Chapter 128 Brewing Fine Wine
"Master Hai, I will need these dishes in three days. Please prepare them in the next two days."
After arriving at the kitchen of Yipintang Restaurant, Jiang Zhiyu handed a piece of thin paper to Hai Dafu.
Hai Dafu took the thin paper with both hands, smiling, and a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes. He lowered his head and looked carefully at the dishes on the paper, and couldn't help but sighed: "Miss Jiang, you are really particular, these dishes are of great origin!"
Jiang Zhiyu smiled slightly, his eyes full of expectation: "Master Hai, I believe in your skills, you will definitely be able to make these dishes to perfection."
Hai Dafu nodded confidently and assured, "Don't worry, Miss Jiang. How can I, Hai Dafu, let you down? In the next three days, I will do my best to make these dishes delicious and satisfy you."
As they talked, more and more customers came into the store, and Hai Dafu was busy arranging the work in the kitchen. Jiang Zhiyu found a corner to sit down and quietly watched Hai Dafu's busy figure.
After a while, Hai Dafu came over with a plate of freshly cooked food, placed it in front of Jiang Zhiyu, and said with a smile: "Miss Jiang, I prepared this dish specially for you. Try it and see how it tastes."
Jiang Zhiyu took a bite and savored it carefully. After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked at Hai Dafu with surprise: "Master Hai, this dish is so delicious! How did you make it?"
Hai Dafu smiled proudly and explained, "This dish is called 'Drunken Immortal Duck'. It uses top-quality duck meat. My unique cooking method makes the duck meat tender and juicy, and melts in your mouth. Add my exclusive secret Drunken Immortal sauce, and it tastes delicious and leaves a lasting aftertaste."
Jiang Zhiyu nodded repeatedly, praising the dish highly. The two chatted while tasting the food. Jiang Zhiyu asked curiously, "Master Hai, how did you become a chef?"
Hai Dafu's eyes flickered as he recalled, "When I was young, I worked as a eunuch in the imperial kitchen of the palace. At that time, I was responsible for taking care of the emperor's diet. Seeing the emperor tasting the food and praising it, I decided to become an excellent chef. Later, I left the palace, became an apprentice, and finally opened the Yipin Restaurant today."
Jiang Zhiyu was filled with emotion. She had never expected that this seemingly ordinary chef had such a rich experience. She couldn't help but ask, "Master Hai, you must have experienced many interesting stories during your time in the palace, right?"
Hai Dafu nodded, his eyes revealing nostalgia: "Yes, those days were hard, but also full of joy. I was fortunate enough to cook a dish called 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall' for the emperor. At that time, I carefully stewed it for three days and three nights, and finally made this dish perfect. After tasting it, the emperor praised it highly and promoted me to the chief steward of the imperial kitchen."
Jiang Zhiyu's eyes flashed with envy. She imagined that Hai Dafu must have been very successful at that time. She asked curiously, "Master Hai, why did you choose to leave the palace and open your own restaurant?"
Hai Dafu smiled, his eyes revealing a hint of determination: "Although my days in the palace were glorious, I also knew the darkness of the palace. I wanted to pursue my dream and bring delicious food to more people. So, I resolutely left the palace, came to the people, and opened this Yipin Restaurant."
Jiang Zhiyu looked at Hai Dafu with admiration. She felt that this chef had an admirable tenacity and perseverance. She stood up and said to Hai Dafu, "Master Hai, I am deeply moved by your experience. I look forward to you making these dishes to perfection so that more people can taste your delicacies."
Hai Dafu smiled and responded confidently: "Don't worry, Miss Jiang, I will not let you down!"
……
Jiang Zhiyu nodded and asked, "By the way, Master Hai, how is the wine brewing?"
Jiang Zhiyu followed Hai Dafu through a winding corridor and came to another spacious room. In the center of the room stood a huge mahogany wine cabinet, on which dozens of watermelon-sized pottery jars were neatly arranged, the mouths of which were tightly sealed with red cloth, and a strong aroma of wine filled the air.
Hai Dafu pointed at the pottery jar with pride and said, "Boss Zhu, these wines are all brewed by me, and each has a unique flavor. Smell it, isn't the aroma of this wine exceptionally mellow?"
Jiang Zhiyu nodded slightly and smiled, "Master Hai's craftsmanship is indeed well-deserved. I feel a little drunk just by smelling it. By the way, what are the names of these wines?"
Hai Dafu introduced with a smile: "The first bottle is 'Zuixiantao', which has the sweetness of peach in its aroma; the second bottle is 'Biluochun', which has the aroma of spring green tea, fresh and refreshing; the third bottle is 'Yuyeqiongjiang', which has a rich aroma and an endless aftertaste..."
Jiang Zhiyu was very interested and couldn't help but say, "It sounds really mouth-watering. What about the fourth can?"
Hai Dafu smiled slightly, pointed to the fourth pottery jar and said: "This fourth pot is the 'Yaochi Fairy Fruit', which combines the aromas of many kinds of fruits. Drinking it will make you feel like you are in a fairyland."
Jiang Zhiyu gently pulled open the red cloth and sniffed it, with a hint of surprise in his eyes: "It's really extraordinary. Master Hai, can you teach me how to brew these fine wines?"
Hai Dafu was slightly stunned, then smiled and said: "Miss Jiang, if you are interested, I am willing to teach you a thing or two. But brewing fine wine is not a one-day job, it requires patience and carefulness. First of all, we must be particular about the selection of ingredients, which must be high-quality glutinous rice, clear mountain spring water and unique wine yeast."
Jiang Zhiyu listened carefully and nodded, "I understand. What's next?"
Hai Dafu said: "The next step is to steam the glutinous rice and let it ferment. During the fermentation process, the temperature and humidity must be strictly controlled, otherwise the quality of the wine will be affected. Then it is distillation. This step is the most challenging step. If you are not careful, the quality of the wine will be greatly reduced."
Jiang Zhiyu's eyes flashed with curiosity: "What happens after distillation?"
"After distillation, the wine needs to be cooled, filtered, and finally sealed in ceramic jars for storage. The longer the storage time, the mellower the flavor of the wine will be." Hai Dafu said as he took Jiang Zhiyu to a small room next to the wine cabinet.
In the small room, there were several large wooden barrels filled with clear wine. Hai Dafu gently scooped up a bowl of wine and handed it to Jiang Zhiyu: "Miss Jiang, please try this newly brewed wine and see how it tastes."
Jiang Zhiyu took a sip, a hint of intoxication flashed in his eyes: "Well, the wine has a mellow aroma and a soft taste. It's really good wine!"
Hai Dafu nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile: "Miss Jiang really knows what's good. However, this wine needs to be stored for a while before it can reach its best flavor."
The two of them were tasting the wine and talking. Jiang Zhiyu asked curiously, "Master Hai, how did you learn to brew wine?"