52 The Two Misses of the Nakiri Family

Just like:

A wife cake has no wife.

Fish-flavored shredded pork has no fish.

Socks milk tea has no socks.

A wallet has no money.

Buddha Jumps Over the Wall definitely has no Buddha.

But the most outstanding feature of this dish is its aroma.

The reason for the captivating scent lies in the fact that it is made with 18 main ingredients such as lamb elbow, pig stomach, trotters, tendon, abalone, fish maw, sea cucumber, dried scallops, and 12 auxiliary ingredients like wolfberry, longan, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and razor clams!

To put it mildly, this grand dish is rarely seen in all the menus of Chinese cuisine!

...

"Master Zane."

"So, you're making Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?"

At this moment, Tsuchihana Sonoka, who had just entered the tavern, stared at the jar of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall on the dining table.

The rich aroma wafting through the air aroused her appetite, making her instinctively gulp.

"Hmm?"

"Sonoka?"

"Your sense of smell is quite something."

Watching her mouthwatering expression, Zane chuckled and asked, "Since you're here, will you eat with me?"

"Can I really?"

Upon hearing this, Sonoka was stunned.

She hadn't expected Zane to invite her so readily, rather than wait for her to ask shamelessly for a free dinner here.

This situation inevitably made her feel very moved.

"Sure, this jar of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is enough for four or five people. Even if we eat together, we definitely won't be able to finish it all."

After saying this, Zane handed her a pair of chopsticks.

Despite being typically shy and reserved, Sonoka didn't resist this time. She took the chopsticks and sat down beside Zane.

Observing the abundant and diverse ingredients in the jar, the steam rising from the dark broth was very enticing!

Under Zane's watchful eyes, she couldn't wait to start eating.

...

As it entered her mouth.

The first sensation she felt was its tenderness and rich savory aroma!

And that rich and abundant aroma continued to envelop her mouth, giving Sonoka an unprecedented taste experience.

Refreshing wine!

Hearty meat!

Fresh and sweet seafood!

And various flavors of the ingredients!

After a long simmering, these ingredients had finally merged and were perfectly balanced.

With just a few bites, Sonoka was immediately captivated, feeling intoxicated and slightly tipsy!

In fact, among all the major Chinese cuisines.

Min cuisine is not particularly well-known.

The only thing that may ring a bell is this hard dish called "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall."

Even if you mention Cantonese cuisine, ask a local Cantonese person and they can list characteristic dishes one after another, such as:

Steamed Chicken, Double-Boiled Soup, Crispy Roast Goose, Braised Pigeon, Honey BBQ Pork...

But when it comes to Min cuisine, many people probably only think of "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall."

However, in Sonoka's eyes, the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall prepared by Zane, with its use of ingredients, seasonings, and cookware, is undoubtedly the most authentic.

Dried abalone, dried sea cucumber, dried fish maw, dried tendon, shiitake mushrooms, pigskin, flower mushrooms, dried scallops, quail eggs...

Just these named ingredients are enough to elicit a sense of extravagance from Sonoka.

Its luxury and sophistication definitely match those noble French dishes at her Shunkatei restaurant!

...

"Mmm~"

"Truly delicious!"

"Many ingredients are used, and most of the ingredients are not cheap."

"Scoop up a spoonful, you can visibly see chicken, tendon, shiitake mushrooms, sea cucumber, abalone, and shiitake mushrooms... It is indeed made with a lot of sincerity!"

"But while eating, you don't feel any one flavor overtaking the others; it's not chaotic nor too diverse. On the contrary, the flavors of the ingredients blend harmoniously and distinctly, very pure!"

"The whole dish maintains a unified savory taste while preserving their individual characteristics."

After a while, Sonoka slowly opened her eyes.

She couldn't help licking a drop of soup at the corner of her mouth, then said, still feeling unsatisfied.

For such a precious dish like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, she had the opportunity to taste it before and once wondered how the rich yellow soup was created.

At first, she thought it was chicken broth.

Later, upon careful consideration, while the chicken fat is yellow, the broth itself isn't. This means the yellow color comes from the chicken fat.

But is the soup made with chicken fat always yellow? It's not certain!

If there's more soup than fat, the soup naturally won't be yellow; if there's more fat than soup, it will indeed create a yellow effect.

However, chicken fat is still oil, so using too much will make the soup very greasy... It's obviously not suitable for making Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.

So, could it be that one of the 12 ingredients, "gardenia yellow," is playing a role?

"Um!"

"Boss."

"Was this soup made with chicken broth?"

Finally, unable to figure it out, she could only ask Zane curiously.

"No."

"Chicken broth is not suitable for making Buddha Jumps Over the Wall."

"Do you want to know how the soup got its yellow color?"

"Actually, during the stewing process, Tianchao's unique Shaoxing Huadiao wine is added."

"This wine is made with good glutinous rice, high-quality yeast, and clear lake water, and then brewed using traditional methods."

After warming it, the alcohol content inside is greatly reduced, so the overall taste becomes mellow and easy to drink."

"Wine?"

"Huadiao wine?"

Hearing Zane's explanation, Sonoka began to savor it.

Finally, her clear eyes seemed to have an understanding, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "It seems so! When eating, I can indeed perceive a hint of wine aroma!"

"I see."

"This Buddha Jumps Over the Wall dish, the reason why it exudes a captivating aroma when opened, is not only because of the use of many precious ingredients, but more importantly, it's this Shaoxing wine!"

For some people.

A bowl of plain rice is satisfying enough.

But for those who find even the rich Buddha Jumps Over the Wall mundane!

However, for the dishes made by Zane, Sonoka has never refused, and even particularly likes them.

...

The dark sky is full of stars.

They are like playful children, often blinking their eyes, constantly observing everything in the world!

"Alice."

"Could you please not be so impatient?"

"But, Eri, I really want to meet that mysterious shopkeeper."

"This tavern is supposed to open at 7 o'clock. It won't help if you're in a rush now..."

"Huh? Why is the tavern's door open, and the lights inside are still on?"

"Could it be that they are open early today?"

At this moment, Alice Nakiri and Eri Nakiri, the two Misses of the Nakiri family, had arrived early at the tavern.