Abandoned the Immortal Cultivator, returned to his hometown to farm and sing

Chapter 1347, Section 1334: Pork Offal Porridge

Tianhan fragrant rice is known for its aroma.

It has a very penetrating, cool, sweet fragrance, like the scent of dried jasmine mixed with the fragrance of fresh orchid stamens.

Simmering over a low flame until the rice grains bloom and the cooking time exceeds three hours results in an incredibly fragrant aroma.

The wisps of smoke drifted out from the gaps in the pot lid, delicate and not overpowering, yet filling the entire space.

The owner of Luo Yihang's stall was a young man, very young, only in his early twenties.

They're quite quick and efficient.

With a clatter, he ladled the porridge from the stainless steel bucket into the clay pot and placed them one by one on the small stove.

After serving the porridge, the waiter brought over a long list of menu items.

Following the menu, he added a few Poria cocos seeds, a few lotus seeds, or a few slices of Astragalus membranaceus, five or six chopped red dates, and a small handful of longan to the casserole.

Or, a small handful of Ophiopogon japonicus, a dozen or so lily bulbs, a pear peeled and chopped, can be added to a clay pot.

Next, quickly process the pig offal.

Slice them all up quickly.

His knife skills are average; his only strength is his speed.

Meanwhile, the clay pot on the small stove was not idle either, and it was boiled over a high flame, with flames licking the bottom of the pot and waves of heat rolling in.

The heat brings out the most authentic fragrance of rice blossoms.

This fragrance did not blend into the moisture; it transformed from cool to warm, becoming increasingly clear and harmonious.

The floral fragrance is no longer distinct, but instead blends into a mellow sweetness like the intertwining of honeydew melon and vanilla, carrying a fresh sweetness reminiscent of the fields after rain in the Tianhan Mountain basin.

Cooking over high heat for too long will cause the food to burn at the bottom.

Within minutes, the stall owner put out the fire.

The boiling rice porridge gradually calmed down.

The previously vibrant aroma seemed to settle down instantly, transforming into a more delicate and substantial cloud of fragrance.

After it has completely calmed down, a layer of fine rice oil floats on the surface of the rice porridge.

The congee base is transformed into a thick, smooth, and warm broth, providing a rich and nourishing foundation for the fresh ingredients to follow.

Fresh ingredients, of course, are pork offal.

The pig was slaughtered just half an hour ago; the offal was still warm and even shaking—the freshest offal.

The liver tip still had a fresh ochre red hue, the kidneys were cleanly removed like ruby, and the intestines seemed to still retain the last faint throbbing of life.

They were all sliced ​​thinly, processed simply, and then put into a clay pot.

At that very moment, a miracle occurred.

The ultimate freshness is instantly locked in by the boiling porridge.

The temperature of the porridge is just right, neither too hot nor too cold, precisely capturing the most crisp and chewy moment.

Finally, a few drops of sesame oil, a handful of chopped green onions, and just a pinch of salt for seasoning.

Pork offal congee, served!
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The pork offal congee was made as quickly as possible.

As the stall owner called out the numbers one by one.

The waiters rushed to serve the food to the table.

Why does this stall owner have such a strong Shandong accent?
Many diners couldn't wait and had the waiters deliver their food repeatedly.

I waited by the stove early in the morning.

When your number is called, pick up your food and leave.

Usually, two people are needed: one to serve the porridge, and the other to take the bowls and chopsticks, as well as some complimentary mixed vegetables.

This is another unique feature of Tianhan.

Luo Yihang and his group consisted of four people.

Luo Yihang and Luo Minghai served the porridge, while Qiangwa took on the easier task of carrying the bowl.

Suiwa ran away halfway through and no one knows what she did.

There's quite a lot of porridge in this pot.

A large earthenware pot was filled to the brim, piled high with pork offal.

The ingredients are really generous.

Luo Yihang was worried that they wouldn't be able to finish the two pots of porridge.

But after he ladled out a bowl and took a sip...

That worry vanished; I'm sure I can finish it.

Tianhan fragrant rice has a naturally sweet aroma.

The steam carrying a complex aroma hits your nose.

Gently scrape off a small spoonful, blow on it, and put it in your mouth.

The first thing you notice isn't the fragrance, or even the taste, but a feeling—an incredibly comfortable texture.

The finely diced yam acts like the most skillful thickening agent, making the porridge base thick, smooth, and lustrous.

The rice grains in this bowl of porridge are no longer visible; all that remains is a smooth, warm current that gently envelops the tongue and slides automatically down the throat without needing to be swallowed.

Immediately afterwards, a truly "vibrant" force was revealed.

With a gentle snap of the teeth, one encounters a slice of pork liver hidden in the porridge.

It is almost delicate and powdery when you first taste it, steamed until it is thoroughly tender and extremely delicate, and instantly releases a rich meaty aroma between your lips and teeth.

The aroma is clean, without a trace of fishiness, only pure freshness.

Then, the crisp and tender pork loin slices followed.

The slight resistance between the teeth produced a light, almost audible sound, which was particularly clear against the soft porridge base.

The pig's tongue was a pleasant surprise, as expected.

It is sliced ​​thinly with slightly curled edges, and has a chewy and firm texture. It has the sweet aroma of lean meat, but also a unique crispness compared to ordinary lean meat, as if you are tasting a piece of meat that can dance.

The meat of pig's heart is firmer and denser, with every muscle strand full of juice, and the flavor is rich and deep.

Flower sausage has an extremely crisp texture and is clean with no odor; raw sausage is thicker and more glutinous, with a unique smooth texture.

They appear together between the teeth, creating a complex pleasure.

Wow, wow, wow!

Every ingredient was just right, and every single one was wonderfully delicious.

This is because the temperature of the porridge is not high enough to cause the protein to instantly shrink and become tough; instead, it gently soaks and cooks it.

It's about striking the perfect moment between life and aging.

Tianhan Fragrant Rice acts like a skilled conductor, wielding the baton of diced yam to harmoniously unify the myriad flavors of different parts of the pork offal—some soft and powdery, some crisp and tender, some chewy and chewy, some smooth and refreshing—into a single bowl.

The most touching part is when you scoop up some pork offal, put it in your mouth, and there seems to be a barely perceptible, final tremor between your lips and teeth.

The essence of "life" lies hidden in these fleeting moments of elasticity and excitement.

This is no longer food to fill one's stomach; it is what makes it "fresh and alive".
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The most amazing thing is that it doesn't taste fishy at all.

I didn't see any special treatment, so why don't pig offal smell bad?

"Because it's fresh. Fresh doesn't have a fishy smell. Wait a day and see," Qiangwa replied in a moment of his busy schedule.

In such a short time, he had already filled his second bowl.

"It takes less than a day, just two hours, for the taste to change," Luo Minghai remarked as he served the porridge.

This was his second bowl.

So fast?

Aren't you afraid of getting burned?
No, Luo Yihang quickly finished his bowl and stood up to get a second one.

The first bowl of soup I drank was a pork offal porridge with poria cocos and lotus seeds, which is good for strengthening the spleen and removing dampness.

I didn't notice anything special.

I only occasionally get to eat one or two.

Poria cocos has a texture similar to "soft glutinous rice grains" with a slight chewiness.

The lotus seeds are slightly sweet, and the lotus seed core has a faint bitterness followed by a sweet aftertaste. Neither flavor is strong, and there's not much of a sensation.

For his second bowl, Luo Yihang chose a pork offal congee with added Ophiopogon japonicus, lily bulbs, and pears to clear heat and moisturize dryness.

This time it's different.

The ophiopogon japonicus is slightly sweet, and the lily bulbs are soft and powdery, but nothing particularly special.

But pears are different. The pear flesh has been completely cooked and melted into the porridge, its sweetness seeping into the rice grains, contributing its refreshing sweetness, perfectly balancing the warming and nourishing properties of the pork offal.

Make every sip of porridge feel like it carries the refreshing scent of an autumn rain.

After finishing a bowl of porridge, a refreshing coolness slowly slid down my throat, quenching every inch of my thirst.

This is perfect to drink right now.

It soothes the restless body and mind after staying up late.

When drinking the second bowl of porridge.

Suiwa is back.

He was holding two plates in his hands.

A cold dish consisting of smashed cucumber, cold potato shreds, and mixed wood ear mushrooms.

The other plate contained crispy and crunchy small potstickers.

The local guokui in Tianhan is a hard, large, unleavened flatbread, about the size of a pot lid and weighing over five pounds.

One of the eight oddities of Shaanxi Province is that the guokui (a type of flatbread) looks like a pot lid.

The older generation likes it, but young people don't like to eat it because it's bad for their teeth.

The one Suiwa brought was different; it was made of tiny, crispy fried dough sticks, sprinkled with Sichuan peppercorns and sesame seeds, and cut into small pieces so they could be eaten one bite at a time.

The cold dishes are fine, they're meant to be eaten with porridge.

What is Guokui (a type of flatbread) for?

Then everyone else reached out and each picked up a piece of flatbread, then dipped it directly into their bowls of porridge.

Using a flatbread instead of a spoon, scoop up a spoonful of porridge and chew it along with the spoon.

How to eat this?
Luo Yihang followed suit, taking a piece of flatbread, scooping up a spoonful, and putting it into his mouth.

The guokui (a type of flatbread) won't immediately become soft and mushy, but its surface will absorb the hot and delicious porridge, along with some rice grains and a piece of pork offal.

When you take a bite, only the outer layer is soft, while the inside remains crispy.

This half-crispy, half-soft dish, accompanied by rice porridge and pork offal, offers an extreme contrast that brings unparalleled satisfaction when chewed: the smoothness of the porridge, the tenderness of the pork offal, the crispness of the flatbread, and the last bit of dry, crunchy texture that hasn't been soaked in the porridge sauce—layer upon layer, novel and interesting.

The crispness of the guokui (a type of flatbread) complements the smoothness of the porridge, while the slight numbing sensation of the Sichuan peppercorn powder enhances the flavor.

Another bite of the tangy pickled vegetables in fermented vegetable broth is refreshing, spicy, salty, and crunchy, and it also helps to cut through the richness of the pork offal porridge without overpowering its freshness.

Great!

"Who came up with this way of eating? Isn't pork offal congee a Cantonese dish? Has it been modified? When did it come out? It's actually not bad."

Two bowls of porridge and two pieces of flatbread were eaten.

Luo Yihang slowed down.

There's no need to rush when it comes to having a late-night snack.

As Luo Yihang bombarded him with questions, Qiangwa put down his porridge bowl and mysteriously explained, "Master Lin and Master Xiao Lin made it together."

"Master Dalin?" Luo Yihang thought for a moment.

Master Lin is Lin Changxian, the one who makes braised goose, and he also studied delicious Chinese mushrooms together.

Master Dalin...

"I remember now, 'Lin Rangming? The one who makes medicinal cuisine?'"

“That’s right,” Qiangwa chimed in. “Last month, the two Chef Lins came to Tianhan to film the second season of ‘A Bite of China.’ They showed off their skills at Jiweilou Restaurant, making a pork offal congee. By the way, there was an episode of ‘A Bite of China’ that featured this pork offal congee…”

As Qiangwa recounted his story, Luo Yihang finally understood the past.

During the last recording of "New Flavors", Lin Rangming, one of the top ten chefs in Guangdong, showed off his Gastrodia elata and pork tripe soup.

At that time, Lin Changxian invited Lin Rangming to film the second season of "A Taste of Life", which focused on medicinal cuisine.

Lin Rangming, having been ill for a long time, became a doctor himself and researched dietary therapy, gaining considerable expertise.

However, Lin Rangming fell ill again and the trip never materialized.

After nearly two years, Lin Rangming finally recovered from his illness and began filming last month.

This time the team is even larger, with two Chef Lins, and two more, Xu and Wang, making a total of four top chefs.

In addition, there's Luo's father's fishing buddy, who is one of the four great cravings in traditional Chinese medicine.

There's also Old Man Yan from the medicinal herb factory.

The chefs are responsible for cooking and tasting the dishes.

The two traditional Chinese medicine doctors are responsible for the medical theory and the properties of the medicines. They are both professionally trained doctors and use medicines in a balanced and moderate manner. Moreover, they have a great doctor, Dr. Shi, behind them.

Old Master Yan worked at the medicinal herb factory for over forty years, collecting herbs from all over the place. He knew best where to find good stuff.

Just like last season, a group of people are wandering around Tianhan, going over mountains and down rivers and ditches to find ingredients and medicinal herbs, and then combining them together.

This time we have a new location, Jiweilou. The kitchen has everything, and it's full of talent. We constantly bring in famous chefs from all over the country, and if they happen to be there, we'll bring them over to show off their skills.

Therefore, the new season of "A Bite of China" is even better than the last season, with more places visited, more people appearing, and countless new things.

The first season only had six episodes, and everyone said they weren't satisfied with that.

The second season doubled in length, running for twelve episodes.

They were divided into three groups: what to eat for children with weak spleen and stomach and poor health; what to eat for women and pregnant women with cold and aches; and what to eat for the elderly who are weak and sick.

It satisfies your appetite while nourishing your body, without neglecting anything else.

Chinese delicacies, particularly mushrooms, are featured throughout.

Those big mushrooms are truly a great addition to medicinal cuisine. Since medicinal cuisine uses medicinal herbs, it's inevitable that it will have a medicinal taste.

Although it's nourishing, it's hardly enjoyable.

But with Chinese delicacies, it's different. The umami flavor of the delicacies can mask the medicinal taste, making it undetectable and naturally palatable.

It's likely that sales of delicious mushrooms will see another surge after the second season of "A Bite of China" airs.

During the filming process.

Cat Head has started selling pigs.

With a constant supply of fresh pork offal, there are over 100,000 pigs a month.

These are such good things, how could the two Cantonese chefs miss them?

They cooked a pot of pork offal porridge right there in Jiweilou.

The porridge base is made with Tianhan fragrant rice.

However, the porridge made with Tianhan fragrant rice has a low consistency, a "light" base, and distinct rice grains.

While it can highlight the freshness of pork offal, it doesn't have the "thick and sticky" effect, nor does it have the "smooth and creamy" feel of Cantonese pork offal congee. The texture is also rather "chewy" and doesn't melt in your mouth.

Then, the chefs worked together to make improvements.

Finally, I figured out that adding yam to the porridge worked.

Yam is great! It strengthens the spleen and stomach, and it's both a food and a medicinal herb.

Since we already have a medicinal herb, why not modify it into a medicinal dish? It would also fit the theme of the new season of "A Bite of China".

As a result, three types of pork offal congee were created: one for strengthening the spleen and removing dampness, one for nourishing qi and blood, and one for clearing heat and moisturizing dryness.

It just so happens that the selected medicinal herbs are all odorless or have a natural fragrance or sweetness, making them suitable for cooking porridge as both food and medicine, with a mild flavor that blends well with the porridge.

Both of Master Lin's tasted it and said it was good.

They say it's even better than what they did in Guangdong.

This is by no means a compliment; don't underestimate the Cantonese people's dedication to the freshness of food.

The reason is very simple.

Tianhan boasts excellent water quality, being the source of the Jialing and Han Rivers, with numerous nature reserves and a 100% rate of excellent water quality. It is a national "good water" city and the water source for the central route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.

At the same time, the area is well-suited for rice cultivation, with the Qinling Mountains blocking cold air currents to the north and the Daba Mountains intercepting warm and humid air currents to the south. The climate is mild, with abundant rainfall and fertile soil.

Furthermore, the water is clean, and good water is good for growing rice.

Most importantly, it's pork offal.

The pigs raised in Ping'an Gou are of the Rongchang breed. They eat cooked food, have a lot of exercise, and are very lively and energetic. When they run, seven or eight young men can't catch them.

The Jade Talisman Spirit Gathering Array nourished it from a young age, for a full 180 days.

Good water, good rice, good pork offal—how could a pot of pork offal porridge not be good?

"So, this is a recipe developed for the second season of 'A Bite of China,' which is still in post-production and hasn't aired yet. How come..." Luo Yihang pointed around, "How come so many people are eating here? And why aren't they sleeping so late at night?"

Qiangwa pointed proudly to himself, "I was there the day Jiweilou made pork offal congee..."

(End of this chapter)