Ancient Foodie Survival Guide Chapter 36
Tled by Serena Love
Unedited
Chapter 36: Juntun Guokui
Jiang Shuyao brushed a layer of melted butter on the thin and long dough laying on the chopping board, and then she evenly smeared the flavored minced meat. Using the tip of a knife, she made a few strokes on the dough, rolled it up, and pressed it flat.
Xie Xun walked over with his hands behind his back, "What kind of pastry is this?"
"Pot helmet." Jiang Shuyao's subordinates kept working neatly and tidily, "I'll make a military pot helmet for you."
Juntun Guokui or military pot helmet, is a traditional Sichuan snack of a spicy meat-filled crispy flatbread. Its origin could be traced back to the Three Kingdoms era. At that time, the army used dry food to fill up their stomach when they went out for drills or marches. The pot helmets were easy to carry and tasted much better than regular dried buns, so they gradually became popular.
Juntun Guokui can be eaten alone as a main food, or served as a side dish with hot and sour noodles, rice noodles, or rice rolls. It is crispy and full of meat flavor.
Jiang Shuyao made several in a row, planning to eat them slowly tomorrow.
She set up a frying pan to heat the oil and put the flatbreads in the pan. The hot oil blistered the dough, and then she fried them slowly on low heat. She took out the flatbreads when they turned a light golden color.
At this time, the inside of the pot helmets was not fully cooked yet. Only the outer skin had become golden and crisp, with a nice scent of freshly baked bread.
"Tomorrow morning, I will ask a maid to put the pot helmets in the kiln to bake. Remember to bring it with you when you leave."
This is the essence of pot helmets. After being put into the hearth and slowly baked, the outer skin would retain the crispy fried texture, but the inside would be very soft.
Layers of soft dough would sandwich the chopped meat. The meat fragrance was there, but you could not see the meat. The tender bread and the fragrant minced meat were integrated. It would be fresh but not greasy.
Xie Xun's belly was full at the moment. Although he was a bit greedy, he was not hungry, so he nodded and said, "Okay, thank you very much."
He didn't leave until Jiang Shuyao fried the last pot helmets so he could go with satisfaction.
---
Early in the next morning, before dawn, Xie Xun got up. He took the rabbit skin water bag he prepared last night and swayed through the moon door towards the kitchen. The maid who was waiting for him opened the kiln immediately and took out a freshly baked pot helmet for him.
The freshly baked pot helmet had a strong butter fragrance, the heat from the kiln rejuvenate the tempting smell of meat. Xie Xun thought for a while and asked, "How many have you baked?"
The maid replied, "Responding to the Lord, madam let me baked six."
Xie Xun rubbed his palms together and said, "That's good. I'll take one to eat, and then take two for the road."
The maid smiled when she heard this. "Madam has planned it this way. She said, let the young master eat one, then wrap two to take away, and then bring one each for the eldest young master and the second young master."
When he listened to the first half, Xie Xun's corners of his mouth raised subconsciously, but he heard the second half before he finished smiling.
"Why did you make some for them?" Xie Xun was unhappy. Although they are his own brothers, but brothers also have to count... food.
The maid was taken aback by his sudden cold expression and quickly lowered her head respectfully. "The lady said that if the eldest young master and the second young master refuse, it will be fine and just bring it back. Anyway, pot helmet will still be delicious for the whole day."
Xie Xun sneered and said sternly, "They won't refuse. It's already good if they don't ask for two more cheekily."
The maid did not dare to answer, and Xie Xun didn't want to embarrass her. After the maid wrapped five pot helmets in oiled paper, Xie Xie packed his two pot helmets in his bag, and reluctantly carried the three oiled paper bags filled with pot helmets and went out.
The maid stopped him, "Master, madam has also prepared a water bag for you."
Xie Xun thought it was strange. "I have a water bag."
Another maid came from the kitchen. She handed the water bag to Xie Xun and said, "Master, the water bag is filled with soy milk that the lady asked this servant to grind."
Xie Xun felt the temperature of the water bag, and his heart felt warm. It was good that he married a wife.
He packed the water bag and the three oiled paper bags to the front yard to meet his two brothers.
Xie Lang and Xie Li saw the oiled paper bags that Xie Xun was holding and knew they were taking advantage. So they quickly grabbed it and asked Xie Xun to convey their gratitude to their third sister-in-law.
As for the reluctance on Xie Xun's cold face, they just pretended not to see it.
They had also planned to go to the market to buy pastries, so the leather bags they brought just came in handy.
Through the oiled paper bag, they could smell the scent of butter and the savory smell of pepper. The two couldn't help but sigh, 'It is good that Xie Xun has married a wife. Not sure how the two are going.'
Xie Xun controlled his horse to be as far away from the two of them. He silently gnawed the pot helmet he was holding on his hand and touched the other two oiled paper bags and felt its weight. He finally felt comfortable.
＊
When the morning meeting began in the dawn, the morning light began to rise. After some rituals, the sun gradually came up.
The official uniforms were generous and thick, embroidered with birds, elegant and magnificent. It looked good, but comfort is not the same thing as appearance.
Lin Cheng was standing next to Xie Xun. He was languished by the sun, and his legs began to numb. He twisted his body slightly and saw that a man standing diagonally from him took out a water bag and then sneakily drinking out the water bag.
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Drinking water carefully without being noticed is a difficult task, but Lin Cheng has plenty of experience.
He lowered his head and quickly pulled out the plug by pretending to lift his sleeves to wipe the sweat. He squeezed his body hard, taking a sip of freshwater, and his body immediately felt a lot more comfortable.
When he put down his sleeves, the corner of his eyes caught a glimpse of Xie Xun also moving.
Xie Xun's posture was much calmer than his, and even the movement of raising his sleeves was also handsome and elegant. When Lin Cheng thought he was really wiping sweat, he saw him took out the water bag from his sleeve.
The cap of this water bag looked a bit strange. Xie Xun unscrewed it, and after the lid was opened, it revealed a reed straw inside.
Lin Cheng was extremely surprised when he saw this. Yes! Why didn't he think of this method? His face was sore after a sip of water earlier.
Xie Xun gracefully held the reed straw and took a few sips of soy milk leisurely.
After the soy milk got cold, it is still sweet and mellow, with a fresh aroma of soybeans. After a few mouthfuls, his irritability and the heat he felt gradually disappear.
Lin Cheng leaned a little to Xie Xun's side, "Bo Yuan, what are you drinking?" He felt that he was not drinking water!
Xie Xun replied in a low voice, "Soy milk."
Lin Cheng said, "Leave me a bit for later."
Xie Xun didn't expect that he also wanted his soy milk, and he was suddenly worried about the pot helmets on his sleeves.
However, Jiang Shuyao's soy milk was made really well. It was sweet and thirst-quenching with a long aftertaste. When he thought about drinking it with pot helmets later, he felt a lot happier, and even standing here drying under the sun was not so boring.
As the sun rose, a prince of the Kingdom of Fanbang stepped out from the line of hundreds of civil and military officials to pay tribute to the emperor.
At this time, the glorious feeling of the court dissipated a little, and it was replaced by excitement.
The old greasy officials and the slick young officials were stirring their hearts.
It was almost noon at the moment, and everyone had been hungry long ago. Their clothes rubbed around and made rustling sound, and they each took out their food secretly.
Some have pastries, some have bean cakes, and some have sugar buns...
Xie Li was in the front, dressed in a diadem embroidered with emblems on the officialdom, and wearing a gold sword. He looked stately and majestic.
The official standing behind him felt embarrassed a bit by his solemn aura. He looked at him sneakily, fearing that Xie Li would see his own little movements.
Fortunately, Xie Li was just looking ahead. They felt relieved. Just as they were preparing to move, Xie Li moved his arms slightly.
Everyone paused and squinted at him.
Xie Li looked up at the emperor's ceremonial guard on the high platform. He frowned slightly, and the shallow wrinkles on his brows deepened. His expression became more serious.
Everyone could not help but feel ashamed. 'Yes, the foreigners from Fanbang came to congratulate our country and offered gifts, which show our country's power and prestige. How could we only thought about hunger?'
'As expected of Master Xie, he really restrained himself and returned the courtesy to the emperor. He was the role model for a generation.'
'Even with this kind of hot sun, Master Xie still doesn't move... No, Master Xie just moved.'
The majestic and solemn Master Xie lowered his head, leaned into his sleeve, and then took out an oiled paper bag from his sleeve.
He calmly retracted his hand and covered it with his sleeve, his posture was still upright, as if he had never made any small movements.
Everyone: ......?
Xie Li opened the oiled paper, and the buttery fragrance instantly overflowed around him.
He posed calmly, raised his sleeves, and pretended to wipe his sweat, then gnawed at the pot helmet with a "chacha" sound.
The pot helmet was still a bit warm. The outer skin was crispy, and it was crumbly in the mouth. When chewed, the bread was full of fragrance.
The inside of the flatbread was rich in layers. Dough and meat layered on top of each other. The inner part was thin and soft. The meat was finely chopped, so it was not much harder than the soft dough. The meat was full of flavor, but you don't need to chew it.
The aroma of the bread had melted into the minced meat, and the oily scent of the minced meat had also melted into the bread. The pepper that was put on the bread was enough to remove the greasiness or fishiness of the meat, and it's full of crispiness and numbing feeling.
After the first bite, he can't stop anymore. One bite after bite, the peppery aroma and the smell of meat were combined, and his mouth was full of fragrance. After he ate, there was a faint numbness in his mouth and endless aftertaste.
Around him, everyone could hear Xie Li's "Kacha Kacha" gnawing sound. They sniffed and smelled the faint scent of pastry and meat in the air.
The official next to him looked down at the duck pancake in his hand. The crust was sticky with thick oil. Not only was it not delicious, but it looked greasy. The duck meat inside was warm, but there was only a fishy smell and no fresh, meaty scent.
'Hey, the pancake in my hand suddenly doesn't look good.'
Xie Xun, on the other side, had also finished his first flatbread, and the taste was so great that he was drooling.
Lin Cheng held his breath and called Xie Xun, "Give me a bite, please." Then he added, "I brought mung bean cake, sesame cake, and peanut cake."
Xie Xun said, "You keep your voice down."
"You have to give me something, Bo Yuan, I won't call you if I could eat it."
Xie Xun said helplessly, "Why do you keep wanting my food?"
"Xie Boyuan, you are not such a stingy person."
Xie Xun groaned in his heart and can't say anything. He hesitated to take out another pot helmet and whispered, "How can I give it to you?"
"When the emperor starts riding his horse, you can give it to me."
Xie Xun agreed, and when the emperor took a ride and the hundred ministers left, he stuffed Lin Cheng with the pot helmet.
Lin Cheng couldn't wait to hug him on the spot and cry. He sobbed, "You are really my good brother." Because of the seriousness of the occasion, he had endured it for a while.
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After taking a bite of the crispy and fragrant pot helmet, he finally couldn't hold back. He lowered his head, moved a little, and said to Xie Xun, "Bo Yuan, if you are in trouble in the future, I will help you even if I give up my life."
Xie Xun annoyedly said, "...You can just wish me that everything will be fine."
Lin Cheng shut his mouth and continued to chew on the pot helmet.
He was used to the mutton cake at the end of the alley, but eating Jiang Shuyao's cooking at this time, he couldn't help but sigh, 'A pastry can still taste like this.'
The oil on the outer skin was baked dry, leaving only the scent but no greasiness. The meat inside was fresh and had a numbing taste. The lean part of the meat was tender, and the fatty meat had been roasted. The oily flavor was immersed in the soft and mellow dough. It was just delicious, delicious and delicious.
After he finished eating, when the surrounding officials were already annoyed to death by his voice, he said, "Bo Yuan, does your wife's family has a cousin?" His voice sounded a little shy, "If yes, if yes, if she is like your wife, I would like—"
"Heh." Xie Xun chuckled, interrupting his daydreaming, "Lin Cheng, let's hope that you never want to eat my food again."
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