The first thing I did was to find out

Chapter 420 The Guide

What kind of egg tarts are delicious?
Almost everyone who has ever eaten an egg tart can say something about this. Some people think that a freshly baked egg tart, still warm or even a little hot, with a flaky crust that crumbles when you bite into it, and a soft, sweet, and bouncy filling that tastes a lot like pudding, but richer and more creamy, with a strong milky and eggy flavor, is delicious.

Some people think that freshly baked egg tarts aren't that delicious. They believe that the best egg tarts are those that have been left out of the oven to warm up and lose their freshly baked aroma. They think that a bite of a freshly baked egg tart will still give you a crispy and rich flavor, but not so crispy. Egg tarts with a slightly firm crust are the ones that taste the best.

Some people like it sweeter, while others prefer it to be relatively milder.

Some people like to add toppings like corn, purple sweet potato, durian, mango, or chocolate, believing that these make the egg tarts taste even better.

It's difficult to define what makes a delicious egg tart.

If you asked Qin Huai this question, he would say that Chef Zhou's egg tarts are the best. Chef Zhou's seasoning skills and puff pastry techniques are simply unparalleled.

Even the most ordinary, simple, and basic egg tarts, enhanced by Chef Zhou's culinary skills, offer a delightful experience of layered, flaky crusts and a wonderfully progressive texture. Even if they're not freshly baked and piping hot, a single bite delivers the unparalleled aroma of a flaky pastry. While enjoying the rich, flavorful filling—a wonderful combination of sugar, milk, and eggs—diners can also appreciate the deliciousness of the crust.

Master Zhou's egg tarts will clearly tell diners that while you might think the filling is the main ingredient, today I'm here to tell you that the real star is the crust. Even if you consider it a supporting role, you have to acknowledge its importance.

If Qin Huai were to rate it, he would give Master Zhou's egg tarts 99 points, leaving the remaining 1 point for Master Zhou's room for improvement.

So, if Qin Huai were to rate his own egg tarts, what score would he give them?

Qin Huai is currently rating the score.

Qin Huai made many batches of egg tarts in one afternoon. Compared to the complexity and intricacy of the egg tart crust, the egg custard is relatively simple. The cooking process, which is the most important part of red-cooked dishes, is so simple that it can be ignored.

Qin Huai didn't oversee the baking of the egg tarts at all; Tan Weian took them to the oven to bake. If Tan Weian hadn't been so busy as the helper that day, this step wouldn't have even required him; any apprentice could have done it.

Set the temperature and time; anyone can do it.

Qin Huai is eating his first batch of egg tarts.

To be fair, Qin Huai felt there was no significant difference between the batches of egg tarts he made this afternoon. He was in roughly the same state each time he made them; there were no extraordinary performances, no mishaps, and not even a learning process involved.

He did enough practice tests before taking the exam; he didn't study while flipping through books during the exam.

Freshly baked egg tarts are delicious, just the way Qin Huai likes them.

At the same time, Qin Huai couldn't help but compare his egg tarts with those made by Master Zhou.

In terms of the filling, there's really no difference. The egg tart filling is the same recipe and proportion. It can't be much worse or better. Not to mention that Qinhuai uses Master Zhou's egg tart filling recipe, which is basically a 1:1 replica.

When it comes to tart crust, they're worlds apart.

Master Zhou is the top pastry chef who is most skilled at making flaky pastries. If Qin Huai wanted to compete with him in making flaky pastries, it would be like trying to climb to the moon by staging a fake accident.

But Qin Huai silently gave himself a score of 70 out of 100 for the egg tarts he made.

Qin Huai thought the egg tarts she made today were pretty good, at least better than those sold by KFC and most cake shops on the market. The reason she said "most" is because there are probably still small shops run by people like Zheng Siyuan.

Qin Huai silently took another bite of the egg tart. The crust was very crispy, and each bite offered a layered texture, with the butter kneaded into the dough and then baked to create a unique aroma.

You can taste the sweet aftertaste of the tart crust encasing the filling as you chew it, and then swallow it.

Qin Huai felt that an egg tart that left a lingering aftertaste was definitely up to standard, and might even be considered excellent.

Qin Huai glanced discreetly at Master Zhou, who was also tasting the pastries, his expression blank. Master Zhou always ate like this, his indifference revealing a hint of numbness, and a touch of impatience, even anger, could be seen between his brows. He exuded an aura of sternness that made one instinctively want to take a few steps back, and before Master Zhou could even speak, one's legs trembled, almost prompting one to leave first.

Master Zhou's expression was quite calm; there was no impatience, anger, or satisfaction between his brows.

Since Qin Huai didn't know Master Zhou very well, he found it difficult to read Master Zhou's inner thoughts from his face, so he could only turn his attention to Tan Weian.

Perhaps because he knew Tan Weian so well, Qin Huai felt that Tan Weian's thoughts were practically written all over his face.

His writing was filled with praise for the food, his love for it, and his own insatiable appetite. He devoured two egg tarts in the time it took Qin Huai to savor one, making him second only to Qin Luo and Ouyang in eating speed.

Even their eating habits started to resemble Ouyang's, with them wolfing down their food.

Watching Tan Wei'an eat, Qin Huai even began to feel remorseful, wondering if he shouldn't have arranged for Tan Wei'an to taste the double crab buns he made a while ago. Look at how little Chef Tan from Zhiweiju ate them; he's become like Ouyang!

Tan Weian ate three egg tarts in a row before stopping.

It's not that I'm full, it's that I'm tired of the food.

Tan Wei'an wanted to get some tea, but realized that as a helper, no one was there to pour him tea. Of course, no one had ever poured him tea before, so he had to quietly pour it himself.

After Tan Wei'an left, only Qin Huai and Chef Zhou remained at the cooking station. Chef Zhou had already finished tasting the food. Seeing Tan Wei'an leave, he gave him a knowing look, as if he knew he should leave, and slowly said:
"Xiao Qin, do you have any ideas?"

Qin Huai: ?
According to the normal plot, shouldn't this be the moment when you, Master Zhou, critique my egg tarts, beating me to a pulp, and then I suddenly realize my mistakes, learn from my mistakes, work hard, start making a big tart at Zhiweiju, and finally share my thoughts and feelings about this exchange?

Why were all the intermediate steps cut out, and you went straight to the last step?

Qin Huai glanced at Master Zhou with some hesitation, and found that Master Zhou really didn't have any sarcastic or sarcastic intentions. His expression, tone, and demeanor were all very calm, as if the irrelevant people had finally left and it was their turn to talk about serious matters.

"Think...ideas..." Qin Huai was at a loss for words for a moment; he was truly at a loss for words.

He respected, and even feared, Master Zhou from the bottom of his heart. Even though Master Zhou was always kind and friendly when he saw him, it did not prevent Qin Huai from being a little afraid of him.

This might be the legendary aura of a supreme elder from a top sect, especially given that this supreme elder is known for his sarcastic and unpredictable manner.

"Master Zhou, what do you think of my egg tarts today?" Qin Huai chose to ask a new question.

"So-so," Chef Zhou replied fairly. "In terms of culinary skills, you and Lao San are probably on par, though Lao San might be slightly inferior to you. You each have your strengths. You are better at steamed buns and slightly less common desserts like Four Happiness Tangyuan. Lao San is my apprentice. Even though he has a lively personality and has dabbled in all kinds of desserts, he is still best at puff pastry."

"If the third brother were making egg tarts today, his crusts wouldn't be as crispy as yours. Too much of a good thing is bad. Egg tarts aren't shortbread; they need to balance crispness and softness. You may not have thought about it this way, but you can't get the balance right."

"I noticed it when you were kneading the dough. Your technique is excellent. You know how to use skill and finesse, and you know when to slow down and when to apply pressure. You must have seen some techniques from me these past few days. Although you've only learned the basics, it's already quite remarkable that you can learn even this much just by watching."

"However, you are not good at making puff pastry. Your technique is very raw. You just imitate, but your skills are not as mature as Lao San's, so your imitation is a bit like copying a cat."

Master Zhou's comments were vivid, insightful, and to the point, befitting a seasoned master who has mentored three apprentices with distinct personalities and styles.

"And what about my egg tarts today..." Qin Huai asked tentatively.

Master Zhou smiled slightly, a smile as warm and gentle as a spring breeze: "I am very satisfied."

Qin Huai could tell that Master Zhou was very satisfied.

“You are more talented and insightful than I have heard, imagined, or witnessed in the past two days.”

This statement is a very high compliment, so much so that Qin Huai was somewhat shocked.

Qin Huai tried to explain: "Master Zhou... did Tan Weian not tell you? I've always made pastries this way. I'm very good at imitating others, including thickening sauces..." Master Zhou interrupted Qin Huai directly: "Little Tan told me that imitation is normal. Everyone learns new things by imitating at the beginning. Imitation often requires talent. If you don't have enough talent, you don't even have the right to imitate."

"I'm not talking about your talent and comprehension in terms of imitation. The third brother is also very talented in imitation. What makes you better than him is not imitation."

"When I asked you to make egg tarts, what was your first thought?" Master Zhou stared at Qin Huai.

“I’m a little surprised,” Qin Huai said honestly. “I didn’t expect you to ask me to make egg tarts, because I’ve never made egg tarts before, and I rarely make this type of dessert. And I think Tan Weian must have told you that puff pastry is the type of dessert I’m least good at.”

“I think you won’t just let me watch forever; one day you’ll let me make some desserts. I’ve thought of a lot of desserts, like flower buns, flower-shaped steamed buns, or other desserts that can help me practice my finger dexterity. Egg tarts are something I really haven’t thought of.”

Chef Zhou then asked, "What were you thinking about before you made the egg tarts?"

Qin Huai thought for a while: "I thought back on what I've seen these past few days, reviewed the process of you making egg tarts in my mind, and also thought about some things I've heard these past few days."

Master Zhou nodded with great satisfaction and continued to ask, "So, after thinking about all these things, what do you think is the most important thing in making egg tarts?"

"Egg tart crust".

"anything else?"

"Also, don't make the same mistakes Su Qian made when kneading dough these days. Making shortcrust pastry is a very delicate process. You need to be gentle, but you must use a lot of force when kneading the butter into the dough."

"Actually, I didn't think about any of that. When I was kneading the dough, I only had one thought in my mind: the tart crust is the soul of the whole tart. This is the most important step. I'm not good at making puff pastry, but this puff pastry must be done well. At that time, I was actually recalling your kneading process in my mind. I was probably subconsciously imitating it. Actually, I'm not really sure." Qin Huai became more and more talkative as he spoke.

“You have indeed been imitating, I can tell,” Master Zhou said confidently. “And you’ve imitated it very well, you’ve found the essence.”

Just when Qin Huai thought that Master Zhou would continue to ask him about his understanding of egg tarts, Master Zhou directly changed the subject.

"Have you noticed anything wrong with my three apprentices these past few days?"

Qin Huai: ?
Is this something he's qualified to comment on?
Of Master Zhou's three apprentices, only Zhao Cheng'an's skill level might be slightly inferior to Qin Huai's; Zhou Yan and Wang Jiayi's culinary skills are both superior to Qin Huai's. Wang Jiayi, in particular, possesses a very distinctive culinary style and is a true master chef.

Except for not meeting Master Zhou's graduation standards, he has perfectly met all of Zhiweiju's standards for a master chef.

“Um…” Qin Huai hesitated for a moment, but still said, “Zhao Cheng’an is a bit rigid.”

"You can't find any problems with his pastry making, but he's a bit too conventional and follows the rules too strictly. Sometimes it even makes you feel like a machine is making pastries, not a human."

"There is absolutely no personal style."

"Sister Yan... lacks a little confidence. Her cooking skills and palate are both excellent, and I believe her intuition is also good, but she just doesn't trust herself. The White Jade Shrimp Roll is her dessert, but when she encounters problems in dessert development, her first reaction is not to trust her intuition but to ask others. Whether she asks Brother Jia or Zhao Cheng'an, she always prioritizes trusting the other person over herself."

"She would rather believe my tongue than her own judgment."

“Brother Jia, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with him. At least, with my level of expertise, I can’t see any problems with him.”

Master Zhou nodded with even greater satisfaction and fell silent.

Now Qin Huai was even more confused.

Whether Master Zhou's comments were sarcastic or purely offensive, Qin Huai could accept them.

But what's with not commenting?
“Master Zhou, then I…”

Master Zhou interrupted Qin Huai again: "Do you remember when you first came here, I told you that there was always someone else's shadow on your pastries?"

Qin Huai nodded.

"This is a manifestation of your talent, but also the reason for your bottleneck."

"The third brother's situation is basically the same as yours, but he doesn't have your talent, so you can see his rigidity in making pastries, but he hasn't been able to change it over the years."

“I think observation is a very important process. If a chef can see a lot of things just by looking at them, then it will be much easier for him to learn things that require more comprehension.”

"Even if you've never made egg tarts before, you can see the core essence just by looking at them."

"You've managed to develop such solid fundamentals without a master guiding you step by step."

"What I can teach you is not the technical stuff, but the mindset."

“Xiao Tan told me that you encountered a big problem in making Four Happiness Rolls. Your finger technique has actually improved significantly during this period, but after you made progress, you suddenly realized that you can’t make Four Happiness Rolls at your current level.”

"It's not that you're not skilled enough; your hands are very steady, you have a solid foundation. It's that you're not keeping up with the mindset."

“Actually, I really dislike teaching people about concepts, even my own students. Take the third brother for example. He is very smart and talented, but his stubborn mind just hasn't been able to change in the past few years. He's like a stubborn mule; you can't beat him or scold him. I let him go on trips every year, thinking he could broaden his horizons, relax, and gain some insights, but every year he just brings back a bunch of local specialties.”

"So these past few days I've actually been hesitating about whether or not to put in the effort."

"Now it seems, Xiao Qin, you are well worth my effort."

“You are much better than the third brother. It’s not that you’re not quick-witted or lack talent in this area. You just need someone to guide you onto the right path.”

“I’d be happy to be the guide.”

No sooner had Master Zhou finished speaking than Tan Weian returned with tea. It was his own tea, Lu'an Melon Seed Tea. Considering that neither Qin Huai nor Master Zhou had drunk Lu'an Melon Seed Tea today, and that Tan Weian had disappeared for so long while pouring tea, he must have brewed a pot himself.

Tan Weian came back to continue eating egg tarts.

Master Zhou glanced at Tan Weian, somewhat annoyed that he had come back at a time like this.

"Are you just serving yourself? What about me and Xiao Qin? There's Lu'an Melon Seed tea, but you didn't even pour us a cup. Xiao Tan, have you been playing on your phone too much lately? Your eyesight is getting worse, and your eyesight isn't good either."

Tan Wei'an was taken aback by the fierce attack he received upon his return. He paused for a moment and instinctively said, "I'm sorry, Master Zhou, I'll go back and pour some tea right now."

Then he turned and ran, only realizing what had happened after a few steps.

Wait a minute, I'm a direct disciple, the kind of direct disciple with super connections!

Master Zhou, I ate spicy snacks in front of you when I was a kid, don't you remember? I failed my math test in elementary school, and my grandpa beat me in front of you.

I am a direct disciple, after all. Isn't making and serving tea the job of an ordinary apprentice?
How did I go from being a master disciple to a regular apprentice in the time it takes to eat three egg tarts?

Master Zhou, Master Zhou, do you still remember me? I'm Xiao Tan, Tan Weian!

You've been asking me so many questions about Qinhuai these past few days, and I've answered them all to the best of my knowledge!

Master Zhou, Master Zhou, you can't just discard me after I've served my purpose!

(End of this chapter)