Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country

Chapter 603 - 571: Signature Sichuan Dish—Authentic Mapo Tofu!

After speaking, he added one more sentence: "It’s just not spicy enough. You Huaxia people probably can’t handle spice as well as we Koreans can."

"Hmm?"

Liang Siyu wasn’t pleased when she heard that. Saying it’s good but not spicy enough in a Sichuan restaurant is a blatant provocation, isn’t it?

That person helped himself to a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. The numbing, spicy, fresh taste satisfied him greatly, but he regretfully shook his head: "It’s just not spicy enough."

This was infuriating! He had the nerve to say it twice?!

Liang Siyu dangerously narrowed her eyes: "How about I ask the kitchen to add more spice for you?"

Park Guochang nodded with a smile: "That would be great, but I doubt your peppers can meet my demands. Our Korean peppers are very spicy, and I’m used to that level of heat."

"Just you wait!"

Liang Siyu roared internally, but she kept a smiling face as she picked up the plate of twice-cooked pork and strode towards the kitchen.

Liang Bo saw his daughter returning with the dish and frowned: "What’s wrong? Not to his taste?"

Liang Siyu grumbled: "Dad, there’s a foreigner out there saying your dish isn’t spicy enough."

Liang Bo looked up and saw Park Guochang waving at him with a smile.

Liang Bo smiled back, then turned his head with a dark expression and asked his daughter: "Japanese?"

Liang Siyu shook her head: "Korean."

Liang Bo asked again: "What else did he say?"

"He also said that our Sichuan peppers aren’t as spicy as theirs."

Liang Bo immediately said angrily: "Nonsense, just let him wait here for me!"

After saying that, he picked up a wok and started cooking.

The bursting flames made a "whoosh" sound, and the constant clashing of the wok and spatula couldn’t drown out Liang Bo’s mutterings.

"Spice you to death, you brat! Spice you to death, you brat! Spice you to death, you brat!"

"Pfft..."

Wang Fan, from his seat, heard the boss’s mutterings loud and clear and couldn’t help but laugh, thinking this Sichuan guy really has a fiery temper.

But Wang Fan was looking forward to the chef’s cooking skills.

Although his dish hadn’t arrived yet, his keen sense of smell picked up the aroma of the dishes on other tables, which were cooked in a very authentic way.

Moreover, because this small restaurant’s kitchen was close to the diners, the dishes could be served in about 20 steps, allowing the translucent steam rising from them to be seen clearly.

Soon, Liang Siyu returned with the re-cooked twice-cooked pork to the foreigner’s table, and Wang Fan watched his reaction with interest.

He had researched peppers, and the spiciest pepper in Korea should be the Big Red Chili F1, with a spiciness of 12,000 Scoville, a level 6 spiciness.

Authentic Sichuan cuisine seeks the aroma and color of peppers, with the taste being secondary. Therefore, pickled peppers, Er Jingtiao, Shizhu Red, and similar peppers are used a lot, known for their fragrance but not spiciness. But that doesn’t mean Sichuan doesn’t have very spicy peppers.

The spiciest Seven-Star Pepper can reach a spiciness of 50,000-100,000 Scoville. Judging from the boss’s demeanor and the wafting spicy aroma, Wang Fan knew the boss added Seven-Star Pepper to it.

However, the boss didn’t add much. The Seven-Star Pepper has a rich and intense spice, and Wang Fan only got a hint of it, but he thought even that hint would be enough to teach the Korean guy a lesson, teaching him not to claim things weren’t spicy enough in a Sichuan restaurant.

Because you never know if the boss is going to pull out the Seven-Star Pepper!

"Cough..."

As soon as the dish was served, Park Guochang couldn’t help but cough, clearly choked by the pepper’s spiciness, but he stiffly said: "I’ve had a cold recently."

Liang Siyu sneered inwardly and didn’t respond, only kindly reminding him: "This dish is quite spicy, take it slow. Would you like a bottle of yogurt?"

"No need, mere chilies, I’ve got this."

Park Guochang acted nonchalantly as he picked up his chopsticks and began eating directly.

Wang Fan, being tall, could see the dish even while sitting, and he was curious about the Sichuan representative dish of twice-cooked pork on the table.

Authentic!

Seeing the dish on the table and the rolled piece of meat that Park Guochang picked up, Wang Fan was impressed.

The dish on the table had a bright red color, looked oily and shiny, and emitted a steamy fragrance. The colors of the green peppers, chilies, and garlic shoots complemented each other, making it mouth-watering at first glance.

The meat slices were marbled with fat and lean meat, and slightly curled, looking quite visually striking.

This is how Sichuan cuisine should look!

The only slight disappointment was that the dish was slightly overcooked, making the garlic shoots on the chopsticks look a bit limp.

But this couldn’t really be blamed on the chef’s skill, as it was due to the dish having been reheated. Authentic versions are typically boiled and stir-fried all at once.

At this point, Wang Fan’s anticipation for Sichuan cuisine was rekindled.

But at this moment, Park Guochang was feeling very uncomfortable.

Although not much Seven-Star Pepper was added, for someone who can’t handle too much spice, it was enough to make him flush red and cry from the spiciness.

Park Guochang thought he could handle spice, but the characteristics of Sichuan cuisine had led him to misunderstand his own tolerance.

Watching Park Guochang exclaim with calls for his mom due to the spiciness, Liang Siyu felt an immense sense of satisfaction. However, she was kind-hearted and turned to fetch a bottle of yogurt from the fridge for him.

Park Guochang hurriedly tore open the package and guzzled it down. The cool, tangy yogurt taste quickly countered the chili’s spiciness, and he finally felt alive again.

But he couldn’t bring himself to take another bite of that dish, so he paid the bill and left in a hurry.

Liang Siyu wrinkled her nose and proudly "hmphed," before running back to the kitchen to serve other dishes.

Wang Fan finally got to eat the Mapo Tofu he had been longing for.

In Wang Fan’s opinion, if he had to choose one dish to represent Sichuan Cuisine, it would be Mapo Tofu. Of course, this was his personal understanding, and he couldn’t speak for others.

This dish perfectly fits the flavor characteristics of Sichuan cuisine and is also the most widely spread Sichuan dish.

As for those claims about authentic top-tier Sichuan cuisine not being spicy, most people can’t afford such top-tier dishes, and Wang Fan actually believed they don’t truly represent Sichuan cuisine.

Sichuan is a province that loves chili peppers; it’s a result of historical and unique geographical influences. So-called top-tier dishes have become distant from the masses; how can they represent true Sichuan cuisine?

Sichuan Province belongs to all the people of Sichuan, and Sichuan Cuisine belongs to them too. The dishes the people like and love to eat can truly represent a cuisine, a city, and a province.

Undoubtedly, Mapo Tofu meets these requirements.

Numbing, spicy, fresh, fragrant, tender, wrapped, and hot—this table’s Mapo Tofu met these seven criteria.

This portion of Mapo Tofu wasn’t served on a plate but in a small clay pot, placed on a wooden tray. As Wang Fan’s fingers approached, he could feel the astonishing heat from the clay pot.

Inside the pot, the thick red sauce firmly embraced the white and intact tofu, with gentle steam emitting a rich and savory aroma.

A layer of brownish-yellow pepper powder rested on top, with fine green garlic shoots closely adhering to the white tofu, and the yellow pickled ginger bits not to be left out, showcasing themselves.

Coupled with the brown-red, aromatic minced beef and thick bean paste, Wang Fan knew, without even tasting it, that this was an incredibly delicious Mapo Tofu.

Wang Fan grabbed a spoonful; this dish must be eaten with both sauce and tofu together, so the unique, numbing, spicy, fresh aroma can be fully appreciated.

The tofu entered his mouth, and the rich aroma of peppers quickly filled his palate, matched by the boldness of the chili, but the most prominent flavors were the refreshing taste of garlic shoots and the pickled ginger.

The unique three-fold sauce coating made the tofu’s surface exceptionally smooth and palatable. With just a gentle bite, the white, soft tofu melted completely in his mouth.

There wasn’t a hint of beany taste within the tofu; the fresh taste of beef, the aroma of peppers and chili, the spicy ginger scent of pickled ginger, along with a subtle salty base, all affirmed its authenticity as Mapo Tofu.

This is what the dish should taste like!

"Whoo!"

Breathing out a mouthful of hot air, relishing the numbing sensation in his mouth, Wang Fan couldn’t help but utter a word.

"Awesome!"