Chapter 106: Ma La Tang (1/2)

Chapter 106: Ma La Tang

“Eight or ten s-ranked gems. Are they made of chocolate?” The Gourmet addressed them flatly.

Hua Li’s response was earnest regardless. “If that’s what you want, I can find a way to get it.”

It was then the Gourmet knew he was serious. He looked from the newcomer, then to Lan Jue. For Hua Li to make such a claim, the Jewelry Master must not have been talking nonsense. The very effeminate gentleman before him must indeed be very wealthy.

“Let’s eat,” he said.

Preparation began when he produced a small stove, with a metal alloy plate beneath to ensure it didn’t hurt the table. A covered pot was then placed on top. The fires underneath were lit.

Next, several plates of fresh dishes were brought out before them. Seafood, vegetables and more were arrayed fancily around the stove. None of them bore any special preparation, but for bamboo shoots which impale the thinly sliced pieces. So far, it certainly didn’t appear to be what you’d call a meal.

“This is… hot pot?” Hua Li’s interrogative voice wafted forth, disappointment in his eyes.

“No!” The Gourmet vehemently shook his head. “This is Ma La Tang.” 1

“Ma La Tang?” The depression faded from his face. “You know how to make it? I’ve had it once before, and I still remember how good it tasted! That fresh, spicy taste is enough to have you eating way past what’s appropriate. But I hear it’s almost impossible to have authentic Ma La Tang these days. Most of the required spices have been lost to us, so the result is a relatively bland copy.”

“Bland?” The Gourmet tasted the word and found it unsavory. “You tell me then, how is one supposed to make Ma La Tang?”

Hua Li did not hesitate in the face of the Gourmet’s challenge. “Ma La Tang was a provincial treat from Former Era China. The base itself is the most demanding aspect. You need garlic, ginger, hot peppers, bean paste, black pepper, white pepper and more. As for the specific proportions of each, I’m not sure. Once your base is completed, however, you boil it in a large pot. You then prepare several dishes as you’ve done here, and you can then place them in the boiling base. Once it’s cooked to your liking, pluck it from the pot, smear some sesame paste on it, spice, and you’ve got yourself a delicious treat.”

The Gourmand, after hearing the loquacious explanation, shook his head. “Were I to give you a base in the way you described, we wouldn’t be having a hot spicy meal. It’d be a boiled spicy meal.”

“Eh?”

“Let me ask you,” the gourmet continued. “What’s the difference between hot, and boiled.”

Hua Li fell silent, apparently unclear on the question. Lan Jue also looked on in uncertainty. As they did the sound of roiling water reached their ears. The lid of the pot rumbled as steam spat from it’s sides, releasing a savory aroma. The thick mist was heavy with spice and freshness blended together. Just the scent alone raised their body heat, and opened their pores.

The Gourmet stood, and lifted the lid from the pot.

Immediately what was before a faint aroma became a torrent as the steam filled the room. As the smoke cleared, the shifting red soup within the pot appeared before Lan Jue and Hua Li’s eyes. They could just spy the spices rolling around in the boiling broth. As the thick aroma invaded their nostrils, they grew more impatient to try it.

The Gourmet reached down and shut off the stove.

Lan Jue and Hua Li exchanged a glance. They hadn’t yet eaten, they thought. Why urn off the fire?

Under their wondering gaze the Gourmet began to place the morsels of food scattered around in to the steaming pot. He didn’t insert too many, maybe fifteen sticks jutted from the lip of the cauldron.

“The most important distinction between boiling and heated is this. Boiling intends to maintain it’s state – to keep boiling. One takes advantage of the heat to thoroughly cook the food placed within. Generally speaking, this method of cooking requires one to pair it with delicious sauces. Because of the high heat, you can’t let the food sit within for sufficient amounts of time necessary to absorb the flavors. Rather like the boiled mutton they’d often eat in Former Era China. However there later arose several chefs who chose to employ a different method of cooking food. They deigned to heat the food slowly, and as a result the flavors of the broth were able to infuse the food.”

“So what is ‘heat’ here? Heat is actually this; once the soup has been brought to a boil, it’s easier to fill food with it’s flavors as it cools. Thus, the heat allows for a better overall meal as the spices of the broth and the food’s natural flavors combine. And so I shut off the fire because what we want is hot and spicy. Not boiled. True Ma La Tang does not require any sauce for dipping. What you described a moment ago was in fact spicy hotpot. The sad fact is that due to it’s troublesome nature to properly prepare, even Former Era China saw fewer and fewer people partaking. As a result, the broth and preparation you see here is my special secret.”

Hua Li and Lan Jue each nodded in sudden enlightenment from the Gourmet’s lesson. Hua Li was the first to speak up.

“Today was indeed a good day for me to arrive. I’m a lucky guy. It’s no wonder they call you the Gourmet. A well deserved title, and I admire your knowledge. As for meat, could we employ the same method you described to cook it as well?”

The Gourmet nodded in affirmation. “That is so. When creating stews I am constantly turning the fires off and on. This way they retain even more flavor – and as a result are much tastier than other people’s dishes. Always adding flavoring and sauces simply results in one losing the beauty of expertly prepared food.”