Cooking System: Street Food Rules

The food festival had indeed taken off.

After finishing his stall, Jiang Feng was also invited to attend a dinner banquet and watched an evening gala.

The leaders certainly knew how to enjoy themselves.

For such an event, it was a given to organize a grand gala to foster unity.

The performance troupe sang and danced on stage, and from an artistic standpoint, it was quite impressive.

After all, it was an official affair.

There was a budget, and money was spent where it should be.

And this food festival was a great success.

It wasn't just because Jiang Feng was running a stall; his very presence served as a window, showcasing Changsha's local delicacies to other regions.

Changsha boasted an incredible number of snacks; they were truly everywhere.

Visitors could easily spend a couple of days here exploring.

They could visit Orange Isle's southern tip, hike up to Yuelu Academy, and then head to the food festival for some snacks.

If tired, they could find a foot massage parlor.

Hunan girls were known for being not only beautiful but also skilled with their hands. Sometimes, they even offered 'additional services'—of course, that depended on personal preferences.

After confirming the ingredients for the next day, Jiang Feng returned to his hotel to rest. It had been a very busy week.

Given that everyone was saying the dishes Jiang Feng made were too complex, he planned to prepare a simpler snack the next day.

After all, he was now setting the trend.

The next day, the scene was as crowded as ever.

The livestream audience was also very large.

Jiang Feng knew so many dishes that, put it this way, given enough preparation time, he could run a stall for a month without serving the same thing twice.

Today's offering was delicious rice noodles.

Adding a variety of toppings to the rice noodles created a uniquely intoxicating sensation.

The street transformed into a large-scale noodle-slurping scene.

To accommodate the large crowds, many tables had been set up nearby.

After receiving their rice noodles, people could find a spot to joyfully slurp them down.

Jiang Feng had thoroughly researched the local palate.

For example, Hunan cuisine never used sugar, focusing instead on spiciness; many local dishes featured chili peppers.

Hunan cuisine, like Sichuan cuisine, is known for its fiery heat, but there are many subtle differences.

The rice noodles Jiang Feng made were spicy. It was the kind of internal heat from bird's eye chilies that wasn't overwhelmingly strong.

They were incredibly satisfying.

The atmosphere at the scene was vibrant and full of life.

Since it was a common snack, it was quick to prepare, which also posed a challenge to Jiang Feng's Staminia.

Many people filmed Jiang Feng, hoping to capture a "world-weary" expression on his face.

But surprisingly, Jiang Feng's expression remained quite normal, even relaxed.

Many spectators in the line were watching.

"Boss Jiang is so calm! He seems relaxed despite being so busy," one remarked.

"Other vendors would be drenched in sweat by now, their faces contorted in agony!" another commented.

"That just means he hasn't reached his limit yet! We need more people!" someone else added.

"The line is already too long, and many people still can't get in! How can you say there aren't enough people?" another chimed in.

"But the line is moving quickly today; most people will be able to get rice noodles!" another pointed out.

"That's just how it is. The really good stuff is limited, while common snacks are plentiful. It's a tough choice," someone concluded.

The on-site atmosphere was excellent.

Jiang Feng quite liked this kind of organized stall setup.

When he ran his own pop-up stall, there was no one to manage the crowd, and some people even tried to climb onto his food truck.

Now, with an orderly scene, everyone queued or watched respectfully, allowing Jiang Feng to focus entirely on the food.

On this day of selling rice noodles, people were visibly happier than the day before.

Looks like I should make more of these.

The more people eating, the more palpable the joyful atmosphere became.

"Boss Jiang, what are you making tomorrow? Snacks or imperial cuisine?" a customer at the front of the line couldn't help but ask, their face full of anticipation.

"It's a snack, another common delicacy," Jiang Feng replied.

"Many people in the livestream chat are hoping for something everyone can learn to make or easily try."

"I'll be making snacks for the next few days."

"Towards the end, I might make a special dish," Jiang Feng added.

Hearing this, the customer nodded. "Snacks are great; we can actually get to eat them! The lines for your imperial cuisine were too long; people were almost fighting to get to the front."

Jiang Feng just smiled without further comment. After all, it wasn't something he could easily address.

The day's business at the stall concluded quickly.

Afterward, two staff members responsible for cleanup tidied the area, while Jiang Feng and Sun Zhuangfei still had to prepare ingredients for the next day.

Every day brought a new challenge. That was his way.

As the two were leaving, Sun Zhuangfei asked, "Boss, what are we making tomorrow?"

Jiang Feng replied, "We're making a classic Changsha snack: Tea-Oil Griddle-Cooked Duck."

"In Hunan, there are many ways to prepare duck."

"Unlike Capital City Roast Duck or Nanjing Roast Duck, local specialties like Sauce-Glazed Duck, Griddle-Cooked Duck, and Zhou Hei Duck are very popular here."

"Tomorrow, I'll make Griddle-Cooked Duck."

"This type of duck is roasted until the skin is crisp and sizzling with fat, while the meat remains juicy and rich in flavor. It's going to taste incredible."

Hearing Jiang Feng's description, Sun Zhuangfei's mouth began to water involuntarily.

Just hearing about it sounded delicious.

Jiang Feng remained as calm as ever. Despite his exceptional popularity online, he always maintained a level head.

Just do what needs to be done.

This was easy to say but very difficult to practice; almost no one could truly achieve it.

After all, many people tended to get carried away after becoming famous or wealthy.

The preparation for Griddle-Cooked Duck involved roasting many ducks in an oven.

The griddle-cooked duck available in the market wasn't expensive; it could even be said to be cheaper than ordinary duck.

This was partly because the ducks used were not of high quality. Additionally, more valuable parts like the neck, wings, and tongue were typically removed beforehand.

Jiang Feng had contacted a roast duck shop in advance and rented it outright.

He didn't just rent the shop; he also 'rented' its entire staff, including the owner.

Simply put, the roast duck shop and its team were at Jiang Feng's service for the day.

Jiang Feng personally bought the ducks and worked with everyone to prepare the roast ducks.

Upon arriving at the roast duck shop, he immediately asked, "Have the ducks been marinated yet?"

Earlier that morning, Jiang Feng had come to prepare the marinade and had set all the ducks to soak in it.

At least two to three hundred ducks had been marinated.

"They're all marinated. We haven't touched them; we were just waiting for you," the owner quickly replied.

"Good. I'm going to make the crispy-skin solution now. Brush the ducks with it as I instruct, and then they can be roasted directly."

"We'll roast one batch tonight and another tomorrow morning."

"Then, we'll keep them warm in a low-temperature oven and transport them for sale."

As Jiang Feng spoke, he got to work.

Sun Zhuangfei, watching Jiang Feng, felt his admiration grow.

Jiang Feng was very prominent online, but he also worked incredibly hard behind the scenes.

For instance, during this week at the food festival, with so many people paying attention to him, he had to be prepared at all times.

Jiang Feng quickly prepared the crispy-skin solution.

After the ducks were brushed with the crispy-skin solution, Jiang Feng also insisted on sprinkling a generous amount of sesame seeds over the surface of each one.

Since the Griddle-Cooked Duck was eaten directly, the sesame seeds would make it even more fragrant and delicious.

The shop owner was secretly amazed by Jiang Feng's methods.

He had previously thought his own roast duck was unbeatable, but Jiang Feng's was leagues better.

Once the ducks were brushed with the crispy-skin solution and coated with sesame seeds, they were hung in the oven to roast for two hours.

The rich aroma wafted out, tantalizing everyone and making their mouths water.

The aroma of roast duck naturally traveled far.

The entire shop was filled with the enticing fragrance.

These roast ducks were all ingredients, to be sold the next day.

Once seared on the griddle and combined with various seasonings, their taste would be elevated to another level.

Two hours later, the first batch of roast ducks was ready.

The roasted ducks had a golden-brown color, with a deep soy-sauce sheen, and the skin looked very firm and tight.

These ducks were already extremely delicious; they would be wonderful even if eaten directly.

However, this was only the first step. They would undergo further preparation the next day.

After the first batch of ducks was roasted, a second batch still needed to be done.

The roast duck shop was in for a busy night.

They had never prepared so many ducks at once; usually, it took them several days to sell a single batch.

But with Jiang Feng, this batch would definitely sell out in a single day.

Online, people were still raving about the taste of that day's rice noodles.

Many commented that it was hard not to be astonished after just one taste, asserting that only Jiang Feng could make rice noodles so incredibly delicious.

While people were excitedly discussing it, Jiang Feng was working tirelessly.

He usually took it easy, but he had to step up when it mattered.

When it was time to be busy, he got busy.

「And so he bustled about until the next day.」

At four o'clock the next afternoon, Jiang Feng reappeared at his stall in the food festival.

It was the height of summer, and Changsha, a notorious 'oven city,' was incredibly hot.

The city experienced frequent rain, making it humid during the rainy season and oppressively hot when it didn't rain.

Tourists and locals alike dressed lightly.

The streets were filled with people showing off their long legs; it was a sight to behold.

Most attendees were young, creating a lively atmosphere.

Older people simply couldn't endure standing in such long lines.

"What's he making today? Has it been announced?"

"I think it's Griddle-Cooked Duck!"

"Wow, Griddle-Cooked Duck! I absolutely love it!"

"It's delicious, alright, but I heard you shouldn't eat too much of it!"

"Pfft, none of those little street stall foods meet hygiene standards anyway! As long as it's tasty, who cares!"

"But Boss Jiang's food is guaranteed quality. I've seen him; he has very high standards for choosing ingredients."

"That's true. Someone revealed yesterday that Boss Jiang bought all the ducks for his preparation from large, reputable farms. He's very conscientious."

In the line, people chatted among themselves, craning their necks towards the stall.

Regardless, a new delicacy was appearing today, and naturally, everyone was exceptionally eager.

Jiang Feng was also busy with his final preparations.

The roast ducks were being kept warm in an oven, ready to be heated further.

A tantalizing aroma continuously drifted out from the stall.

Tables were laden with various seasonings and toppings.

An iron griddle was also prepared and ready.

Looking at the massive crowd, Jiang Feng announced, "Time to work! Open for business!"