Chapter 163 Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dishes

Words : 1281 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Xia Liu arrived back in Hejing County with a car full of herbs. He did not go to Longyun Hotel but went to Longteng instead. After instructing the kitchen staff to carry the herbs into the kitchen, Xia Liu began to classify them. Once done, he grabbed a notebook and started taking notes. "Chairman, what are you doing?" it was only after Xia Liu finished copying several pages that Ye Ming dared to come forward and ask. "The hotel's new menu and the preparation methods for its special dishes," Xia Liu replied. "New menu?" Ye Ming couldn't help but sneak a peek at the notebook, and his astonishment instantly flared. Seeing Ye Ming's surprise, Xia Liu explained the situation in detail to him. Actually, Longteng was also running on fumes. Each year, once autumn passed, it became the off-season for both hotels. In winter, the hotel's revenue relied on room bookings; without the dining section, the income was significantly less. This year, as in previous years, Ye Ming was not very assertive about this issue. Stay tuned with empire But he hadn't expected Xia Liu to actually want to reorganize. If successful, the so-called off-season in winter would cease to exist! "I'll start with a batch of Longyun's menu, then follow up with Longteng's," Xia Liu planned. "Chairman, what do you need me to do?" looking at Xia Liu's confident face, Ye Ming felt somewhat embarrassed. This kind of task should have been planned by him, and now it was embarrassing to have the boss doing it. "Of course I need you. Go and place an advertisement for me. At eight o'clock tonight, Longyun Hotel will start a one-hour tasting event," Xia Liu nodded, knowing that without generating buzz, changing the menu would be pointless, so advertising was essential. "Okay, will the tasting be free or charged?" "It's all free, but only from eight to nine o'clock," Xia Liu responded. After getting Xia Liu's response, Ye Ming returned to his office to make plans. First, he called the television station, telling them that tonight Longyun Hotel was going to be packed. As for why, he didn't explain. He just gave the television station a sense of mystery. Ye Ming also contacted a few forum friends to post the tasting event news on various Hejing County forums. Furthermore, he called a local advertising company, asking them to produce a poster as quickly as possible. A poster for Longyun Hotel's tasting event was then mounted on a car and paraded through the streets. An hour had passed by the time Ye Ming was done directing these tasks, and he returned to the kitchen. He hadn't even reached the door when a group of hotel waitstaff blocked his way, all peering into the kitchen. Their expressions were utterly enraptured. Ye Ming wanted to scold the waitstaff, but when he caught the fragrance wafting in the air, his heart immediately calmed down. It was a smell that seemed reserved for New Year's Eve dinners. Upon Ye Ming's arrival, the waitstaff quickly dispersed. Once in the kitchen, Ye Ming located the source of the delicious aroma. It was an extremely ordinary-looking fish! He leaned in to smell it carefully and finally confirmed that the enchanting fragrance was indeed coming from this fish. But how could it smell so good without even a bit of garnish! He glanced at the kitchen staff, each of them with eyes wide open, as if their souls had departed their bodies, completely absorbed in their own worlds. For now, he dared not disturb Xia Liu, who was continuously shaking a sieve, incessantly scooping ingredients with a spoon. The speed of his movements was so fast that people's eyes could barely keep up, faintly perceiving a few afterimages! What shocked Ye Ming the most was that Xia Liu was managing three woks on his own! He was preparing three dishes at once! This not only astonished Ye Ming but the original kitchen staff were already dumbfounded. They had always believed their culinary skills were the best in the world. After seeing Xia Liu cook, they couldn't even catch their breath, let alone speak. Each of them held their breath, staring at Xia Liu with wide eyes. Ten minutes later, another three dishes were plated. The kitchen was filled with a rich aroma. Among these fragrances, chefs with a good sense of smell could detect an odd scent mixed in. "Boss, I smell something very fresh and cool when inhaled into the lungs, what is that?" the head chef boldly asked. "I remember you're the head chef, with a good sense of smell, even able to pick up on that aroma." With such praise from Xia Liu, the head chef modestly touched his head. All the chefs were looking at Xia Liu, hoping he would explain that peculiar fragrance. "Manager Ye, how do you feel?" "It's very fragrant, I feel as if hallucinations could appear at any moment, like floating in a paradise of gourmet food," Ye Ming said with closed eyes, "Taking a breath, my lungs and throat feel cool and refreshed, I think I've smelled this before somewhere." Suddenly, Ye Ming opened his eyes, staring intently at Xia Liu, "This is the scent of medicinal herbs!" "Right! How could my brain react so slowly, that scent is indeed the unique aroma of medicinal herbs." Following Ye Ming's outburst of surprise, the head chef slapped his thigh, becoming excited. Chefs know that medicinal herbs can be used in dishes. However, there are many types of medicinal herbs, with only a few suitable for culinary use, and improper use could lead to food poisoning. Xia Liu's addition of medicinal herbs to his dishes to achieve such perfection is definitely a perfect match! "Boss, but we didn't see you adding any herbs, and there were none visible in the dishes…" the head chef expressed his doubts. He and his team had been watching Xia Liu's every move, even if customers ordered dishes, a few would stay to watch him. From start to finish, they were certain Xia Liu hadn't touched any herbs. Moreover, his techniques for preparing these dishes were almost the same as theirs. "Flip open the belly of that fish," Xia Liu said, not explaining right away but pointing at the fish on the plate. Ye Ming, being the closest, eagerly picked up chopsticks and flipped open the fish's belly. At this moment, everyone gathered around, and when the fish's belly was flipped open, they were all astounded. Inside the belly, there were two red rhizomes; it was obvious, these were medicinal herbs! The head chef realized, no wonder he saw Xia Liu spend some time cleaning the fish. He had stuffed medicinal herbs in the fish's belly. Even so, the flavor was incredibly out of this world. "These herbs release a strong fragrance when heated thoroughly, and it's the same with the other dishes," Xia Liu simply explained the secret of the medicinal herbs. Ye Ming and the head chef both picked up their chopsticks to inspect the other dishes. Sure enough, one of the red-cooked spareribs contained a few root-like strips, which upon closer inspection, were confirmed to be medicinal herbs. There was also an Osmanthus Chicken, which Xia Liu had cooked in plain water, adding only a bit of salt with no other seasoning. Yet, this dish had the richest aroma. There was not only a faint scent of medicine but also a fragrance of osmanthus!

Chapter 163 Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dishes

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