From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

It was almost noon when Feng Zhengming stepped into the local municipal building.

However, when the local leaders heard that Feng Zhengming, the top scholar, was coming to visit, they immediately took the initiative to go downstairs to greet him.

When he saw his leader, Feng Zhengming realized that he had arrived at lunch time.

"I'm sorry to visit you at lunch time."

The leader didn't care at all: "Hahaha, you are the top student in the country. It's good that you come to visit during lunch time. You can just give some advice to our restaurant."

Then, Feng Zhengming went to their cafeteria with his leader.

The chef in charge of the cafeteria, after being introduced, turned out to be from the Xia family, the second son-in-law of Master Xia.

Meng Lingcheng, the second son-in-law of the Xia family, was also very excited when he saw Feng Zhengming.

"Hello, Mr. Feng. I didn't expect to see you here. My father-in-law told me that you were in Qufu, and I said I would take some time to go and see you."

Feng Zhengming smiled and responded, "Brother Meng, you're welcome. I talked with Grandpa Xia very late last night, and Grandpa Xia also mentioned you. He said that besides Brother Xia, he has always been optimistic about you as a son-in-law."

This made Meng Lingcheng very happy: "My dad is too kind to me. My craftsmanship is still a little bit worse than my elder brother's."

Feng Zhengming then looked at the various meals in the cafeteria.

Overall it is still very good, and Feng Zhengming also gave Meng Lingcheng some advice.

"The canteen still mainly uses roasting, stewing, boiling and steaming. Although we try to use as few spices as possible, we cannot do without spices. In fact, we can boil the spices into water in advance and use the spice water to cook.

For example, soak the peppercorns in rice wine, then chop the peppercorns and onions into a paste, and then dilute them with rice wine.

Add a little bit when making braised dishes to remove the fishy smell and add flavor.

Another way is to prepare soup in advance and use it to cook dishes, which can also ensure the delicious taste and use less spices. "

Feng Zhengming's few words told Meng Lingcheng a lot of details.

"Great! You are indeed worthy of being our top scholar. I have benefited a lot from your few words."

Feng Zhengming smiled and said, "Brother Meng, you are too polite. These are just some of my little tricks. Brother Meng's skills are already there, and I am just adding icing on the cake for him."

After watching the canteen kitchen with Meng Lingcheng and giving some suggestions, Feng Zhengming ordered some food and ate with his leader.

After sitting down, several leaders looked at each other and then took the initiative to speak: "Mr. Feng, why are you here in the middle of the day? Do you have anything to say?"

Feng Zhengming looked around and saw that most of the leaders here were there, so he simply stated his purpose frankly.

First, I introduced the restaurants and hotels serving Confucius cuisine on the old streets around the Confucius Mansion.

Then he said bluntly: "It is indeed difficult to fully restore Confucius Mansion cuisine, and some of the Confucius Mansion dishes are very complicated to prepare, so it is not easy to really make them well.

But at least for restaurants and hotels that serve Confucius cuisine, the quality of the basic dishes must be guaranteed, and the environment of the restaurant and hotel must also be guaranteed.

If the environment cannot be guaranteed, even the simplest things like tidy tables and chairs and clean tablecloths cannot be achieved.

Don’t you think that restaurants and hotels that claim to sell Confucius cuisine are actually tarnishing the reputation of Confucius cuisine?”

If someone else said this, the leaders might not take it seriously.

But Feng Zhengming’s identity is different, he is the top scholar in the country.

Another national champion won by cooking Shandong cuisine.

His position in Shandong cuisine can be said to be absolute authority.

He started to talk about the issues of restaurants and hotels serving Confucius cuisine.

This forces leaders to pay attention.

The leaders first looked at each other and exchanged glances.

Then a leader spoke up: "We already understand what Mr. Feng said. I wonder if Mr. Feng can give us some time to investigate the situation.

Then we will organize a seminar. If Feng Zhuangyuan is not in a hurry to leave, we hope he can participate.

When the time comes, please ask Feng Zhuangyuan to give us some suggestions for improving the local Confucius Mansion cuisine."

Feng Zhengming nodded and agreed. "Okay, I will definitely attend. I really want to meet the owners of those Confucius cuisine restaurants and hotels."

Hearing this, the leaders looked at each other.

Everyone could hear a hint of annoyance in Feng Zhengming's words.

After lunch, Feng Zhengming left.

The leaders first held a small meeting to discuss the matter.

"It seems that this number one scholar really has a strong sense of responsibility for the development and inheritance of Shandong cuisine. Some restaurants and hotels have not done well in Confucius Mansion cuisine in recent years, which has made people's impression of Confucius Mansion cuisine worse and worse."

"Yes, Confucius cuisine is a good local specialty of ours. We can't let it be ruined like this."

"Strange, why did Feng Zhuangyuan come directly to us? Didn't he go to the Xia family?"

"Should he have come from the Xia family?"

"Maybe the Xia family asked him to help with this matter."

"In the past few years, the Xia family has been trying to integrate Confucius cuisine, but there have always been many obstacles. This time, with Feng Zhuangyuan coming forward, I'm afraid the integration should be completed."

In fact, the leaders also hope that Confucius Mansion cuisine can be cooked well.

After all, it is one of the three most famous official dishes.

The loss of Confucius cuisine is indeed a great loss to the local area.

Later, the Xia family contacted several Shandong cuisine chefs and gradually restored some of the dishes.

But the Xia family did not produce any representative chef.

As a result, the restaurants run by the Xia family did not dare to use the word "Kongfu" or directly claim that they served authentic Kongfu cuisine.

But in recent years, with the development of the economy, many people have begun to contract and operate restaurants and hotels.

A large number of restaurants and hotels began to appear with signs bearing the words "Kong Fu" and serving Kong Fu cuisine.

When a large number of them emerged at that time, due to the needs of economic development, some supervision may not have kept up.

Therefore, there were too many registered signs at the beginning.

As a result, many problems have accumulated till now.

Leaders have always hoped to resolve this problem.

I just haven't found the right opportunity.

And the most important thing is that Confucius cuisine has its own cooking research association.

The advancement of many issues requires their approval.

Therefore, even the restaurant run by the Xia family cannot use the name of Confucius cuisine because it has not been approved by the Confucius cuisine association.

As for who the association authorized to use the name "Kong Mansion", to put it bluntly, it was entirely out of considerations of profit.

There are now a large number of restaurants and hotels with the Confucius Mansion sign hanging on the old street near the Confucius Mansion.

Some of the Kong family’s descendants opened their own shops.

I spent some money to buy the authorization of the two words "Kongfu".

Therefore, even the leaders can do nothing about this. After all, "Kongfu cuisine" is now really the product of the Kong family.

It's someone else's own stuff, so how can an outsider interfere with it when they want to authorize someone to it?

But the situation should be completely different this time when Feng Zhengming appears.

Feng Zhengming is the new national cooking champion.

He is now also the vice president of the Cooking Association in Qilu Province.

His identity and reputation are enough to support him in taking charge of this matter.

The leaders are now willing to help add fuel to the fire and let Feng Zhengming help them solve the problem of abuse of the Confucius Mansion cuisine sign in one fell swoop.

It was already afternoon when Feng Zhengming returned to the Xia family's Shili Restaurant.

As soon as he entered the door, a service staff member went to inform Master Xia.

Master Xia came out and asked in surprise, "Zhengming, where did you go this morning? I was going to meet you for lunch, but when I got to the hotel, I heard you were already out."

Feng Zhengming told everything he had seen and heard today, as well as how he had taken the initiative to look for his leader.

Master Xia was a little surprised: "You, you actually went to the leader? You want to take down the sign of their Confucius Mansion cuisine?"

Feng Zhengming nodded: "Yes, since they can't make Confucius Mansion cuisine and can't even keep the restaurant clean, they shouldn't be allowed to continue hanging the Confucius Mansion cuisine sign."

Hearing Feng Zhengming say this, Master Xia was of course filled with awe.

This is what Master Xia has wanted to do in recent years.

But Master Xia quickly calmed down.

He reminded in a serious tone: "It may be difficult to accomplish this. Not only do we need to convince our local leaders, but there are also people from the Confucius Mansion, especially the descendants of Duke Yansheng.

No matter what, the signature dish of Confucius Mansion cuisine is indeed their family's specialty.

Whoever they want to authorize is their family’s right.”

Feng Zhengming frowned immediately: "Aren't they afraid that if they continue like this, the reputation of Confucius Mansion cuisine will be ruined?"

Master Xia was a little surprised for a moment.

Then he was more conservative: "It's not that bad, is it? Although the food made by those restaurants can't be called Confucius Mansion cuisine, the chefs they hired are still skilled."

Feng Zhengming shook his head: "Grandpa Xia, your idea is too simple. What is the essence of Confucius Mansion cuisine?"

Master Xia was asked such a sudden question that he really didn't know how to answer.

Feng Zhengming then asked himself and answered: "The essence of Confucius Mansion cuisine is that the food is exquisite and the dishes are delicate. Even if we can't have the luxurious utensils of Confucius Mansion in our ordinary restaurants and hotels, we have to use them.

But at least we must ensure that the dining environment is clean enough, and the dishes on the table should be presented in a way that shows "the food is never too fine and the meat is never too delicate".

If you can't even do something as simple as this, you just want to use the name of the Confucius Mansion to attract some tourists who come here for its fame."

Having said this, Feng Zhengming paused.

He hesitated for a while, but still spoke his inner thoughts bluntly.

"If you just want to do a one-time deal and cheat the tourists who come here for its reputation, the reputation of Confucius cuisine will be ruined sooner or later."

Feng Zhengming's words were a bit harsh.

Master Xia was shocked when he heard this.

The master had never thought about these things before.

Master Xia is indeed dissatisfied with those restaurants and hotels that put up signs claiming to serve Confucius cuisine but actually cannot cook such cuisine.

But when Master Xia talked about this with some people from the Kong family and some people from the Kong Mansion Cuisine Association before, he saw that they didn't care about this aspect at all.

Master Xia feels that he is just a chef after all.

The Kongfu cuisine brand belongs to someone else, so he naturally can't interfere casually.

Now let’s listen to Feng Zhengming point out some of the key points.

Let Master Xia realize that if he continues to leave it alone.

It might really bring discredit to the reputation of Confucius cuisine.

By then, even the Confucius cuisine passed down by the Xia family will still be there.

But when people mention Confucius cuisine, they will think of bad experiences, and no one will take Xia family’s Confucius cuisine seriously anymore.

Feng Zhengming expressed his thoughts seriously with a serious face.

"No matter what, I don't want Confucius cuisine to become a name that is privately criticized by local people. I am the national culinary champion of Shandong cuisine. Confucius cuisine is a branch of Shandong cuisine, so I have the responsibility to correct the problems that arise."

Master Xia looked at Feng Zhengming. He was somewhat moved by Feng Zhengming's words.

At this moment, the master had to admit that being young is good.

Feng Zhengming, the young top scholar, has such a firm determination that I believe he will definitely put things right in Confucius Mansion cuisine.

Master Xia quickly reminded: "If you really want to rectify the chaos of Kongfu cuisine, I'm afraid you need to go through some people from the Kong family."

Feng Zhengming thought for a moment and decided to give the other party some respect.

After all, no matter what, the Kongfu cuisine is a signature dish that has been passed down in this family.

Although he could indeed skip them, Feng Zhengming, in the name of support from the Provincial Cooking Association, directly took back the brand of Confucius Mansion cuisine and put it under the management of the Provincial Cooking Association.

But such a simple and crude approach will inevitably be criticized afterwards.

So he asked Master Xia to help him make connections.

"Grandpa Xia, please help me. I want to meet the descendants of Duke Yansheng and discuss with them the use of the Confucius Mansion cuisine signboard."

Master Xia was a little surprised: "You want to convince them?"

Feng Zhengming nodded: "For some things, we should at least inform others and show some respect."

Master Xia thought about it and felt that this matter should indeed be informed.

He nodded and agreed: "Okay, I'll help you contact them."

Feng Zhengming then asked: "Grandpa Xia, are you willing to run the Confucius Mansion cuisine business? Put up the Confucius Mansion cuisine signboard and run the business locally?"

Master Xia smiled bitterly: "Hanging up that sign is really a double-edged sword. It's too much pressure."

"But Grandpa Xia, when you restored the Confucius Mansion cuisine, wasn't it to better pass on and develop it? If you are unwilling to even hang up that sign, how can you shoulder the responsibility of passing on and developing it?"

Feng Zhengming paused for a moment and continued to remind: "If the Xia family sells Confucius cuisine, Xia Hui and Xia Mingye can open a branch in Quancheng and hang up a proper Confucius cuisine sign."

Seeing that Master Xia was still hesitating.

Feng Zhengming added: "With that signboard, the Xia family can better pass on the Confucius Mansion cuisine, and can recruit some apprentices to let them continue the Confucius Mansion cuisine better."

After listening to Feng Zhengming's unsparing persuasion.

Master Xia finally nodded: "Okay, if possible, our Xia family is willing to take over the signboard and do our best to pass on and develop Confucius Mansion cuisine."

Feng Zhengming grinned: "Hahaha, that's right, we are authentic and there is nothing to be afraid of." (End of this chapter)