The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

When asking for help from someone, of course you have to choose the best dishes.

In addition to eating, Min Xi also baked cookies as souvenirs in advance so that she could give them to the guests when they left.

The next day, the weather was not good, and it started to rain. The rain was quite heavy, and Min Xi was a little worried about Yun Ji: "Let's go when the rain is lighter."

Yun Ji found his windbreaker and hat and put them on: "It's okay, just go and come back quickly. Boil some water for me and I can take a hot bath when I come back."

Min Xi had no choice but to remind him: "The roads are slippery on rainy days, you must pay attention to safety."

"I know." Yun Ji jumped on his horse and walked into the rain.

Min Xi couldn't help but sigh. It was really difficult for him. There were no umbrellas or raincoats in Europe at the moment. He had to rely on his own strength to withstand the rain.

He hurried to the kitchen to boil water and prepare bath water for Yunji.

When Yunji came back, the rain had stopped a lot, but he was soaked and his lips were a little purple. The temperature in London in the summer was not high to begin with, and it dropped even lower when it rained. It was probably only about 10 degrees at this time.

Min Xi heard the sound of horse hooves and rushed out of the kitchen: "Seventh brother, are you cold?"

Yun Ji sneezed: "It's okay, I'm fine."

Min Xi said: "I have already poured the bath water for you, go and take a bath. I have boiled some chili water for you, you can drink some to sweat. I will clean up the things." There was no ginger, so only chili peppers and green onions could be used instead.

"Okay." Yun Ji entered the house, took off the basket on his back first, and then took off his hat. Min Xi reached out to help him unbutton his windbreaker, but he blocked his way with his hand, "I can do it myself. Don't get your clothes wet."

Yun Ji took off his clothes and went into the bathroom, saying, "It's raining today, so there are not many vegetable vendors. Fortunately, we have beef and mutton, and we also bought some milk. I've basically bought everything you asked for."

"It doesn't matter if you haven't bought everything. We can just do something else." Min Xi took off the saddlebag on the horse's back. Inside was a milk can, which was specially used to hold milk.

The horse was also quite wet, so Min Xi moved it to the stable at the back and locked it up. He found a dry cloth to wipe the water off its body, poured some warm water and beans to feed it, and then went to the kitchen to work.

After Yun Ji came out of the bath, Min Xi felt relieved: "Seventh brother, dry your hair quickly. You don't have to worry about the kitchen, I can handle it by myself."

Yun Ji wiped his wet hair with a dry towel and said, "I'll help you after I've dried it." After saying that, he almost sneezed again.

Min Xi quickly pushed him out: "You may have a cold. If you can't control your sneezing, you will pass the cold to the guests. It's better for me to do it myself."

After hearing what he said, Yun Ji didn't insist and left the kitchen to Min Xi.

Without help, it was not difficult for Min Xi to prepare ten dishes in the morning. Because it had been drizzling in the morning, it was almost twelve o'clock when Brett led Professor White's family over. The stewed dishes were already ready, and only some dishes needed to be fried.

Professor White looked to be in his thirties or forties, younger than Min Xi had expected. He thought that a man who studied theology would have to be at least in his fifties or sixties.

Min Xi came out and greeted everyone, then asked Yun Ji to bring the dishes to the table and invited the guests to take their seats.

The main dish prepared today is roast goose, which was originally the main dish for Christmas. Usually, Min Xi thought the goose was too big and was reluctant to make it. However, Professor White was a church member and Christmas had a special meaning to him, so he decided to make roast goose.

Professor White's little daughter spoke without restraint. Seeing the goose on the table, she asked loudly, "Dad, is it Christmas today?"

Professor White looked at the goose and remembered the fear he felt when he was dominated by the roast goose at Christmas. He couldn't help but murmur in his heart, didn't the host say that he was cooking Chinese food? But this goose was obviously a British dish.

Cooking is very fast. Min Xi only spent a short time to cook the remaining dishes. After serving them on the table, she washed her hands, took off her apron and came to entertain the guests: "I'm sorry to have kept Professor White waiting for a long time."

Since it was his treat, Min Xi and Yun Ji naturally had to go to the table. Min Xi picked up the knife and fork and began to share the roast goose with everyone: "This dish is roast goose. I know you will eat this dish during Christmas. I used the Chinese cooking method to make it. Please taste it and see how it is different from your Christmas roast goose."

There were so many dishes on the table, but only the roast goose was familiar to everyone. They were all very interested in other dishes, but they did not expect the host to let them eat the roast goose first. They could not help feeling a little disappointed.

But when they took the first bite, everyone noticed the difference. This was not the dry and tasteless roast goose they had eaten before. This roast goose was plump, sweet, rich and juicy.

It was the professor’s quick-witted little daughter who said, “Dad, this goose tastes better than the Christmas goose.”

Professor White also nodded in agreement: "Yes, you are right."

Brett smiled and said, "I'm right, Professor White. His dishes are always full of surprises."

The taste of roast goose is so special, so the other dishes are naturally more worth looking forward to. After eating roast duck and beggar's chicken, the professor and his family were completely conquered by Chinese cuisine. Although they are all common ingredients, the taste made by Min Xi is as if they were not chicken, duck or goose that they had eaten before.

Professor White also slowed down, slowly savoring this rare delicacy while chatting with Min Xi.

The first thing to do is definitely to ask about the origin. This is a topic that Min Xi will talk about with all Europeans after he meets them.

Professor White is worthy of being a professor at Oxford University. Although he only teaches theology, he knows much more than theology. He is also very interested in the politics, economy and religion of the Ming Dynasty.

Min Xi and Yun Ji accompanied him in a stumbling conversation, and Professor White became more and more excited, as if he wanted to go to Daming to explore it himself. But when he heard that it would take more than a year to go back and forth, he couldn't help but sigh: "We are too far away from Daming. If it were in Europe or Africa, I would go there myself."

Mrs. White, who seldom spoke, said, "Your going to Oxford is far enough for us, and you still want to go to China?"

Professor White comforted his wife after hearing this: "It's just a feeling. Don't worry, I will not leave England. Mr. Min, I heard from Bright that you are interested in Oxford University. Do you want to visit Oxford University?"

Finally getting to the point, Min Xi quickly replied, "Yes, Professor White. I heard about Oxford University when I was in Lisbon and have always wanted to find a chance to visit it. It would be even better if Professor White could be my guide."

"That's no problem. Our school doesn't start until October. You can come to Oxford University to see me then."

Min Xi almost spit out the food in his mouth when he heard this. What the hell, it's only July now, and school starts in October, which means there will be at least three months of vacation. Yun Ji understood this sentence, and he looked at Min Xi: "You can only go in October?"

Min Xi took a deep breath and asked, "Professor, how many months does your school have for summer vacation?"

Professor White said, "Four months."

"Is it so long?" Min Xi could only complain in his heart, is it necessary for you in the UK to have a four-month vacation this summer?

Professor White smiled and said, "Yes. In the UK, the climate is only suitable for growing crops in summer. We have to harvest grains and vegetables during this time to store food for the winter."

It seems that the professor of botany at Oxford University should be at school now. Otherwise, if he ignores those plants for four months, how can he collect enough data and information?

Min Xi asked, "Did all the professors and students go home during the summer vacation?"

Professor White thought for a moment and said, "Most of them have gone back. There should still be a few professors and students studying or doing research at the school."

Min Xi hesitated for a long time, but finally said what was in his mind: "We may not be in the UK until October, so we want to go and visit earlier. Does Professor White know any friends who are still at Oxford University? Can you write a letter of introduction for me and ask a professor or student at Oxford University to accompany me on the visit?"

"Are you leaving England soon?" His words surprised both Professor White and Bright.

Min Xi nodded: "Yes, we originally planned to stay in the UK for two or three months. We are currently waiting for our friend to come and join us. Once his business is done, we may leave London."

Brett was very reluctant: "So soon? Can't we stay in the UK for a little longer?"

Min Xi gave an apologetic smile: "We originally came out to travel, and after traveling for a while, we are going to return to China."

"That's right. That's such a pity." Brett was very reluctant. If they left, they would never be able to eat such delicious food again.

Professor White said, "If that's the case, I'll write you a letter of introduction. I know that Professor Michel, who studies physics, lives in Oxford. He rarely leaves Oxford. He's the only professor I'm sure lives in Oxford during the holidays. But he's a bit of a loner and a little hard to get along with. I wonder if he can give me a favor."

"Thank you very much for your help, Professor White. We can leave the rest to ourselves." Min Xi thanked Professor White happily. Although he was not a botany professor, the physics professor should be able to take him to visit the botanical garden. As for how to get the seeds of those crops, he could only adapt to the situation at that time.