Chapter 250: Chapter 250: Buckwheat Crisp

Weining Buckwheat Crisps are said to be a dessert that first appeared during the Ming Dynasty. Originally, they were made exclusively for the local Tusi, Lady She Xiang.

Later, they were presented to Zhu Yuanzhang as a tribute and remained off the tables of common folk.

Only in recent years have these buckwheat crisps started to make their way into ordinary homes.

Weining Buckwheat Crisps are certainly famous.

But among the vast array of traditional Chinese pastries, they don’t particularly stand out.

The history of Chinese pastry-making is long and storied, with an overwhelming number of recipes. For example, pastries more famous than buckwheat crisps include walnut crisps and egg yolk pastries. The fame of buckwheat crisps never truly spread far and wide.

Furthermore, in recent years, the market for traditional pastries has been hit hard by all sorts of Western desserts and beautifully elaborate cakes.

Fewer people are eating traditional pastries in general, let alone a less famous variety like buckwheat crisps.

Nowadays, besides the locals in Guisheng Province, it’s mostly just the occasional tourist who buys them.

Fu Chao, for example, had never even heard of buckwheat crisps.

Not until Nan Zhi gave him a little lesson just now.

Realization dawned on Fu Chao, and he immediately expressed his profound respect for Nan Zhi.

"How do you know everything! Are you a walking encyclopedia of Chinese cuisine?"

Nan Zhi pressed her lips together, embarrassed.

"...You don’t have to praise me that much."

Fu Chao insisted on pulling Nan Yi into it.

"If you don’t believe me, ask Yiyi!"

When would Nan Yi ever doubt his mother?

He was her number one fan, always offering unconditional support!

So he immediately nodded vigorously and said:

"Mommy is the best!"

The viewers in the livestream chat were chiming in as well.

Bullet Comments:

[I learned something new from Nan Zhi again!]

[I suddenly feel a little ashamed. I usually love eating all sorts of European-style breads and cakes, but I’ve neglected our own traditional pastries.]

[Me too! I immediately went online and ordered some Weining Buckwheat Crisps. I have to try them!]

[Huh? You can buy buckwheat crisps online?]

[Of course! What can’t you buy online these days? I hope they don’t disappoint!]

[A single sentence from Nan Zhi and I’m back on a shopping app spending hundreds on a pile of traditional pastries... That woman is dangerous!]

...

Even with Nan Zhi’s strong mental fortitude, this was getting to be a bit much.

She cleared her throat, deciding to quickly change the subject.

She took the lead, picking up a buckwheat crisp and taking a small bite.

Buckwheat crisps are made with finely sifted buckwheat flour as the main ingredient, with brown sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs as other key components. The fillings can vary.

The Weining area is known for producing tartary buckwheat, so the quality is naturally excellent.

The moment Nan Zhi took a bite, she could taste the rich aroma of the tartary buckwheat, mingled with the flavors of vegetable oil and brown sugar.

However...

"It’s a little strange."

She stated her honest opinion.

To be honest, her assessment made more than a few people break into a cold sweat.

Because Master Xu’s appearance was genuinely intimidating.

Especially now, with his face taut and the muscles in his arms bulging even more distinctly, he looked like he could erupt at any moment...

Watching this scene, one couldn’t help but wonder if Master Xu would actually get physical if Nan Zhi said something negative.

Fu Chao jolted and quickly stuffed a buckwheat crisp into his mouth.

"It’s... it’s really good!"

Although his intention was to ease the tension...

...the moment he bit into it, Fu Chao’s most direct feeling was that it was delicious.

And since it was the first time he’d tasted something so unique, he couldn’t help but take another bite.

"Mmm, it’s even better now! Not strange at all!"

Nan Yi, who had been waiting quietly, couldn’t stay still any longer.

He asked to try some.

There were plenty of crisps to go around, so Fu Chao not only gave one to him but also to Qing Xi and Qi Zhang, who had been staring longingly for a while.

Qing Xi and Qi Zhang’s reactions were similar to Fu Chao’s—they all thought it was delicious, delicious, truly delicious.

But after savoring it carefully, Nan Yi furrowed his little brow and said:

"The taste of lard in it is a bit weird."

Fu Chao was stunned.

"There’s lard in this?"

Nan Zhi smiled faintly.

"Lard is traditionally one of the standard ingredients in buckwheat crisps. Master Xu probably reduced the amount of oil on purpose to lower the overall fat content..."

Nan Zhi felt that since Master Xu and Boss Yi had personally invited her for a tasting, she couldn’t just give it a cursory assessment.

So, she meticulously analyzed the flavor and pointed out all the pastry’s shortcomings.

She went on for what must have been several hundred words.

As her critique continued, Master Xu’s face seemed to grow darker and darker.

’...as if Nan Zhi had angered him.’

Bullet Comments:

[Sister Zhi, maybe you should say a little less. This Master Xu looks like he’s not someone to mess with.]

[Yeah, Sister Zhi, if you get into trouble, we little bros and sis’s can’t get there in time to help.]

[Honestly, Nan Zhi is going a little too far. I admit she’s good with savory dishes, but her skills with pastries haven’t been proven, have they? This Master Xu is obviously much more of a professional!]

[I’m kind of an insider, and I think Nan Zhi’s critique is spot on. And everything she’s talking about are issues that probably exist in a lot of traditional pastries. That perspective alone shows she really knows her stuff.]

[Didn’t Nan Zhi only have one bite? Can you really taste that much from just one bite? If it were me, I’d definitely have the same reaction as Fu Chao: ’It’s good, I’ll have another!’]

[Did Nan Yi inherit his sharp sense of taste from his mom? That’s amazing!]

[Can some of you just stop trying to stir up trouble? Master Xu himself hasn’t even said anything.]

[What’s there to say? The man is probably furious.]

...

In reality, Xu Jin wasn’t angry at all.

Quite the opposite, he was ashamed.

He couldn’t help but lower his head, ashamed that he had viewed Nan Zhi with such a narrow mind.

So his face hadn’t turned dark with anger; it had been turning red the whole time.

It was just that his darker complexion had hidden it from everyone.

After Nan Zhi finally finished her critique, Master Xu let out a long sigh.

"You were right about everything. To be honest, I knew this recipe was another failure before I even came."

This time, everyone could read the expression on Master Xu’s face.

It was one of bewilderment.

The bewilderment of someone who has completely lost their way.

Bullet Comments:

[Where are all the people who were just trash-talking Nan Zhi? Care to show your faces now?]

[Nan Zhi is seriously amazing! Even a master chef from a food factory is praising her like this! I’m suddenly curious what her skill level with pastries is really like!]

[Is it just me, or does Master Xu seem a little pitiful? He’s almost retirement age, yet he looks so lost and helpless...]

[It must be because of what was mentioned earlier about the food factory not doing well. Small food factories like this are already at a disadvantage against big brands, and with fewer people eating traditional pastries these days, these small factories are just getting squeezed out.]

[Master Xu must be someone who’s deeply attached to the factory. People from our parents’ generation seem to have a deep emotional connection to their workplace, treating it like their own home. Nobody wants to see their own home fall apart.]

[Why don’t they have the show do a special livestream to sell the products?]

...

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.