391 [391] Soul Bun and Laughing Bun
Chapter 391: Soul Bun and Laughing Bun
Taking a bite of the red bun imprinted with the character (vermilion), Senzaemon paused for a moment. Then, he eagerly devoured the small bun in a few mouthfuls, followed by picking up the white bun imprinted with the character (white), then the green bun imprinted with the character (blue), and finally, the black bun imprinted with the character (black)...
Seeing this scene, everyone was somewhat surprised.
Given Senzaemon's current status and experience, he wouldn't typically eat in such a ravenous manner. What was happening today?
Could it be that this plate of buns was truly a perfect dish?
After wolfing down the four-colored buns, Senzaemon's face, which had previously shown some excitement, oddly calmed down.
Closing his eyes slowly, as if savoring something, he remained silent for a while.
It was uncertain how long it lasted, perhaps a minute, or maybe five, but Senzaemon reopened his eyes and looked at Hachiman in front of him.
"Hachiman-kun, what is the name of this dish?"
"This dish is called 'Four Sacred Seafood Eight Treasure Soul Buns,'" Hachiman replied with a smile.
"Soul Buns... Indeed, the dish lives up to its name," Senzaemon murmured to himself.
However, upon hearing the name of the dish, Alice raised a question, "Huh? Buns? But aren't these dumplings?"
"Hehe, 'mantou' is an ancient term, originally referring to buns. Later, it evolved to include versions without fillings. For convenience, the unfilled ones are called 'mantou,' while those with fillings are called dumplings," Hachiman explained with a smile.
"In fact, the origin of mantou has a little story. Legend has it that after Zhuge Liang captured Meng Huo seven times and returned victorious, on his way back, when passing a big river, the sky suddenly darkened, the wind howled, and huge waves surged, making it impossible for the army to cross the river."
"Zhuge Liang consulted Meng Huo, who said that the river was notorious for being cursed, with vengeful spirits haunting it. To cross the river, sacrifices of forty-nine human heads were required."
"Unable to let his soldiers perish in a foreign land, Zhuge Liang devised a plan. He instructed the army's chefs to use beef and mutton to make dumplings, shaped like human heads, by wrapping them in dough and steaming them in bamboo steamers. After a ritual, they threw these 'dummy heads' into the river as substitutes for the sacrificial offerings."
"As expected, after the ritual, the river calmed down, and the army crossed smoothly. Zhuge Liang named this food 'mantou,' which later evolved into the term 'mantou' we use today."
After listening to Hachiman's explanation, Alice's eyes seemed to sparkle with admiration.
"Hachiman-kun, you're amazing! You even know about such legends."
However, after hearing the story, Senzaemon hesitated before asking, "So, Hachiman-kun, about this dish..."
As if anticipating his question, Hachiman nodded.
"That's right. The legendary inventor of this 'Four Sacred Seafood Eight Treasure Soul Buns' is said to be a descendant of the army chef who served under Zhuge Liang."
Upon hearing this, everyone was amazed. They hadn't expected this dish to have such a profound history.
With that in mind, they each picked up a bun and took a bite.
"Mmm, mine is filled with sea cucumber."
"Mmm... tender and juicy, this must be abalone filling."
"The shark fin is soaked in broth, dancing in my mouth."
"Sea cucumber, abalone, shark fin, scallop, crab, shrimp, squid, and flounder—all top-quality seafood dried goods, from soaking to stewing in a clay pot until juicy filling is made, the entire process is flawless. It's amazing."
"Not only the fillings, even the dough is perfect, soft like a sponge, it's simply a delight! And there's a refreshing bamboo fragrance on the dough, is it because of the bamboo boats?"
...
Although they praised the deliciousness of the dish, the faces of everyone were remarkably serene, giving off a sense of calmness and tranquility.
"These buns... truly amazing. After eating it, even the excitement from seeing the glowing dish just now has been calmed," commented Gin.
Joichiro nodded, but also expressed some curiosity, "Yeah, it's strange. We've eaten so much, yet we don't feel full at all. Instead, there's a very comfortable feeling. How did they manage to do that?"
"The secret lies within this dough," Hachiman said with a slight smile, explaining, "The eastern green represents sourness, the western white represents sweetness, the southern red represents spiciness, and the northern black represents bitterness."
"According to the theory of Yin and Yang in traditional Chinese medicine, kneading these four flavors into the dough, along with the freshness of the seafood filling, the bamboo fragrance from the bamboo boats, and so on, can help balance the Yin and Yang energies in the body."
Listening to Hachiman's words, the girls felt a bit dizzy. Simply put, this dish seemed to have medicinal properties.
However, Senzaemon was different. As the head of the Totsuki Corporation, which originated from the culinary world, he was quite knowledgeable about various medicinal theories and could naturally understand what Hachiman was saying.
"I see, so you've utilized the theory of Yin and Yang harmony from traditional Chinese medicine? The Four Sacred... Eight Treasure... Soul Buns... truly a perfect dish."
But upon hearing Senzaemon's words, Hachiman shook his head. "Grandpa Senzaemon, actually, this dish hasn't reached its ultimate form yet."
"Huh? But didn't you say that the dish emits golden light, indicating that it's reached perfection?" Erina interjected, puzzled.
Hachiman nodded at first, then shook his head. "While this dish is indeed my current pinnacle, the recipe itself hasn't reached its peak."
"The most important ingredient in this 'Four Sacred Seafood Eight Treasure Soul Buns' is the aged dough. Although the piece of dough I used today, aged 500 to 600 years, is already quite rare, it's still far from sufficient."
"It is rumored that the family who created this dish possesses a thousand-year-old dough that has been passed down since the Shu Han period. If I could use that, then this dish would truly reach its peak."
"Unfortunately, the last descendant of that family who possessed the thousand-year-old dough disappeared without a trace a hundred years ago, and perhaps the 'Shu Han Old Dough' has also vanished by now."
Since they hadn't watched "Chuka Ichiban," Hachiman decided to freely embellish the story with details from the show.
Upon hearing his words, everyone exchanged glances. A dough passed down from the Shu Han period? That would mean it has a history of over 1,700 years!
Over 1,700 years! Just thinking about it evoked a strong sense of history.
"Alright, let's not dwell on that. Let's continue," Hachiman said, smiling. "After tasting the historical dish just now, I'm sure everyone's feeling quite heavy. So, next, I'll make sure to lift everyone's spirits."
With that, he returned to the cooking station and started frying something in the oil.
The sound of sizzling oil filled the room, and soon Hachiman was carrying a plate of golden-yellow spherical objects to the table.
"Welcome to try the 'Golden Smiling Buns.'"
Looking at the dish in the plate, Senzaemon hesitated. "Hachiman-kun, are these... fried buns?"
"Yes, exactly, fried buns. And I believe they will offer everyone a unique experience," Hachiman said, brimming with confidence.
Upon hearing his words, Senzaemon raised an eyebrow and looked at the golden buns with "smiling faces."
As soon as he picked one up, he heard a crisp laughter coming from it.
"Hehehe... hehehe..."
"What's going on? Where is this laughter coming from?"
The sudden laughter startled everyone. Following the sound, Senzaemon looked at the bun in his hand, uncertain.
"Is... is the bun laughing?"
As if to confirm his suspicion, Senzaemon gently squeezed the bun again, and once more, he heard the laughter coming from the smiling "mouth" of the bun.
Seeing this, everyone became intrigued and began picking up a bun to squeeze and listen to the laughter.
The laughter echoed in the cooking room, creating an atmosphere of amusement.
"Hahaha, what an amusing dish. But what's most important is the taste. Let's give it a try."
Senzaemon laughed heartily a few times before biting into the bun, and the others followed suit.
As they bit down, the laughter grew louder, making it seem like they were eating and laughing simultaneously, creating a rather amusing scene.
Hearing this infectious laughter, the emotions that had been calmed by the "Four Sacred Seafood Eight Treasure Soul Buns" were once again stirred.
A feeling of happiness surged in their hearts.
Dessert, dessert, signifies lighting up the heart.
After all, with cuisine, it's all about enjoying it with happiness.
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