Chapter 885 - 617: Snack Street
Xia Liang ordered two servings, and the busy owner began preparing breakfast for Xia Liang and his companion.
"Mr. Xia Liang, is the breakfast here edible?"
Lu Ruian sat down with Xia Liang, asking somewhat doubtfully.
The breakfast shop was indeed very small and simply couldn't compare to the large restaurants he had visited before. Plus, there weren't many people around, making the place seem a bit deserted.
There naturally weren't many people, considering it was already past eight o'clock, well after breakfast time.
"Don't worry, you'll understand in a moment."
Xia Liang smiled without explaining further. He had realized by now that this little foreigner's understanding of Dragon Country was skewed, and that explanations would be futile. Only by experiencing it firsthand would he believe it.
"Here it comes!"
After a few minutes, the owner shouted and then brought over the breakfast: two bowls of Hu La Tang and two spring onion pancakes, still steaming hot.
"Mr. Lu Ruian, you can start now."
As Xia Liang spoke, he picked up the spoon and sipped a mouthful of Hu La Tang, letting out a pleased exclamation at the still exquisite taste.
Seeing Xia Liang start eating, Lu Ruian hesitated but then followed suit and took a sip.
"Hmm?"
As soon as the Hu La Tang touched his lips, Lu Ruian felt a spicy and sour taste stimulating his taste buds, causing his eyes to light up instantly.
"I didn't expect such cuisine in Dragon Country!"
He considered himself to have tasted many delicacies, but found that compared to this bowl of Hu La Tang, previous dishes were insignificant.
Lu Ruian then started to devour the soup with enthusiasm. Hu La Tang wasn't just soup; there were numerous ingredients in it, with beef balls being the highlight.
Not only were they large, but they were also incredibly bouncy when bitten into, filling the mouth with aroma, which seemed to radiate through his pores.
"I didn't know beef could be prepared like this!"
Lu Ruian swallowed hard, his eyes shining brightly.
Though he had eaten steak and the like before and enjoyed the taste, compared with the beef balls before him, he found his taste buds had forgotten the flavor of steaks, leaving only the aroma of these beef balls.
"Mr. Lu Ruian, how does it taste?"
Seeing Lu Ruian's expression, Xia Liang asked with a smile.
"Mr. Xia Liang, this Hu La Tang is incredibly delicious—it ranks at the top of all the food I've ever tasted."
Lu Ruian nodded in satisfaction.
"As long as Mr. Lu enjoys it. This Hu La Tang is thought to have originated in the Song Dynasty, as pepper was introduced to Dragon Country by the Tang Dynasty. Its ancestors are likely hot and sour soup and meat porridge. It retains the hangover-curing and digestive properties of hot and sour soup and includes meat to cater to a wider audience, offering vitality and energy. It's further seasoned with ginger, pepper, star anise, cinnamon, and such to invigorate and refresh…"
Xia Liang began to explain the history of Hu La Tang to Lu Ruian, fulfilling his duty as a tour guide.
"I never expected a bowl of Hu La Tang to have such a long history."
After listening to Xia Liang's explanation, Lu Ruian was astonished. Given that the Eagle Country was only about two hundred years old, the Song Dynasty being nearly a thousand years ago made it difficult for him to comprehend.
"Mr. Lu Ruian, don't just drink the soup. Hu La Tang paired with this spring onion pancake is the real delicacy."
Seeing that Lu Ruian was almost finishing the bowl of Hu La Tang, Xia Liang handed over a spring onion pancake with a smile.
Having now believed that Xia Liang had brought him to taste fine food, Lu Ruian took the offered spring onion pancake without any hesitation.
"Crunch..."
Biting into the spring onion pancake, Lu Ruian's eyes once again lit up.
The pancake was not only golden and crispy but also filled with the aroma of spring onion, which lingered between his teeth, making it an unforgettable taste, rendering him reluctant to swallow.
After savoring it enough, Lu Ruian had another sip of Hu La Tang, letting the onion flavor combine with the spicy and sour taste to greatly stimulate his taste buds.
"OMG!"
Lu Ruian exclaimed in excitement, his eyes brimming with intense emotion. He couldn't find words to describe the sensation of these two foods paired together.
Initially, he had planned to have his usual breakfast of bread and milk. But after tasting the combination of Hu La Tang and the pancake, he realized how simple his previous breakfasts had been.
Bread and milk, is that fit for humans?
A real person should have Hu La Tang with spring onion pancake!
He couldn't believe that his second meal in Dragon Country could be so delightful.
This also puzzled Lu Ruian; wasn't it said that Dragon Country people couldn't even afford food? Why would breakfast be this tasty?
But upon seeing the shop's calm atmosphere, he suddenly understood.
"It seems this kind of street breakfast shop isn't affordable for the average Dragon Country person."
Before long, Lu Ruian finished both the spring onion pancake and the Hu La Tang and found himself wanting more.
"Mr. Lu Ruian, breakfast should be light. We're going to explore more delicacies today, so save room."
Xia Liang said with a smile.
"Oh? Isn't this already gourmet?"
Lu Ruian looked at Xia Liang with surprise. In his view, something so delicious wouldn't even qualify as gourmet in Dragon Country?
"This is indeed gourmet, but Dragon Country has much more to offer."
Xia Liang chuckled without explaining further. What was considered gourmet to outsiders was just a typical breakfast in Dragon Country.
Listening to Xia Liang, Lu Ruian became even more eager, wondering how many more treasures Dragon Country had in store.
Lu Ruian was generous enough to treat them to breakfast, believing Xia Liang had brought him to a spot not typically affordable for the average Dragon Country person to enjoy good food.
Xia Liang didn't refuse; breakfast wasn't expensive, and he thought he'd let Lu Ruian save face.
"Mr. Xia Liang, where are we heading next? I'm only half-full."
In the car, Lu Ruian rubbed his stomach, asking excitedly.
"Next, I'll take Mr. Lu to a snack street."
Xia Liang thought for a moment before saying.
Qingyun has several snack streets, like the Guihua Street Hui style snack street, known for its halal flavors.
But today Xia Liang intended to take Lu Ruian to Dapiyuan, a classic area with numerous old shops in Qingyun.
Dapiyuan is located on a street within Qingyun Hui Fang, famous for its Hui cuisine. During the Ming Dynasty, this street was more known for its silk and hide trades.
The street features a line of food stalls offering a variety of Hui snacks like lamb flatbread, beef tail casserole, spicy hot pot, stir-fried noodles and pancakes, cured beef... nearly everything you could imagine.
Most importantly, it's very close to where they were now, whereas other snack streets were a bit farther away.
In just about half an hour, Xia Liang parked the car, revealing a bustling snack street ahead.