Is the beginning of a catastrophe? The little farm cook is raising a family with a full warehouse.

The last time she was on her way back to the city, Cheng Yuntao made some pancakes for Shen Shulan. This time, she planned to try something different and make some roujiamo.

Speaking of Roujiamo, it is also very interesting.

Cheng Yuntao didn’t understand it before. It was obviously a steamed bun with meat in it, not a meat bun with steamed bun in it. Then why was it not called steamed bun with meat, but meat-filled steamed bun?

Later she learned that Roujiamo is actually a verbal abbreviation of the name. People tend to put the important and main ingredients in the front in their language habits. "Roujiamo" actually means "meat sandwiched between buns".

Or maybe explaining it in another way would be more understandable.

In the delicacy of roujiamo, meat is the core ingredient and the part that people focus on. When people mention this food, the first thing they think of is the meat, and then the steamed bun that holds the meat.

Just like when we say "egg fried rice", the focus is on the egg. Although the egg is wrapped in rice, the name highlights the egg. And "fish-flavored shredded pork", the focus is on the fish-flavored shredded pork, not other side dishes.

After long-term use and inheritance, the name "roujiamo" was fixed and became a name recognized by everyone.

Another theory is that people in the past did call "roujiamo" "mojiarou" at the beginning, but if you say it quickly with an accent, it sounds very much like "no meat".

The impatient customer was immediately displeased when he heard that the steamed bun was so expensive even though it had no meat in it, and he stormed out. In order to retain this impatient customer, the stall owner had to change his words and shout "Rou Jia Mo" (Chinese Roujiamo), which finally kept him there.

It’s true that Roujiamo sounds more affordable and filling than Mojiarou.

After the dough has rested, it becomes slippery. Divide it into small pieces, roll them into round pancakes and bake them until they are golden on both sides and the aroma fills your nose.

Cheng Yuntao's skill in kneading the steamed bun is very good, and her control of the heat is also precise and appropriate. The steamed bun she makes has a thin and crispy crust and a soft and dense interior.

As for the filling of Roujiamo, not just any kind of meat can be used. It must be cured meat to have the most authentic and delicious flavor.

The preparation of cured meat is different from that of braised meat. Cured meat highlights the aroma of meat and mainly uses several Chinese herbs and spices, such as cloves, cardamom, galangal, pepper, cinnamon, fennel, etc. Ginger, onion, cooking wine, and sugar are usually not added to adjust the color.

The color of cured meat is generally dark brown with a hint of red. After being cooked, the meat is firm, the taste is soft and mellow, the fat is not greasy, and the lean meat is not dry. It melts in the mouth and has a unique Chinese herbal aroma.

The braised meat is bright red in color, has a palatable texture, is tender and flavorful, has rich layers of flavor, a strong aroma, and a spicy taste.

The cured meat needs to be stewed slowly over low heat until the aroma of the medicinal herbs is absorbed into the meat and the fat becomes soft and rotten.

Many people originally do not like to eat fatty meat, but this cured meat is different. Even though it is fatty, it does not feel greasy at all, and the lean meat part does not feel dry and woody, so it is deeply favored by diners.

There are three types of meat used in Roujiamo: pure lean meat, lean and fat meat, and fat skin meat.

There is a lot of tricks involved. The seller only needs to see what kind of meat the customer requests to roughly know his experience and level of appreciation for eating roujiamo.

Usually, young people, especially slender women, prefer pure lean meat; while those diners who have many years of experience in eating steamed buns will choose a mixture of fat and lean meat. After all, this combination can fully release the aroma of Roujiamo.

As for the hardcore gourmets, they often specify the fat skin, which is the skin and a little fat underneath. It tastes fat but not greasy, sticky and smooth, and can be regarded as the best of cured meat.

The cured meat has a bright red color, a soft and mellow texture, the fat is not greasy, and the lean meat is not dry. It melts immediately in your mouth and will not deteriorate even if stored for a long time. If you chop it together with cured tofu and eggs and put it on a platter, it will be an excellent dish to go with wine.

Cheng Yuntao fished out the stewed meat from the pottery jar and chopped it quickly with a knife. The minced meat splattered everywhere. The gravy was also very rich and mixed with the rotten meat, making it sticky like glue.

Then take a steamed bun that has just been cooked, lightly cut a knife in the middle, put the bacon and minced meat in it, and then scoop a spoonful of salty and fragrant soup into the bun, and the roujiamo is ready.

The steamed bun is crispy, the meat is tender, and the soup is very fragrant.

After she reserved a few roujiamo, she packed up the remaining roujiamo and handed them to Shen Shulan.

"Sister Shen, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I've prepared your roujiamo. It's best eaten hot. Try one first, and as usual, save the rest for your journey."

Shen Shulan took the roujiamo handed to her by Cheng Yuntao with anticipation. When she was busy before, the aroma of meat had been drilling into her nostrils. Now that she was finally going to eat it, she was so greedy that she couldn't stand it.

Shen Shulan held the steamed bun in his hand and took a light bite. The gravy spurted out and flowed everywhere along the knife edge, soaking the bun skin.

The outer skin of this roujiamo is very crispy and makes a "crunch" sound when you bite it, but the inside becomes moist, soft and salty due to being soaked in the gravy. The bacon and meat are chopped into small pieces. When put into the steamed bun, the aroma of the steamed bun and the crispness of the meat are perfectly combined, and every bite is extremely delicious.

The crust of Baiji steamed bun is crispy, and the bun itself is delicious. The cured meat is stewed until super tender, and the soup is very rich.

The lean meat tastes soft and tender without being tough, while the fat is even more crispy and tender, with a refreshing herbal flavor that is not greasy at all. It melts in your mouth instantly, and is sticky, glutinous, fragrant and smooth.

Shen Shulan tasted it slowly, and felt his mouth was full of fragrance. After finishing one, he kept savoring it.

She lowered her head, looked at the hot steamed bun in her arms, and swallowed her saliva. It seemed that this bun was not only not filling her up, but also aroused her gluttony.

"Yuntao, this roujiamo tastes amazing. Even though the meat looks fatty, it doesn't have any unpleasant greasy feeling when you eat it."

"On the contrary, the soft and sticky texture makes people want to eat it again and again, and they can't stop at all."

"I seem to have seen similar food in Junhua City before, but it wasn't half as delicious as the steamed bun in my hand right now."

"This thing is portable and tasty. Why don't you set up a stall selling this roujiamo? I think the business will be pretty good."

Shen Shulan couldn't help but opened another roujiamo and started to eat it. After hearing her suggestion, Cheng Yuntao nodded thoughtfully.

"I've taken Sister Shen's words to heart and will seriously consider them. It's getting late now that the wind and snow have stopped, so we should hurry on our way."

"Next year, when spring comes and flowers bloom, we will meet in Junhua City."

Shen Shulan's eyes flashed: "It's a deal!" Then he turned and walked out of the cave, disappearing alone into the vast mountains and forests.