"Pork tenderloin, autumn bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms... the shop should have the basic seasonings, but just in case, let's buy everything.
Besides that, scallions, ginger, garlic, and the most crucial ingredient for Yuxiang Shredded Pork—pickled chilies. We need to buy another set of these to avoid any mishaps."
Inside the supermarket, Okabe looked at the dazzling array of products with a clear goal, quickly finding all the ingredients needed to make Yuxiang Shredded Pork.
The autumn bamboo shoots and wood ear mushrooms could be substituted, but since they were the most seasonal ingredients, Okabe ultimately chose them.
It was early September, the best time of year to eat autumn bamboo shoots and wood ear mushrooms. The seasonal freshness of the vegetables was at its peak; he could definitely make an excellent Yuxiang Shredded Pork!
"Brother Okabe, they're selling hawthorns over there! Let's make candied hawthorns later!"
Just as Okabe finished gathering the ingredients and was about to check out, Alice Nakiri's voice caught his attention. He saw her standing in the hawthorn section, a look of delight on her face.
It made sense. For a child, candied hawthorns were indeed an irresistible temptation.
"I'll make them for you after the match is over. Speaking of which, it's hawthorn season. These look really high-quality. If it weren't for all this trouble, I might be heading back to make some frosted hawthorns right now."
As he spoke, Okabe's own mouth started to water. He grabbed another bag and put some hawthorns in it, planning to make some frosted hawthorns to satisfy his craving when he had free time.
"And grapes, pears, and persimmons!"
Seeing Okabe buy the hawthorns, Alice Nakiri cheered inwardly. She then ran over to the other fruits she loved and looked at him with an expectant gaze.
She didn't say it out loud, but her intentions were perfectly clear.
"Let's just get the hawthorns for now. We don't have any extra hands to carry more. Our main goal today is to taste authentic Yuxiang Shredded Pork. Nothing else matters."
"Okay."
Looking at the large and small bags in Ikaros's hands, Alice Nakiri reluctantly nodded in agreement.
There really was a lot of stuff now. She'd just have to ask her mom to buy them for her later. Next time, she'd bring two bodyguards to help her and her mom carry things.
"It must be tough for you to carry all this by yourself. Let me take a few of these."
Even though he knew Ikaros likely wouldn't get tired, Okabe still wanted to share the load. He took the heavier bags of seasonings from her.
"Master, I can handle this much weight."
Looking at Okabe, who had snatched the heaviest bags, then at the few light ingredients left in her own hands, Ikaros wore a puzzled expression.
"It's fine. I just want to get some exercise, and this is nothing to me. Alice, the hawthorns are yours."
"Okay~"
As he spoke, Okabe paid for the items and left with the bags without waiting for Ikaros's reaction. Alice Nakiri followed close behind, and Ikaros, seeing this, had no choice but to follow.
Although she didn't understand Okabe's reasons, she could feel the kindness emanating from him, and a subtle feeling bloomed deep in her heart.
She didn't know what this feeling meant.
But she knew she liked it.
Before long, the trio passed through several small alleys and returned to 'Master Yang's Little Sichuan Eatery'.
"So, you actually came back."
Holding a tobacco pipe, the old man—Master Yang—slowly exhaled a puff of smoke. As he watched the group arrive, his face held a hint of curiosity.
He suddenly had a belated realization.
These three people before him probably hadn't come just to eat a meal.
Otherwise, after learning he had closed, their first thought should have been to leave, not to run to the supermarket to buy ingredients for him.
With that much spare time, they could have eaten their fill at another restaurant.
"Of course. Since we said we'd come back with the ingredients, we couldn't possibly go back on our word."
As he spoke, he placed the ingredients on the table. Okabe's voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally firm. "These are the ingredients for Yuxiang Shredded Pork as I understand them. Please see if they're enough. If you need anything else, we can make another trip to the supermarket."
"There's no problem with the ingredients; these are all used when making Yuxiang Shredded Pork.
Although I don't know your true purpose for coming here, I can see your love for gourmet food in your actions. That feeling can't be faked. I will do my best to prepare this dish."
Seeing Okabe's earnest and serious expression, Master Yang completely set aside his casual attitude.
He felt he ought to be more serious.
After all, they had gone to the trouble of buying the ingredients, and they trusted his skill. He had no reason not to meet their expectations.
"Um, actually, I have one more presumptuous request...
I've actually been learning this dish recently, but I don't have a master to guide me, which is why I've been searching all over Tokyo for an authentic Yuxiang Shredded Pork restaurant.
If it's alright, could I watch from the kitchen? Just letting me stand beside you would be enough."
Seeing Master Yang step forward to inspect the ingredients in the bags and then nod, Okabe hesitated for a moment before finally asking his question before the chef entered the kitchen.
"I see. No wonder you're so insistent on authenticity. Only by understanding a dish in its most original form can one innovate upon its foundation. But no matter how it changes in the end, its fundamentals must not be altered. Are you searching for those fundamentals?"
"That's right. I want to know how the very first Yuxiang Shredded Pork was made.
It's like a signal tower. As long as you know the direction of the tower, you can never get lost, no matter how far you explore."
Hearing Master Yang's words, Okabe nodded heavily and spoke with deliberate seriousness.
The man had seen right through him with a single sentence.
It was true he wanted to make Yuxiang Shredded Pork, but after exploring so many Sichuan restaurants, he discovered that the Japanese palate was quite different from the Chinese one.
At least, the dishes that he considered inauthentic were enjoyed immensely by the Japanese customers, as if they were eating the most delicious food on earth.
And in the process, he also discovered that even though the flavors at the Sichuan restaurants on the streets of Tokyo differed from the authentic versions, the fundamental flavor profile remained largely unchanged.
"For Yuxiang Shredded Pork, the most important thing is its 'fish-fragrant' flavor.
In traditional Yuxiang Shredded Pork, the pickled chilies are the key to the entire dish. That's because it's not made with the ordinary pickled chilies sold in supermarkets, but with this!"
As he spoke, Master Yang had already returned to the kitchen and retrieved a dark-colored jar from under the stove.
"This is..."
Watching Master Yang emerge with the jar, Okabe and the others gathered around, their curiosity piqued by his mention of no-ordinary pickled chilies.
"The essence of Sichuan cuisine—Yu Lazi, the Fish Chilies!"
Seeing the curious looks on Okabe and the others, Master Yang tapped his tobacco pipe and hung it back on his belt.
"Fish Chilies?"
"What's that? I've never heard of it."
Upon hearing Master Yang's words, however, both Okabe and Alice Nakiri looked puzzled.
"Yu Lazi is a type of pickled chili. To put it simply, it's made by adding a crucian carp to the jar during the pickling process.
The chilies used are Erjingtiao from Sichuan. Because the production cycle is long and the slightest mistake in the process can give people an upset stomach, many restaurants have abandoned it now.
After all, they run restaurants; consistency in service is far more important than safeguarding tradition.
Besides, you can achieve a similar flavor to Yu Lazi using regular pickled chilies, and most people can't tell the difference.
As Master Yang explained, he used chopsticks to pull the Yu Lazi out of the jar.
One by one, the pickled Erjingtiao chilies were placed onto a plate. Having soaked in the jar for so long, many had shriveled, and they now exuded an incredibly rich and mellow aroma!
______
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