Leisurely Traveler with Check-in System

Chapter 157: Chapter 99: Watch Closely, This Pot Will Smell Amazing!

”Damn...”

Their conversation made Lu Xiaolan laugh. Her cousin’s dialogue with him was really interesting.

...

In the kitchen.

Li Younan tied on a chef’s white apron and rolled up his sleeves.

All the ingredients and seasonings he specifically requested were placed on the prep table in front of him.

Chen Kunjie still couldn’t quite believe it, but seeing Li Younan’s setup, he found it rather imposing, so he said, half-believingly, ”Do you really know how to do this? You don’t even eat chili.”

Lu Xiaolan stood curiously to the side, usually a chatterbox, yet behaving like a quiet, well-mannered child in front of strangers.

Li Younan replied calmly, ”Not eating spicy food doesn’t mean one can’t cook Sichuan cuisine.”

He smiled, ”You have a misunderstanding about Sichuan and Chongqing cuisine. Whether it’s hot pot or typical Sichuan cuisine, you think spicy can represent Sichuan cuisine, or spicy can represent Chongqing hot pot. Because of this, your hot pot base failed.”

Then Li Younan paused and slowly began, ”Anyone can add more spice—just throw in chili peppers, or use even spicier peppers—but that’s wrong. All heat is added based on fragrance, only if it’s aromatic does the spice have meaning. Conversely, if it’s aromatic, even without spicy, it’s still fragrant.”

”Only when it’s fragrant, does the spice have meaning.”

Chen Kunjie murmured this sentence, a glimmer of understanding crossed his eyes, yet he remained somewhat confused.

At this point, Li Younan was skillfully lighting the stove.

”Watch carefully, I’ll only demonstrate once.” Li Younan glanced at Chen Kunjie.

”This pot will be very fragrant.”

The flame was steady, and in the thick iron pot, the beef tallow melted to a clear bottom, leaving no off-flavor, only a clean, meaty aroma, heavy in the kitchen.

”Clean oil brings true fragrance.” Li Younan scraped the bottom of the pot with the back of a spoon, the sound sharp.

With a flick of his wrist, the dark red chili paste slid into the oil.

This chili wasn’t too hot, mild in spice, and full of fragrance.

”Sizzle—” A wisp of white vapor with a sweet, fermented fruit scent rose up.

Li Younan held a large spoon, stirring steadily and evenly.

The bright red in the pot slowly settled, gradually turning into a glossy deep red.

”The heat. No matter what dish you fry, the heat is critical. Even if you use the same ingredients in the same proportions, a different heat will produce a completely different taste!”

He stared into the pot, as did Lu Xiaolan and Chen Kunjie.

The air filled with a rich spicy aroma, yet the spiciness was very faint.

Lu Xiaolan swallowed a mouthful of saliva, ”Fragrant!”

The time had come.

Li Younan scooped two large spoonfuls of premium Pixian bean paste, slapping it into the red oil.

He exerted force with his wrist, the large spoon danced in the pot. The fragrance of the paste and fermented beans exploded and enveloped the previous spiciness.

The oil turned a bright, clear red, the edges of the bean paste slightly curled, oil beads rolling crystal clear on the surface.

Li Younan turned to look at Chen Kunjie and said, ”Chili isn’t that important. Once you fry the base well, when you serve it, the level of heat—extra spicy, medium, mild—can be adjusted by the amount of chili added. The base, the base, the key is its fragrance!”

The critical step arrived.

Li Younan brought over a small bowl containing a brown paste—fermented black bean puree mixed with fermented glutinous rice wine and a few drops of five-year aged Shaoxing wine. This scene made Chen Kunjie’s eyes visibly light up... they didn’t have this step in his family’s hot pot base recipe.

Could this be a secret recipe?

With a flick of his wrist, the paste slid into the oil along the edge of the pot. ”Sizzle” went the soft sound, and a strange fragrance with a slight sweet wine aroma instantly burst forth, smoothing and rounding off previous intensities.

It was the spices’ turn to take the stage.

Shelled cardamom, plump star anise, and glossy fennel seeds—all soaked in warm water to remove much of their astringency.

The spices were sprinkled into the pot and continued to be stirred.

The aroma was subtly changing; amidst the spicy paste, notes of wood, licorice sweetness, and a hint of roasted nut richness emerged.

Finally, a small handful of fresh Jiuyeqing green Sichuan peppercorns, lush and full, evidently a premium variety with a subtle numbing aroma.

Li Younan scattered the green peppercorns onto the bubbling oil, quickly mixing them in.

An extremely fresh, penetrating pepper aroma ”whoosh” exploded, like an invisible thread, instantly uplifting and connecting all the robust aromas.

In the glossy deep red background, it was dotted with spots of lush green, particularly striking.

The red waves in the pot gradually calmed, the residue glinting dully in the remaining heat.

”Done.”

Li Younan set down the spoon, ”The flavor is sealed in the oil, wait for it to solidify before cooking.”

Chen Kunjie stared blankly at this pot of hot pot base.

To an outsider, nothing seemed extraordinary.

But as someone who grew up in a hot pot restaurant, he saw many nuances. When it comes to frying hot pot bases, the general procedure is quite similar, but there are exclusive secrets within certain details.

And Li Younan casually demonstrated some steps he hadn’t seen in his family’s hot pot base preparation, including the amount of seasonings and their respective proportions.

This aroma didn’t lose to those established hot pot restaurants at all.

Chen Kunjie’s expression became complex as he looked at Li Younan, ”You... your family also runs a hot pot restaurant?”

Lu Xiaolan couldn’t help but say from the side, ”Cousin doesn’t like hot pot.”

Chen Kunjie’s expression became even more complicated, ”Not liking hot pot, yet able to fry such a good hot pot base?”

Li Younan casually untied his apron and said, ”Have you interacted with any top students before?”

Although Chen Kunjie was in the same school as Li Younan, he was an art student, strictly speaking, not a top student, so he hadn’t interacted much with them, and he shook his head.

Li Younan smiled and said, ”You’ll know if you interact with those top students; their grades are good solely because they’re good at it, not because they love studying.”