CHAPTER 194: CHAPTER 194: THE CULTURE OF TAKING PORTIONS

Gently stroking his chest, Eric frowned as he fished out the golden-brown potato slices. The potatoes, sliced thinly by Max, were fried to a crisp in no time.

The potato chips filled two large plates. Eric sprinkled seasoning on top: one plate with chili salt flavor, the other with salty-sweet flavor, catering to everyone’s taste.

A group of people impatiently gathered around the plates, grabbing the chips to eat. This dish was most convenient to eat by hand; chopsticks and forks became superfluous, suiting the beastmen perfectly.

This was just an appetizer snack. Although the plates were huge and piled high, and every Ox-Head and Snow Wolf person got a fair share, this dish wasn’t filling; the more they ate, the more they craved it.

The Ox-Head tribe had also learned to use spices from humans, but they weren’t as proficient as Eric.

Just like this seasoning powder, the spicy-fragrant or salty-sweet taste made them want to stop but unable to, combined with the crispy potato chips, they ate until they almost licked their fingers clean.

As the head chef, Eric naturally treated himself specially. While supervising the oil pan, he popped chips into his mouth, deliberately sprinkling extra chili powder for himself. It was just because there was no national chili sauce that he had to use chili powder. And he had never learned how to make chili sauce, so he was stuck; what a waste of heaven’s gifts.

If there was vegetable oil, it would be good, whether peanut oil or soybean oil; using it for frying would be more fragrant and delicious. Animal fat, after all, had a slightly heavier smell and was greasier; once cooled, it became inedible. Luckily, beastmen never cared about food getting cold.

Next year, he must plant more oil-bearing crops. If the harvest was good, Eric planned to open an oil press workshop in the tribe; the oil would be kept for eating, and the dregs would be excellent animal feed.

After finishing frying the potatoes, Eric started dropping the pre-shaped mung bean filled cakes into the pan. Amidst the pleasant sizzling sounds, the white round cakes quickly puffed up and turned golden yellow. Soon, a batch of fragrant fried mung bean cakes was out of the pan.

Next, he took the steamed pumpkin, mashed it into a paste, mixed in glutinous rice flour to knead into a golden dough, divided it into small balls, flattened them, and pan-fried them until golden on both sides. The soft, chewy, and mildly sweet pumpkin cakes also received endless praise.

While Eric was busy at the oil pan, the other tribesmen didn’t rest their hands either.

With the remaining glutinous rice flour and mung bean filling, Eric guided everyone to wrap them in banana leaves and place them in the steamer. Kiet also squeezed in to lend a hand; the atmosphere was lively like a family gathering to wrap cakes for Tet.

Tu, Thomas, and Joseph smiled benevolently watching the young ones work together. They glanced at each other, their smiles becoming even warmer.

On the other side, the meat skewers were also being grilled on the charcoal stove. Afraid of too much smoke, Bi opened the windows wide for ventilation; only then did the steam in the sweltering room dissipate.

The cakes were ready, and the grilled meat was also cooked. Everyone began to enjoy the feast. The fried cakes had crispy crusts and sweet, nutty mung bean fillings. The pumpkin cakes were soft, chewy, and gently fragrant. The steamed sticky rice cakes were pliable and refreshing. Each had its own charm, delicious enough to make people ecstatic.

The Ox-Head tribe naturally loved sweets. A sumptuous feast of cakes made their whole bodies feel refreshed; even the calm Chief Tu couldn’t help but wag his tail a few times.

The grilled meat skewers, brushed with sauce or sprinkled with seasoning powder, balanced the sweetness of the cakes. The Snow Wolf people weren’t as fond of sweets as the Ox-Head tribe, so they alternated between a bite of cake and a bite of grilled meat, constantly praising the deliciousness.

"Why does every dish change when it gets into kid Eric’s hands? I remember eating pumpkin here before; even boiled to mush, it wasn’t this fragrant and sweet," Kevin ate a piece of fried pumpkin cake, narrowing his eyes in happiness, speaking sincerely.

Boiled to mush, wasn’t that pumpkin soup? Eric thought silently. If the amount of water was just right, pumpkin soup was also very delicious. But if cut into pieces, boiled, and then the pumpkin fished out to eat, the sweetness would dissolve into the water; it certainly wasn’t as tasty as steaming and making cakes.

Bi and the other Ox-Head people strongly agreed with Kevin’s words. Besides eating pumpkin raw, they only boiled it; no one had ever created such a rich, fragrant, and sweet flavor.

And glutinous rice too, yet it could be made into so many delicious cakes; it truly suited the Ox-Head tribe’s taste perfectly. Even snacks like potato chips broadened their horizons.

Tu ate a piece of grilled corn brushed with chili sauce, then a piece of grilled meat with a garlic clove, a look of satisfaction appearing in his eyes. The meat of this python was of quality no less than the Fire Thunder Beast, both tender and fragrant; whether grilled with sauce or sprinkled with dry spices, it was extremely delicious.

The snake meat was so fresh and delicious, and there was so much of it; surely there would be plenty left even when they returned to the tribe. Eric no longer laughed at the Snow Wolf people’s action of uprooting the whole tree.

Just then, the pot of steamed buns on the stove also began to emit the aroma of flour. Smelling the fragrance, Eric guessed the time was about right, so he opened the pot lid, revealing the white, soft, and fluffy buns inside.

The Ox-Head tribe, apart from cooking wheat porridge, only knew how to bake it into hard, dry cakes. When had they ever eaten such pure white, soft, and fluffy cakes made from wheat flour? Everyone gathered around, not minding the heat to snatch the buns.

Even the Snow Wolf people, due to the tribe’s limited food, hadn’t eaten steamed buns many times. They had long been craving them, and their speed wasn’t any slower than the Ox-Head tribe’s.

Eric handed a plate of buns to the elders. Tu received it but didn’t rush to take a big bite like the others. Instead, he examined it carefully, then carefully tucked two into his robe before picking one up to eat.

"I want to save two for my mate to taste," Tu turned to say to Thomas and Joseph who were looking at him, his expression a bit unnatural. These dishes were extraordinarily delicious; he really couldn’t resist...

"Haha, I also often go to kid Eric’s place to take good food back for Luci. The kid loves making all kinds of dishes never seen before," Thomas burst out laughing as if he had found a kindred spirit.

Joseph glanced at him with disdain:

"You have the nerve to say that, always going to beg food from a child."

"Don’t know who always goes to drink free wine; you drank quite a lot of kid Eric’s wine, you know," Thomas retorted scornfully.

Eric secretly rolled his eyes.

But this matter was due to his lack of thorough consideration. This food was all provided by the kind Ox-Head tribe, yet he forgot to prepare some for them to take back for their families to taste together.

Fortunately, he made a lot of every dish today; they couldn’t finish it all at once.