Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country

Chapter 449 - 447: The Three Dips of the Gourmand, Old Beijing Beef Tripe Hotpot

The competition schedule was already more than halfway through. Players who had completed all events were now in a state of recovery, with rest and good food being the best remedies for quick recovery.

Beijing is dubbed by many as a desert of gourmet food, with the only well-known dishes being jiajiang noodles and roast duck.

But there is another delicacy in Beijing that is indeed tasty as well, which is—old Beijing-style tripe.

Westerners don’t eat offal; this is actually a stereotype here at home. At least in French cuisine, much like Chinese cuisine, there are numerous methods of cooking offal, and its ingredients are incredibly inclusive.

Wang Fan bought fresh tripe himself, and when he gently pressed it, the skin didn’t peel off, the whole tripe was very bright, and there was no off-putting smell.

When handling the tripe, he didn’t scrape off the white fat within, just tore the membrane with his hands and washed it thoroughly with purified water.

Following the seam of the tripe, he sliced it into strips as wide as his thumb, and after cutting, he also prepared some cabbage and vermicelli.

The soul of old Beijing-style tripe is the dipping sauce; after preparing the ingredients, he began to mix the sesame and peanut paste.

Using flavor-enhancing ingredients like cilantro, celery, ginger, garlic, and onion, he cooked some oil, combining two parts sesame paste and eight parts peanut paste in a large bowl, pouring in the oil while stirring with a large rolling pin, quickly making the mixture silkily smooth.

He took out a bottle, poured the oil into the sesame-peanut paste, and immediately a rich seafood taste started emanating.

This was the shrimp oil Wang Fan had previously refined, made from shrimp heads, shrimp shells, and lots of scallions, with an exceedingly fragrant aroma.

After rinsing the chili skins in cold water, he added a bit of white sesame, heated some sesame oil, and poured it over, "sizzling" activating the aroma of chili and sesame instantly. Another splash of hot oil made the dried chili skins crispy and appetizingly refreshing.

He added some leek flowers and fermented tofu, adjusting to taste before serving.

Boiling a pot of water without adding any seasoning, Wang Fan patiently waited for diners to arrive.

Interestingly, Pan Le didn’t feel hungry, yet when it was time to eat and he walked into the restaurant, he craved Boss Wang’s snacks, and had little desire for other exquisite dishes.

Pan Le was very tall, over 190cm, comparable in height to Wang Fan and his gang.

Having just won the championship and even broken the world record, there wasn’t any arrogance on his face—he remained calm and low-key.

"Boss Wang, what’s the dish tonight?"

Wang Fan smiled, "Old Beijing-style tripe, care to try a portion?"

"I’ll have one, then."

Wang Fan nodded, picked up a bowl and scooped in a third of the peanut-sesame paste before asking, "Shall I add spring onions, cilantro, leek flower, fermented tofu, and chili?"

Pan Le laughed, "You hold the reins, Boss Wang. I’m not picky; just make it tasty, just use a little less chili."

Wang Fan chuckled; a person who isn’t picky sure can enjoy themselves!

After adding some of each ingredient into the bowl, he took out a large slotted spoon, placed a hefty portion of tripe strips on it, weighing at least half a kilo.

At this moment, the water in the pot was boiling vigorously. Wang Fan turned off the heat, placed the slotted spoon directly in the hot water, and after just one second, lifted it back out.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

As he gently tossed the slotted spoon, the tripe flew up and landed back onto the slotted spoon, producing a crisp collision sound, and each toss made the position of the tripe change slightly.

After tossing five or six times, he put the slotted spoon back into the pot.

Again, he blanched it for one second before taking it out, continuing to toss.

After blanching three times, he didn’t toss again, directly putting the tripe into the plate Zhuo Qianqian had prepared.

"It’s done. Move it from the plate to the bowl, stir it, and enjoy it right away."

Tripe is best eaten with a tender, crispy texture, cooked but not mushy. If blanched for too long, the texture will be greatly affected.

Pan Le licked his lips, carrying his plate and leaving, completely ignoring the other stir-fried dishes.

The people behind heard their conversation and when they lined up, they eagerly shared their preferred flavors, resulting in a swift service.

Pan Le broke apart his disposable chopsticks and began indulging himself.

The black tripe looked extremely fresh, blanched in clean water without any seasoning, but still carrying a faint fragrance.

Unable to hold back, Pan Le eagerly picked up a bite of tripe and gently stirred it in the sesame-peanut paste.

The thick sauce enveloped the tripe entirely, the rich aroma of peanuts and sesame forcefully filling his nostrils, causing Pan Le’s mouth to compulsively salivate—he couldn’t stop!

"Slurp..."

The mouthful was rather large; he had to exert some effort to suck the entire piece of tripe into his mouth, with the sauce sticking to the corners. But he couldn’t care less.

No choice, it smelled too good, overwhelming his senses!

Many foreigners are allergic to peanuts, sesame, etc.; even throwing a five-nut mooncake could send numerous Europeans to the hospital. But our ancestors meticulously curated ingredients for locals who generally don’t face such concerns, as the ones who couldn’t handle it were already phased out.

The sweet aroma of peanuts and the rich fragrance of sesame blend together, and the fermented tofu adds a slight wine aroma, with the savory scent of leek flower, the freshness of spring onions, and cilantro perfectly mixed together.

With a chew, the crispy and tender tripe bursts in the mouth, its unique crunchiness completely enthralling.

The flavor of the sauce wasn’t overly salty, allowing one to savor every spice’s taste, especially the subtle sweetness brought by peanuts—truly the finishing touch.

No, there was an even more mysterious and delectable flavor, which truly infused the soul!

Pan Le found it incredibly fascinating.

He wasn’t knowledgeable about gourmet food, had no skills in cooking, and his taste buds didn’t have unique functions, yet while eating this tripe, he could distinctly perceive the flavor shift of each ingredient.

Every chew seamlessly fused these independent sauces, transforming the layered experience into a unified new taste—a sensation indescribable by words.

If Wang Fan could hear Pan Le’s inner thoughts, he would surely chuckle—this was intentional.

Post-blanching, he hadn’t stirred the additional sauces, creating a diverse dipping experience, allowing every sauce to deliver entirely different flavors.

Finally merging in the mouth, the refreshing taste with the crispy stimulation of the tripe was truly a match made in heaven.

He quickly swallowed a mouthful, impatiently grabbing another hefty portion.

"Crunch, crunch..."

His ears could clearly hear the tripe shattering in his mouth, a fiery, spicy sensation spreading to his tongue, realizing he had bitten into a chili.

Yet the chili’s robust aroma further elevated the flavor of the tripe.

"Unbelievable, this crispiness!"

"It’s so tantalizing. Is it really this delicious?"

"I’ve had it before, but it wasn’t this good. Is there such a huge gap between one person and another?"

"All I can say is no wonder Boss Wang is reputed as the strongest livelier BOSS."

"No wonder so many diners chase after Boss Wang all across the country; previously, I thought it exaggerated, but eating and comparing truly highlighted the difference."

"Absolutely, if he comes near my place in the future, I’d undoubtedly seek him out for gourmet treats."