Cooking System: Street Food Rules
Chapter 52: Did you go to specialize in studying it?!

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Did you go to specialize in studying it?!

The business at the small square was really booming. People were coming and going, making it extraordinarily lively. Jiang Feng wasn’t making fried rice today. He focused solely on selling buns. This kept the flow of customers moving quickly.

Before trying them, Chu Fei hadn’t believed people would travel to the mountains just for buns. But after having some, he understood that the trip was entirely worth it. He picked up another char siu bun and took a bite. The char siu bun bloomed like a flower bud and was as fluffy as a cloud. The unique taste of intermingled fat and lean meat, combined with its fluffy texture, was accompanied by a rich, savory fragrance. Eating it was simply too delightful.

The previous day, Jiang Feng had concocted a secret sauce. He spread it evenly over the streaky pork and marinated it for several hours before roasting it in the oven to make char siu. The char siu was basted with this distinctive sauce. Under high heat, it underwent a chemical reaction, emitting a sweet fragrance. The flavor of the sauce thoroughly penetrated the meat. He cut the marinated meat into small pieces and meticulously prepared the dough for the char siu buns.

Char siu buns are different from ordinary buns. When wrapping them, the skin must not be too thin; it needs to be kept thicker. This is because when char siu buns are steamed, they expand like cotton, becoming snow-white and fluffy. Regular char siu bun eaters from "Old Guangdong" have their standards when it comes to these buns. They should be perfectly soft and smooth, bursting open to reveal just a hint of the filling. The char siu filling, with its sauce, offers a perfect balance of fat and lean meat. The first bite reveals an immediate softness, followed by a sweet and savory fragrance engulfing the taste buds. This mouthful of steaming delight is truly refreshing.

This wasn’t the Guangdong Region, so many people here were unaware of the subtleties of a good char siu bun. All they knew was that this slightly sweet meat bun could be so delicious!

"Let’s come back again tomorrow; it’s his last day here," Li Meng, Chu Fei’s wife, suggested.

"Yeah, we definitely should. We need to ask where he’ll set up his stall next so we can visit often," Chu Fei agreed contentedly after eating the bun. Although it was a bit of a hassle, the bun was so enjoyable that the trouble seemed worthwhile.

There were many more customers like them. Take Zhang Dashan from Happy Ranch, for example. He had been coming every day for the past two days. Jiang Feng admired his determination. Zhang Dashan didn’t think much of it. He explained that when he first started animal farming, he would wake up at 5 a.m. to herd sheep. This was because it was too hot to do so at noon, requiring him to herd once in the morning and again after 5 p.m. Moreover, Zhang Dashan simply loved meat and gourmet food. When he found a dish that made him happy, he would come every morning.

Looking at the sign, Zhang Dashan greeted Jiang Feng, "Boss Jiang, do you have a new type of bun today?"

"I’ve heard of char siu buns, but I’ve never eaten them. What flavor is this?"

Hearing Zhang Dashan’s question, Jiang Feng explained, "It’s a Guangdong-style dim sum, with a sweeter taste and a softer texture."

Zhang Dashan nodded. He wasn’t particularly fond of sweet things, especially when it came to meat. Yet, he ordered one regardless, wanting to try the flavor.

"I’ll take one of each of the five different buns!"

"Sure, no problem," Jiang Feng replied.

Zhang Dashan scanned the QR code to pay, and Jiang Feng packed the buns for him. After receiving the buns, Zhang Dashan first tasted the char siu bun. The first bite was tender, like fluffy cotton candy. The meat had a hint of sweetness—not greasy, but rather appetizing.

"Hmm, quite nice!"

"Even a sweet bun can be made this delicious!"

Zhang Dashan was once again impressed by Jiang Feng’s culinary skills.

More and more customers arrived. By a lucky coincidence, a visitor from the Guangdong Region happened to stop by. He specifically bought two char siu buns to try. He discovered that Jiang Feng’s char siu buns matched the local Guangdong flavor in appearance, texture, and taste, and were even superior in some aspects. Finding such authentic char siu buns outside the region was quite rare.

"Boss, have you ever been to Guangdong, or are you from there?" the customer asked after finishing his bun.

In response, Jiang Feng smiled and said, "I’ve actually never been there, though I’ve always wanted to visit. The food culture there is very rich, and I’d love to experience it."

Jiang Feng’s response was very pleasing. The food culture in Guangdong is indeed rich, with a wide variety of ingredients and ways of eating. Their reputation for eating anything is so widespread, it’s famously joked that they even eat people from Fujian.

"You don’t sound like you’re from there, but your char siu buns are very authentic. I just wanted to ask if you had studied there," the customer exclaimed in astonishment.

"I learned it from the internet and then experimented to get the flavor right myself," Jiang Feng explained. Of course, he couldn’t tell them the real reason.

"Then you’re amazing!" the customer marveled, then left, completely satisfied.

The stall’s business continued to boom. Jiang Feng’s baozi were selling quickly. Diners kept arriving in a steady stream. Soon, the baozi Jiang Feng had prepared were almost gone.

"They’re almost gone! No more left! Those at the back, please don’t queue anymore!" Jiang Feng shouted to the people at the end of the line.

Hearing his words, the crowd instantly descended into chaos.

"What? They’re gone?"

"Grab the baozi!"

"Boss, save one for me!"

It was unclear who had been unethical enough to shout, "Grab the baozi!" causing even more panic. Jiang Feng was speechless. Some people really do love to watch a spectacle without considering the consequences.Especially that guy who shouted—that was particularly unethical of him.

There was no security at this place, no one to manage it, and no one to maintain order. After all, who would have thought there would be so many people this early in the morning?

Thankfully, most people were rational and wouldn’t abandon their morals over good food. After a bit of pushing and shoving, those at the front continued to queue for baozi, while those at the back, though a bit disorganized, couldn’t squeeze through.

The baozi sold out quickly.

"Everyone, I’m sorry, but that’s it for today," Jiang Feng announced to those still lining up. He then packed up his sign, started the food truck, and slowly drove away amidst the crowd.

Another day’s business had finally ended. Jiang Feng understood this was because he had recently become somewhat popular online, leading to the massive influx of customers. It’s always like this.Wherever something becomes popular, everyone rushes over to join the excitement.On a normal day, there wouldn’t be nearly as many customers.

[Served Diners: 389/100. Today’s Task Complete.]

[Extra Reward Acquired: Goubuli Baozi Recipe.]

The extra reward for the sixth day was another baozi recipe.

Goubuli baozi, good stuff.I’ve always heard Goubuli baozi are expensive; I’ve never had them before.Now I can try making them myself, Jiang Feng thought.

Indeed, Goubuli’s establishments were expensive—just ordering baozi and congee would barely be enough for two people with 200 yuan.A dish of plain mixed pickles would cost over forty yuan.That’s probably why not many people go there anymore.Of course, the recipe for the baozi is unquestionably impressive; otherwise, it wouldn’t be so famous.

Goubuli baozi’s filling and dough are particular. The filling is a "watery" one, requiring broth. When eaten, this allows juices to flow out, enhancing the taste. The dough is semi-leavened, giving it a more robust texture.

The ingredients are simple—just pork and green onions.However, you need to add broth to the filling, and that broth has to be made by simmering bones and a whole chicken.This step takes quite a bit of effort.Stewing one pot of broth is enough to make several hundred baozi, so when averaged out, the cost per baozi doesn’t increase by much.

After returning to his shop, Jiang Feng quickly cleaned the food truck and then immediately set out to make the Goubuli baozi. First, he had to stew a pot of broth for later use. The taste of his broth, needless to say, was exceptional—rich, clear, and delicious. Such broth, when added to the pork filling, would elevate the taste of the pork to another level. The baozi made this way would be even more delectable.