Journey to the West: Starting by taking Sun Wukong as my disciple!-Chapter 439: Street Debate

The oil was clear and carried the fragrance of peanuts; as soon as it was scooped into the wok, the surrounding people immediately crowded around.

"This oil looks just like lard, and the scent is different from that of lard. It’s that kind of fragrance, oh, it’s indescribable, but it’s just so aromatic!"

"This is peanut oil, made from pressed peanuts."

Chen Nuo began explaining, "Because peanuts are a bit more expensive than soybeans, it’s two wen for one and a half liang of oil. You’ve all eaten peanuts before, right?"

Everyone had naturally eaten peanuts and nodded in agreement.

"I knew peanuts were fragrant, but I had no idea they could be pressed for oil, and that the oil itself would also be so fragrant."

"Each type of oil carries its own flavor, and dishes cooked with this oil also taste particularly good," said Chen Nuo.

"But as aromatic as it is, like eating meat, it’s fine to enjoy occasionally to improve the meal, but if you eat it every meal, every day, I’m afraid you’ll no longer appreciate its fragrance," someone commented.

"Yet this item isn’t very expensive, it’s possible to buy and use it, but it still feels unnecessary."

"Right, we’re not used to eating oil, and suddenly having it, we might not even remember to use it."

"Exactly, it’s not too pricey, but I worry that after buying it, it will just sit there as a decoration."

The crowd was voicing their opinions left and right when the merchants who had been arguing earlier approached, lured by the aroma of the peanut oil.

"Ah, this oil does seem quite nice. Buying some to mix with lard might not be a bad idea; it could change the flavor a bit."

"Uncle, you use oil for cooking at home, don’t you?" Hearing their conversation, Chen Nuo asked.

The merchant nodded, "Of course, we do. What’s the point of earning money if not to spend it? We do have the means, so there’s no need to skimp here."

"Have you ever tried dishes cooked without oil?" Chen Nuo probed further.

The two merchants looked at each other, then shook their heads, "No, we don’t cook at home. We have a chef who does that, but there’s still a monthly expense for oil."

Chen Nuo knew he had found the right people to persuade and prepared to start with these two merchants, "May I ask, why don’t you eat dishes simply boiled in water?"

"That’s because of the taste, naturally. We’re used to eating dishes fried with oil, how can we switch to water-boiled dishes? They’d be so tasteless," they replied.

"Exactly," Chen Nuo asked the question he intended to, "Just as you’re accustomed to oil and wouldn’t revert to water-boiled dishes, there’s a significant difference in taste. That’s precisely why I sell oil. If you get used to using oil, you wouldn’t go back to dishes boiled in water; the flavors are worlds apart."

"But we’re used to it, so naturally, we wouldn’t sense any difference," someone stubbornly said.

"What if you became accustomed to oil as well?" said Chen Nuo as he lit the stove.

He had prepared ingredients at hand, as today he came to sell oil and didn’t bring other seasonings, only salt.

When the oil was hot, Chen Nuo added the vegetables to the wok to stir-fry. As soon as the green veggies touched the oil, their natural flavor was instantly unlocked. After stir-frying briefly until the vegetables were just cooked, Chen Nuo sprinkled salt on them, plated the dish, and like that, the dish was done. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

After frying the dish in oil, Chen Nuo washed the pot. Once it was clean, he used the common folk method of water-frying another batch of vegetables, adding just a pinch of salt.

Glancing around at those present, Chen Nuo divided the dish into several portions and then served and offered tastes to the surrounding people.

"Everyone, please try it. I stir-fried it on the spot, and you all watched me do it, so there’s absolutely no deception, nor did I add any other seasonings. So, whether it’s good or not, you’ll understand once you taste it."

The taste difference between the boiled vegetables and the stir-fried ones was very clear, and after tasting, the distinct flavors of both became evident.

Chen Nuo’s cooking skill was good indeed; even with simple boiled greens, the flavor was great due to his mastery of the heat.

But once they tasted the stir-fried dish, the flavor of the boiled greens was incomparable to the stir-fried ones.

"What is this? It’s just a simple stir-fried green vegetable, but it’s done so deliciously!"

Those who tasted it exclaimed in amazement, and those who didn’t, upon seeing others’ reactions, hurried forward to try the dish and then expressed similar sentiments.

After everyone had finished tasting the dishes, Chen Nuo asked, "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to know from you, which dish tastes better, the first or the second?"

"The first dish is quite good; the heat was handled just right. The greens were neither soft and mushy from being boiled too long, nor were they undercooked, and that hint of saltiness was also spot-on, not too overpowering or too faint."

"How about compared to the second dish?"

"There’s no comparison at all. When you eat the first dish, you just feel the cook has good skills and knows how to handle the heat well. But greens are just greens, we’ve become accustomed to them, they taste how they always do. The second dish, however, is completely different; you can taste the essence of the greens, leaving you wondering how such delicious food is possible, almost forgetting about the cook’s skills completely."

His critique was fair and well-considered; if he were not bound by his context, he might be more suitable as a food critic.

Chen Nuo gave him a smile, "That’s the difference between using oil and not using oil."

"Your cooking skills really are impressive, but we are just ordinary people, without your high level of expertise. What if we were to buy this oil and the dishes we make are not as tasty as yours?" someone asked.

Chen Nuo couldn’t help but laugh, "Do you think this is a restaurant? How well you cook is your own business; I’m just selling oil, not cooking. If you don’t want to eat what you make, go to a restaurant."

The man had actually run out of arguments and was just looking for a fault, but after what Chen Nuo said, he fell silent.

Seeing the eager attitude among the crowd, Chen Nuo knew that now was the time to fuel their enthusiasm.

"This oil is not just for everyday stir-frying; if you don’t know what to eat, you can also fry some snacks with it."

Chen Nuo looked at the crowd and spoke again, "I just arrived in this town a few days ago and saw a snack, fried potatoes, which were very soft and mushy. But because they used water, they didn’t bring out the best way to enjoy potatoes."

The fried potato vendor was in the crowd, and hearing Chen Nuo’s words, he felt somewhat unhappy, "This is how we’ve always eaten them, and my business is quite good. Do I need your evaluation?"

Chen Nuo wasn’t upset. He took out some prepared potato strips and said to the man, "Since you bought them and I have bought and tried them, I am qualified to comment. Moreover, I’m just giving you a suggestion. If you use oil, your potatoes might taste even better."

"I don’t believe it. Make one and let’s see if oil is better or my water-fried version is better."

"Sure, aren’t I making it for you now?" Chen Nuo said, "I noticed before that when you fry your potatoes, the skin always sticks to the pan, and it must be a hassle to clean, right?"

The man didn’t respond, but by his reaction, Chen Nuo knew that he had hit the mark, and the man was left speechless.