Cooking System: Street Food Rules
Chapter 41: The Bustling Refectory!

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: The Bustling Refectory!

Before the monks began their meal, Li Xiangfo tasted the vegetarian baozi in advance.

He took a bite.

Instantly, a mixed aroma of various vegetables was released from his mouth.

The finely chopped sweet potato noodles were extremely bouncy, the fragrance of cabbage and carrots was rich, and the wood ear mushrooms crunched satisfyingly.

The flavor was delicious, without the slightest hint of meat or fish.

Jiang Feng’s control over the oil was excellent. Although he had drizzled hot soybean oil over the vegetable filling, he had also added some water, so the proportion of oil was not heavy.

Moreover, Jiang Feng had stir-fried the cabbage and carrots in such a way that their natural oils were released, preserving the original taste of the vegetables.

Purely vegetarian, yet remarkably savory.

The temple’s diet always leaned towards light flavors, a requirement for maintaining a clear mind and subduing desires.

However, when one eats too plainly too often, some flavor is needed for variety.

For example, monks could not eat chili peppers, but the spicy pickled cabbage they made themselves—without chili peppers—was permissible.

Jiang Feng’s baozi perfectly fit this situation.

They could be described as light, yet they were exceptionally fragrant, entirely from the flavor of the stir-fried vegetable filling.

And though the flavor was rich, there was no breach of monastic rules.

These baozi are truly something! How did this stall owner manage to make purely vegetarian baozi so fragrant? Such skill!

Li Xiangfo admired Jiang Feng from the bottom of his heart.

Doing business with the temple was not easy.

The dietary requirements were very high.

The previous baozi shop owner had almost given up on the temple’s business; it was only after much persuasion from Li Xiangfo that he had agreed to continue.

The previous baozi shop owner had gone back to his hometown for a couple of days to handle some matters, which had made Li Xiangfo quite anxious.

Then he encountered Jiang Feng and thought of a solution.

At that moment, Zhang Mu, the [Hall Manager] of the temple, came over.

The so-called [Hall Manager] was the person in charge of the kitchen and refectory, responsible for managing the temple’s meals and congee.

Li Xiangfo had always communicated with Zhang Mu.

Because they were very familiar with each other, Zhang Mu did not address Li Xiangfo as "Layman" but called him by his secular name or Dharma name.

"Is the morning meal ready? The monks will all be here soon," Zhang Mu asked.

"Don’t worry, it’s all set. I found a new vendor," Li Xiangfo replied confidently.

"That’s good. I was a bit concerned, as many people don’t understand the temple’s rules."

"These are today’s baozi and steamed buns. Have a taste and you’ll see," Li Xiangfo said, passing a vegetarian baozi to Zhang Mu.

Zhang Mu took it and immediately had a bite.

The baozi’s skin exuded a light, fragrant wheat aroma. He could even smell the scent of fermented wheat, and the texture was exceptionally soft.

The mixed vegetables also had a pleasant texture when chewed.

At first, Zhang Mu was a bit surprised, wondering if the delicious taste meant some forbidden ingredients had been added.

But after chewing carefully for a while, he realized it was all the natural taste of the vegetables, along with some seasonings.

Delicious, yet with no violation of monastic rules.

Zhang Mu was also astonished.

Having eaten in the temple for so many years, he had never encountered vegetarian baozi made to such a standard.

The vegetarian baozi ordinary people ate usually contained eggs, scallions, or a bit of chili pepper to enhance the flavor.

After all, these ingredients, when stir-fried, made them taste good.

But the temple had strict requirements: all food had to be vegetarian, without eggs, scallions, garlic, ginger, or chili peppers.

Making vegetarian food delicious was very challenging.

"These baozi are excellent!" Zhang Mu exclaimed. "Where did you buy them from?"

Hearing Zhang Mu’s words, Li Xiangfo replied with a smile, "It’s no secret. Yesterday, a new stall appeared in the small plaza halfway up the mountain."

"The owner of that stall is truly remarkable. He’d previously set up in two different places, and diners would form long queues, actually following him from one spot to the next."

"I’ve seen videos of him online."

"I didn’t expect him to come to Fengqi Mountain yesterday, so I seized the opportunity to place an order with him."

"His skill is genuinely impressive."

"I stated my requirements, and he showed no hesitation at all, agreeing readily."

"The baozi he makes are just that good."

"The steamed buns are good too. It’s a shame I ordered too few of them," Li Xiangfo said, feeling some regret. I should have bought more.

Hearing this, Zhang Mu nodded, agreeing with Li Xiangfo.

To meet such requirements and still achieve this level of quality, this owner must indeed be skilled, he thought.

At this moment, two young monks had already laid out the steamed buns and baozi.

Before long, the bell rang, and the monks came to the refectory, ready for that day’s morning meal.

Attending morning chanting and meditation consumed a lot of Staminia.

Everyone was already hungry.

The monks noticed that today’s steamed buns seemed a bit different from before.

The steamed buns were larger, with a round, full, and very fine-textured surface.

When picked up, they felt firm yet elastic.

These steamed buns were undoubtedly delicious!

Today’s morning meal consisted of steamed buns, baozi, millet porridge, and pickled vegetables.

The monks took baozi and steamed buns from the plates and each took a bite.

"Hmm?"

As a few of the younger monks took their first bite of a baozi, their eyes instantly lit up.

They initially thought they had taken the wrong baozi, one that mistakenly contained meat.

But after a couple more chews, they realized it was clearly the taste of vegetable filling.

Although the younger monks were cultivating, they were still young, and it wasn’t so easy for them to completely quiet their minds.

Tasting such delicious baozi naturally brought smiles to their faces, their expressions lighting up with excitement.

The older monks were much more composed.

After tasting the baozi, they too were momentarily surprised, then savored the flavor before eating heartily.

Everyone ate with excitement.

If not for the prohibition against idle chatter during the morning meal, many would likely have voiced their praises aloud.

Today’s morning meal had a more fervent atmosphere than usual.

Everyone clearly sensed that people were eating the steamed buns and baozi faster than before.

A few younger monks, with greater Staminia, devoured a baozi in just a few bites.

Life in the temple was monotonous, and encountering such delicacies was truly rare.

In a short while, the plates of steamed buns and baozi were completely empty.

The abbot of the temple also tasted the vegetarian baozi.

He savored it carefully. His facial expression did not change at all, but a hint of appreciation emerged in his eyes.

The abbot ate one vegetarian baozi, one steamed bun, and finished the porridge in his bowl.

"Hui Ping, today’s morning meal was very good. Did we switch to a new supplier?" the abbot asked Zhang Mu.

Zhang Mu’s Dharma name was Hui Ping.

Zhang Mu promptly replied, "A small stall has opened on the mountainside. The owner’s cooking skills are exceptionally impressive; his food draws long queues of people."

"He recently came to Fengqi Mountain and will likely set up his stall here for a few days. As it happened, the owner of our previous supplier had returned to his hometown for a break, so we arranged for this new vendor to supply our breakfast."

The monks in the refectory heard the conversation and only then realized that the delicious baozi and steamed buns came from a small stall vendor.

Hearing what Zhang Mu said, the abbot nodded slightly.

"We can order more from him for the morning meal."

"I see everyone is very happy eating it."

"This temple food can uplift everyone’s spirits, leading to insight and clarity."

"It is also beneficial for everyone’s cultivation."

Hearing the abbot’s words, Zhang Mu quickly responded, "Yes, I understand."

The monks all smiled.

Everyone was greatly looking forward to the baozi and steamed buns for future morning meals.

「At the same time, on the small plaza halfway up the mountain.」

Jiang Feng’s customer counter still read 25 when, suddenly, the number leaped to over 60. This indicated he had fulfilled an order for at least 35 people at once.

Jiang Feng’s eyebrows twitched. That must be the monks from the temple. This order is quite good; it fulfills a third of my mission in one go, he mused.

There were many customers at this time of day.

Just then, Jiang Feng saw a few familiar faces also appear in the small plaza.