Chapter 890 - 622: Different
"So, let's take a walk around the street for a while and see what we can eat this afternoon."
Xia Liang's suggestion was approved by Lu Rui'an, and the two of them headed out and started wandering around the street.
Lu Rui'an was like a curious child, filled with curiosity about the roadside delicacies.
At this moment, Xia Liang viewed Lu Rui'an as his own dear child, patiently explaining these delicacies.
"This is called Guokui, also known as Dry Mo or Guokui Momo. It looks like a pot lid, thin on the edges and thick in the middle, with a spoke-like pattern on the surface. It's firm and chewy, crispy, and delicious. It's a great gift for friends and family."
"This is called Liangpi. It appeared as early as the Qin Dynasty, with a smooth texture and various ways to enjoy it. The Qin Town Liangpi is the most famous, with a history of over two thousand years."
"There's also Sesame Liangpi, where a large scoop of sesame sauce is added, making the Liangpi more rich and mellow."
"Compared to the above two, Hanzhong Rice Noodles made from rice paste are rarely seen outside. The texture of rice noodles is softer and stickier than wheat noodles. They can be made hot, and some stores even mix Liangpi and rice noodles, letting you enjoy both textures at once."
"This is Rose Mirror Cake, a childhood memory for the locals of Chang'an. Made mainly from glutinous rice flour, the palm-sized white cake is taken from a small steamer, smeared with sauce, then wrapped with black sesame seeds and crushed peanuts, and eaten with two bamboo sticks."
"The sauce for Mirror Cake comes in a variety of flavors, including blueberry, hawthorn, chocolate, and the most signature and popular rose flavor."
"..."
Listening to Xia Liang's continuous explanations, Lu Rui'an's eyes shone brightly looking at these delicacies.
If only he weren't so full, he would have bought them all to try. He wished he had more stomachs to hold all the delicious food.
They wandered for a while, and it was soon noon. Although Lu Rui'an still felt a bit full, he insisted on continuing to eat.
"Let me take you to try the famous Yangrou Paomo, touted as the best bowl under the heavens."
Xia Liang thought for a moment and said that a visit to Chang'an would be incomplete without trying the Yangrou Paomo.
Quickly, Xia Liang took Lu Rui'an to the entrance of a restaurant. After queuing for a while, they finally entered.
"Mr. Xia Liang, is this the Paomo you mentioned? Why does it look different from others'?"
When the shop staff brought the Paomo, Lu Rui'an looked confused because there were only two bowls and two buns in front of them.
As for the others, there was nothing in sight.
However, their neighboring table had a bowl of lamb vermicelli, topped with scallions and cilantro. Just the aroma alone made Lu Rui'an swallow his saliva.
"Mr. Lu Rui'an, these buns are also called Tuo Tuo buns. Guests need to break them into soybean-sized pieces themselves. Once done, they give it to the chef for soup or Shui Weicheng, meaning more or less soup."
Xia Liang explained with a smile while starting to break the buns.
Lu Rui'an looked around and found that others were also breaking buns just like Xia Liang.
"Mr. Xia Liang, why do you Dragon Country people make eating so complicated? Can't the store break the buns in advance?"
Lu Rui'an furrowed his brows, tempted by the aroma of the neighboring table's lamb vermicelli soup to the point of tears.
"Mr. Lu Rui'an, you don't understand. In Dragon Country, there's a saying about doing things yourself and being self-sufficient. This breaking buns is based on that concept."
"Moreover, it's a form of enjoyment for the locals. People from Chang'an have been great at breaking buns since childhood. Waiting might be tedious, but a sense of accomplishment comes over you when you finally savor it."
"If you can't even endure a bit of solitude, how can you taste good food?"
Xia Liang patiently explained, as it was his darling child after all, so he indulged him.
Lu Rui'an could only accept reluctantly and began emulating Xia Liang to break the buns, although the sizes were inconsistent and looked somewhat peculiar.
"Forget it, you still need Dad... I'll help you break them."
As Xia Liang spoke, he took over and broke the buns, knowing it'd get sent back if done this way.
After a while, Xia Liang finally finished breaking them all and sent them to the counter for the chef to process.
Soon, the server brought over the bowls of Yangrou Paomo to them.
"Mr. Xia Liang, I'll start now."
After smelling the aroma, Lu Rui'an eagerly began to taste it.
He took a sip of the soup first. It was deliciously flavorful, with tender lamb meat.
The previously hard buns had turned soft and flavorful after soaking in the soup, and the unique texture combined with vermicelli was exceptional.
"Oh my, this is insanely good."
Lu Rui'an exclaimed, feeling that in all his years as a food critic, nothing he had tasted compared to what he'd tried that day.
"Mr. Lu Rui'an, you shouldn't stir the Yangrou Paomo while eating it. Instead, eat along the edge of the bowl to ensure consistent taste."
"When you feel the soup is getting too rich, you can have a clove of pickled garlic to refresh the palate."
Upon hearing Xia Liang's advice, Lu Rui'an nodded and followed his instructions.
Xia Liang also wasn't idle, having explained so much while it was already noon—he was quite hungry himself.
The Yangrou Paomo combines dishes, staple food, and soup in one bowl, leaving a strong feeling of fullness.
"Mr. Xia Liang, I feel like I won't need to eat anymore today, I'm absolutely stuffed."
After a while, Lu Rui'an leaned back in his chair contentedly and said, having finished the bowl of Yangrou Paomo without leaving a drop of soup.
"So, Mr. Lu Rui'an, are you planning to continue strolling, or would you like to head back to the hotel to rest?"
Xia Liang asked with a smile.
"Let's go back to the hotel first. I don't feel like moving at all now."
Xia Liang nodded, paid the bill, and drove Lu Rui'an back to the hotel.
"Mr. Lu Rui'an, take a rest first. If you feel refreshed later, you can call me, and I'll take you to try other delicacies."
"Alright, thank you, Mr. Xia Liang."
With that, the two returned to their rooms.
Sitting on the chair, Lu Rui'an still felt a bit full, but thoughts lingered in his mind.
This Dragon Country seemed somewhat different from what he knew before.
Before coming to Dragon Country, Lu Rui'an had only known about it through his country's media.
These media never spoke well of Dragon Country, always disparaging it.
Before today, Lu Rui'an firmly believed in these media, thinking Dragon Country was as they described, incredibly poor and full of chaos.
But this morning's experiences made him start questioning what these media had been saying.
Was Dragon Country really full of chaos?