It had to be said that as an emperor, even the more thrifty Li Er, the level of imperial food was not low.
Moreover, the imperial food given to the officials represented the face of the royal family. There were all kinds of delicacies.
Bear paws, deer antlers, and so on were needless to say. As the dishes were served, Cheng Yaojin and the others drooled.
After a while, the eunuch carried a small urn and walked in. He placed it on the table and gently opened the urn. The fragrance of beef immediately wafted out.
"Old Cheng, quickly wipe your saliva.”
Qin Shubao looked at Cheng Yaojin staring at the ox head bun that had just been served and couldn't help but scold him.
"The last time I ate the Ox-Head Comforts was a year ago. The royal chefs in the palace are really good. I begged His Majesty several times but he didn't agree. Today, I finally have a chance.”
Cheng Yaojin wiped his saliva and replied without looking up.
Cheng Yaojin's words caused everyone to laugh, confirming that he was a foodie.
You can't blame Cheng Yaojin for this. It was recorded in the Stables,"The owner of the horse and cow who committed suicide was sentenced to one year of imprisonment."”
If the owner killed his horse or cow, he would have to serve a year of hard labor. The country prohibited the killing of these two kinds of large livestock, and of course, it was forbidden to eat beef.
If ordinary people wanted to eat some beef, the simplest way was to go to the village to buy some beef privately or raise a few cows at home. They would kill them secretly in the dark and cook them behind closed doors so that no one could see them.
Even if a neighbor smelled something wrong and pushed the door open, they would be caught eating beef at home. They could argue irrationally,"I did kill the cow, but it was an accident! Accidentally killed! It was just a momentary mistake!"
The Tang law clearly stated that if one killed their own cattle and horses, they would be punished for one year.
As for how to prove that it was a manslaughter and not intentional killing, he would quickly scoop a plate of cooked beef and give it to the neighbor. Then, it would definitely be a manslaughter.
Therefore, even Cheng Yaojin, who had a relatively rich living condition, could not eat beef often, let alone Niutoubao.
Moreover, in ordinary restaurants, the way to cook beef was probably to boil it with water and add some seasoning such as onion and ginger sauce.
If it was more advanced, he could start a fire in the courtyard and roast the beef until it was 80% done. After the charred fragrance wafted out, he could sprinkle some pepper on it. It would be a rare delicacy.
As for this Niutou Bao, it was made by taking a small cow's head with smooth skin and tender meat. First, it was burned on the fire to remove the hair, then it was scalded with boiling water to remove the hair roots.
In the pot, he added wine, black beans, onions, and ginger. He cooked the cow's head, peeled off the meat, and cut it into palm-sized pieces. He mixed it with butter, pepper, sour orange, and so on. He stuffed it into a jar and sealed the jar with mud.
Finally, he buried the meat jar in the fire pit and slowly heated it with a weak fire to let it taste.
The beef made by this method was crispy, fragrant, soft, and sticky. It was sour, spicy, and delicious, making Cheng Yaojin miss it very much.
"The Sage has arrived."
Following the eunuch's shout, Li Er also changed into casual clothes and walked in from outside the door, indicating that there was no need to salute.
After Li Er sat down, an imperial chef led a live sheep to the front steps of the hall. After bowing to the hall, he turned his hand and took out a bright sharp knife. He skillfully stabbed it into the neck of the live sheep, killed the sheep, bled it, skinned it, and cut its meat.
At this time, everyone followed Li Er out of the hall and came to the fat sheep that had just been killed. When they saw which piece of mutton was good, the imperial chef cut it off with a knife.
The servants serving at the side served different colored brocades, wrapped the chosen mutton, and sent it to be steamed.
The next dish was a famous bird dish called "Mutton Mohu". This dish could only be seen at the big banquets of rich families.
A few waiters carried a large wooden plate into the hall. On the plate was a whole roasted lamb that was emitting steam and charred fragrance.
The royal chef took out a knife and cut open the sewn up goat belly. There was a roast goose hidden inside. Not only that, there was something else in the goose's stomach. It was meat and glutinous rice mixed with seasoning.
After stuffing the clean and stuffed goose into the sheep's stomach and roasting it over the fire, he finally took out the roast goose and cut it up to eat. The roast sheep was thrown away as a container.
After a while, the waiter brought in plates of white and thin things.
Qin Feng took a closer look. Most of the food on the plate was in the shape of silk, but there were also small pieces. The pieces were translucent and white, extremely thin and tender. There were also piles of green onions on the side of the plate. There were also wasabi, black beans, garlic, orange shreds, and other seasonings.
Qin Feng had eaten this kind of food in Japanese and Japanese restaurants before he transmigrated. It was sashimi that was extremely expensive.
Li Er glanced at Cheng Yaojin and said with disdain,"Alright, hurry up and eat. Otherwise, Old Cheng will bite off his tongue.”
Li Er didn't say anything, so naturally, no one dared to eat it. After getting Li Er's approval, Cheng Yaojin took out a large piece of beef from the urn without saying anything.
The fist-sized meat was stuffed into his mouth. His cheeks were puffed up, and oil kept flowing from the corner of his mouth.
The others, on the other hand, were gentle and polite as they picked up their favorite dishes to eat.
Qin Feng and the others tasted every dish. After confirming that it was not poisonous, they picked up the white sashimi with their chopsticks and put it into their mouths with green onion.
It was smooth and cool, fresh and greasy with a hint of sweetness. Unfortunately, the taste and condiments were far from the later generations.
He picked up a piece of beef. The taste was only passable, and it was a little bland.
Li Er had been observing Qin Feng, wanting to see shock on his face. Unfortunately, things did not go as he wished. Qin Feng actually had a reluctant expression on his face.
"Qin Feng, is this dish not to your taste?" asked Li Er.”
The others also stopped eating and looked at Qin Feng. This level of imperial cuisine could be said to be a delicacy in the world, yet there was still someone who was dissatisfied?
"Your Majesty, I have always been a heavy eater. This taste is indeed a little bland.”
Qin Feng couldn't possibly say that it was because the imperial food wasn't delicious, so he found an excuse.
Li Er gave a look, and someone presented a sandalwood box containing fine gray salt.
"Is this salt edible?" Qin Feng asked weakly.”
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。