Chapter 421: Gripping the Ladle and Flipping the Wok
"Alright, enough chatter. I trust everyone has already prepared the cookware needed for today. These are also the tools most commonly used in stir-frying." Qi Han held up the wok and ladle in his hands, and the Spirit Master in charge of projection cooperatively provided close-up shots of both tools.
"This is a wok ladle. It's used to turn and move food inside the wok during stir-frying. We also use spoons during simmering to stir ingredients—this ladle has a similar function, but it also has other uses. We'll demonstrate each one later. For now, let me show you how to correctly hold the ladle."
Hold a ladle… and there's a "correct posture" for it?
Many people in the audience couldn't help having that thought, but no one said it aloud. Instead, they quieted down even more and stared nervously at Qi Han's every movement, afraid to miss the slightest detail.
Qi Han first opened his palm facing upward. Then, with his other hand, he held the ladle upright and slowly placed the handle into the center of his palm.
To let everyone see clearly, his movements were slow, and the projection Spirit Master rotated the camera to show close-ups of every angle—truly dedicated to the job.
After seeing it clearly, the learners in the audience all followed Qi Han's movements. There was no difficulty in this motion, and once he confirmed everyone had done it, Qi Han spoke again.
"Remember the position of your palm right now. When holding the ladle, we must always let the end of the handle rest against the center of the palm. This allows you to apply force properly, while also keeping the maximum possible distance between your hand and the ladle's working end."
As he spoke, he kept the hand holding the ladle steady. The hand whose palm was pressed to the handle slowly rotated to wrap around the grip. Throughout this motion, the palm never shifted even a fraction. When he finished gripping the handle, the point of contact between handle and palm remained firmly in place.
"So that's how it works?" Long Hanyun quickly understood. Following Qi Han's example, he held his ladle and made a few motions inside the wok. Compared to grabbing the middle of the handle like he had before, this felt far smoother.
But with that said…
Long Hanyun raised an eyebrow and glanced at the wok on the stove. Taking a few steps back, he swung the ladle again—this time the awkwardness from the ladle's length instantly disappeared.
Interesting.
A hint of delight appeared on Long Hanyun's face. His cooking experience was extensive, so with just a little guidance, he immediately understood the convenience of holding the ladle this way.
On the other side of the crowd, a girl wearing a red robe and a hood that hid her face—save for her elegant lower features—quietly tightened her grip on her ladle. A strand of silver hair slipped from her hood, shining brilliantly.
She stared at the ladle in her hand, her expression vacant as long-sealed memories quietly resurfaced.
…
"Xin'er, aren't you nervous? This is your Martial Spirit awakening."
"I'm not nervous. If I don't have any Spirit Power… does that mean I can learn cooking from Daddy?"
"Your child is a once-in-a-century genius! When she grows up, entering Shrek Academy will be a breeze!"
"Xin'er, Mama and Papa are so proud of you!"
"Then… does that mean I can't become a great chef like Daddy?"
…
A faint smile curved at the girl's lips.
Daddy… even if I became a Spirit Master, I can still secretly learn how to cook.
She looked up at the boy on the stage and quietly pulled her hood lower.
No way am I letting him know I'm learning to make his fried rice!
Hmph!
Seeing that everyone had learned the correct way to hold the ladle, Qi Han finally relaxed a little and smiled.
"Next, let's talk about the wok. You've probably already noticed that the wok in front of me is very different from the usual iron woks you've seen. It's smaller, thinner, and it even has a handle."
As he spoke, he grasped the handle with one hand and lifted the wok.
"This wok weighs only four jin—light enough that any adult can lift it with ease."
Even ordinary people without Spirit Power, simply because they were born in such a supernatural world, had physical qualities far superior to those on Earth. Lifting a four-jin wok was indeed no challenge.
Seeing that everyone could lift the wok as easily as he did, Qi Han continued, "Next, let's talk about what kind of stance you should maintain while stir-frying."
…Huh?
There's even a proper stance for this?
A small commotion rippled through the crowd.
Ignoring the noise, Long Hanyun stared intently at Qi Han, one hand lightly lifting the wok while the other held the ladle, trying out the flipping motions inside the pan.
Qi Han didn't pause for long and quickly continued his demonstration at the stove. "First, keep a distance of two fist-widths from the stove. This ensures your clothes won't be burned by fire spurting out from the stove while you cook."
Fire spurting from the stove?
The crowd was confused, but they still obediently followed Qi Han's demonstration, keeping about two fist-widths between their abdomen and the stove.
"Second, spread your legs shoulder-width apart, stand straight, and keep your waist and back upright." As Qi Han spoke, he demonstrated.
"Standing posture is just as important during cooking. Only when you stand firmly can you use strength properly."
Use strength?
Use what strength?
Most people looked bewildered, though a few seemed to vaguely understand.
Regardless, everyone still adjusted their stance, following Qi Han's example.
"Next, everyone watch my movements carefully." Qi Han's tone grew more serious. The crowd straightened instinctively, their attention on the projection above, determined not to miss a single detail.
"Grip the wok handle firmly." Qi Han used his left hand to grasp the handle as he explained, "If you're right-handed, hold it with your left hand. If you're left-handed, use your right hand."
As soon as he said this, part of the crowd immediately switched hands.
"Grip the handle tightly, lift the wok slightly, and use the strength of your upper arm to drive the forearm. Then, flip the wok rhythmically." Qi Han placed his right hand behind his back and began flipping the wok with his left, demonstrating the motion. "Remember, flipping the wok isn't just shaking it forward and backward. Observe my rhythm and movement carefully."
Compared to the earlier simple steps, far fewer people managed to learn this one immediately.
Over a thousand people tried their best to imitate Qi Han, but the woks in their hands seemed to have minds of their own. The rhythm and motion were completely different from what Qi Han demonstrated.
Does my wok have its own thoughts?
Qi Han, of course, had anticipated this. "I'll slow down even more. Everyone, watch closely."
"Lingqing, pour a bowl of rice in."
After his disciple poured a bowl of raw, uncooked rice into the wok, Qi Han slowed his movements even further. He began flipping repeatedly, and with the coordination of his right-hand ladle, the rice inside the wok instantly lifted into the air—soaring far higher than the height of the wok itself—yet not a single grain spilled.
It was nothing short of magical.
"So… that's how it is…"
Long Hanyun stared blankly at Qi Han's demonstration, a look of sudden realization flashing through his eyes.
At that moment, he finally understood how Qi Han made fried rice with such perfectly separated grains.
There was actually such a wondrous and fascinating cooking method?
Following Qi Han's rhythm, his own movements gradually matched the demonstration more and more closely.
And after seeing Qi Han pour rice into the wok and apply the technique in a real example, more and more people in the crowd finally began to grasp the feeling as well.
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