonings in it, which can’t help but create layers of flavors, and it’s difficult to taste its essence in just one bite!

Um!

The first time I ate it was:

It feels a little weird, but quite delicious.

Then, a spoonful of soup is poured into the throat, and the unique aroma of spices flows into the nasal cavity, thereby stimulating the secretion of saliva.

The rich layered texture kept teasing the taste buds, making Jun Shiomi inevitably become extremely greedy for this taste!

Sour, spicy, salty, fresh, fragrant, sweet...with a rich aroma.

It really only takes one bite and I almost want:

Heaven!

…

“The sour and refreshing feeling hits the taste buds first.”

"Immediately afterwards, the umami flavor of the seafood spreads in the mouth, and the spiciness gradually emerges, intertwined with the sourness, forming a layered taste."

“There’s also a hint of sweetness in the soup, which is a perfect balance with the sour and spicy flavors.”

“The whole dish has a rich and harmonious taste.”

"In addition to the basic hot and sour taste, it also has a special aroma, which is created by various spices."

"The freshness of lemongrass, the fragrance of lemon leaves and the unique aroma of galangal... directly create the unique taste of tom yum soup. The addition of coconut milk also adds a touch of mellowness to the soup, making the taste smoother. Smooth and rich!”

"Liang, this is incredible!"

"There are actually people who are several times better than you in the use of spices and the preparation of Southeast Asian cuisine."

"No, it should be dozens of times, or even hundreds of times!"

Finally, Shio Jianjun became more and more excited as he spoke.

…

"oh?"

"Is it really that delicious?"

When Ye Shanliang heard this, he couldn't help but move the tip of his nose.

He began to use his divine sense of smell to analyze the aroma emanating from this bowl of Tom Yum Goong soup.

He slowly closed his eyes and felt it with his heart. Finally, he suddenly opened his bright eyes, with an expression on his face filled with disbelief: "How is it possible? Tom Yum Kung is not a complicated dish, is it?"

"But this smell is so complicated that even my divine sense of smell can't detect it?"

At this moment, he was completely confused!

Every dish has flavor, and flavor is everywhere.

Therefore, to a certain extent, his divine sense of smell is more practical and convenient than Erina's divine tongue.

But he never expected that his sense of smell would also malfunction, and the malfunction made him feel a deep sense of powerlessness when facing Zhang Fan's cooking!

Yes, the unknown is the scariest thing.

"I finally understand a little bit."

"Why do these ten heroes, Ryokan, Momo, Hui, Teruki, Erina, etc., come to this izakaya so often?"

"The owner of this izakaya is a person that even the top ten heroes are afraid of!"

Finally, Ye Shanliang sighed and said to himself.

…

"Haha, it's quite lively!"

At this moment, a white-haired old man came to the izakaya.

His sudden appearance surprised Erina, who had never left: "Grandpa, you...why are you here too?"

"Commander-in-Chief?"

Shi Jianjun, who was quietly immersed in Tom Yum Kung soup, couldn't help but trembled and was also surprised.

"Run, are you there too?"

The commander-in-chief first nodded to Erina as a sign of goodwill, and then discovered that Jun Shiomi and Ryo Hayama were also in the izakaya, and was inevitably stunned.

Immediately afterwards, he found a seat at random and sat down. When the grandfather and grandson met, they naturally had to be polite first.

Finally, the commander-in-chief asked Zhang Fan for a bottle of wine.

…

The wine currently sold in the izakaya is brewed by Zhang Fan himself.

The most popular wines are just the following:

Sake.

wine.

Soju.

Other fruit wines.

The commander-in-chief usually likes to drink wine here, and rarely drinks higher-alcohol soju or liquor.

The reason for not liking him is that he is older.

On the other hand, there are low-alcohol drinks like wine that contain sugar and water, which are made by crushing fruits, pressing to extract juice, and fermenting them. The aroma is very delicate and soft.

It has a long aftertaste, even with fruity aroma, fermented wine aroma, and aging aroma.

Compared with soju, fruit wine has a medium alcohol content, mostly between 12% and 20%.

It won't hurt your stomach, nor will it be "bland", and the drinking method is simple and casual.

There is no need to go to the bathroom to "decompress" as many times as beer does, and it does not need to be as cumbersome as rice wine, which needs to be heated and kept warm, and there is no need for appetizers.

You can have it at your fingertips almost anytime, anywhere, and it’s also perfect for drinking alone!

Obviously, these benefits are for the commander-in-chief who is determined to maintain his health and bid farewell to "useless social interaction".

Very harmonious and contented!

…

"Huh?"

Just taking a small sip, the commander-in-chief suddenly burst into tears.

His eyes widened and he asked in surprise: "Is this wine?"

He could never believe that he, a food demon, would be defeated by a bottle of ordinary wine.

So, the commander-in-chief, who did not believe in evil, drank again. After taking a sip of wine, he couldn't help but close his eyes. Then he spit out the fragrant wine and sighed: "It is indeed a good wine!"

"In my opinion, any wine out there is inferior to this."

"The taste of wine is inherently mellow and fragrant, but I have never seen such a wine with an aftertaste that lingers on my tongue for three days and an endless aftertaste."

"To balance the wine."

“I use blending methods and have strict rules on the proportions of grapes.”

“So, this wine has a very good mouthfeel and has the complexity of aging.”

Looking at the surprised and excited commander-in-chief, Zhang Fan only smiled and said.

"Mixed brew?"

The commander-in-chief thought for a while and came to some realization.

Perhaps it is because this rare wine, after being fully stirred at room temperature, will not make the taste of the wine very strange, but can actually add a bit of charm.

Even if you drink it all in one gulp, it will make it easier for your tongue and mouth to control the taste.

Every sip is a microcosm of a whole glass of wine!

Of course, this simple grape turned into the most intoxicating wine, thanks to Zhang Fan's superb winemaking skills.

…

Finally, the wine was finished.

The slightly drunk commander-in-chief swung the bottle down with all his strength, but not a drop came out: "No more?"

With no choice but to put down the bottle, he looked at Zhang Fan and said, "Let me tell you, how much more of this wine do you have? Every time I come to your izakaya, no matter which wine I drink, I will feel that other wines are just like Just like boiled water.”

"There are still some, but there aren't many left."

After Zhang Fan finished speaking, he turned around and took out another bottle of wine and handed it to the commander-in-chief.

The commander-in-chief couldn't wait to drink again. Of course, he didn't forget the purpose of coming to the izakaya this time.

He stared at Zhang Fan thoughtfully for a few times, and finally continued: "I came here this time because I actually have something to discuss with you."

"You also know that with the end of the autumn selection, field training activities will soon come."

"As for me, I really hope that both my granddaughters, Erina and Alice, will grow up in this internship."

“And right now, there are not many places suitable for them to intern.”

"Thinking about it."

"Only your izakaya!"

Indeed, the younger generations of the Nakiri family really "lack" men.

But no matter what, the commander-in-chief naturally attaches more importance to the education of juniors like Erina and Alice than anyone else. At first, because Nakiri Thistle's education policy was too extreme, Erina had a particularly unfortunate childhood.

Therefore, the commander-in-chief really does not want to let the tragedy happen again, and he is not willing to gamble with Erina's future.

But the appearance of Zhang Fan gave him an unprecedented hope again.

Starting from the fact that his cooking can conquer the tongue of God, mother and daughter, Nakiri Shinagi and Nakiri Erina, the commander-in-chief understands one thing:

In this world, only he can save Erina!

"Grandpa, it turns out that you came to the izakaya this time for..."

Erina was a little touched.

"It seems that this field training activity will not miss an opportunity for cooperation."

Zhang Fan frowned and said with deep eyes. (End of chapter)