I'm the Culinary God

Chapter 1169: Chapter 472: Four Ways to Make Black Sesame Paste—How Many Do You Know? Task Grinding out of Boredom!

"If it’s as easy as having hands, doesn’t that mean I can do it too?"

Shen Jiayue’s face was filled with excitement, feeling like she’d mastered another culinary skill.

Hmm hmm, I’ll make a dish with the air fryer, then simmer some black sesame paste, and invite relatives and friends over to eat together. Let’s see who dares to say I can’t cook!

"Of course, my Baobao can do it. Even those difficult desserts like fried milk can be made, so black sesame paste is no problem at all."

Black sesame paste was still simmering in the milk pot, and Lin Xu was slowly stirring it with a spoon while coaxing his dear Baobao.

However, he didn’t expect his praise would make Shen Jiayue swell with pride:

"If it’s really that simple, then I’ll do it later with you guiding me. Let’s see how low the difficulty really is."

These words made Lin Xu smile wryly.

Well, seems like she’s really getting into it.

But that’s okay, it’s a great way to prove that anyone can make black sesame paste, and everyone can make it taste good.

As it simmered, the black sesame paste in the pot became increasingly thick, and the aroma of glutinous rice and black sesame grew stronger.

If you were to filter it, the aroma would be much milder.

He kept stirring it on low heat, aiming to enhance the texture of the black sesame paste.

"Aren’t you adding sugar, Xu-bao?"

Shen Jiayue was a bit surprised, thinking it was almost done, but the crystal sugar was still obediently sitting in the dish.

Could Xu-bao be planning to make black sesame paste without sugar?

That would probably be quite bitter, right?

Lin Xu continued stirring the black sesame paste in the pot, and said to the girl:

"You shouldn’t add sugar too early, otherwise the syrup will encase the black sesame and glutinous rice, preventing the aroma from escaping. Plus, once the sugar dissolves, it’s very easy to stick to the bottom. The best method is to add sugar after it’s simmered."

After saying this, he took the crystal sugar from the dish and placed it into the pot, turned off the heat, and continued stirring with the spoon.

Shen Jiayue watched with a look of surprise:

"Will it melt?"

"It will. The temperature of the sesame paste is very high, and the residual heat is enough to melt the crystal sugar, making the black sesame paste full of aroma and pleasantly sweet when you drink it."

Throughout the entire process of making black sesame paste, simmering is the key.

The timing of adding sugar, the control of the heat, the level of thickness, and so on are all related to the simmering.

Soon, thin strands of golden, semi-transparent liquid appeared in the black sesame paste, a sign of the crystal sugar melting. Although this sugar looks big and hard, it melts quickly when heated.

Before long, once all the sugar in the pot had melted, the temperature of the black sesame paste had already cooled down.

Lin Xu fetched two exquisite dessert bowls, lifted the milk pot, and carefully poured the black sesame paste into them.

The consistency of the sesame paste was just right, and as it poured out, the aroma spread, making Shen Jiayue beside him sniff the air with a look of ecstasy:

"Smells so good, I can’t wait!"

"This method of roasting the ingredients followed by simmering is indeed fragrant, and the stone mill produces evenly sized particles. The only downside is it’s too troublesome, time-consuming, and requires a stone mill, making it unsuitable for home cooking."

Many people choose to cook at home simply because they don’t want to go out or order takeout. If it’s this troublesome, it’s better to drink the instant version instead.

The advertisement by Chen Peisi back then left a lasting impression, and many people still remember it.

Lin Xu put down the milk pot, held the small bowl, and inhaled the aroma, which was indeed delightful, then scraped the top layer of black sesame paste with a small spoon and delivered it into his mouth.

Upon entering, you can feel the tenderness and smoothness of the black sesame paste.

Black sesame is rich in oils, and roasting makes the oils seep out more easily. During the high temperature simmering, the oils from the sesame merge into the black sesame paste, not only enhancing the fragrance but also giving the paste a gentle, oily texture when drunk.

Moreover, the glutinous rice, when milled, not only adds a rice fragrance but also enhances the smoothness of the black sesame paste.

With each bite, a sense of happiness naturally arises.

This perfect texture, combined with the right level of sweetness, is irresistible to anyone.

Every bite of black sesame paste leaves the mouth still full of the sesame paste’s aroma, tempting you to take another spoonful.

"Wow, this is super delicious, so tasty!"

Shen Jiayue blew on it to cool down but couldn’t help wanting to continue eating.

"Eat slowly, or you’ll burn your mouth and won’t be able to eat anything for days."

"Oh... but it’s so delicious, kinda like old Yanjing’s noodle tea, but compared to noodle tea, both the texture and flavor as well as the presentation take it to the next level."

As a girl who grew up in the alleys of Yanjing, Shen Jiayue knows all sorts of snacks.

But no snack, no matter how tasty, can compare to what Xu-bao made!

Lin Xu said:

"You keep eating, I’ll roast some black sesame and glutinous rice, and teach you other methods."

"Okay okay... Xu-bao, if you buy roasted sesame, does it mean you don’t need to roast it?"

"Yes, you don’t need to roast pre-roasted sesame, but glutinous rice still needs to be roasted, and it should be soaked thoroughly before roasting. This way the rice fragrance can come out, making it tastier."

In cooking, the simpler the aroma, the shorter the stimulus to the taste buds and the quicker the appetite fades.

To leave diners longing for more of the dish, chefs are relentlessly pursuing compound aromas.

Adding scallion and ginger when stir-frying to create a burst of aroma is a basic way to enhance compound aromas.

Today’s black sesame paste, because of the roasted ingredients, has both sesame and rice aromas; the combination of the two makes it impossible not to love.

"What’s the method for the second recipe?"