Chapter 52
- Ginseng vs. Ginseng (1)
Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gyeonghoeru Pavilion.
At the site of the final Farewell banquet, the lively sounds of music filled the air as lion masks leaped and danced.
Crossing the distant desert, traveling ten thousand miles Torn fur clothes, covered in dust Shaking head and wagging tail, taming virtue How could its talent be like any beast? The spirit of a hero is like that of a hundred beasts' talent.
Red face, white fur. The Bukcheong Lion Mask Dance, known as Suanni.
As if to startle the audience, the lion mask suddenly darted forward, thrusting its large face close to the Ming envoy and shuddering.
A movement called 'shaking sand,' displaying its might by shaking its entire body.
Liu Jin, amused by the movement, which was different from the lion mask dances of China, clapped his hands.
"Haha, such amusing movements..."
But the laughter was not just from the entertainment.
It was mixed with anticipation for the results of the upcoming culinary competition.
The outcome was as good as decided.
The Joseon King was not even attending this event.
'...He must have run away to avoid being publicly humiliated.'
Seong Hui-an, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, who was hosting the Farewell banquet in place of His Majesty, also seemed relaxed.
"Please, my lord, enjoy the Sandae Play of Joseon.""
"I understand. It is certainly an interesting spectacle... but perhaps it is just my feeling, it seems a bit longer than the ones in China?"
It was not just his feeling. It was bound to feel that way.
Yeonsangun had instructed the clown Gong-gil, who was wearing the lion mask, in advance.
'He must have told me to stall for time with the lion dance. But when is this damn King planning to arrive?'
A strange order to stall for time at the banquet until His Majesty arrived.
Sweating profusely inside the lion mask, Gong-gil grumbled inwardly.
'Does he even know how heavy this mask is, really...'
But those who did not know the situation inside the mask applauded and cheered every time the lion mask shook its body.
How much time had passed?
A pale-faced eunuch rushed into the banquet hall, panting.
"His Majesty has arrived!""
With that one sentence, the hall fell silent as if cold water had been poured over it.
The expression of Liu Jin, the Ming envoy who had been smiling arrogantly, gradually turned sour.
At that moment.
- Kwaang!
Yeonsangun, riding a white horse, burst into the banquet hall, smashing the paper doors.
The scene of him storming into the banquet hall on horseback, with the majestic dancing lion mask in the background, was like a dynamic Painting of a Fine Horse.
'N-No, this can't be.'
Seong Hui-an's eyebrows twitched as he watched the scene.
Who would have imagined the sight of someone breaking down the doors of the banquet hall and riding in on a horse?
Moreover, the person riding behind His Majesty was undoubtedly Royal Cuisine Master Ji-young.
'Nok-su was supposed to take care of it...'
Could it be that the cunning Jang Nok-su's plan had failed?
As countless thoughts raced through Seong Hui-an's mind, His Majesty, who had dismounted from his horse, suddenly thrust his face close to him.
"H-Heok...!"
"What are you so surprised about?"
"N-Nothing, Your Majesty."
"You have worked hard in my absence. From now on, I will personally receive the envoy of the Great Ming."
"M-Most grateful, Your Majesty."
Seong Hui-an hastily bowed his head and stepped back.
The banquet hall was in an uproar due to the sudden appearance of His Majesty.
But among them, there was someone who smiled with sparkling eyes.
It was none other than Dang Baek-ryong, the Chef from the Ming side.
Finally, I get to compete with that Joseon Female Knight-Errant.'
Dang Baek-ryong seemed to be freely creating titles for Ji-young.
In his worldview, it was understandable.
She had fought two close matches against him, the best Chef (dice) on the continent.
So he had been somewhat unsatisfied with winning by default in today's showdown, but now a stage had been set for a real match.
'I will face you with all my strength this time, Joseon Female Knight-Errant.'
As if reading his mind, Yeonsangun chuckled and sat down across from Liu Jin.
"Did the envoy not promise to show this unworthy one the greatest delicacies of the continent?" It would be a regret for ten thousand generations if we were to simply pass it by."
At Yeonsangun's provocative jest, Liu Jin's lips twisted into a grotesque smile.
Good! The best taste in the world. I will show it to you now!"
With a hearty shout, Liu Jin gestured, and Dang Baek-ryong darted out as if he had been waiting.
Start!At the same time, the assistant chefs rushed forward in perfect synchronization, like a knife dance, lighting the prepared braziers and placing pots on them.
One of them already had something bubbling inside.
That smell is Clear Broth. The basic broth of all Chinese cuisine. And using so many braziers means they are cooking various ingredients simultaneously.'
Tension began to creep into Ji-young's face as she watched.
Soon, Dang Baek-ryong carefully took out a silk pouch from his pocket, as if handling a national treasure. Inside the pouch was a strange substance like white thread.
He placed it in a small bowl and poured hot water over it as if brewing tea, and soon the thread-like substance began to bloom like a flower.
'Wait. That, that is... could it be!'
Ji-young had seen that strange ingredient before.
It was called one of the most precious ingredients in China.
Bird's Nest!Commonly known as Bird's Nest.
It was not just any ordinary swallow's nest.
It referred to the nest of the Swiftlet, a unique bird also known as the sea swallow.
'That's one of the most prized ingredients in Chinese cuisine.'
That bird had a very peculiar habit: it only collected special seaweed and mixed it with its secretions to build its nest.
The nest, woven meticulously stitch by stitch, was made of a unique material that humans could not imitate, making it an incredibly precious ingredient.
'Moreover, it's pure white with no impurities. The highest grade Bird's Nest.'
Needless to say, it was an outrageously expensive item in terms of market price.
While the top-grade Bird's Nest was being soaked in water, Dang Baek-ryong unfolded another silk pouch.
'Could that be...'
At first glance, it looked like nothing more than a whitish rag.
As Dang Baek-ryong soaked it in hot water, like brewing tea, the material gradually began to turn into a translucent, jelly-like substance.
'...Shark Fin!'
That is, shark fin, a top-quality ingredient better known as shark's fin.
The soft gelatinous component formed a regular texture and was densely structured like a sponge, boasting a unique texture that was second to none in the world.
'Just seeing them is amazing...'
While Ji-young was wide-eyed with surprise, a dried pig's hind leg was brought before Dang Baek-ryong.
It looked similar to Spanish Jamon or Italian Prosciutto.
That is Ham!'
Also known as 'Chinese ham.Among them, the one made in the area called 'Jinhua' was considered the best.
It was said that in that area, they only fed the pigs feed made from fermented tea leaves from the time they were raised, so that the tea leaf scent subtly permeated the Huotui's meat.
As the ham was placed on the cutting board, Baek-ryong deftly pulled out a kitchen knife from his back.
Then, with precise knife skills, he began to thinly slice the ham.
'His knife skills are amazing as expected.'
In Spain, when thinly slicing firmly fermented Jamon, they used a separate, thin, and sharp dedicated knife called 'cuchillo jamonero.But Dang Baek-ryong was effortlessly performing that precise task with just that crude kitchen knife!
The ingredients that followed were also all rare.
Sea cucumber, abalone, bamboo shoots, matsutake mushrooms, shark lips, deer tendons, fish maw...
- Tap, tap, tap, tap
Every time they were placed on the cutting board, Dang Baek-ryong's kitchen knife moved as if possessed.
Once the ingredients were prepared, the assistant chefs quickly rushed in and cooked them with all their heart in different braziers using different cooking methods.
'That's right. Each and every one of them must be a rare delicacy...'
No, ingredients that were so rare that it was impossible to obtain them in modern times due to animal protection laws.
Moreover, there was even an ingredient to decorate the finale.
It was none other than ginseng.
Not Notoginseng from southwestern China, but real Joseon ginseng.
It's also White Ginseng made by naturally drying fresh ginseng.White Ginseng refers to ginseng that has been dried naturally without artificial steaming.
A meaningful smile flickered across the face of Liu Jin, the Ming envoy, as he looked at it.
What that meant was clear.
'He's going to use ginseng that hasn't been steamed using Joseon's steaming method. Doesn't that mean he's going to exclude Joseon's role in future ginseng trade!'
It seemed that the basic preparation of ingredients was all finished with the Joseon ginseng as the last.
Dang Baek-ryong had taken out as many as 30 different kinds of ingredients.
Now, all that was left was to combine them and cook them into a finished dish.
"Hoo..."
After taking a moment to regulate his breathing, Dang Baek-ryong suddenly opened his eyes wide and gathered all his strength in his dantian, striking the table with a thud.
At that moment, numerous ingredients soared into the air.
"Rain of Flowers in the Sky!""
Soon, he began to layer the ingredients into a thick earthenware pot with incredibly fast hand movements.
It seemed like he was just throwing them in randomly, but in fact, it was a delicate arrangement that took into account the properties of each ingredient.
Sichuan's unique seasoning, a combination of Sichuan Peppercorn and various spices, was sprinkled brilliantly over it.
Then, Dang Baek-ryong scooped a ladle of Clear Broth that had been simmering for a long time and poured it into the earthenware pot in a long arc.
- Chwareureuk
As the hot broth fell on the layered ingredients and seasonings, they began to come to life as if breathing.
Along with it, he took out a jar of wine with a red paper tag attached.
As soon as he tore off the seal, a pungent aroma spread throughout the hall, carried by the volatile components of the alcohol.
'That is... Shaoxing Wine!'
A wine made by fermenting glutinous rice with barley malt, it was one of China's eight famous wines and was often used in cooking due to its deep flavor.
As befitting its fame, the amber liquid emitting a splendid aroma poured into the earthenware pot.
"Oooooh...!"
As if already intoxicated by the aroma, exclamations burst out from the audience.
Now, only the final stage of the cooking remained.
While everyone was curious about what dish would be made, a huge bamboo steamer was placed on the brazier.
'Steaming?'
Ji-young swallowed hard without realizing it.
There were many cooking methods in Chinese cuisine.
Chao (stir-frying), Zha (deep-frying), Shao (braising), Peng (boiling)...
Among them, the highest level of technique was none other than steaming.
It might seem simple at first glance, but if you went deeper, you had to adjust the degree of steaming according to the nature and condition of the ingredients, and even the surrounding temperature and humidity. It was a cooking method that was difficult to perfect without a veteran with a lot of experience.
That was why even in modern times, the Chinese chefs who did steaming received the highest salaries.
Dang Baek-ryong sealed the mouth of the earthenware pot well with lotus leaves and put it whole into the steamer.
'It's a delicate heating method worthy of the finest ingredients.'
If you directly heated an earthenware pot containing such high-quality ingredients over a fire, you would never be able to properly bring out their true flavor.
Because it had to be cooked for a long time, there was a risk that the ingredients at the bottom would burn, no matter how low the heat was. In addition, if it boiled too hot, the flavor would evaporate and disappear.
But if you put the earthenware pot in a steamer and heated it with hot steam, the story would be different.
The earthenware pot would be heated as a whole by the convection heat of the steam, and the gently heated ingredients would be able to fully bloom their flavor.
- Flutter
Dang Baek-ryong took out a Furnace Fan.
He intended to control the heat by fanning delicately.
Now it was time for the art of the Steaming Method to unfold.
'Now, watch closely! This is my cooking.'
Baek-ryong's eyes, glimpsed beyond the flames, were burning hotter than any flame, facing Ji-young.
