Datang First Chef

The four-season menu of Li Sanniang’s restaurant is constantly changing. This does not mean that all their dishes are changing. Nearly half of the dishes remain the same. The raw materials of these dishes are mostly meat and fish. In winter, mutton and pork are obtained. It's all very easy, fish may be a bit difficult, but there are always skilled people who can catch fish through the ice holes when breaking through the ice.

What has changed is vegetables. There are more spring, summer and autumn seasons. In spring, there are tender bamboo shoots, in summer, there are lush wild vegetables in summer, and in autumn, autumn is the harvest season of all things, and there are more melons and eggplants.

When the dishes change, the chefs in the store often have a flash of inspiration and create unique new dishes. Before Li Sanniang's restaurant launched this dish, no other restaurant had such a dish.Some people who love flexibility will order a new dish to try something new, but more people like to stay the same, and order dishes that they love for a long time and never get tired of eating.

If you follow the temperament of the diners, promoting new dishes will become a difficult task. In order to let everyone accept the new dishes that Mo Wenyuan is proud of in a short time, they will have tasting activities from time to time.

Tasting products appear after the dishes are served. The waiter holds a large wooden plate with both hands. There are several small ceramic plates on the plate. There is only a little food on the ceramic plates. They are usually meat or dessert, or a composition of starch.

Today, the buddy did the same thing. The small dish for tasting was replaced by a small bowl with a lid on it.

The bowl is pocket-sized and cute, and can be held in one hand.

"Guest officer, do you want to try new dishes?" The man stood beside Wang Wei, showing six teeth in a smile. He asked for nothing, Wang Wei came here for the new dishes.

So he said shyly, "Can you give me two more bowls?"

The clerk smiled and said nothing, of course he couldn’t do it, he put the small bowl in front of everyone, he briefly introduced the name of the dish as “Dongpo Pork” and then quickly left, and there were other guests like baby birds Generally waiting to be fed and eaten, their workload is heavy.

Wang Wei couldn't wait to lift the lid, and found that the bowl contained a small piece of pork meat that was as thick as two thumbs. He didn't rush to eat it, but looked at its shape and color like a work of art.

He has become a doctor after a long illness, and he has learned to diagnose himself after taking a lot of medicine in jars. The same is true for diners. If he eats too much good food, he will naturally have an appreciation for the color, smell, shape... The first thing he looked at was curious. It is the coloring of Dongpo pork. Previously, the restaurant also sold braised pork. Even Mo Wenyuan made the braised pork, but the meat was not as shiny. He thought for a while, thinking that the seasoning restricted the old dish, so he wanted to try this dish There are shadows of new seasonings in it.

Before the heat dissipated, Wang Wei picked up the Dongpo meat with chopsticks. As soon as the tip of the chopsticks touched the skin on the top of the meat, he was surprised by how sunken the skin was. It was too soft and thin!

I can't wait any longer to take a bite into my mouth. The rich taste and long flavor don't make him feel like it's bursting in his lips and tongue like spicy dishes. It's another completely different taste.

He seems to have fallen into a dream full of aromas. There is a rushing river under his feet, and the water in the river is rice wine. Wang Wei sits on the elastic sheepskin raft, drifting with the current. The water seems to be turbulent, but the feeling of shaking in the water is not It made him sad, but it was like returning to his baby days, being gently rocked in the strong arms of the nurse.

Mo Wenyuan's delicious food has a miraculous effect. He can outline the pictures with his eyes closed. Those pictures are not automatically generated. The color and fragrance of the food have become a solid foundation for constructing dreams.

He opened his eyes, and the other diners also opened their eyes. Everyone was in a trance, their eyes were almost out of focus, and they felt like they didn't know what year it was. Wang Wei ate too much delicious food, and he still had a little resistance, trembling He raised his hand and greeted the guy: "Give me Dongpo pork."

"I want!"

"I want!"

"I also want!"

"Give me ten dollars!"

"Um, guest officer, ten yuan is a bit much, and it's easy to get tired of it, why don't you have one piece first?"

"One piece at a time, come up quickly."

……

Li Sanniang's restaurant created a soy sauce whirlwind. At the beginning, the soy sauce whirlwind was not called a soy sauce whirlwind. Diners were obsessed with specific dishes such as Dongpo meat and braised fish.Before this, the word braised in soy sauce had never appeared on the menu. After trying dishes such as braised pork and braised fish, diners became obsessed with these new methods.

While eating, people who are a little more resistant to food finally discovered the key point, what kind of seasoning makes this taste?They asked the shopkeeper one after another.

Wang Wei curled his lips in disdain when he saw the anxious faces of the crowd, and now he remembered to ask?The action is really too slow, he has already bought the seasoning back!

The guy said: "This thing is called soy sauce, and it is a sauce brewed from soybeans."

"Soy sauce? Is lard added?"

"No, no, the texture of this substance is similar to Jiangqing, but the taste is fresher than Jiangqing, the color is even, and the liquid is clearer, without any impurities in soybean paste."

"Jiangqing?" The person thought about it, "Couldn't it be possible to pour a spoon on the rice and eat it?"

"Indeed."

Wang Weizhi listened to it, and when he heard this, he dismissed it and snorted, of course it is ok, and eating soy sauce bibimbap is too bland, and their family will add lard and stir-fry it when they eat it. golden sesame seeds.

Not to mention how great the taste is, he can eat a large bowl of rice without any dishes.

Thinking of this, Wang Wei looked down at his loose waist again, and pinched the extra flesh on his chin. A trace of distress flashed in his eyes. Although the food is good, his figure is a little hurt. Since we met Mo Wenyuan no longer has the elegant body shape of the past. Even though he often participates in cuju and other activities, he still has a lot of weight.

Not only him, but also his family members. Brother and others don't seem to be in Li Sanniang's restaurant every day, but they often come here. Grandpa and Madam even sent people to buy food, and when they returned, they served them with exquisite plates. Joe decorated it and served it to the table.

The amount of food does not increase or decrease, but the taste is much better. Once you have a good appetite, you can eat as much as you can. If there is no adult watching, you will stuff it into your mouth. The number of meals has increased. Wang Wei remembers that his mother complained that her waist, which had not been moved for many years, was getting thicker when she was tailoring clothes this year.

Wang Wei leisurely followed the guest officer who asked east and west, and said after he finished asking, "Give me another bottle of soy sauce."

The waiter knew him already, so he took out a new bottle from under the counter and said, "Six Wen."

"So cheap?" The customer who didn't ask the price was even more surprised. Wang Wei looked at him, as if he was talking and making a fuss. He murmured in his heart, whether he drank too much wine.

……

The name of soy sauce became popular with the practice of "braised in soy sauce" and became known to people.Chang’an City is close to Luoyang City, and apprentices move quickly. Mo Wenyuan’s team of apprentices is getting wider and wider. Some apprentices like to run on both sides and change their workplaces every half a year. Others like to be stable and stay in the same place for many years. , to study before going to another city.

Almost [-] years after Luoyang launched braised dishes, Chang'an's menu was updated. However, well-informed Chang'an people have already known the true face of Lushan soy sauce through the mouths of businessmen in the two places. Enthusiastic customers always go to restaurants to inquire. When are new dishes served.

On the day of the launch, the restaurant also opened a new window for one person, who is responsible for making soy sauce and selling soy sauce.

Hardcover soy sauce is sold by the bottle, [-] Wen per bottle, of which [-] Wen is for the bottle, and the other [-] Wen is for the soy sauce.Another kind of soy sauce, the portion is much more random, you can have as much as you want for a penny and a spoonful.

Customers are startled by the low price, so they can just buy a piece of steamed cake for a penny, it’s so cheap?I asked again and again and got the same price. Some people who have tasted the braised dishes bought soy sauce home, bibimbap or asked the lady to put a little when cooking, and they were shocked.

Really value for money!

The speed of word of mouth is fast enough, but Mo Wenyuan is not satisfied with it. After the baptism of various modern promotion methods, he has long known that "the fragrance of wine is not afraid of deep alleys" is far from enough, and the quality is what makes condiments It is a strong guarantee that it can be sold in a steady stream, and the guarantee that customers will continue to buy back. In addition, it is also important to vigorously promote and let people know about this product.

There are three ways for him to publicize, one is to distribute small advertisements, and the other is to make an agreement with the merchants in the temple to let them bring the story of soy sauce to various places.

If you want people to accept the new food, you have to make up corresponding stories. The Bodhisattva taught the law to make soy sauce in the middle of the night is a good reason. Mo Wenyuan already has too many legends. The legend that he is the protagonist is very well accepted, even people in the backcountry will buy it.

In addition, merchants who traveled all over the world also helped them bring soy sauce to various places. Big merchants transported it across cities, while small merchants started a journey of a thousand miles with a single step, crossing mountains and rivers with their feet.

"Mo Dalang." When Lu Zhong saw Mo Wenyuan, he showed his white teeth in a smile. It has been three years since Mo Wenyuan went to Luoyang with him for the first time. His appearance has not changed, but his skin color has become darker. Dining in the wind and sleeping in the open makes people old, his face is still young, but his skin has become rough.

Lu Zhong didn't care about the changes in his skin, he was a businessman and he valued profits.

"Lu Erlang is here." Before Lu Zhong could speak, Mo Wenyuan knew that he would come in the future, and immediately asked, "How much soy sauce do you want?"

"As much as possible." Lu Zhong said, "I want to take it to Jiangnan and other places to sell, how much do you think you can supply in a short time?" When he first tasted the dish cooked in soy sauce, he saw the vast market behind it, and promoted it. It will be a matter of time to go to the whole country, and looking at Mo Wenyuan's pricing, the price of soy sauce will only get lower and lower in the later stage, and everyone can afford it. Rare things are more expensive, and now is the best opportunity to make money. He is racing against time.

"You can't transport too much." Mo Wenyuan said, "Don't worry, I have done a lot this time, and I have everything you need. You just need to tell me how much you want."

"The caravan I am going to Jiangnan this time is not small." He stretched his arms to the sides, roughly gesturing at the altar with a big waist and round belly, and said, "Give me twenty cylinders of this size."

"Oh, there are indeed quite a few." Mo Wenyuan said, "OK, you can bring someone to pick up the goods directly."

"So fast?"

"It's all piled up in the backyard, can you hurry up?"

Lu Zhong sent his porter to find someone to help the workers transport the soy sauce, while he stayed at the place and greeted Mo Wenyuan, mainly Mo Wenyuan asked him a question: "I heard from the staff that there are often small businessmen in the store, and they buy a lot of soy sauce to give away. If you sell it in the surrounding counties, does Lu Lang know the price?"

"The price is the same as that of restaurants." He said with a smile, "One scoop is one penny."

People in the village would not waste money on buying bottles. Mo Wenyuan made bottled soy sauce exclusively for Wang Wei and other classes, and also provided convenience for those who wanted to give soy sauce as gifts. The profits from those bottles were not small.Ordinarily, there are a lot of people with the surname Lao Bai who buy soy sauce, and they all beat it spoon by spoon.

Mo Wenyuan heard this and said: "How big is that spoon?"

"Mr. Mo Xiaolang is smart, the spoon for making soy sauce is much smaller than that of a restaurant, and the one with a bad heart is even half the size."

"Half the size and someone buys it?"

"Why not, but the farther you go, the closer you are to Luoyang City, the more weight you have."

"Lu Lang wants to sell it in Jiangnan. Jiangnan is far away from the two capitals, so I wish Lu Lang a big sale first."

"By your auspicious words, hey, it's just a one-off deal. After this village, there will be no such shop." After that, soy sauce merchants will definitely flock to Jiangnan.

Mo Wenyuan was familiar with him, and he didn't shy away from telling Lu Zhong about the business: "You need to sell your soy sauce faster, and I will go to Jiangnan in ten days."

"Going to Jiangnan? Why?"

"Aniang is preparing a new store in Yangzhou, and it is expected to open in the first half of the year. By then, there will be some for sale in the two capitals, as well as those in the south of the Yangtze River." There may be some in the south of the Yangtze River, but not necessarily in the two capitals.

Lu Zhong hurriedly thanked Mo Wenyuan for his advice. He thought that the goods he hoarded should be thrown away as soon as possible. When Li Sanniang Restaurant opens a new branch, many items will not be sold. The official store has cheaper ones, so why should they buy them from vendors? take.

After a while, the porter and other laborers came. They helped Lu Zhong load the jars of soy sauce on the car one by one.

……

Soy sauce is also very popular in Chang'an City.

Not to mention that Mo Wenyuan has already made a lot of soy sauce, and his method is also simple and clear. He sent a trustworthy sauce worker to Chang'an to teach others how to make it, and began to brew a new batch to ensure a continuous supply.

Li Sanniang's restaurant opened a special window for making soy sauce, and there was an endless stream of people coming to make soy sauce. Li Sanniang observed for a few days, and was shocked by the accumulated copper plate mountain.

Theoretically, soy sauce can’t make a lot of money. For example, bean curd and steamed cakes cost a penny or a penny a bowl. Even if they are sold in Beijing, the profit is not high enough to make a living by selling one of them and let the store run. to the point of going down.

Li Sanniang's restaurant is a comprehensive building. Unless it is drinks and dishes in the restaurant, the profit of the rest of the items is low, and they are superior in quantity.

But soy sauce...

Li Sanniang stared at the ledger, her eyes were out of focus, and she obviously entered the thinking world built in her mind. At the beginning, she thought that the product positioning of soy sauce was similar to that of bean curd, and that it was cheap but not a necessity in life.

Selling it, I found it was different. The function of soy sauce is too powerful. A drop of it on the rice will make it delicious. Cooking very bland vegetables together can make the plain vegetables full of surprises. And it doesn't matter whether the family puts too much or too little soy sauce in cooking, soy sauce worth a penny can be used for several days, even poor people don't feel sorry for it when they buy it.

It has the potential to become a must-have in life.

Li Sanniang realized this thanks to Zhao Erniang. Recently, Zhao Erniang cooks all the meals at home. She sighed: "Dalang's soy sauce is really good. Just add a little bit of a la carte to change the taste completely, regardless of whether it is meat or not." Be it melons, eggplants or beans, all are compatible with soy sauce.” Among the recent dishes at home, braised sauce accounts for a large proportion.

"The price is also affordable, soy sauce for a penny can be used for a few days."

This sentence was heard by Li Sanniang, and she was thoughtful: "It can be used for a few days in our family, and it can be used in other people's family for more than ten years." They never forget about eating.Li Sanniang converted the price and said, "The price of soy sauce is cheaper than salt and soup, and it tastes better. It can be used for bibimbap and cooking." The function is not to say that it is not powerful.

"For the price, that's true."

Li Sanniang has a new understanding of soy sauce. Even the poorest people can afford soy sauce, and the price is cheaper than soybean paste.

Ordinary small craftsman's family can become rich by keeping the recipe of brewing soybean paste or making vinegar, because these two are used by most people, and soy sauce is cheaper, and can be accompanied by various foods...

In other words, even if there are no comprehensive restaurants, ordinary families can make a living by making soy sauce and selling soy sauce.Li Sanniang was very moved by this knowledge. Her heart was not because Xiaojia had a handicraft that could be passed on. She is a very ambitious business woman. The universality of soy sauce taste, the uniqueness of the recipe, and her ability to enter thousands of families Wanhu's commonly used seasoning attributes——

After the three conditions were superimposed, Li Sanniang thought, why not open soy sauce shops all over China?

Like a vinegar shop, the owners of the vinegar shop are handed down from generation to generation. With their unique formula, they can survive and live a life that is neither poor nor rich. The applicability of soy sauce is higher than that of vinegar. Why don’t you want to specialize shop.

And it is many!Who told me that opening a small shop is much easier than opening a restaurant.

She wrote her idea in a letter and told Mo Wenyuan, and her son agreed with both hands and feet. He said: "Opening a special soy sauce shop is not a bad idea, and it can even be said to be very good."

Enthusiastically, he put his vision of the future on paper: We can open soy sauce shops in bustling and large cities, so that they can fully realize the charm of this seasoning.

"The idea is very good, but it's a bit difficult to implement." Li Sanniang muttered to herself after reading the letter delivered back, and instantly arranged enough work for herself, such as studying the map carefully, seeing which places can open shops, and then looking at those places. The place cannot open a store, the cultural environment, the wealth of the residents, and whether the soy sauce is suitable for their tastes, all these factors must be considered.

"I'm used to doing things by myself, but there are too many places for this matter, and I definitely can't see it alone. In addition, there are follow-up selection of courtyards and other things that need to be busy and need help." Li Sanniang called Mo Puppy Zhao Erniang and the others discussed together,

"We can take the two capitals as the center, first open stores in the surrounding cities, and then advance to the north little by little." When the South has Li Sanniang restaurant in Yangzhou, it will have a new coordinate base, and it will be easy to promote. At that time, the north and the south will be bordered, and soy sauce shops will be spread all over the country.

The two thought that she had formulated a general policy well, and they fully agreed with the promotion route, and then recommended some trustworthy staff to Li Sanniang, saying that they could be transferred to other places to look after the store in the future.

Just do it, a few people took out a map to study the surrounding cities, selected good people within an hour, and in the following days used their extensive contacts to find locals to ask about the street conditions, and then bought a small stall to sell soy sauce.

The first Li Sanniang soy sauce shop took only half a decade from planning to birth, and Li Sanniang's ability to act is so high that it is terrifying.

Li Sanniang handed over the follow-up investigation and other work to Mo Xiaogou Zhao Erniang, while she took a boat and went down to Yangzhou.

……

Ordinary people are not the only ones who have noticed the magical effect of soy sauce. The privileged class who eat delicious food are almost the first batch to come into contact with soy sauce. In addition, even saints have begun to figure out how to use this gadget.

The Dongpo meat from Li Sanniang’s restaurant had already been presented, and the sage ate it calmly, neither saying it was delicious nor not, and only before the end of the meal did he praise the courtiers who offered it, which made the courtiers panic. When I almost fell down the stairs, I fell on my stomach.

Foreign ministers can't see the saint's joy, anger, sorrow and joy, but those close to him can see it, and the saint is very satisfied with this thing.

What he is satisfied with is not just the taste of soy sauce, but the wide range of applications behind it and the relatively much lower cost.

According to the normal historical process, soy sauce was invented unintentionally as a subsidiary product of sauce, but after it was invented, its importance quickly surpassed that of sauce.

Sauce, especially soy sauce, was a very important condiment in the dietary life of the Tang Dynasty. Especially in winter when there was a lack of agricultural and sideline products and vegetables, most people could eat soy sauce with staple food. Of course, after pickles became popular, this situation sometimes improved.

The food supply of the army in the Tang Dynasty was mainly composed of pickles and staple food. The staple food was various grain noodles, and the pickles were mostly soybean paste.The officers and soldiers at the border pass meals and sleep in the open, and they are all big-bellied men. To ensure that they are half-fed, the dishes can only be simple. Fresh fruits and vegetables are not easy to preserve, and they are not suitable for transportation. Relatively speaking, the sauce is heavy and can be stored for a long time became the first choice.

Since last year, with a swipe of a pen, the sage increased the supply of sauerkraut and pickles to the army, replacing some pickles, and won the unanimous support of border soldiers. The dishes are really delicious, and you can eat a large noodle cake with a few mouthfuls of sauerkraut.

Like pickled vegetables, soy sauce is cheap, easy to transport, long-lasting, delicious, and can be eaten with any dish. It is very suitable to appear in the army's recipes and transported to border areas.

Saint: Arrangements are made.