Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 413: Chapter 256: The Final Battle Begins

"I haven’t really thought about that, but I was thinking of finding a place relatively close to a city. Canada is vast and sparsely populated, and most people live in the south. If it’s too far from a city, driving back and forth would be a pain."

"If I were a customer, I’d also only choose a place within two hundred kilometers for a road trip in my free time."

"So the most suitable location has to meet these requirements: close to a city—preferably a large one—a climate suitable for most crops, and an existing agritourism industry. That would prove there’s a market."

"Hmm, you’ve thought this through. It sounds good so far. Let’s discuss the specifics after we get back and do some research."

"Oh, right," she said as if she’d just remembered something. "From what I know, the farm economy around Vancouver seems quite developed. Many of the surrounding islands are covered in farms. The most famous one, Salt Spring Island, is just across from Vancouver and pretty close to Victoria. That island alone has over two hundred farms."

"Coincidentally, White Whale is also near Vancouver, and you’re already working with them. How about you consider buying a piece of land around there?"

"If you want to have both a farm and a manor, I suggest you buy farmland and build the house yourself. The property taxes will be much lower that way."

’Buy the land first and then build the house myself?’

He had never considered that option before. But if it meant paying less, that would be even better. He could design the house’s exterior and layout exactly how he wanted.

The two chatted for a little while longer. The bowl of taro and mango purée in her hands had cooled enough not to be scalding, so Erica finally scooped up a spoonful.

Trusting Lin Chen’s culinary skills, and remembering the bold words she’d spoken that morning, she didn’t even taste it first, just put a heaping spoonful straight into her mouth.

Her tongue gently broke apart the dense, smooth taro purée, and the unique aroma of taro instantly exploded in her mouth.

It had a completely different texture from mashed potatoes. The taro wasn’t completely pulverized; a slight graininess had been intentionally preserved. After soaking up the rich fragrance of coconut milk, its aroma became even more intense.

Root vegetables are rich in starch and naturally have a subtle sweetness. After adding a generous amount of diced mango, the steam caused the fruit to melt into a pulp, mixing with the taro. This added a touch of sweetness while perfectly releasing the mango’s own fragrance.

The aromas of the three ingredients were distinct, yet they merged perfectly in a single spoonful.

Her eyes lit up, and she looked up in surprise. "What a unique dessert. Would you normally add sugar? I feel like it’s a little bland."

"Yes, but desserts in Great Xia—whether it’s bread, cake, or sweet soups like this—are generally less sweet. In our culture, the highest praise for a dessert is that it’s ’not too sweet,’ but still delicious."

"If it’s not sweet, can you still call it a dessert??"

"It’s not that it isn’t sweet, it just means it’s not overly sweet. It’s just right."

"That’s really unique. Even with French pastries, the undisputed champions of the dessert world, they add a ton of sugar during preparation. I never expected that desserts from Great Xia would intentionally use less sugar. It sounds very healthy."

"There are still eleven days left. Just you wait. Don’t burst your little tummy when the time comes."

"Damn you, tempting me with delicious food! I won’t hold back then. I’ll order whatever’s most expensive!"

"Suit yourself," Lin Chen shrugged nonchalantly. "In Great Xia, expensive doesn’t necessarily mean delicious. Usually, it just means the ingredients are rare or the preparation is overly complicated, which drives up the price. Generally, the most popular signature dishes are the tastiest."

He wasn’t particularly interested in desserts, especially something like taro purée that you could get sick of after just a few spoonfuls.

He might have been able to handle it if it were cold, but he’d pass on the hot version.

After grilling some smoked jerky to tide him over, he went inside, took out the ship’s anchor, and began to polish it.

Erica felt a little guilty for enjoying these delicacies all by herself. Since she had nothing better to do, she picked up her coconut bowl, slung the bamboo basket over her back, and started walking toward the seashore, still spooning mouthfuls of the purée as she went.

The first bite of this thing was novel, but not particularly amazing.

But as she kept eating, she found herself getting strangely addicted to it, unable to stop, spoonful after spoonful.

Even though she was clearly starting to feel full, she still couldn’t put down her spoon.

Only when the last spoonful of taro purée had been scraped clean and her once-flat stomach was bulging did she finally force herself to put the spoon down.

"Even the sugar-free version is this delicious. How amazing would it taste if it were made with normal ingredients and sweetness?"

Not long after Erica left, Lin Chen, who was still thinking about the farm and manor, suddenly remembered something very important that he had completely overlooked.

Andre!

’Isn’t that guy another person right here who I can consult and ask for advice?’

He had joined the Alaska Challenge back then because he was forced to; he couldn’t afford the exorbitant medical bills and had no choice but to risk entering the competition. It was basically trading his life for money.

Back then, he had naively thought the guy simply felt that a regular job was too slow for making money and might delay the treatment, leaving him with no other choice.

Now, it seemed things were far more complicated than he had imagined.

’If I hadn’t sought them out back then, if I hadn’t fronted the money for his wife, would his family be homeless by now?’

The mere thought of that possibility sent a shiver down his spine. His mind flashed back to the ecstatic joy in the man’s eyes when he heard that Lin Chen was willing to lend him the money to cover the medical fees.