The Rise and Fall of the Last Imperial Cook

23. On Meat Stuffing of Steamed Bun

Translator: Xie Jiawei

Proofread by Peter Gong

The boss of the bun shop couldn’t find Xu Zhiwei, so he inquires about him from the people around. Someone who saw Xu Zhiwei tells him that Xu seems to be a countryman living in the lane opposite their bun shops. So when Xu Zhiwei comes back after hanging out for a whole day, he finds that a man is waiting for him at the door of his rented small room.

“Uncle Xu (1), you are back finally. I’ve been waiting for you all day here.” The man jumps to his feet when seeing Xu Zhiwei. Xu Zhiwei is startled at first. After he calms down and looks at the man carefully, he recognizes that he is the waiter of the bun shop. “Uncle Xu, you are really amazing. The steamed buns are not only saved, but also taste so delicious.” The boy says with admiration, “But, ha ha, I didn’t have a chance to have a bite it myself. I heard that the buns are delicious.”

“So you are waiting for me here just because you want to eat the steamed bun I saved, don’t you? ” Xu Zhiwei knows it can’t be the reason why the boy has been waiting for such long time, but he looks at the little guy who looks simple and honest, thinking it is very funny to tease him.

“No, no, it’s our boss who orders me to wait for you here. He tells me that, after you are back, I must invite you to the shop to drink because he is eager to thank you for helping him out in the morning and saving the steamed buns. In fact, I think he may also want to ask you for advice on how to make tasty steamed buns. If he can get any tips from you, his shop will be the best at Xiaodongmen. No, it should be the most successful one in Shanghai. ”

The young man is really honest. He says what he thinks and tells all the possible intentions of his boss. And it can be seen that he is a boy who is not sophisticated and experienced in society. He has regarded booming business at Xiaodongmen as a great honor.

Xu Zhiwei really likes this guy. The most important quality for a chef is to be honest. If one can make a good dish but he is not honest, he can only do business temporarily. As time goes on, he will surely go astray. Once he starts cutting corners, his reputation will be ruined sooner or later.

After simply wiping his face and dusting his clothes, Xu Zhiwei follows the boy to the steamed bun shop. Xu may not pay much attention to other aspects, but as long as he goes to the place where the food is made or he is invited to eat and drink, he will make himself tidier. This is not only a kind of respect for other people, but also respect for the food. From this point, he is really something of a born superb cook.

The owner of the shop is very enthusiastic. He prepares five or six dishes of dried bean curb, duck head, fried soybean sprouts and so on, and he fetches a jar of rice wine from the small hotel next door. Xu Zhiwei doesn’t refuse. For one thing, he really helps the shop owner in the morning, so he enjoys it well. For another, he expects that, as the boy said, the owner must have other intentions. He eats and drinks calmly so that the owner could speak his mind without burden. On top of that, he is really hungry after hanging out a day, and the rice wine is very similar to the osmanthus rice wine produced in Wuxi, his hometown, which suits his taste.

“Mr. Xu, although I don’t know your identity, when your unique skill was revealed in the morning, all the people here unanimously regard you as a master of cook.” After two bowls of wine, the boss finally turns to the point. “You must have been aiming at the opportunity to do great things when you come to Shanghai. Unexpectedly, you revealed your unique skill in the course of saving my shop. You are so generous!”

“Nonsense, nonsense. I come to Shanghai just to find a job. I am not a master, but I’ve been travelling a lot and know a little more about cooking.” Xu Zhiwei is telling the truth. Although he has excellent cooking skills, he does come to Shanghai to earn his own living. He specializes in red case (cooking meat dishes). Although he has learned about white case (cooking vegetable dishes), he hardly practices it. However, he left home to study cooking as soon as he got married. Later, he stayed in the imperial kitchen where he contacted all the top kitchen experts. Therefore, the skills of white case he heard and saw are unimaginable for white case cooks. What’s more, the steamed bun of the shop cannot be regarded as white case, and it is made with the commonest method. It tastes slightly better mainly by virtue of more ingredients and yeasts.

“Mr. Xu, don’t say that. I feel really ashamed. With your ability, you can earn fortune at will while I’m struggling to support my family. If one day I fail, my family will be afflicted with hunger, not knowing how to earn their own living.” The owner begins to lament again and again, which should serve as something to pave the way for his real purpose.

“I know, I know, but I can only save a stove of steamed buns, and I can help nothing else.”

“No, no, no, Mr. Xu, as long as you promise me one thing, you will help my family for three generations, being a benefactor of my family.” The boss stands up with excitement when saying this. The wine bowl in his hand is shaking, and wine is being splashed all over his hands and his sleeves.

“Sit down first. I know what you mean. I’ll tell you the truth. I do know some great skills for doing white case, but they don’t suit your store. ” Xu Zhiwei puts down the dried bean curd which has been put to his mouth again, “Because those methods are too delicate, laborious, time-consuming and material-consuming. You can neither make buns that way nor can sell them if made that way. If you sell them, you will lose money. What’s more, my way to save the steamed buns today is only an expedient measure. Fortunately, the cooking fire and the time for slowing down the fire are well estimated, so I could make it. However, no shop will make steamed buns like this. Although the bun made in this way has a special look, and the meat juice and vinegar flavor are attractive enough, people will get tired of such buns if they eat for a few more times. It’s just like eating dumplings. When two of them are dipped in vinegar at the beginning, people will feel they are yummy, because their taste is just stirred up by vinegar. However, when the taste is completely released, dipping in vinegar will damage the stuffing and juice flavor of dumpling, leaving a sense of greasiness.”

Xu Zhiwei says a lot, but the owner’s reaction is completely beyond his expectation, “No, no, Mr. Xu misunderstands me. I don’t want to ask you to teach me how to make steamed buns. I don’t think I can learn your skills. I speculate that you live quietly here, aiming to do something great. I know, with your ability, once you do it, plenty of restaurants will be closed because they are unable to compete with you. So I beg you to promise me that if you really want to open a shop here, please never make steamed buns. ”

Hearing this, Xu Zhiwei is stunned. The owner’s request is totally unexpected. “Well, in fact, if you want to have a good business, it’s the right way to make the best steamed buns. Why ask others not to compete with you instead? Even if you are the only maker of steamed buns in the street, no one will buy them if your buns taste bad.”

“I don’t care about anything else. I just beg you not to open a steamed bun shop at Xiaodongmen. I know that such an expert as you must keep your words. I have no choice but to plead for your promise. Once you open a steamed bun shop here, I’ll be in a desperate situation. I have to commit suicide together with my whole family.” Xu Zhiwei doesn’t promise him immediately, so the owner is in a bit of a hurry, and what he says seems to force Xu to make a promise with his family’s life.

Xu Zhiwei puts the wine bowl heavily on the table, “I promise you, I won’t open a steamed bun shop here.”

“That’s good! Mr. Xu, you can eat and drink here. I have to rush to prepare the ingredients for tomorrow. Mingxiang, you are here to serve Mr. Xu. ” The owner tells the guy as he goes out, “Help yourself, Mr. Xu. If you would like, you can come here at any time for wine and meal. ”

Xu Zhiwei doesn’t pay attention to the owner any more. He picks up the dried bean curd steadily, puts it into his mouth and chews it slowly. At the moment, he eats more at ease. He thinks it is the reward for his effort this morning.

When the owner leaves, the boy sits down at the table, picks up a spoon with a long handle and fills the bowl with wine for Xu Zhiwei. “Uncle Xu, can you tell me how to make steamed buns?”

“Do you want to learn how to make steamed buns?” Xu Zhiwei takes a sip of the wine in his bowl and then raises his head and asks.

“Yes, I want to make the best steamed buns.” There is a flame in boy’s eyes.

“The best steamed buns must be one’s own unique steamed buns.”

“I know, just like the ones that Uncle Xu saved this morning. But the best steamed buns should not depend on others’ rescue, and they should be made, and never tire people’s taste. ”

After hearing this, Xu Zhiwei looks at the boy again. He finds that the boy is not only honest, but intelligent as well, “Your name is Mingxiang? I hear the boss call you Mingxiang just now. ”

“My name is Huang Mingxiang. I live in Nanxiang Town. My family is poor. I have no land to farm and no boat to fish in. So I was sent here to learn how to make steamed buns. In any case, it’s a craft. A craftsman could survive even in lean years. ”

“Didn’t the own teach you how to make steamed buns? If he doesn’t teach you, you can watch and remember by yourself. ” “He does teach me, but I always feel that there is something missing. Although the ingredients are good, they are not fully stimulated by the owner’s methods. Hearing this, Xu Zhiwei is more convinced that the boy named Huang Mingxiang in front of him is a sensible child with unique views on cooking.

“Generally speaking, the key to making steamed buns is flour, yeast, stuffing and steaming. But in my opinion, stuffing should matter the most.” Xu Zhiwei specializes in red case, so his views are different from those of ordinary cooks of white cased. Taste must be the top priority.

“I know that, first of all, pork belly is the optimal choice which should be chopped into minced meat. Add good cooking wine and green onion and ginger to get rid of the fishy smell. The salt should be a little more, so that the steamed bun’s taste is right.” Huang Mingxiang says before Xu.

“If the owner has taught you these things, he is qualified to be a teacher without reserving. However, his skill in making steamed buns has reached the limit. It is enough to satisfy people’s hunger, but to make really delicious steamed buns, these are not enough. ”

After hearing this, Huang Mingxiang keeps quiet, and looks at Xu Zhiwei eagerly, expecting him to continue to speak. Xu Zhiwei slowly takes another sip of wine and chews two pieces of fried soybeans before he goes on, “The meat should be hard pork belly with over five layers, which makes the most appropriate ratio of fat meat to lean meat, and taste is the best. Besides, the meat is not simply chopped, but ‘finely cut and roughly chopped’. Cutting fat meat finely and chopping lean meat roughly. In this way, the stuffing is soft, tender, and delicious. After steaming, it will not be loose but firm and chewy. Moreover, in addition to salt, there is also a ‘oil sugar ratio’, which is also very important.”

“What is the oil sugar ratio?” Huang Mingxiang asks curiously because he has never heard of this concept.

“As far as I know, even if we use hard pork belly, the juice of steamed bun is still not rich enough. It is difficult to bring out the flavor and fragrance in the bun if the juice cannot be released with only one bite. So after chopping the minced meat, add more thick oil to it. Where does this oil come from? From the skin of five-layer pork belly. Wash the skin and put it into the pot. Stew and chop and add it to the minced meat. In the steaming process, the stewed and chopped meat skin will turn into a thick oil juice, which will be sucked by the stuffing.”

Xu Zhiwei sips the wine again, “But adding such fat meat skin soup will certainly be too greasy, and the best way to eliminate greasiness is to add sugar. But this sugar must be added properly, which not only eliminates greasiness, but also makes the stuffing more rich. It will yield a little more sweet, and meanwhile it will not diminish the delicious taste of the meat, either. The oil sugar ratio is the juice of meat skin and the sugar. However, there is no standard for this oil sugar ratio. It needs to be determined according to the taste and eating habits of most local diners. ”

“Uncle Xu, to be honest, I think the steamed buns you saved today are very special. Not to mention what the stuffing is, the look is very good so that I just want to eat them immediately when I see them. The way you mentioned to make stuffing sounds wonderful and the buns made in your way must be delicious, but no matter how delicious they are, you can’t see the taste until you taste it in your mouth. Therefore, steamed buns made for selling are different those made to eat at home. First, you have to make them seem appealing so that people can see them and want to eat them, and then you can attract people with taste. ” Huang Mingxiang voices his ideas.

Xu Zhiwei is stunned for a moment. He knows something new from the boy. He only thinks about how to make the steamed buns delicious, but he does not think that the small steamed buns actually contain the principle of business. Huang Mingxiang’s idea is to integrate taste with business.

“Most of the steamed bun wrappers are made of fermented flour, which looks loose and soft and tastes good. But this kind of dough is easy to absorb stuffing juice, so people often think that steamed bun wrapper with enough stuffing juice is better than the stuffing itself. ” Xu Zhiwei stops for a moment and then goes on saying, “But there are some people using steamed flour to make steamed buns. The wrapper of steamed flour is stiff but lacks the fragrance of flour. It is hard to be filled with flavor. It is just like a bag used for stuffing. The bun today is a coincidence. It actually combines the characteristics of fermented flour and steamed flour. If one really wants to make that kind of bun, he has to think about it carefully and tries it again and again. ” As for steamed buns, Xu Zhiwei can only say this, because he is not really a pastry maker. Although he has also learned to make it and other pastry, and has seen that many top white case masters have done pastry, he has never tried any other way except for the normal way of making dough.

“I see. When I go back to my home in Nanxiang, I’ll try to do it slowly. I’m sure I can make steamed buns like today’s. With Uncle Xu’s method to make the stuffing, the steamed buns must be better than any other buns here.” The boy looks calm but more thoughtful, as if he has seen his success.

“By the way, on top of the appearance, there is also the fragrance of steamed bun, which can hook people up without eating. I used to see a white case expert making steamed stuffed bun. The straw mat of the drawer should be specially made. It must be made of new straw and ‘Huimao’. The so-called “Huimao” is actually a kind of pine needle specially treated. This has good air permeability and it can be comprehensively heated during steaming. The slight fragrance of ‘Huimao’ and straw can bring the flavor of steamed bun to the extreme. ”

Xu Zhiwei drinks most of the wine when saying this. Huang Mingxiang wants to give him more. He stops him, then gets up and walks to the door. Huang Mingxiang also quickly stands up to accompany him home. However, Xu stops him before he walks out of the shop.

When Xu Zhiwei disappears in the shadow of the opposite lane, Huang Mingxiang returns to the table and sits down, holding his cheeks and slowly chewing two pieces of fried soybeans. Everything Xu Zhiwei says and his own ideas are connected and integrated, and they finally turn into a special steamed bun in his mind.

A few years later, Huang Mingxiang returns to Jiading to open his own steamed bun shop. He absorbs the essence of Xu Zhiwei’s method, sums up skills and tries boldly to make a distinctive kind of meat steamed bun.

It is recorded in food history: “During the reign of emperor Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty, Huang Mingxian of Nanxiang Town in Jiading, Shanghai, created Nanxiang Meat Steamed Bun with thin wrapper, sweet soup and fresh meat, which was later called Nanxiang Small Steamer Bun.” The production method and characteristics of Nanxiang Small Steamer Bun are very similar to those taught by Xu Zhiwei to Huang Mingxiang, who is also from Nanxiang Town. But no one knows what the relationship between Huang Mingxiang and Huang Mingxian is, or whether Huang Mingxiang is Huang Mingxian.