The soybeans, soaked overnight, were almost ready. While preparing the ingredients for the Rou Jia Mo, Mai Ge ground the soybeans in the grinder. He glanced back at Yabemia sitting outside. He'd added extra soybeans yesterday so he could let her try the new dish and see if it suited the tastes of people in this world.
The ground soy milk was being cooked in a pot, and a delicate soybean aroma slowly wafted out of the kitchen.
"What a fragrant soybean aroma!" Yabemia's eyes lit up. The aroma of soybeans filled the air, reminding her of how her mother would soak a handful of soybeans overnight, add a little oil and salt, and then cook them in a pot. Soon, the air would be filled with that same fragrant soybean aroma. Soybeans cooked this way were fragrant and sweet, but she hadn't tasted them for many years. Could Mai Ge's new dish be boiled soybeans?
After preparing the tofu pudding, drizzling it with the prepared sugar syrup and sauce, and sprinkling various side dishes on the savory tofu pudding, Mai Ge carried two bowls of tofu pudding out of the kitchen, gently placed them in front of Yabemia, and smiled, "New product, tofu pudding, please try it."
"Tofu pudding?" Yabemia's eyes lit up as she looked at the two white porcelain bowls in front of her. Each bowl contained a piece of soft, jade-like tofu that wobbled slightly when placed on the table, appearing quite bouncy and adorable.
The bowl on the left was covered with sweet sugar syrup, while the one on the right was topped with various chopped toppings. The delicate aroma of tofu pudding and the sweet scent of sugar syrup wafted up, making her swallow hard. Her gaze lingered on the bowl of sweet tofu pudding drizzled with orange-red sugar syrup.
"The bowl on the left is sweet tofu pudding, and the bowl on the right is savory tofu pudding. You can choose whichever you prefer." Mai Ge said. Judging from Yabemia's expression, the outcome was already quite predictable.
"But... it's not noon yet." Yabemia said, glancing at Mai Ge and then at the tofu pudding in front of her, her expression conflicted.
"These are new products that haven't officially gone on sale yet. Tasting is part of the restaurant staff's job. Choose." Mai Ge said with a smile, shaking his head. He naturally understood her thoughts.
Yabemia's eyes lit up. She hadn't expected her job to include tasting new products. Although both bowls of tofu pudding looked delicious, the one on the left was clearly more appealing. She looked up at Mai Ge and asked, "Then... can I choose the sweet one?"
"Of course." Mai Ge nodded with a smile, but inwardly he felt a little frustrated. For an otherworldly person who had never eaten tofu pudding before, with sweet and savory tofu puddings in front of her, she had actually chosen the sweet one.
However, now as a restaurant owner, he has decided not to get involved in the disputes between the two parties, and he is now truly beginning to try to understand everyone's different tastes.
Just as Mo Bai consistently eats Yang Zhou Fried Rice everyday and has never tried a second Rou Jia Mo, Sargeras has only ever eaten Rou Jia Mo. This is something he witnessed firsthand after becoming a restaurant owner and has gradually come to understand.
Furthermore, with the restaurant planning to sell both sweet and savory tofu pudding, it's entirely predictable that more customers will prefer sweet tofu pudding. However, unlike his previous life, there isn't the ingrained regional bias from north to south, so the debate between sweet and savory tofu pudding fans in this other world shouldn't be as intense.
After receiving Mai Ge's permission, Yabemia carefully picked up the bowl of sweet tofu pudding and placed it in front of her. Gently, she took the white spoon beside her and slowly scooped some out from the edge.
Like steamed egg custard, but more elastic, the spoon scooped up the tofu pudding covered in golden-red syrup. The cut surface was as white as jade, quickly covered again by the thick syrup. Slowly scooping up a spoonful, the tofu pudding, coated in glistening syrup, swayed gently in the spoon, as delicate as a work of art.
"So beautiful." Yabemia was a little stunned, but the sweet aroma still made her put it in her mouth. The sweet and bouncy tofu pudding almost melted in her mouth, and the sugar syrup coating it was so rich in flavor. The sweet taste and the tofu pudding blended perfectly, making her close her eyes.
Such a sweet taste! This feeling of happiness made her feel as if she had fallen into a pool filled with candy, able to reach out and grab the sweetest, most delicious candy. This was her childhood dream, but from childhood to adulthood, candy had always been a luxury for her. Too many days of hunger had left her unable to even dream of sweetness.
A tear slid down Yabemia's cheek and dripped onto the table. The feeling of happiness made it hard for her to contain her emotions.
She swallowed a mouthful of tofu pudding, but there was no cloying sweetness. A faint aroma of tofu pudding lingered in her mouth, sweet but not cloying. She opened her eyes, staring intently at the small bowl in front of her, and couldn't resist scooping up another spoonful and putting it in her mouth. The feeling of happiness was pushed to new heights with each spoonful of deliciousness.
"Clink!"
The spoon made a soft sound as it hit the bottom of the bowl. Yabemia opened her eyes, staring blankly at the bowl where only a little orange-red syrup remained. She'd already finished it all! She couldn't resist picking up the small bowl and licking the bottom with her tongue; the sweet syrup was simply irresistible.
"Was it good?" Mai Ge asked expectantly, though he already knew pretty much the answer from Yabemia's licking the bowl gesture. The tofu pudding's debut in this other world seemed pretty good.
"Mmm, it's so delicious! Sweet and soft, it's absolutely amazing!" Yabemia, her face flushed, put down her bowl. She'd already embarrassed herself by licking the plate clean the other day, but the taste was just too tempting, and she couldn't resist licking the bowl again. Nevertheless, she nodded repeatedly.
After a pause, she touched her face and exclaimed with delight, "And it feels so cool on my face, like my skin is even more supple!"
"Does it also have beauty benefits?" Mai Ge was also a little surprised to hear this. He had been looking forward to the tofu pudding having some additional effects, but he didn't expect it to be for beauty. This is an irresistible temptation for women. If the effects are widespread, it is foreseeable that this tofu pudding with beauty benefits will definitely become a must-order dish for female customers.
"Would you like to try the savory one?" Mai Ge asked Yabemia tentatively. Perhaps Yabemia only thought the sweet tofu pudding was better because she'd tasted the sweet one first; may be the savory one would help her find true faith.
"No need, I think sweet tofu pudding is the best." Yabemia shook her head, refusing outright. In her opinion, this kind of sweet feeling that brings happiness is irreplaceable, and turning it into something savory is simply unimaginable.