Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 383: Chapter 241: Captivating Grilled Sweet Potato Noodles

The savory umami of the oyster sauce mingled with the fragrant spice of the toasted chili flakes. After being grilled over an open flame, it was coated in a rich, char-grilled aroma and a faint smokiness.

Even without any other fillings, its springy yet soft and chewy texture, the all-natural seafood sauce, and the faint scent of deer fat were enough to instantly awaken his taste buds. He ravenously stuffed the entire sheet of sweet potato noodles into his mouth and began to chew.

As he chewed, his mind was already racing, thinking about how he could make it even more delicious.

The absence of a notification from the system made it clear: its current level of deliciousness was insufficient.

’I only pan-fried it just now; I didn’t grill it. I should try adding a grilling step next.’

’As for the toppings, it’d be best to have something crunchy to replace the pickled radish and long beans. It’s a shame I don’t have any scallions, though.’

At the thought of crunchy pickled foods, his eyes lit up. He darted into the house and took out two bamboo tubes.

One contained pickled taro leaves and stems; the other, pickled jalapeños.

Having soaked for an extra day, the flavor was noticeably more sour, but it was still a ways off from the acidity of a proper old-style pickle. At this stage, it could only be called a fresh pickle—crisp and refreshing with just a hint of sourness.

’Is there a way to make it more sour...?’

Orange juice was definitely out of the question, but he didn’t seem to have any other sour foods on hand.

’Sour... sour...’

He closed his eyes, searching his mental encyclopedia of plants for edible species with a sour taste.

Almost instantly, a very familiar-looking weed popped into his mind.

’Clover?’

As the details slowly materialized, a look of understanding flashed in his eyes.

’So that’s it. True clover has white, V-shaped markings. This kind, without any markings, is called wood sorrel. It’s a valuable ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine, and it’s known for being incredibly sour.’

’Wood sorrel is considered part of the clover family. It has heart-shaped leaves, and in very rare cases, a mutated fourth leaf appears. That’s what’s known as a four-leaf clover, a symbol of good luck.’

If he remembered correctly, he had indeed plucked some clover—oh, no, wood sorrel—from downstairs as a child and popped it in his mouth.

Back then, Japanese manga was at the height of its popularity, and three- and four-leaf clovers became a huge trend along with it. He had been curious about the taste, but the sour flavor immediately turned him off.

’This stuff isn’t just edible, it’s actually used in medicine?’

This unexpected discovery made him ecstatic. He turned and rushed into the nearby forest, searching the ground.

Wood sorrel was a common weed. It was hardy and wasn’t picky about growing conditions; it could sprout anywhere there was soil.

Of course, it wouldn’t be found anywhere too cold, as the vast majority of plants disliked low temperatures.

A short walk In the Forest was all it took to find a large patch of wood sorrel mixed in with the other weeds on the ground.

’I don’t need to pick too much. I’ll just grab a small handful to take back and taste. If it’s not right, it’ll just be a waste of energy.’

Now that the first sheet of sweet potato noodles had seasoned the stone, the second one was much smoother to fry.

This time, he didn’t eat as he cooked. Instead, he made ten whole sheets in one go before tossing the scorching hot stone aside to cool down on its own.

The flames had long since died out, leaving behind dark red embers that continued to radiate waves of heat.

He took a sheet of sweet potato noodles, laid it flat on the bamboo grilling rack, and began to grill it. Freshly made sheets like this didn’t need long; after just a dozen seconds, large bubbles began to appear on the surface.

After he flipped it back and forth a few times, the entire surface of the sheet was almost completely covered in dense bubbles, looking like a freshly fried pork rind. Its color also changed from its original gray to white.

"This bubbling is normal; in fact, it’s the desired effect. A sheet that doesn’t bubble probably isn’t made from pure sweet potato starch, or at least has a very low content."

"Due to the properties of sweet potato starch, it solidifies and gelatinizes when the temperature reaches sixty degrees, which was the state it was in when I first spread it out."

"When the temperature rises further, to over one hundred degrees, the moisture inside the sheet boils and vaporizes, looking for an escape route."

"But the sheet is solid and its surface is completely sealed, so the steam can’t escape. It naturally puffs up, especially in the thinner, weaker spots on the surface."

"Grilling it until the entire surface puffs up like this means it has been heated evenly. This process creates countless tiny air pockets in the middle, which affects the final texture. If you brush the sauce on now, its flavor will seep in through the pores of the burst bubbles, allowing the sheet to become thoroughly seasoned."

As he spoke, he scooped up a spoonful of oyster sauce and spread it evenly over the surface. He then sprinkled on some toasted chili flakes, added diced pickled jalapeños, and grabbed four or five strands of wood sorrel to place on top.

The fresh wood sorrel leaves were thin and very delicate. The intense heat softened them instantly, causing them to cling tightly to the surface of the sheet.

He folded the right side over like a blanket, rolled it twice into a long strip, and finally skewered it with two bamboo sticks to complete his creation.

The filled, grilled sweet potato noodle sheet looked much plumper than an empty one. Even with a small amount of filling, it was enough to improve its visual appeal.

Once puffed up, it looked inexplicably more appetizing. Compared to its flat state, it now made you desperately want to lunge forward and take a huge bite.