Chapter 38

Xishi's Breast (西施乳)

"Flowers bloom? What kind of cooking method is that? Oh? Wasn't it supposed to be steamed (蒸) or soup (羹)?"

At my mention of blooming flowers, Tang Yingying, with her rabbit-like eyes, asked, as I had expected.

The blowfish cooking methods of the Song Dynasty were two: steamed (蒸) and soup (羹). Steamed means steamed, and soup means broth.

In this era, blowfish was mostly eaten as a steamed dish or soup because the blowfish preparation techniques had not yet been systematized, and the two widely known methods for detoxifying blowfish in the common folk were the only ways to cook it.

The method involved thoroughly heating the blowfish and cooking it with detoxifying herbs.

People in the Song Dynasty believed that cooking blowfish with reed shoots (蘆筍) and water celery (水芹菜), which are similar to asparagus and water dropwort, would neutralize the toxicity of the blowfish.

They also believed that thorough heating would eliminate the toxicity.

Therefore, sashimi was out of the question, and the only way to eat blowfish was to steam or boil it with plenty of water dropwort and asparagus.

Honestly, it was hard to tell if this was a blowfish dish or a vegetable dish with blowfish as a seasoning.

Of course, the blowfish's toxin, tetrodotoxin, is one of the most potent natural toxins, and a single living yellow blowfish, properly cleaned and deboned, contains enough poison to kill 33 adults.

Moreover, even in my previous life, no antidote had been discovered for this deadly poison.

Furthermore, this toxin is relatively heat-resistant, requiring heating to over 200 degrees Celsius to begin decomposition, making it impossible to detoxify with ordinary cooking methods. Without an antidote, it was impossible for water dropwort or asparagus to detoxify the blowfish.

In this era, when blowfish poisoning began, people believed that the treatment was to scoop clear fecal water from the toilet and feed it to the victim. Compared to this, boiling and steaming with water dropwort and asparagus was a gentlemanly approach.

Surprised, Tang Yingying asked me to prepare a plate for the blowfish sashimi.

"What I'm about to make is raw fish slices (生魚片). Could you please prepare a large plate or tray?"

"R-raw fish slices? Is it... is it okay...?"

I nodded, and Tang Yingying, with an anxious look, hesitantly went outside.

A moment later, she returned with a large silver tray.

"Master, is this good enough?"

The size was fine, but since the silver tray was made of metal, it might change the color of the sashimi. I asked for a different tray.

"A dark-colored porcelain (瓷器) tray would be sufficient. The silver tray might change the color of the food."

At my words, Tang Yingying was shocked and replied as if it were absurd.

In a voice that said it was absolutely impossible.

"Master, today is Grandfather's birthday, and we have guests. We absolutely cannot use a porcelain tray."

Recalling what Tang Yingying meant, one thing came to mind.

"Oh, right. What should we do? It's fine as long as it's not silver or gold..."

"We have a red-lacquered wooden tray. Would that be okay?"

"Ah, that's fine. Please bring it."

At my words, Tang Yingying hurriedly ran out again. In the meantime, I touched the porcelain bowl containing the blowfish on the table.

The smooth texture and beautiful color, this Song Dynasty porcelain, praised as the finest artwork of its time and even a thousand years later.

However, Tang Yingying said she couldn't serve porcelain to guests because, absurdly, in the Song Dynasty, porcelain was mainly used by people of lower status.

Song Dynasty porcelain, which would be worth tens or hundreds of billions in my previous life, was shunned by the rich and nobles of the Song Dynasty, who considered it something used by commoners.

When important guests came, they mainly used red-lacquered wooden bowls or silver and gold tableware.

That's why Tang Yingying said she couldn't serve a porcelain tray at Grandfather's birthday table.

It would be a shocking statement in my previous life.

While regretfully touching the treasures that would become valuable a thousand years later, a moment later, Tang Yingying returned with a red-lacquered square wooden tray.

A beautiful plate with a few patterns.

It was a good plate for placing blowfish sashimi.

I immediately brought a new cutting board, placed the blowfish on it, and began to slice the flesh.

Even without a sashimi knife, a Chinese chef can thinly slice anything with a cleaver, and this applies to blowfish flesh as well.

Carefully moving my hand, I gently inserted the knife to the side and began to delicately slice the blowfish flesh.

So thin that the shape of the plate's bottom was visible through the transparent slices...

I carefully placed a thin slice on the plate, almost invisible.

"Master, it looks like it's not there at all!"

Tang Yingying's amazed voice reached my ears as I sliced the sashimi.

"Blowfish flesh is firm, and if it's too thick, it will feel tough. It's important to slice it as thinly as possible."

"You don't seem to have handled blowfish just once or twice. Your knife skills are impressive. It's like you've trained with a sword."

'I have to show this level of performance to get my skills recognized.'

Lifting my chin slightly at Tang Yingying's voice, which finally acknowledged my skills, I asked, as if to say, "Now you finally recognize my greatness?"

"I said the kitchen is my training ground, and I cook with the mindset of practicing martial arts, didn't I?"

At my words, Tang Yingying blushed slightly and replied.

"Master, you look great when you cook or just stand there, but can you do something about that mouth of yours..."

"Ahem!"

Pretending not to hear Tang Yingying's words, I cleared my throat and continued slicing the sashimi.

Tang Yingying, who never gives praise easily, was truly annoying.

Still, it was the first time Tang Yingying looked at me with respect since we met, and I moved my hands.

Each time the knife flashed, a thin slice of sashimi, as delicate as a dragonfly's wing, appeared at the tip of my fingers.

One by one, these slices adorned the plate, slowly forming a beautiful flower.

In my mind, a blue flower with four petals and a pistil.

I visualized the petals as the spread-out slices of sashimi and the pistil as the rolled-up sashimi.

A moment later, the complete image of the Tang Clan's flower, the bar flower, appeared on the plate.

A deadly beautiful bar flower bloomed on the square plate, filled with poison.

"Master, it really is a flower, and it's the Tang Clan's bar flower..."

Tang Yingying clasped her hands and was completely stunned.

"Of course, I put the Tang Clan I know into my cooking."

I answered coolly, and while Tang Yingying stared at the plate in a daze, I cut the blowfish's testes and placed them on a small plate.

I prepared two dipping sauces for the sashimi.

I diluted dark soy sauce with water and added a lot of vinegar, which would be the soy sauce for the sashimi.

Since there was no soy sauce, I used dark soy sauce and added a lot of vinegar to reflect the taste of this era.

In my previous life, sashimi was so closely associated with Japan that sushi became a proper noun, but in reality, sashimi is a traditional dish of China, Japan, and Korea.

In modern China, where I lived, the sashimi culture had completely disappeared, but in this era, it still existed, known as Jinmingzhuohui (金明斫鱠), where carp and other freshwater fish caught from rivers were immediately sliced and mixed with vinegar and flowers.

Similarly, it was a cultural norm to add vinegar when eating raw fish.

After preparing the soy sauce, I next prepared a sesame oil sauce with salt added.

For dipping the blowfish's testes.

Once all the food was ready, I handed the tray to Tang Yingying, and we headed outside.

Now, Tang Yingying had something to do.

As we carried the plates and walked out from behind the screen, I saw that the catfish whiskers had finished cooking earlier and was already presenting the food for people to taste.

"This is Huachuiyanzi (花炊鵪子), a dish that can be served at the imperial table."

The catfish whiskers raised his voice excitedly.

While Huachuiyanzi was indeed a dish served at the imperial table, the plate in front of him was clearly not it.

Huachuiyanzi is quail meat stir-fried with flowers, but what he presented was just grilled quail with flower decorations.

He looked at me with a smug smile, as if he had already won.

Thinking about how to properly tear the catfish whiskers apart, I approached the birthday table of the Poison King, which had been replaced with a new one, and placed the tray down. The martial artists all looked at my tray and began to praise it in admiration.

"I've never seen such a beautiful dish."

"How could he make something so beautiful with blowfish?"

"Truly amazing. A flower is blooming on the tray."

The Poison King was also surprised by the bar flower on my plate and asked.

"So, what is the name of your dish?"

"It's called Heduanshengyupian (河豚生鱼片)."

However, the praise was short-lived. The martial artists began to murmur at the mention of raw blowfish, and they were shocked and exclaimed.

"Raw blowfish?"

"Are you saying you're eating raw blowfish?"

"How can you detoxify it without boiling or reed shoots (蘆筍) and water celery (水芹菜)?"

The hall began to buzz with excitement over my blowfish sashimi.

The Poison King raised his hand to calm the hall and asked the martial artists.

"Is there anyone who will try this Heduanshengyupian?"

The martial artists, who believed that eating blowfish sashimi would be fatal, only exchanged glances and did nothing.

The Poison King then asked me.

"People need to taste and compare to determine the winner. If this continues, you won't win. Do you have a solution?"

His tone was much friendlier than before, almost like a different person.

Caught off guard by the sudden change, I replied awkwardly.

"May I say a few words to the martial heroes?"

"Go ahead."

With the Poison King's permission, I made a fist salute and addressed the martial artists, holding a small plate of blowfish testes in one hand.

"Blowfish is a dish for heroes and martial heroes. It's a dish that must be eaten at the risk of one's life. This white substance in my hand is the essence (精) of the blowfish, known as Xishi's Breast (西施乳). It is said to be the most precious and beautiful milk in the world. Isn't this a dish worth risking one's life for, martial heroes? Who among you will taste the Fish Sinking (魚沈) Xishi's Breast (西施乳)?"

As soon as I finished speaking, the martial artists, entranced by the mention of a beauty's breast, began to shout excitedly.

In voices that couldn't contain their excitement.

"Ha! You know us martial artists well! That's right! Only something this precious would make us risk our lives! I, the head of the Pang family, Pang Wuhui, will taste my brother's dish at the risk of my life!"

"If I start, I must finish. I, Taiqingyang of Huashan, cannot be left out. Young hero, I will taste your dish."

"I'm here too..."

"Of course, me too..."

Those who came with their wives stepped forward and were dragged back by their wives pinching their sides, while the martial artists raised their voices, eager to taste the dish.

Martial artists love self-praise, and the opportunity to add a line to their life story, such as "I went to the Tang Clan and ate the raw flesh of a living blowfish with Xishi's Breast (西施乳)!" was something no one would refuse.

Eating a poisonous dish at the Tang Clan and returning alive was already a proud achievement, and with the addition of a beauty's breast?

Moreover, most of the people gathered were in their 40s and 50s, an age group that is particularly fond of such dishes.

If I had cooked sea dog penis (海狗腎), they would have fought over it from the start.

So, the blowfish sashimi was a surefire hit!