Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 276: Chapter 191: Roasted Pepper Green Mussel Salad, Popping Sea Grapes

"Speaking of cold dishes, you have to mention chili oil. It’s a complex seasoned oil. You make it by first frying aromatic ingredients like onions, scallions, and cilantro in oil to release their fragrance. You also add a spice packet during the process. Then, you filter the oil and pour it over crushed chili flakes, letting it steep."

Erica scratched the back of her head. "That sounds really complicated. But to think a dish this delicious only has about half the flavor of a proper Great Xia dish... I’m already getting curious about how amazing real Great Xia cuisine must be."

Despite Lin Chen’s lengthy explanation, she hadn’t really committed any of it to memory.

She’d never remember it unless he demonstrated the entire process right in front of her.

"Chili oil... that stuff’s a truly wonderful condiment. It’s the kind of thing that gets you hooked."

After hearing Lin Chen’s description, Andre subconsciously licked his lower lip.

In the time before the competition, besides enjoying various exotic cuisines in Panama City, the two of them had also frequently visited the local Chinatown at his strong insistence.

Panama is a relatively popular destination for Da Xia People in Central America. At least three hundred thousand Da Xia People live here, accounting for ten percent of Panama’s total population—and that figure only includes the descendants of immigrants.

If you were to include the population of migrant workers, that percentage would be even higher.

Therefore, it’s actually very simple to find relatively authentic Great Xia cuisine in Panama City.

As Lin Chen’s words jogged his memory, Andre suddenly recalled the unique and delicious dishes he had tasted under Lin Chen’s guidance.

He swallowed hard and quickly picked out the remaining few oysters. Then, just like Erica, he picked up a green mussel coated in roasted peppers and sauce.

’What a refreshing flavor!’

He chewed a few times, his eyes lighting up.

This flavor was clearly different from the Great Xia cold dishes he remembered tasting. It was almost like a sauce infused with Western flavors—the work of the pineapple, no doubt.

Lin Chen also picked up a large mouthful and put it in his mouth. This refreshing, roasted-pepper flavor profile with the added fruitiness was even more delicious than he had imagined.

It wasn’t just a good pairing for the green mussels; it would also be a great sauce for scallops or oysters.

[Enjoying a delicious green mussel dish on the beach in Panama. Happiness +2]

’It’s finally here!’

As he chewed, the corners of his mouth lifted in a slight smile. To Erica, it looked as if he was thoroughly pleased with his own masterpiece.

’A dish that even the chef himself is satisfied with... no wonder it tastes so amazing.’

After she swallowed her bite, the mild, lingering spice and the sweet-and-sour pineapple juice were still present. Then, the potent aroma of cilantro came rushing in, making her mouth water uncontrollably.

The three of them, who had been starving all morning, had their appetites completely whetted by this refreshing cold dish. Three pairs of chopsticks scrambled to reach into the bamboo tube.

In just half a minute, the food, enough for two people, was completely wiped out.

Not yet satisfied, Erica was the first to make her move on the plump, white roasted oysters on the banana leaf nearby. She cautiously touched one first, then recoiled as if shocked, before using her chopsticks to scoop up the entire oyster.

"Wait, not so fast."

Lin Chen suddenly reached out and stopped her. He took a bamboo tube from beside him and opened it. Inside, crystal-clear sea grapes were soaking.

He picked up a sprig, shook off the excess water droplets, and gently placed it on the oyster at the tip of her chopsticks.

"Here, Andre. One for you, too."

"Thanks."

Compared to Erica, Andre seemed much tougher. He directly picked up the oyster shell and held it out, cradling it in his palm as if it were nothing.

He had also just recently eaten sea grapes at a Panama Restaurant. The plant doesn’t grow in North America, so he had never seen it before then.

However, the sea grapes he’d had at the restaurant were as salty as drinking seawater, so he hadn’t found them particularly tasty. At best, you were just eating them for the texture.

Back then, Lin Chen had said that they would taste much better if you soaked them in fresh water to dilute the saltiness, or even better if you soaked them in a sweet and sour marinade.

Erica was clearly pleased by Lin Chen’s gesture of adding the topping for her first. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and she also murmured a "thank you" before stuffing the entire oyster into her mouth in one go.

But the oyster was so plump and thick that she had to tilt her chin up just to barely swallow it whole.

The piping-hot oyster melted the moment her tongue touched it. Its soft, tofu-like texture was filled with a faint saltiness and a rich, sweet, almost creamy flavor.

As her teeth bit down, the individual sea grapes burst open. Their similarly faint saltiness blended perfectly with the oyster, yet their textures were complete opposites.

She had never eaten sea grapes before and had no idea what they tasted like, so the concept of "bursting pearls" didn’t even exist in her mind.

When the sea grapes burst one by one in her mouth, the unique and novel sensation made her eyes go wide with an expression of utter disbelief.

"Just as I thought," Andre, who was beside them, couldn’t help but nod. "Soaking them in fresh water really does reduce the saltiness a lot, and the fresh, sweet flavor is more obvious. I was wondering if they’d taste even better with seafood if you soaked them in something like mango, pineapple, or orange juice."

Lin Chen prepared one for himself as well and shot Andre an appreciative glance. "That’s a great idea. However, fruit-based marinades are better suited for heavier meats, like grilled or deep-fried dishes, since they can neutralize the grease and richness. They might be too overpowering for lighter ingredients, but that’s something you’ll have to experiment with yourself."

After finishing an oyster, he didn’t receive any happiness notification.

He wasn’t surprised. After all, a simple grilled oyster was far too common for a Da Xia Person.

A grilled oyster without even any garlic sauce... and it wasn’t his first time eating one. It would have been strange if he *did* get happiness points from it.

Neither he nor Andre were particularly excited about them. They would eat them to fill their stomachs, of course, but with an even more anticipated dish about to be ready, neither of them had any interest in the oysters.

Erica’s cheeks were puffed out like a hamster’s as she chewed with great effort, her eyes glued to Lin Chen.

Under their expectant gazes.

Finally.

He stood up and walked toward the fire pit where the lobster was buried.