Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1706 Coordination
Simply put, it's a horizontal line with three dots underneath.

The meaning is easy to understand. The horizontal line represents the Nile River, and the three dots symbolize the fields surrounding the Nile.

The three points represent three plots of land, symbolizing the division of property rights.

Just as the character "田" (field) depicts the boundaries of a field in a square shape, Egyptian fields were arranged in a line along the Nile River, so their land would be laid out in a row.

This character holds a fundamental position in Egyptian hieroglyphs because it can also mean "earth".

Egyptians also enjoy farming.

It's not that the Egyptians would simply take a piece of land and start farming it—but Shangluo figured they probably wouldn't refuse if they were given land.

"By the way, would you like to try this?" It was dinnertime, and Shangluo handed over the flatbread on the table.

"What is this? Free bread from Egypt?"

"That was free; it was bought."

"Thirty-odd pieces for one dollar, it's practically free." Faetong picked up half a piece from the basket, took a bite, and said, "Hmm, the taste is so-so. But it's not bad."

Is the taste just average, or quite good?

"Well, I have high standards for whatever price I pay. If the pancake is expensive and boasts about its unique ingredients and craftsmanship, I'll be very demanding. But this is just a pancake for one yuan for thirty pieces. As long as there's no sand in it, I have no problem with it."

This is a time-tested bread in Egypt. Almost everyone eats it in the streets and alleys along the Nile.

He also has a slightly upgraded version, mainly changing the production process and baking procedure, and adding some nuts. This kind of flatbread is 10 times more expensive than the subsidized flatbread, but it's still only three flatbreads for one yuan.

So, strictly speaking, there's not much to say about this flatbread; it's just a simple whole-grain meal—the flour is indeed ground rather coarsely. However, considering the cost-effectiveness, this flatbread is a lifesaver.

"My senior brother asked me to bring him some before I left, so I bought some and gave them to him?"

“Sure,” Phaethon replied. “Is there anything else you need to prepare?”

"I think this flatbread will probably get cold by the time I get home. Will it still be edible if it's cold?"

"Don't rush, I'll teach you how to eat it." She looked around, not finding any side dishes. "I don't see any side dishes. How do you eat it without side dishes?"

"Eat it dry."

"Then let me tell you the simplest side dish—it's hummus, tahini, garlic, and eggplant. Then put all of these in a blender and blend them into a puree with a 'whoosh' sound."

"????"

"Why are you looking at me like that? It's delicious. Hummus with eggplant puree is a famous Egyptian dish."

"Are these two served together?"

"No, hummus and eggplant puree should be served separately—but blending them together is also possible, as it gives the dish a wonderful texture."

"Victoria, is this how you eat it?" Shangluo asked incredulously. "Is this a famous dish?"

“No,” Victoria replied. “I do eat these, but not much. If I had to choose, I would have hummus as my main dish, then stew eggplant and lamb together, and then stew lamb with eggplant, and eat it with hummus.”

This one
This is a kind of porridge I've never had before in Shangluo. But it sounds pretty good.

“Oh dear, don’t be so demanding.” Phaethon waved his hand. “That’s how they eat in Persia. The Byzantine court culture was actually learned from the Persians, since neither the Greeks nor the Romans had the custom of supporting emperors. So this habit of eating porridge and stews brought Persian cuisine into the imperial court.” “Is this delicious? Eggplant puree stewed with mutton.”

"It's absolutely delicious! I love eggplant stew with lamb the most. Eating this dish makes me happy—we don't have it here, but I'll treat you next time. You haven't eaten at my house before, have you?"

“He did eat at Karin’s house twice,” Phaethon replied. “I didn’t go the first time, but I did go the second time. How should I put it, Karin’s dishes were more rustic—more in line with Roman tastes.”

It refers to Karin's family's fondness for various stews and dishes with broth. Among these, various bean pastes can be considered side dishes in stews.

"Then, Shangluo, you absolutely must try it at least once—but going to Constantinople probably won't be an option anytime soon, they're relocating there. I'll treat you to a meal when we get to Alexandria. And while we're at it, I'll also let you bring the correct way to eat this porridge to the Emperor."

"What if the pancakes get cold?"

“It’s alright,” Victoria replied. “Although I don’t eat cold food much, if the bread gets cold, I can just soak it in the soup bowl on the table. Soaking bread in soup is a way of eating that has been around since ancient Egypt, and the emperor would certainly like it.”

“So that’s how it is”

Wheat and beans are both foods produced in Egypt. Wheat is ground into flour, and beans are ground into flour. Beans are stewed to make a paste, and the flour paste is then baked to make flatbread.

The Egyptians have been eating these two together since ancient times because the animals that have lived on both sides of the strait have been quite similar.

"Will we be able to get food where we're staying?" Shangluo asked.

“Sure,” Victoria nodded. “I know this place. The palace in Thebes is quite famous, after all, it’s a tourist attraction. If you want to eat, you can stay at the palace tonight—everyone should go. I’m the host, so I should treat everyone to something good.”

"Wait, you have a palace here?"

“I just remembered that it’s just a mansion. After all, Thebes is a famous tourist destination, so it’s not surprising that I have a palace here—call your little brother along too, consider it my treat to dinner.”

In the middle of the night, Han Xingzhi, hungry, leaned against the wall in the corridor. He was indeed hungry, too hungry to sleep.

Victoria did treat him to a meal, but under the watchful eyes of a group of cats, he couldn't eat anything and could only eat flatbread to fill his stomach.

Even at midnight, he was surrounded by quite a few cats. After all, cats are nocturnal animals.

Along the way, the cats kept glancing in his direction.

Why are you all looking at me like that?

The cats around them naturally couldn't speak; they just wanted to see where Han Xingzhi was going.

"Don't follow me. I'm not eating, can't I just go and make something to eat?"

It was almost lunchtime, and Han Xingzhi decided to go to the kitchen to see if he could cook something himself.

“You seem to be looking for something.” A priest carrying a lantern appeared before him.

"It's nothing, I just want it."

"Do you want to eat?"

"No, no, no, I absolutely won't eat it! Someone suddenly appears in the middle of the night and offers to treat me to dinner? You can kill me, I won't eat a single bite, absolutely not!"

(End of this chapter)