CHAPTER 223: CHAPTER 223: HOMEMADE WEST LAKE FISH IN VINEGAR, GIVING IT THE RIGHT NAME?!

Sunday evening.

Liu He’s home was in Hangzhou, and normally, he would go back home and stay for two days on weekends.

That’s the situation when you’re attending a local university.

When Liu He returned to his dormitory, he saw his roommate lying on the bed, looking extremely relaxed and pleased.

Liu He immediately sensed something was amiss.

This kind of deep, radiating satisfaction usually only appears in certain situations.

"Damn, did you guys get a massage or something?"

"Every one of you has that blissed-out look on your face," Liu He asked excitedly.

"What’s a massage like?"

Hearing his words, the other roommates replied, "We didn’t go for any massage; we had a fantastic meal at Wansong Park today."

Upon hearing it wasn’t about a massage, a look of disappointment instantly appeared on Liu He’s face.

They had discussed this topic before, and Liu He thought they had actually gone for it.

Guys are usually pretty casual about food. Those popular restaurants never quite hit the spot, not like the street stalls.

"You didn’t get a massage?" Liu He sighed.

"The stall we went to had really great flavors."

"A lot of people went there, and I even saw Teacher Wu and Teacher Zhao."

"That stall owner is also popular online, his name is Jiang Feng, you can check him out."

"He’s selling snail noodles this week, and they’re exceptionally delicious," one of them said with lingering satisfaction.

A nearby roommate chimed in, "I’ve never had snail noodles that tasted so good. Just thinking about that soup makes me salivate!"

Seeing the way the two were talking, Liu He finally understood.

"Jiang Feng? I think I know him; he’s pretty popular."

"He’s here now?" Liu He inquired.

"Yeah, a lot of people have been going to his stall, and there are especially many girls."

"The flavor is genuinely amazing."

Upon hearing this, Liu He blurted out, "Damn," and felt a twinge of regret.

"Is it really that delicious? Then I’ll go check it out tomorrow at lunchtime."

Liu He made up his mind.

For college students, food is perhaps the most important part of their day.

「The next day was Monday.」

As expected on a Monday, most people were busy with work, so there were few visitors to the scenic areas. Even the older folks who were usually busy matchmaking for their children took a break today.

Yet Jiang Feng’s business was still booming.

Gradually, as more people heard the news, they came to eat his snail noodles.

It wasn’t massively crowded, but at mealtime, there were still plenty of people lining up.

A customer asked, "Boss Jiang, why are these snail noodles so delicious? The more I eat, the more fragrant they get."

"It feels different from other snail noodles?"

Hearing this, Jiang Feng replied with a smile, "All the ingredients and broth are made fresh, using fresh spices, which makes the taste better."

Nowadays, many small eateries, in pursuit of profit, use bouillon powder and such. These additives can greatly enhance the taste, but the feeling afterward isn’t as pleasant.

Jiang Feng’s snail noodles, on the other hand, left one feeling refreshed and invigorated.

He wasn’t chasing profit but instead took each cooking session seriously, even when it came to selling simple snacks.

After a busy day, Jiang Feng closed his stall early again.

The system notification rang out:

[Daily task completed, reward received: Zhejiang Cuisine — West Lake Vinegar Fish recipe.]

Today’s reward was a Zhejiang cuisine recipe.

Jiang Feng had noticed that wherever he set up his stall, he would likely receive a recipe from that region’s culinary tradition. It was a good thing.

"West Lake Vinegar Fish?" Is it the famous West Lake Vinegar Fish? Jiang Feng wondered.

West Lake Vinegar Fish is a signature dish of Zhejiang cuisine. However, its reputation online is not that great. It’s typically seen as a "tourist trap."

Anyone who visits Hangzhou feels compelled to try West Lake Vinegar Fish at least once. Tourists typically think, Since I’m here, I have to try the famous West Lake Vinegar Fish. But after tasting it, their usual reaction is: Just as bad as they say. I’m never eating this again.

Even locals don’t favor West Lake Vinegar Fish.

Zhejiang cuisine is one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of Chinese cuisine, yet it has struggled to gain popularity outside its home province. While Hunan, Sichuan, and Cantonese Cuisine Restaurants can be found all over the country, Zhejiang Cuisine Restaurants are a rare sight.

Another famous Zhejiang dish is Dongpo Pork, which Jiang Feng was also skilled at preparing. The history of Dongpo Pork also offers a glimpse into the flavor profile of Zhejiang cuisine. Su Dongpo, finding no food to his liking at the time, took matters into his own hands and developed Dongpo Pork. Eventually, Dongpo Pork became a representative dish of Zhejiang cuisine.

Jiang Feng had no prejudices, though.

As one of the Eight Culinary Traditions, Zhejiang cuisine must have its merits, he thought. West Lake Vinegar Fish is difficult to make, and it’s possible that many small restaurants can’t capture the essence of this dish. If I open a Zhejiang Cuisine Restaurant, I could actually vindicate West Lake Vinegar Fish.

He realized that coming to Hangzhou this time truly meant he had a long way to go. Not only was he currently fighting for the proper recognition of "snail noodles," but next on his agenda was to restore the reputation of "West Lake Vinegar Fish." The difficulty was great, and there was still much effort to be made.

On the way home, Jiang Feng went to the seafood market and bought a big grass carp. Traditionally, West Lake Vinegar Fish is made using fish from West Lake, but now the dish can be prepared with any fish that has few bones. Jiang Feng chose to buy grass carp.

"Boss, are you planning to cook fish tonight?" Sun Zhuangfei asked, a hint of envy in his expression.

"Yes, I’m preparing to explore the method for making West Lake Vinegar Fish," Jiang Feng replied.

"West Lake Vinegar Fish? Ah?" Sun Zhuangfei was slightly startled.

"Have you tried it?"

"Yes, I specifically went to [Lou Wai Lou] to try it the other day. It wasn’t tasty."

"How did it taste?"

"It felt like they just boiled the fish after slicing it open and then directly poured a vinegar-based sauce over it—it was both sour and fishy."

Hearing Sun Zhuangfei’s description, Jiang Feng got a clearer picture of West Lake Vinegar Fish. Looking at it this way, it seemed that this dish had indeed been ruined by many businesses.

Jiang Feng then bought some additional ingredients and went home. Sun Zhuangfei headed off to purchase pork trotters, chicken feet, spices, rice noodles, and other things for the next day. With him helping out, Jiang Feng had more time to research dishes.

After he got home, he rested for a while, then went into the kitchen to start his study of West Lake Vinegar Fish.

The core of West Lake Vinegar Fish lies in two key aspects: removing the fishy taste and preparing the sauce.

Traditionally, a certain fishiness was considered an essential element of West Lake Vinegar Fish. However, modern palates generally can’t accept such a strong fishy flavor. Furthermore, many restaurants don’t properly de-fish it when preparing the dish, which compromises the taste.

Jiang Feng skillfully began to prepare the fish. His knife skills were steady; with a few cuts, he split the fish in half and made incisions for better cooking.

Once everything was roughly ready, Jiang Feng started to busy himself with making the sauce for West Lake Vinegar Fish. Rice vinegar, salt, MSG, a small amount of pepper powder, and sugar were needed.

He tasted it and found it not sweet enough, so he added more sugar. After tasting again, it still needed more salt. The balance of sweet and salty had to be just right for a good flavor.

After bustling around, Jiang Feng finally finished the fish and poured the sauce over it. The time had come to taste the West Lake Vinegar Fish.

The fish’s flesh was very tender, and the texture was not a problem, since he had made it himself, after all. However, the flavor was slightly different. Compared to sweet and sour carp, which is distinctly sweet and sour, West Lake Vinegar Fish aims for a balanced blend of sweet and salty. This blend of salt and sugar isn’t something most people readily accept.

It’s decent, Jiang Feng thought as he ate. It has its own unique flavor. If the ratio of ginger, vinegar, and sugar is right, you can almost taste lake crab. The texture of the fish is also good.

But to make a good West Lake Vinegar Fish, two things are necessary. First, the flavor only stands out with naturally grown fish. If the fish are fed with commercial feed, the earthy and fishy taste is stronger. Second, according to the recipe, the grass carp must be starved for two days before cooking, but few restaurants have such large fishponds. So, to make a good West Lake Vinegar Fish, one must naturally raise a large amount of grass carp. The issue with this dish isn’t the method, but the high demand for quality ingredients. Plus, its unique taste may not suit people from other regions, which is why it has a poor reputation.

As a chef, he had his own judgment for each dish. West Lake Vinegar Fish could be made, and it could be delicious. The key lay in having high-quality grass carp. Fish can grow on anything, but their taste will differ depending on their diet. To make a good West Lake Vinegar Fish, one would need grass carp that have fed on aquatic plants, then starved for two days, before meticulously preparing the sauce and cooking it. That way, it would be delicious.

I’ll study this thoroughly once the restaurant is open, Jiang Feng thought as he continued eating. This dish can be made. And then, I’ll surely vindicate West Lake Vinegar Fish!

At this moment, Little Black was wagging its tail beside him, looking eager to eat the fish.

"It’s sweet and sour, want to try?" Jiang Feng asked with a smile.

Little Black nodded.

"Fine, bring your bowl over," Jiang Feng said.

Upon hearing Jiang Feng’s command, Little Black happily ran off to get its bowl. When it placed the bowl on the ground, Jiang Feng put a large piece of fish in it, making sure there were no bones.

Little Black lowered its head, sniffed the fish in the bowl, and seemed to realize the aroma wasn’t quite right. Then, Little Black licked the sauce of the West Lake Vinegar Fish. A look of astonishment appeared in its eyes. Then, as if nothing had happened, it turned and walked away.

This wasn’t because the fish wasn’t tasty, but because Jiang Feng knew that Little Black preferred braised meats, something salty or even spicy. It just didn’t eat sour things. Because of the sour taste in West Lake Vinegar Fish, Little Black simply ignored it.

"I told you you wouldn’t like it. Now I have to wash your bowl," Jiang Feng couldn’t help muttering.

He continued to savor the fish he had prepared. From his perspective, the fish was quite good. Worth a try.