Her Food Livestream Broke the Galaxy

Chapter 68: The Irresistible Spicy Blood Curd

People with real skill always earn respect.

#She’s got some serious moves. At least it’s not just for show. She actually looks like a real chef!#

#Her technique is way better than what I’ve seen in small diners!#

#What are you talking about, comparing our Juju to some diner cook? Are you blind?!#

While she was cutting the vegetables, the water in the pot began to boil. The chili peppers that had sunk to the bottom now surged to the surface with the roiling water. After being trapped under the lid for several minutes, the numbing, spicy aroma wafted through the broadcast terminal to the nose of every viewer watching their screen.

Jiang Qiuqiu added more seasonings: a pinch of salt to enhance the taste, and seafood-derived oil to add a richer, more complex layer of umami to the spiciness.

Jiang Qiuqiu slid the tender blood curd into the pot. "Blood curd itself doesn’t have much of a distinct flavor," she explained, "but its texture is unlike any other food. When you combine that smooth, tender mouthfeel with Sichuan-style seasoning, you get a numbing, spicy, savory, and aromatic dish that’s almost impossible to resist."

"We’ll let it simmer for three minutes, and then it’ll be ready to eat."

As usual, before serving, Jiang Qiuqiu set out the small bowls.

"Next, we’ll chop the garnishes: garlic, dried chili peppers, and cilantro."

Since she was preparing many bowls, Jiang Qiuqiu chopped a large handful of each.

The pot started bubbling. She quickly turned off the heat and used a long ladle to scoop the blood curd into the bowls. The blood tofu she’d made was exceptionally tender; after landing in the bowl, it jiggled and bounced slightly.

It was a simple, ordinary sight, but for some reason, people couldn’t help but swallow.

’It looks... so good.’

’Maybe... it’s not a culinary disaster after all.’

’And it smells good. That spicy aroma... it’s so enticing!’

But that wasn’t the final step. She sprinkled the garnishes into each small bowl and heated a pan of oil. "The key to the most complex flavor in Spicy Blood Curd," she said, "is this final ladle of hot oil."

The searing hot oil hit the dried chilies, flash-frying them to release their most authentic spiciness. Baptized in the hot oil, the cilantro and green onions let out a SIZZLE and released a bewitching aroma. Normally, the cooking segment would be followed by the scan for the taste-test lottery, but today Jiang Qiuqiu had added a food explanation segment.

With her slender hands, she picked up a small bowl and a small white spoon. She scooped up a piece of blood curd, slowly lifted it toward the camera, and then brought it to her lips.

It was savory and smooth. Before she could even chew, it seemed to melt down her throat. The numbing spiciness bloomed instantly on her palate. It had been a long time since she’d eaten something so intense, but after the initial kick came another level of enjoyment.

It made her unable to resist taking another bite.

And so, another jiggly, bouncy spoonful of blood curd wobbled in front of the camera before slowly moving away from the lens.

#No! Stop eating, Streamer, let us have a taste!#

#Is that the finished dish? It’s all red and green... the color combo isn’t exactly pretty, but for some reason... it looks so damn good!#

#Same, I want some!#

...

#Hey, person above me, what do you mean you want some? Don’t even think about it! You all promised you wouldn’t fight for the taste-test slots!#

#Remember the oath you just swore! Whoever eats it is a total noob!#

#If it’s good, I’ll wash my hair standing on my head--#

Even with everyone bickering in the bullet comments, and even though some people had grandstanded at the start, swearing they’d never eat some "trash streamer’s" clickbait food...

...the reality was this: the taste-test slots for ten bowls of Spicy Blood Curd, available to the nearly ten million viewers of a Level 4 Streamer, evaporated in an instant.

It didn’t take long to eat the dish. One minute later, the follower count for Jiang Qiuqiu’s stream jumped from one million to ten million.

If it wasn’t delicious, if it didn’t hit the spot, who would follow?

Jiang Qiuqiu turned to the camera with a smile and introduced herself to all the newcomers. "I’m Jiang Jiujiu, a streamer in the Federation’s food section. I stream on odd-numbered dates at 8:00 PM sharp. If you like my stream, feel free to click the follow button~ And if you’re interested in food, you can log on to the Federation Star Network and find Jiang Jiujiu’s Circle."

"That’s all for today’s stream. Spicy is a special kind of flavor, and in my next stream, I’ll continue to explore delicious dishes that combine Gugu Beast and spiciness—with Poached Meat Slices in Chili Broth."

"See you all next time."

Jiang Qiuqiu ended the stream.

But a new trend was just beginning.