Fried Five-Spice is a traditional snack from Fujian, primarily made using pork tenderloin, pork fatback, and tofu skin, prepared using the deep-frying method. The finished product has a reddish-brown color, fragrant, crispy, and soft. It tastes best when eaten hot, and it's called Fried Five-Spice because five-spice powder is used in the seasoning.

Wang Fan had truly never seen this Fried Five-Spice before, but he was always very interested in local specialty snacks. He took the box of Fried Five-Spice handed over by Shen Teng, picked one up, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.

"Crunch..."

Brother Jie, with over 20 years of experience, had already mastered the "frying" step perfectly. As soon as Wang Fan's teeth applied force, the crispy outer skin began to emit waves of crisp sound between his teeth.

Breaking the outer skin, a rich aroma of meat gushed out from the break, the fresh and sweet taste had the distinctive flavor characteristic of Xiamen.

Perhaps it echoes the saying: high-end ingredients often only need the most simple cooking method. Xiamen is surrounded on three sides by the sea, and its seafood resources are both rich and fresh. These types of ingredients don't require many seasonings; even a simple boil results in top-tier delicacies.

This results in people from Xiamen having very light tastes. They prefer the aroma of freshness and sweetness, and are very sensitive to salt and peppers.

The Fried Five-Spice tasted a bit mild in the mouth, but the fresh sweetness was quite prominent. And it was evident that the pork used was very fresh, a taste that couldn't be replaced by other ingredients.

The taste buds on Wang Fan's tongue quickly analyzed the components of this snack — fresh pork, water chestnuts, spring onions, five-spice powder, sugar, salt, tofu skin...

Every ingredient and seasoning in the Fried Five-Spice was no longer a secret to his tongue. Sometimes, even just smelling it with his nose, he could accurately grasp the proportions, truly a humanoid laboratory.

Wang Fan unconsciously rated it in his heart; the frying was very good, but the water content from the water chestnuts and spring onions was a bit high, causing the stuffing to be slightly more moist, which affected the flavor. The salt was already used sparingly, making it taste even more bland, with the taste of white sugar standing out a bit too much.

However, of course, he wouldn't criticize in front of the shop owner right away, even if the relationship with the person was good. Face must be saved, even more so when they just met casually.

"Brother Jie's proficiency in frying the crust is nearly perfect. This texture is really good."

Brother Jie laughed upon hearing this; this was his most proud skill.

Usually, he was always pondering and improving his cooking skills, especially the fried crust, which he practiced for years.

"I heard from Teng that you can cook too. Let's exchange some tips when we have time."

Shen Teng almost rolled his eyes; Brother Jie only listened to the praise. Didn't you hear that Brother Wang only praised your crust? He didn't even mention your most important stuffing!

What does that indicate? It indicates that there is still a huge potential for improvement.

Right now, instead of competing for culinary skills, you should quickly ask about what's wrong with your own Fried Five-Spice stuffing and how to improve it!

Shen Teng knew Wang Fan's personality, so he didn't beat around the bush and directly hit Brother Jie's weak point: "Brother Wang, could you give Brother Jie some advice on the stuffing? He's insisting on using good meat, so the costs can't go down, and his business is almost being taken away by others."

Brother Jie's smile stiffened on his face, looking at Wang Fan somewhat awkwardly: "Actually... it's not that bad..."

Wang Fan laughed to himself; indeed, a man's pride is never willing to be lost in front of strangers.

He didn't expose it either. It was breakfast time now, and there weren't many customers despite such a good spot; even the prepared ingredients weren't particularly abundant, which already indicated a problem.

But he didn't point it out, knowing that Shen Teng asking for help meant the person was worth helping in Shen Teng's opinion. Since a friend spoke out, it was a timely favor to offer.

"I'm a true Northerner. I've never had Fried Five-Spice before. Compared to our Northern taste, this Fried Five-Spice is a bit too sweet, and the flavor is somewhat mild."

Brother Jie nodded. Wang Fan's words were not new to him; occasionally tourists from the North would say similar things, but he didn't dare to change the recipe recklessly, fearing that regular local customers would not get used to it.

"You're right, little brother. I've been considering making two types of stuffing — one according to the original taste for old customers and another with a slightly heavier flavor for Northern tourists."

Shen Teng looked at Wang Fan in confusion. Even an outsider like him could say these things. That didn't quite seem like Wang Fan's level.

After a moment's thought, he understood; he was familiar with Brother Jie, but it was Wang Fan's first time meeting him, and speaking frankly in shallow relationships could be untimely. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Moreover, Shen Teng knew Wang Fan's level, but Brother Jie didn't. Saying too much might cause Brother Jie to feel uneasy.

However, missing the opportunity for Wang Fan's guidance - that would be a missed chance to meet a true master. Who knows how much Brother Jie would regret it later?

Thinking about this, Shen Teng asked: "Brother Wang, are you interested in trying to make this Fried Five-Spice? Now, the ingredients here are also sufficient." Shen Teng said, and sneakily made a gesture with his hands.

Wang Fan found it amusing, not expecting Shen Teng to be so warm-hearted, helping Brother Jie in such a roundabout way without making him lose face.

He looked at Brother Jie and asked, "Brother Jie, I quite enjoy cooking, and since it's my first time tasting a Fujian specialty snack, I'm quite eager to try some myself. Would it be convenient for me to make a couple?"

Brother Jie laughed heartily: "No problem, no problem. I just happened to need to deliver meals to a few old men. You and Teng can watch over for me, and I'll be back soon."

He packed some freshly fried Five-Spice boxes, lifted the bag, and went out the door.

The few old men he mentioned were regular customers in the market, relatively old and less mobile. After ordering daily, he would help deliver.

Watching Brother Jie walk away, Wang Fan smiled and said to Shen Teng: "You said you'd take me to eat local snacks, but now you've gotten me involved."

Shen Teng chuckled: "I really didn't think so much, just wanted to bring you here for a local breakfast at the market. I didn't expect Brother Jie's business to be struggling so much. He's a good person. Brother Wang, if you can help him, please do."

Wang Fan nodded: "Alright, I wanted to give it a try anyway. Go help me buy a few fresh purple onions, smaller ones preferably, and get a piece of pork fat too."

Shen Teng happily ran out of the stall: "Got it, I'm on it."

Wang Fan walked into the small shop, waved his hand above the stuffing, sniffed the fragrance, and already had an idea for improvement.