Chapter 140: You Have to Slurp Luosifen
Chapter 140: Chapter 140: You Have to Slurp Luosifen
The final flavor of luosifen isn’t just enhanced by the strongly flavored ingredients; the type of noodles used and the heat control when cooking them are also crucial.
First, you have to choose noodles that don’t get soft and mushy easily, but they can’t be too hard either.
The heat can’t be too high; the rice noodles need to maintain a certain springiness, which requires rinsing them in cold water after they’re cooked.
Lu Wu knew these steps by heart.
The green vegetables were blanched as well and placed in the bowl with the rice noodles.
And now for the main event.
Lu Wu lifted the lid of a bucket at her stall. The moment a small crack appeared, a powerful odor wafted out, assaulting the senses.
It was the smell of sour bamboo shoots.
Many people couldn’t stand the smell emitted by bamboo shoots fermented through a special process.
Even Lu Wu found it a bit overwhelming.
Ladling in a few spoonfuls of the base broth, Lu Wu placed the sour bamboo shoots on the noodles, followed by a large scoop of river snail meat.
Deep-fried peanuts and fried tofu skin are indispensable parts of luosifen.
She felt a pang of guilt for selling it at such a high price, so she also made plenty of fried eggs to give away for free as a topping.
Finally, she added a large spoonful of chili oil, followed by chopped scallions and cilantro.
What’s the point of eating luosifen if it isn’t spicy? You have to add chili, lots of it—so much that your mouth and head hurt.
And just like that, a bowl of fragrant yet stinky luosifen was ready.
Lu Wu had eaten it before, so she wasn’t put off by the smell. In fact, she found it incredibly fragrant.
But the creatures of the Green Origin Realm had never experienced anything like it.
The first to be assaulted by the aroma was Dahuang.
A dog’s nose is so sensitive, after all.
The instant the attack hit, Dahuang covered his nose with both paws, looking at Lu Wu with an expression of condemnation and shock.
"WOOF WOOF!"
’Master, what is that stuff you’re eating? Not even a dog would touch it!’
Dahuang was a demon beast who had gained sentience long ago.
’What does the saying "a dog will always eat shit" have to do with him, the future Dog Emperor?’
And yet, his master had brought out something that even he found disgusting and was apparently about to eat it. Dahuang’s pupils quaked.
’Master, have you lost your mind?’
"What nonsense are you on about? This is called luosifen. It smells bad, but it tastes amazing. You want to try some?"
Lu Wu tried her best to recommend it, but all she got in response was Dahuang scrambling to his feet and backing away.
He looked as if he were facing a terrifying monster.
Lu Wu huffed and decided to ignore the uncultured dog.
Since there were no customers anyway, Lu Wu decided to treat herself first.
She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed some noodles, and took a bite—no, a slurp.
SLUUURP. The well-seasoned noodles, along with the sour and spicy flavor, delivered a powerful blow to her taste buds. It was numbing, spicy, satisfying, and whetted her appetite.
The rice noodles themselves didn’t have much flavor, but after soaking in the broth, both their texture and taste were greatly enhanced.
They were springy and chewy, but not tough.
You could bite through them with just a little pressure. They were so slippery, you couldn’t stop slurping them down.
The sourness of the bamboo shoots was prominent; no one could ignore it.
After being coated in the spiciness of the chili, the fusion of sour and hot made the luosifen’s flavor even richer.
The spice was potent but not harsh.
The peanuts were crunchy, the fried tofu skin became satisfyingly chewy after soaking, and the fried egg absorbed the broth, bursting with rich flavor when bitten into.
If you found it too rich, a bite of the refreshing green vegetables would cleanse your palate.
As the various flavors stimulated the palate and whetted the appetite, the faint, stinky smell in the air somehow became less offensive.
Luosifen, fragrantly stinky.
Having not eaten it in a long time, Lu Wu buried her face in the bowl and slurped away, eating every last bit of the ingredients with her noodles without the slightest hint of reluctance.
In the process, the strong odor drifted on the wind, reaching the group of people on the cliff.
The saying that the stench of luosifen travels for miles was no joke.
"What is Boss Lu eating? That smell..."
One of the subordinates started to say something, but then shut his mouth.
He had great respect for Boss Lu’s skills, but this smell was just too intense. It made one wonder if Lu Wu was concocting some kind of bizarre, inedible dish.
But seeing the way Boss Lu was eating, that didn’t seem to be the case.
The unique aroma of the luosifen made one doubt if it was even edible, yet the sight of Lu Wu eating with such absorbed enjoyment made one’s stomach rumble with hunger.
Two completely different reactions battled in their minds.
"When has Boss Lu’s cooking ever been a disappointment? There must be something more to this luosifen."
The one who spoke was Qin Zhan, and his words were firm and resolute.
His trust in Lu Wu overcame his doubt.
He had been there when Boss Lu bought the ingredients, and she had clearly been full of confidence at the time.
"I believe in Boss Lu, too."
Zhang Yue nodded, quietly swallowing.
Actually, her reaction was completely different from the others.
She dealt with ghosts, and people only became ghosts after they died.
Therefore, she often frequented places like graveyards and mass burial grounds. The stench of death was far worse than this, and she was long used to it.
Right now, she actually felt a strong urge to try the luosifen.
’I’m getting hungry.’
’It might just be a pleasant surprise.’
"They’re here."
Dan Ji hadn’t stopped her subordinates’ discussion because she was curious as well, but at a certain moment, she raised a hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.
Looking out, the vast sea churned with endless waves.
On the surface of the azure sea, a massive whirlpool had formed, and from within it, the members of the Sea Clan emerged.
"It’s so dry out here," one of the Sea Clan grumbled.
Accustomed to living in the ocean, they felt a bit dehydrated the moment they were exposed to the outside air.
"Ugh, it stinks! What is that smell?" a member of the Sea Clan exclaimed, fanning his nose.
Only then did the rest of the Sea Clan notice the strange odor permeating the air.
It was heavy, causing the sensitive members of the Sea Clan to sneeze repeatedly.
"It’s coming from over there."
One of the Sea Clan found the source, pointing toward Lu Wu’s stall.
"I knew these humans were up to no good! They must be doing this on purpose to humiliate us."
"No, I’m going to kill her."
The warmongers were always quick to resort to violence.
But the Turtle Minister stopped them.
He, too, believed there was a conspiracy afoot.
"I believe they don’t want to engage in a full-blown conflict with us, so they’re trying to use this method to make us retreat."
The Turtle Minister offered a reasonable-sounding speculation.
The Sea Clan’s strength was not to be underestimated. With Yuanhai City being so close to the sea, it meant the humans wouldn’t have much of an advantage if the two sides were to fight.
Using a method like this was far more subtle, and there was nothing they could really accuse the humans of.
"For that very reason, we must rise to the challenge."
The Turtle Minister’s mind whirred as he gave his opinion.
"Your Highness, what do you think?"
"Do as you say."
The prince was also looking toward the stall, and he nodded in agreement with the Turtle Minister’s analysis.
He appeared to be wise and in control, but in reality, the prince was thinking about something else entirely.
’That human is eating stinky food. Are they doing it on purpose to intimidate us?’
’No way. I, Long Zhang, have never been outdone by anyone in my entire life. How could I possibly be intimidated by such a petty trick?’
’I have to intimidate them right back.’
"Let’s go. We’ll go and meet them."
With their prince taking the lead, the rest of the Sea Clan boldly followed.