The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

The two men took a box of gold coins back, estimating that they would not be able to use it all, but when doing business, more capital is better rather than less.

The two returned to the village in the northern suburbs and explained the situation to Sanvis first. They needed him to take them to the dock tomorrow and then drive the carriage back. While they were away, they needed him to help look after the horses and the vegetables in the yard. They especially had to remember to water them and weed if possible. If there were any vegetables growing, they could just pick them and eat them.

Sanvis agreed readily. He was afraid of going out to sea now. As long as he was not allowed to go out to sea, doing this little thing would be no problem for him.

Early the next morning, Min Xi and Yun Ji loaded their packed luggage onto the carriage. In addition to the cash box, bedding and food, there were also books. They could read them when they had time on the boat.

After arriving at the dock, all the luggage was loaded onto the ship. Min Xi checked the food in the kitchen and was relieved to find that there was enough. As for the cargo hold, Min Xi and Yun Ji did not check it because Lei Si said that he had already checked it. They had absolute trust in Captain Lei Si, so there was no need to check it again, so as not to leave him with the impression that he was not trusted. Now was the time when he needed to prove himself the most.

Francis was not in a hurry. He only appeared at the dock slowly after Min Xi and the others were ready. He came over to say hello and then boarded his boat and set off.

He was not in a hurry, and Min Xi and the others were naturally not in a hurry either, because the things on the boat were not theirs anyway.

After the ship set sail and entered the route, the sailors gathered together to find out what was going on. Min Xi and Yun Ji slowly explained the cause of the matter, and everyone thought it would be good to see more. After all, it was not easy to come to Europe, and it would be good to gain more experience so that they could brag about their experiences when they returned.

The Xingyun followed behind Francis' ship at a leisurely pace.

Leis had checked the Xingyun inside and out. He asked Min Xi and Yun Ji, "Is this the ship you seized from the pirates?"

"Yes."

Reis said: "I thought the pirate ships would at least have signs of repair, but this one doesn't. It seems that not all pirate ships were stolen."

Min Xi smiled and said, "Couldn't he have boarded the ship and robbed it like Seventh Brother did?"

Leis shook his head: "The possibility is very small. Do you think anyone has such good skills as Yun?"

"They probably bought it themselves. Those pirates were from England and the Netherlands. They hadn't formed their own colonial power overseas, so they mainly robbed Portuguese and Spanish merchant ships."

"Correct."

With Reis on board, it was all his responsibility to decide how the ship should proceed. Min Xi was still in charge of the three meals, while Yun Ji and Diego were in charge of checking the situation on the lookout. The sailors were trying to understand Reis' instructions, but they often needed the two people on the lookout to translate.

The ship departs from Lisbon, first heads south from Lisbon, bypasses the peninsula, enters the Strait of Gibraltar, and then enters the Mediterranean Sea.

The Mediterranean Sea was as beautiful as Min Xi remembered. The sea and sky were one color, the sun was warm, and the seabirds were screaming hoarsely. It was so lively.

The people they need to be most wary of during this section are the Spaniards. After all, this area is all Spanish territory. If they have bad intentions and want to rob directly, it will be very easy because this is right at Spain's doorstep. As long as they raise their arms, they will get a lot of responses.

This is also the reason why Francis called Min Xi and Yun Ji to help. After all, the status of the Ming people and Ming ships in Europe is different. Everyone who meets them will be polite, and the Spaniards should not offend the Ming people.

As for why they didn't take the English Channel route and stop at ports in western or northwestern France, it was because the English Channel route was subject to the dual threats of pirates and storms, especially the rampant pirates in England and the Netherlands. Although there were pirates in the Mediterranean, at least there were no storms.

Another reason is that the Mediterranean climate is warmer and drier, and many goods are easier to store in Marseille.

After entering the Strait of Gibraltar, Min Xi and Yun Ji were extremely alert, in order to avoid being targeted by pirates again. Probably because the ships were shallow, their two ships were considered to be light and did not attract the attention of the pirates. They safely bypassed the coast of Spain and arrived in Marseille smoothly.

Speaking of Marseille, the Chinese should be most familiar with the French national anthem "La Marseillaise". In fact, it also has a world-famous specialty, which is lavender. Since Marseille is the capital of Provence, I believe the whole world knows Provence lavender.

Min Xi also wanted to take a look. If lavender had been grown here, he would have to bring some lavender and essential oil back no matter what, as it was an important medicinal ingredient.

Marseille is somewhat similar to Valencia in Spain, both have sunshine and beaches, and the locals are enthusiastic. Perhaps the Mediterranean sunshine shines into everyone's body, making their personalities particularly fiery and unrestrained.

However, Marseille is far less prosperous than Valencia. After all, France's maritime trade is not as prosperous as Spain's.

After the ship arrived at the port, Francis came over and invited everyone on the Xingyun to get off the ship for dinner: "I'll send someone to keep an eye on the cargo, don't worry."

Min Xi said, "Then let's unload the goods before going to eat. These are all valuable items. If they are lost, we will be responsible."

Francis laughed when he heard this: "You are right. Then you can arrange for someone to guard the boat. We will go to eat."

Min Xi arranged for someone to guard the boat, and the rest of the people got off the boat and followed Francis to have dinner.

Min Xi whispered to Yun Ji, "The French are the best eaters in Europe, so French food should taste good."

Yun Ji raised his eyebrows. It was rare for a European country to be recognized by Min Xi, so he smiled and said, "Then I have to give it a try to see if it is really as you said."

Francis is a Maasai himself, and he is very proud of the food of his hometown. He said: "When you come to my hometown, you must taste our hometown food. I am not bragging. I have been to many places, including many cities in Europe, and I have never come across food that is better than that of the Maasai."

The pride of the French can be seen from this. Min Xi smiled and did not respond. Many people did not understand French and had no idea what he said. Instead, Captain Reis said, "What do you think of the Chinese restaurant in Lisbon, Mr. Francis?"

Francis paused for a moment, stroked his chin and said, "That can't be considered Portuguese food, right? That's Chinese food."

Min Xi smiled and said, "But it is indeed opened by the Portuguese now, and the Portuguese are cooking."

Francis said: "I admit that Chinese food is not inferior to our Marseille food, but Lisbon local cuisine is not as good as our Marseille cuisine. You will soon know that I am not lying."

He led everyone into a restaurant. Judging from the environment and furnishings, it was a food stall. Francis explained, "This is an old restaurant in Marseilles. It has been open for decades. The dishes are made with family secret recipes. Although the place is simple, the food is really delicious. You can tell by the people eating here."

The waiter in charge of reception glanced at them and said, "How many people are there? Please find a place to sit outside. There are no empty seats inside. What set menu do you want to order?"

Francis quickly counted the number of people and said, "19 people, 7 A packages, 6 B packages, and 6 C packages."

After ordering, Francis said, "Let's sit down and wait."

So everyone sat down at the long tables outside the store and on the side of the road. The tables were greasy and shiny, and the gaps between the tables were filled with old dirt, which made it obvious that they were old items.

Francis explained: "Every time I get off the ship, I always eat here for the first meal to improve my food and taste the flavor of home."

Min Xi noticed that each person who was eating had a plate of food and a bowl of soup, with toast, but it was not the French baguette he was familiar with. Everyone held a spoon in their hands and ate with relish.

Soon, their set meals came up one after another. No matter which set meal it was, the fish soup and toast were the same. The difference was that each person’s dish was different. For example, set meal A had fish cakes as the dish, set meal B had a seafood platter, and set meal C had grilled fish with local flavor.

Francis ordered set A for himself, and the others didn't know which one was better, so they just took one at random. Min Xi and Yun Ji took set A and set B respectively, and Diego ordered set C.

Min Xixian took a sip of the soup with a spoon and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows: "It tastes really good!" It contains cod, sea bass and mussels, and various spices are added to it. The taste is rich and delicious.

Francis heard him say this and smiled proudly: "I didn't lie to you, did I?"

"No, you are right. I have also been to several European countries, and the food in Marseille is indeed the best!" Min Xi said with a smile.

"Oh? Mr. Min, which countries and cities have you been to?" Francis asked.

"I've been to London, Southampton and Oxford in the UK, Madrid and Valencia in Spain, and I've been to Portugal more often."

Francis was very proud after hearing this: "The paella in Valencia is not bad, but it is still not as good as our fish soup in Marseille."

Min Xi took a bite of the sea bass cake. It had a delicate texture, light yet sweet taste. The taste was indeed unique. He exchanged food with Yun Ji and ate the seafood platter on his plate. The seafood were all boiled in water and the ingredients were fresh enough. Even without dipping them in sauce, one could still taste the sweetness of the food. Dipping them in sauce gave it another flavor.

The garlic bread tastes good too. Each dish has its own characteristics. It can be said that these are the most delicious local dishes I have eaten in Europe.