Great Qin Shi Empress

Ying Zheng is curious, what does molecular cuisine mean?

The so-called molecular cuisine is to deconstruct, reorganize and use the ingredients through various physical or chemical changes on the basis of the original ingredients, so as to make food that is completely different or even completely opposite to the appearance of the ingredients in people's impressions.

For example, caviar made of lychees, poached eggs made of mango, shredded marshmallows...

Obviously, tofu, which must be formed through physical and chemical changes, perfectly fits this definition.

But it is also because of the chemical knowledge used in tofu, it is only normal that the superb chefs have exhausted the countless methods they know, but they still cannot restore the tofu——

Because tofu cannot be made by normal food processing methods.

In fact, tofu appeared in Chinese history because of an accident related to chemistry: Liu An, the king of Huai'an in the Western Han Dynasty, accidentally used gypsum to order bean juice when he was making alchemy, and tofu appeared on the stage of Chinese history. .

However, tofu was not widely spread in the early days, just like bean sprouts did not really appear on the people's table until the Song Dynasty, and tofu was also regarded as an important food by the people in the Song Dynasty, and it was deeply developed.

But none of that matters.

After Lin Qian explained to Ying Zheng what molecular cuisine is, he pulled the kitchen steward to talk about the various methods of tofu——

There are two main types of tofu, marinated tofu and gypsum tofu.

But apart from the different materials for ordering tofu, there is actually not much difference between the two methods.

However, what Lin Qian cares more about is not the tofu itself: it may be that when she was sick, she couldn't use heavy oil and spicy food, so she ate too much light food such as porridge and tofu, so she didn't have much interest in tender tofu. Lin Qian prefers all kinds of dried bean curd skin and even spicy strips made of tofu.

So after briefly mentioning the recipe of tofu, she talked to the steward again about the method of making dried tofu skin.

however……

When Lin Qian talked enthusiastically about how to make dried tofu and tofu skin, the steward looked at her hesitantly.

Lin Qian: "???"

She looked at the steward suspiciously: "But what don't you understand?"

The steward hurriedly said: "There are indeed some things that I don't understand, but it's not the method of making dried tofu and tofu skin... I don't quite understand, you said that you just need to put brine or gypsum in the soy milk, but when exactly? How to put it? How much brine and gypsum are used? Is there any particularity in the method of putting in brine or gypsum?"

"Of course, the most important thing is what is this brine?"

Lin Qian was stunned: "Brine is brine, so it should be easy to find, right?"

She seriously recalled the history of brine——

During the period of King Qin Huiwen, Qin State annexed the State of Shu, which was rich in well salt resources, and then asked Li Bing to dig the first salt well "Guangdu Salt Well" in Chinese history after presiding over the construction of the Dujiangyan Water Conservancy Project. The emergence of Guangdu Salt Well officially entered the stage of history.

Many years have passed since King Qin Hui's time, the existence of bittern... no one should know about it, right?

The steward was a little surprised: "Brine?"

Lin Qian nodded: "Yes, the brine for ordering tofu is actually salt brine."

The steward didn't say anything, but nodded with a serious face, as if he remembered this matter in his heart.

Then, he said, "Don't worry, ma'am, I already know how to make tofu. As for the dried tofu and tofu skin you mentioned just now, it sounds like the method is very simple, and the chefs will definitely be able to make them quickly."

Lin Qian was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but smile: "If that's the case, that would be great."

The steward quickly said goodbye and left.

Ying Zheng then looked at Dai Linqian: "Why, don't you like tofu?"

Lin Qian shook his head: "White tofu has no taste, and I eat too much, so I really don't like it much, but I still like the derivative products of tofu and various snacks made of tofu."

The most famous soy product should be the spicy strips.

Ying Zheng smiled: "The chefs' skills are pretty good. If you like it, you can often ask the kitchen staff to cook it for you in the next few days."

Lin Qian nodded with a smile, suddenly remembered something, and couldn't help asking: "Where do the people of the Qin Kingdom come from for the salt they eat today? Sea salt or well salt?"

Ying Zheng immediately understood that Lin Qian had an idea about salt.

He thought for a while and said, "Old Qin people mainly eat well salt, while people in other places eat sea salt from Qi Real Estate." After a pause, "But the quantity is not too much, the price is expensive, and the taste is not particularly good .”

Lin Qian looked at Ying Zheng: "Is it because all the salt tastes bad?"

Yingzheng laughed: "The salt used in Xianyang Palace is all salt dug from the salt wells in Sichuan. Does it taste right to you?"

Lin Qian shook her head: "There doesn't seem to be any strange smell?"

[The bad taste is actually only sea salt? 】

Ying Zheng thought for a while, then shook his head and said, "It's not just sea salt, there are also some salts produced in salt lakes. The taste is also very strange, always with a bitter taste. Therefore, although the price of sea salt is already very high It is expensive, but the price of well salt is several times higher than that, and ordinary people cannot afford it.”

When Lin Qian was in modern times, he had heard that the price of well salt was higher than that of sea salt.

but……

The high price of modern well salt seems to be due to the composition of the salt?In terms of taste, there seems to be no difference?

She was a little curious about the taste of sea salt at this time, so she asked someone to go to the street to buy some...

amount……

Lin Qian looked at a large piece of yellow crystal in front of him, his expression froze slightly: "Is this salt?"

Ying Zheng suppressed a smile: "Why, it's not the same as the salt in your impression?"

Just as Lin Qian was about to answer, she turned her head to look at Ying Zheng's expression, and immediately glared at him: "You already knew it, so just watch my joke, right?"

Seeing that Lin Qian was furious, Ying Zheng hurriedly said: "Haiyan is almost like this. But usually there is no such a big piece, and it is more about the size of some small pebbles."

"So, isn't Jing Yan like this?" Lin Qian looked at Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng asked someone to bring the well salt he had already brought and put it on the table in front of Lin Qian. The cloth bag was opened, revealing a white crystalline solid.

This crystal is transparent and shiny, and its appearance is particularly outstanding.

Compared with the well salt, the dark yellow and unevenly distributed sea salt was immediately compared to the mud.

Lin Qian was curious and wanted to taste the taste of both.

Seeing her serious expression, Ying Zheng persuaded her sincerely: "The taste of this sea salt is really bad. I don't recommend you to taste it."

Unexpectedly, Lin Qian became even more curious after hearing this.

However, such things as salt cannot be eaten directly, so Lin Qian just moistened the water with his fingers and wiped the two crystals respectively, and then put them in his mouth to taste the taste.

The former is not much different from those salts she ate in her previous life.

At least Lin Qian didn't eat it.

But the taste of the latter is a bit strange: this sea salt not only tastes bitter and unpalatable, but also smells a strange lingering smell.

After Lin Qian tasted the sea salt, he poured down the tea and drank more than half of the pot before barely suppressing the strange taste.

Ying Zheng was watching from the side with a smile in his eyes.

After drinking the tea, Lin Qian met Ying Zheng's eyes directly: "..."

【That's all, I'm too curious, so I won't care about it with you. 】

Ying Zheng: "..."

He was a little amused, but seeing that Lin Qian was suffering, he didn't say anything.

Lin Qian drank a few more sips of water, and finally calmed down: "The taste of this sea salt is so weird, it should be because there are too many impurities in it. If the impurities can be removed, the taste of this sea salt will not be much different from that of well salt. .”

Yingzheng didn't care much about the taste: "It's not impossible to get sea salt with better taste. Let's cut down more trees or transport more coal to places near the sea such as Qichu, and ask the prisoners to add more water to filter and boil it several times. That’s right. The widow never asked people to do this, but because boiling salt requires too much wood, too much manpower is required to cook salt, and the people’s demand for salt is too great, so there is no need to do this.”

Compared with the taste, he naturally gave priority to protecting the production of sea salt.

If you really want to eat good-tasting salt, you can either buy well salt at a high price, or buy the salt yourself and then boil and filter it several times.

Lin Qian was not surprised by Yingzheng's statement, but said: "Boiled salt has been completely eliminated in modern times. In fact, the more popular methods in modern times are drying salt and using machines to pump seawater to make salt. The latter is based on the current state of Qin. There is no way to achieve the level of technology, but the former has less worries, and the method is simpler."

Hearing Lin Qian's words, Ying Zheng turned his head and looked over in an instant: "How is the output?"

Lin Qian Guokuan said: "The yield is at least ten times that of boiled salt."

Ying Zheng's eyes lit up instantly: "Are you sure?"

"Sure!"

Ying Zhengteng stood up from the chair at once. Although he tried his best to remain calm, Lin Qian, who knew him well enough, could tell that he was a little excited now.

But that's not surprising—

Salt has been an extremely important strategic material from ancient times to the present, not to mention the Warring States period when salt was directly linked to weapons, currency, the army, and even the economy of the entire country. There is even a saying in later generations that the emperor told Emperor Yan and the tribe to which Chiyou belonged. Waging war is for salt.

Salt, a condiment that has long been integrated into people's lives and is not valued by people, had an unimaginably high status in ancient times.

If Lin Qian really knows a better way to make salt, Ying Zhenghui's excitement is really normal.

Lin Qian didn't want to procrastinate, but said directly: "Salt drying requires excavation of salt fields, but I don't know much about the excavation and site selection of salt fields, so it's best to ask..."

[Modern hosts are good for them. 】

Ying Zheng had no comment.

So after driving out all the servants in the palace, Lin Qian immediately opened the plane trader——

"Can you find a way to dry salt in the salt fields?"

The modern host has been frantically studying credits for these years, and now he is almost graduating from university. He has a lot of time, and Lin Qian replied almost as soon as he sent a message.

"The method of drying salt in Yantian? This is simple, I can search it on the Internet and send it to you."

"Really?" Lin Qian reminded, "You don't need to ask the national team's opinion?"

The modern host laughed and said: "It's just a method of drying salt in the salt field. Just search a lot on the Internet and give it to you directly."

Just as Lin Qian was about to speak, she heard another voice from her——

"Of course, if you feel sorry, just tell me some history of the Shang Dynasty."

Lin Qian was funny, after several years of experience, this little girl has developed some sensibility.

but……

This is also normal.

After all, it would be strange if Ren was dealing with a group of discerning people all year round if he wasn't forced to give birth to a few discerning people.

Lin Qian didn't mind, but seriously thought about which period of history to tell the modern host Zhou Dynasty——

Because the modern national team has brought great help to her and the entire Qin State, after the basic construction of the Qin State's water conservancy project was completed, Lin Qian returned to Xianyang and sent all the books related to the history of the Xia Dynasty to the other party.

Now, the world where the modern host lives is racking its brains to get the history related to the Shang Dynasty from Lin Qian.

Sometimes Lin Qian wondered if he should just send all the books to the other party.

After all, they are not in the same world, but everyone is Chinese.

But think about the needs of both parties...

Lin Qian calmed down in an instant: "It's just the method of drying salt in the salt field, which is not enough for me to send you the history books related to the Xia Dynasty. After all, I am not ignorant of the method of drying salt in the salt field. I just want to know more. Just a lot of details."

Based on the general knowledge she knows, although it may not be possible to dig a suitable salt field immediately, after many experiments, it is only a matter of time before a suitable salt field is dug.

The modern host seemed to have guessed the answer, and he didn't find it strange at all: "So, I'll just send it to you."

Soon, the other party sent a document.

After Lin Qian received it, he thanked the modern host and sent the trade items he had prepared earlier, and immediately started translating the document.

This translation is a full day.

After Lin Qian translated all the contents of the document, she immediately handed it over to Ying Zheng.

After reading it, Ying Zheng thought for a while and said, "The law of drying salt is of great importance, and a suitable person must be selected. Tomorrow morning, I will discuss it with the prime minister and others."

Lin Qian had no objection.

She was about to speak, but saw Ying Zheng put the document aside, and then looked at herself: "Speaking of which, the kitchen ordered someone to come to the widow to report that the tofu has been made, do you want to taste it? "

Lin Qian paused: "It was made so soon?"

Ying Zheng was a little amused: "You have explained the method of making tofu in such detail. If they can't make it again, I will doubt their ability."

Lin Qian blinked and nodded: "Okay, let's just eat tofu for lunch?"

Ying Zheng had no comment.

Soon, the waiter brought two bowls of tofu.

Lin Qian looked at it, and besides the two bowls of beige tofu, there was also a small dish of red chili dipping sauce, a small dish of chopped green onion, and... sugar?

The two stepped forward and sat at one end each.

Lin Qian took the initiative to dig a large spoonful of dipping sauce for herself, and smeared the whole piece of tofu red, only to realize that Ying Zheng hadn't moved.

She looked at him suspiciously: "Whatever flavor you want to eat, just pour it into a bowl."

Ying Zheng looked up at Lin Qian, then hesitantly scooped up a spoonful of chili sauce and put it in his bowl.After imitating Lin Qian's movements, spread it evenly, pick it up with chopsticks and put it in your mouth.

Then, his eyes lit up instantly: "This tofu tastes pretty good."

Lin Qian was a little surprised: "It seems that tofu suits your taste."

She didn't have much expectations for tofu, but seeing Ying Zheng's rare and sweet taste, she couldn't wait.

After putting the tofu into his mouth, Lin Qian's eyes lit up instantly: the delicate, smooth, melt-in-your-mouth taste, combined with the amazing taste of chili sauce...

Maybe it's because he hasn't eaten tofu for a long time, or because the heat of this tofu is too well controlled, and the dipping sauce is too amazing. Lin Qian didn't feel the numbness he imagined after eating, but felt that this tofu was extraordinarily delicious.

She couldn't help but put another piece of tofu in her mouth.

If this "really fragrant" performance falls into the eyes of others, I'm afraid it will cause a lot of ridicule, but unfortunately, only Ying Zheng is in front of Lin Qian.

And Ying Zheng likes the taste of tofu more than Lin Qian——

Lin Qian put down his chopsticks after eating only one bowl, and Ying Zheng, who had always been restrained, ordered someone to go to the kitchen to bring over a bowl of tofu after eating a bowl of tofu.

This time, he scooped a spoonful of sugar into the tofu.

Lin Qian: "Are you sure you want to put sugar in it?!"

Ying Zheng was a little dazed: "No?"

[It's not impossible, it's just... how can someone eat sweet and salty at the same time? 】