Food: My food truck can be upgraded indefinitely.

Have I entered the illusion?

Ling Yun blinked.

The surrounding food carts, teppanyaki grills, and spice bowls receded like the tide.

This was the first time he had triggered the stove's inspiration function.

At this moment, he was in a boiling pot of broth, the dark brown soup bubbling and steaming, and many kinds of spices passing by his eyes, drifting slowly like pebbles on the riverbed.

He took a closer look.

It was discovered that three spices were rotating at the same frequency while maintaining a fixed distance, just like the three vertices of an equilateral triangle.

He instinctively reached out to flick it.

My body actually started to move forward as if swimming, my arms cutting through the scalding hot water, but I couldn't feel any heat at all.

As they drew closer, the three spices came into view.

Star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg?

He was very familiar with the first two.

Star anise enhances the aroma and removes fishy smells, while cinnamon provides a woody aroma; they are the foundation of almost all braising spices.

But there's an extra ingredient here: nutmeg.

Nutmeg's main functions are to remove fishy and muttony smells, enhance aroma, and lock in fragrance.

Ok.

The presence of this spice in the braising liquid is quite fitting. Is this trinity before my eyes a reminder to use these three spices as a base?

Just as Ling Yun realized this, the scene before him shattered like a mirror.

He returned to the dining car, the residual heat from the stove still warming the back of his hands.

it is as expected.

Ling Yun excitedly found his notebook, his fingers quickly flipping to the page where he had written about nutmeg, his eyes shining as he read through each word:

First: Enhance flavor.

Nutmeg has a rich and lingering aroma, with a warm nutty scent and a subtle sweetness.

Second: To cut through greasiness and enhance flavor

It effectively absorbs the fishy smell of meat and prevents the aroma from evaporating during stewing. The volatile oils it contains can also break down the fishy substances in oil, making it especially suitable for ingredients with high fat content.

Third: Locking in fragrance.

Nutmeg can lock in the aroma of spices such as star anise and cinnamon, enhancing the overall flavor profile.

It is indeed a very important spice.

Ling Yun took another sheet of white paper and laid it on the table. He picked up his pen and wrote down the six characters for nutmeg, star anise, and cinnamon. He circled the three spices on the paper with the tip of his pen.

Follow this point.

He began to build a framework in his mind.

If we use these three spices as the framework, the added spices need to take into account multiple factors:

Add different layers of fragrance.

Remove all factors that may negatively affect the sense of taste.

Lock in the memories.

All three functions are important.

After thinking it over and over, Ling Yun suddenly smiled.

He discovered that eating vegetables is like falling in love.

The first bite is like a first impression, making diners exclaim in amazement. What makes people fall in love at first sight is the taste stimulation of the first bite.

The second bite reveals a diverse range of flavors that keep emerging as you get to know each other, offering a series of surprises that make it hard to stop eating.

The third bite is the aftertaste after parting. The sweeter this aftertaste is, the more diners will miss it, increasing the probability of repeat customers.

Ling Yun was so happy he scratched his head.

He scratched his head a few times with his fingers.

Just like Sun Wukong was overjoyed when he heard it back then.

Once you understand this principle and have basic theoretical knowledge of spices, you will be able to handle spice blending much more skillfully.

He didn't study hard before.

This is the first time I've felt so happy to have figured something out.

He flipped through the notebook, the pages rustling, and wrote down all the suitable spices he could think of from the three directions:

First, it offers a variety of scents:

Bay leaves, galangal, lemongrass, dried hawthorn, coriander seeds, angelica, and angelica dahurica.

Secondly, there are products primarily focused on special effects such as removing fishy odors.

Sichuan peppercorns (remove fishy smell and enhance numbing sensation), dried tangerine peel (reduce greasiness and soften meat), white cardamom (remove odor and enhance refreshing taste), long pepper (spicy taste, antibacterial and preservative), galangal (blend aroma, refreshing taste, remove odor), gardenia (yellow gardenia for yellow braising sauce, red gardenia for red braising sauce).

Spices that primarily impart a lingering aftertaste include:

Licorice (to harmonize flavor and add a sweet aftertaste), Amomum villosum (to enhance flavor and add a finishing touch), Fennel seeds (to harmonize flavor and add a sweet aftertaste), Amomum tsao-ko (to enhance aroma and prevent spoilage), Dried galangal (to aid digestion and enhance aroma).

After recording all these spices.

Ling Yun took a deep breath and began frantically trying various methods again:

[A braised duck dish with a slightly bitter aftertaste, C-]

[A braised duck dish with an overly strong flavor, B--]

[A serving of braised duck with an excessively strong fishy smell, B-]

With continuous attempts.

In addition, the system provides accurate evaluation feedback.

Lingyun's control over the amount of spices in the recipe and his insights into the recipe are improving at an astonishing rate.

He quickly summarized many valuable lessons learned:

Spices such as lemongrass and long pepper can easily become pungent, and cloves and angelica can easily become bitter if too much is added.

Cardamom needs to be cracked open and the seeds removed, otherwise it will taste bitter.

The ginger used for braising must be galangal.

As these issues are gradually corrected, the rating of the braised water is steadily rising.

Soon, those spice-related problems disappeared.

During this time, Ling Yun also gained inspiration twice more.

The first time he saw duck meat being blanched in boiling water, some of the blood was released, but some of it lurked deep inside the duck, becoming an unpleasant odor that was impossible to remove after it entered the braising liquid.

This made Ling Yun understand.

Duck parts cannot be blanched directly; they must first be soaked in cold water to remove any remaining blood from the blood vessels.

If we don't do that...

Once heated, the blood will coagulate in the meat, and the fishy smell will be impossible to remove.

The second time he saw the spices evaporate.

The aroma of spices dissipates at different rates, but they all only rise from within the spice after being boiled for a long time and the fine adhering substances on the surface have been boiled away, and then dissipate in the braising liquid.

This made him realize that spices must be soaked before use.

Firstly, it removes impurities.

Secondly, it also enhances the aroma, making the fragrance more intense.

If it's cold water.

Spices need to be soaked for 30 minutes in advance.

Boiling water takes 20 minutes.

The chili peppers must be soaked in boiling water.

To fully infuse the flavor, you can't just boil it over high heat. While that might allow the flavor to penetrate, it will also make the meat fall apart.

Boil over high heat for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it soak for 2 hours. This will make the meat firm and flavorful.

[A serving of braised duck that wasn't flavorful enough, A]

[A serving of overcooked braised duck, the meat of which was loose and mushy. A--]

[A slightly fishy braised duck dish, A+]

A mediocre braised duck dish, A+

The system is clogged with grease!

I got an A+, and you actually rated my taste as mediocre?

Ling Yun reached out and tore off a duck leg, the steaming aroma of meat wafting towards him.

Once it's in your mouth, the base of the five-spice flavor is brought out by the star anise, and the rest of the flavors fill your mouth as well.

The spices also played their role.

It penetrates the meat, blends with the aroma, transforms oil into fragrance, stimulates appetite, combines flavors, and has a refreshing sweet aftertaste—it has everything!

He closed his eyes and chewed slowly.

The duck skin is soft and chewy, the duck meat is firm, and the braising sauce flows slowly between your teeth.

He asked himself the same question.

If I were to buy a braised duck dish like this, I would definitely not be dissatisfied.

So, what's the difference?

Ling Yun chewed the duck meat, picked out the bones with the tip of his tongue and spat them out, then stared blankly at the pot of dark brown braising liquid, not reaching out for a long time.

Steam rose from the edge of the pot, blurring his features.

Yes!

He suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

They lacked the drive to keep going.

Understood!

The brine has been adjusted to a basically satisfactory level in all aspects.

It's like meeting someone on a blind date who's a perfect all-rounder in every aspect—job, conversation, income, family background, etc.—but you just don't click with them.

I'm satisfied with the information I've reviewed.

After meeting once, no sparks flew.

What was that phrase called again?

He's great in every way, but I just don't feel attracted to him. What can I do?

This put Ling Yun in a dead end.

The braising liquid recipe has been modified to the point that it has completely exceeded the scope of the original divine braising liquid recipe.

But he felt he hadn't done anything wrong.

He has refined this dish to its absolute limit.

What's missing now is a breakthrough, a highlight that can amaze people at first sight, be interesting to learn, and leave a lasting impression.

"Boss!"

Zhang Moli jogged toward the food cart, her long hair flowing and undulating behind her head, her cheeks flushed from running.

Seeing Ling Yun standing motionless inside the food cart, stroking his chin, she was in a good mood and jokingly said:

Why are you just standing there daydreaming?

Ling Yun raised his head, his eyes still somewhat unfocused, and subconsciously asked:

"Jasmine, what kind of person would you like?"

what?

Zhang Moli was so startled that she took a step back, her heel scraping softly on the cement floor.

Just now, after she went back and shared with her friends about getting the job, someone suggested that Ling Yun might be using the opportunity to woo her.

She didn't think much of it at the time.

Unexpectedly, Ling Yun asked such a question right off the bat.

In an instant.

She was extremely disappointed!

I thought someone would see and recognize her value, but I never expected...

She spoke angrily, her voice tinged with grievance:

"Boss, I don't think now is the time for you to be in a relationship. Aren't you thinking about new dishes?"