Chef at the University Canteen-Chapter 394 - 253: There Are Two Kinds of Gourmet Food in This World

Chapter 394: Chapter 253: There Are Two Kinds of Gourmet Food in This World

People from Guangdong love drinking soup, reportedly due to the local hot and humid climate, which greatly influences their appetites.

Drinking some delicious soup before a meal can increase a person’s appetite.

In Guangdong, there’s a saying: "It’s better to have no dishes than no soup," which shows the extent of their love for soup.

However, in other parts of Huaxia, there’s rarely such a habit of "drinking soup before meals," like in Jiangzhou, where soup is usually the last dish on the table.

This is why Duan Yiming was so thoughtful to accommodate Guangdong people’s dining habits by ordering a "pre-meal soup," which touched He Zhengyu deeply.

"Mr. He, this is an old fire soup from your Guangdong — old duck, coix seed, and winter melon soup. It’s just right for drinking during this transition period between spring and summer; it clears heat, dispels dampness, strengthens the spleen, and whets the appetite.

Come, let’s taste how it is."

Duan Yiming noticed the change in He Zhengyu’s expression but said nothing more. After the waiter left, he smiled and invited everyone.

"I’ve long heard that the old fire soups from Guangdong are fresh and delicious, expelling dampness and improving appetite, but I’ve never had the chance to try it. I consider myself fortunate today."

Deng Linhui also laughed and said something, picked up a spoon, and carefully tasted a spoonful of soup.

He Xiaowei hadn’t eaten in the morning and was already starving. The aroma of the old fire soup made him even hungrier.

Seeing Deng Linhui and Duan Yiming both start eating, he didn’t hold back either; after drinking a few mouthfuls of soup, he was unsatisfied and directly picked up chopsticks to gnaw on the old duck meat inside.

Looking at the clear-colored, fragrant old fire soup in front of him, He Zhengyu couldn’t help but swallow.

Because of his poor health, he had been staying at his grandfather’s rural home in Jiangzhou to recuperate for over half a year and hadn’t had old fire soup in a long time, sometimes dreaming about it.

Unfortunately, his cooking skills were lacking; he had read many recipes and cooked several pots of soup but never got the taste right.

This old fire soup in front of him had such a rich aroma; could the chef at this restaurant be from Guangdong?

Thinking about this, He Zhengyu didn’t hesitate and also picked up a spoon, took a small sip of the soup.

The moment the soup entered his mouth, He Zhengyu couldn’t help but shudder, his mind instantly blank, with only one word remaining:

Fresh!

This old fire soup was too fresh!

Though he had drunk old duck, coix seed, and winter melon soup before, which was common in Guangdong, the ones he had were fresh but never this fresh!

It even made He Zhengyu start to suspect if there was chicken essence in the soup?

It’s known that Guangdong people, when making soup, only add salt for seasoning; other seasonings like soy sauce, oyster sauce, and monosodium glutamate are not added.

When drinking soup, you savor the original flavor.

But soon, He Zhengyu denied his previous doubt, this soup was just so delicious!

Because he drank the soup too eagerly, he accidentally put a piece of old duck meat into his mouth, and after just two bites, his expression changed.

It’s well-known that Guangdong people generally only drink the soup and don’t eat the dregs, simply because:

The texture is poor.

After prolonged cooking, the texture of the ingredients changes significantly; the meat becomes dry, hard, and tasteless, and the vegetables turn soft and mushy, making them hard to swallow.

He Zhengyu was no different.

Unless it’s a soup like pork rib soup, where he would eat the ribs, all other soups, like those made with pork, chicken, or duck, would have the dregs discarded after drinking the soup.

But the piece of old duck meat he just tasted was not dry at all; it was tender and flavorful with each chew!

This soup’s freshness is not due to added chicken essence or MSG; it’s the natural freshness of the duck itself!

A small tureen of old duck, coix seed, and winter melon soup wasn’t much; He Zhengyu drank it all in a few spoonfuls and even finished all the soup dregs.

After finishing the old fire soup, he still felt unsatisfied, and surprisingly, his stomach felt even hungrier!

This soup indeed boosts the appetite!

He Zhengyu wasn’t the only one feeling hungrier; He Xiaowei felt the same.

After finishing off the old fire soup, not only did he not feel full, but his stomach "grumbled" even more. While touching his belly, he complained:

"Why do I feel hungrier after eating? Lao Duan, should we rush the dishes?"

"Rush what? Boss Xiao Jiang won’t let you go hungry?"

Before Duan Yiming could speak, Deng Linhui, sitting next to him, subtly glared at him.

This kid doesn’t get it; today’s main character is He Zhengyu!

We’re just here to accompany and enjoy the meal quietly, so why make a fuss?

"This old fire soup is indeed authentic, fresh and delicious, thick and fragrant. To be honest, I had never tasted such a delicious soup even in Guangdong."

He Zhengyu wiped his mouth with a napkin, looking emotional. He looked up at Duan Yiming and curiously asked,

"President Duan, is the chef at this restaurant from Guangdong?"

"No, Boss Xiao Jiang is a native of Jiangzhou."