Chapter 109: Chapter 108: Yo, What a Loud Growl

"Well, well. What’s happened to our dear Aili, who claims to be the best at enduring hunger? Why is your stomach growling so loudly?"

Robert initially thought the sound came from Daniel’s stomach. When he turned to look, however, he saw that Ariana was the only person in that direction and couldn’t help but tease her.

A woman’s appetite is usually smaller than a man’s, and this particular lady was a picky eater. When faced with unpalatable food, she would take a few bites at most—just enough to ensure she wouldn’t starve.

To conserve calories, her daily activity was next to nothing. If she could lie down, she wouldn’t sit; if she could sit, she wouldn’t stand. The only times she’d willingly get up and move were on the days they ate instant noodles. All other movement was reserved for the mandatory check-ups.

But now, this picky woman’s stomach was growling louder than anyone else’s.

"Shut your sewer of a mouth!"

Ariana’s cheeks flushed as she shot him a vicious glare. "Keep running that mouth, and see if I don’t spike your food with laxatives!"

"????"

Robert’s expression changed dramatically. He hastily covered his mouth and turned away.

’Diarrhea in this weather? I’d get frostbite in a whole new place.’

While they were bickering, Lin Chen flipped the meat skewers again.

By now, distinct brown grill marks had formed on the surface of the lamb, and a light char had appeared on the edges. Droplets of juice dripped down one after another, making the meaty aroma in the courtyard even more intense.

Lamb dishes aren’t especially common in North America. Western restaurants usually sell herb-crusted lamb chops, but the meat comes from New Zealand sheep; local sheep rarely appear on the mainstream market.

Supermarkets sometimes sell lamb as well, mainly loin and ground meat. And occasionally, you might find a whole frozen lamb at Costco.

The places where you’re more likely to find lamb dishes are actually Middle Eastern restaurants, where things like masala lamb skewers and lamb curry are very popular.

As the lamb’s unique aroma grew stronger, Lin Chen glanced toward the hillside. He still didn’t see the Hei that Robert had mentioned, so he had no choice but to give a heads-up.

"The lamb skewers are almost done. Since your guy isn’t here yet, I’ll use my own spices for now and just take the equivalent from your share later."

As he spoke, he grabbed a handful of cumin and sprinkled it evenly, followed by chili powder and sea salt.

"What kind of chili is this? It doesn’t look any different from Cayenne Pepper Powder."

"Great Xia chili, of course. As for the specific variety, you’d have to ask the supermarket. I’m not the one who bought it. Anyway, it’s not as hot as cayenne pepper. It’s mainly for aroma. If you can handle spicy food, you could add some Cayenne Pepper Powder."

Robert shook his head frantically. "Nope, no way. The last thing I want is to get diarrhea out in the snow."

"As if I even have Cayenne Pepper Powder."

"Pfft..."

Nearby, Daniel couldn’t help but let out a laugh. He covered his mouth and turned away, his shoulders shaking.

"Oh, right. You don’t have any. What the hell was I panicking for? Damn it!"

Robert froze for a moment, then grumbled under his breath, "Must be the lack of nutrients lately, my brain’s short-circuiting. Totally normal in the wild."

The moment he finished speaking, Lin Chen grabbed a handful of lamb skewers and handed them over.

"Then get some nutrition in you."

"They’re done already??"

’We’ve only been chatting for, what, three or four minutes? And they’re already cooked?’

’In his experience, grilling meat was supposed to be a very time-consuming cooking method.’

’A barbecue would take at least ten minutes, usually fifteen to twenty. An oven would take even longer; just roasting a chicken would take half an hour or more.’

The last time he’d watched, it had felt surreal. He’d assumed the skewers were only cooked medium or medium-well, but now that they were right in front of him, the first thought that popped into his head was...

’This stuff is definitely done!’

Irregular cubes of lamb were skewered neatly on twigs. The raised parts of their surfaces were charred black by the charcoal flame, emanating a rich, smoky fragrance.

Anyone who has eaten charcoal-grilled meat knows that this little bit of char doesn’t ruin the flavor—it’s the best part.

The surface of the skewers, just removed from the fire, was still sizzling with oil. A thin layer of chili powder made them look even more appetizing, and they smelled of a unique blend of spices.

"Are these little seeds cumin? So this is what cumin looks like before it’s ground into a powder."

"See, this is why you should read a book sometime," Daniel said, grabbing two skewers, his eyes filled with disdain. "The gold-medal host of the Wild Survival show, after all these seasons, and you don’t even recognize cumin."

"Isn’t that embarrassing, in front of millions of viewers?"

"What’s so embarrassing about it?"

Looking completely unbothered, Robert took his skewers and argued, "Cumin is a tropical product. They don’t grow it in North America, so it’s perfectly normal not to recognize it."

"Wrong!"

Lin Chen shook his head. "It’s true that cumin likes sunlight, but it’s not a tropical product. In fact, it prefers cooler environments. Its minimum growing temperature can be as low as 5 to 6 degrees, with an ideal temperature between 15 and 20 degrees."

"One thing you weren’t wrong about is that they really don’t grow it in North America. The stuff is mainly found in Asia and Africa. The supply here in North America is all imported."

"Enough chatter. Hurry up and eat. The gamey taste of the lamb will get stronger if it gets cold."

Robert’s face flushed slightly. He finally stopped arguing and, opening his mouth wide, took a huge bite of the steaming hot lamb.

’In weather this cold, it would probably be cold in two minutes if you just held it.’

Sure enough.

The moment it entered his mouth, it wasn’t scalding hot as he had imagined. It felt like it had been left to cool for a little while.

Although the lamb had been frozen, just three days ago it had been alive, leisurely eating grass on this very land. The quality of the meat was beyond question.

The crispy, charred edges crumbled and released a rich meaty aroma, and he instantly picked up on the "charcoal fragrance" Lin Chen had mentioned.

It was a flavor completely different from meat cooked on a gas grill or in an oven, like some kind of special, natural seasoning that elevated the meat’s own deliciousness to another level.

As his teeth bit down, the piece of lamb released a gush of scalding, savory juice.

The bright red chili powder on the surface only looked intimidating. When he ate it, it wasn’t even a fifth as spicy as Tabasco sauce, leaving just a faint hint of heat on his tongue.

But the most magical part had to be the cumin seeds.

These strangely-shaped, football-like spices didn’t release any particular aroma at first. But when a seed was inadvertently crushed between his teeth, an incomparable fragrance erupted.

This aroma, unique to cumin, made his eyes light up. The familiar taste of Middle Eastern barbecue instantly returned, but the spices in the Great Xia-style barbecue weren’t as heavy as in the Middle Eastern version, focusing more on highlighting the flavor of the lamb itself.

The aroma of charcoal, the fragrance of lamb, the scent of chili, the perfume of cumin, and the faint, woody scent of the spruce twigs.

This combination of aromas created a marvelous flavor that was in no way inferior to the meat dishes they usually ate in restaurants.