I

  Chapter 56 055 [Spicy Red Oil]

  Dingsheng Building, a two-story wooden building, is located at the wharf of Hekou Town.

  Businessmen and merchants can choose the private room on the second floor. While eating, drinking and chatting, you can enjoy the river view and observe the status of your own merchant ships.

  If you want to be more elegant, you will invite Le Hu to listen to the music and serve wine with the sound of silk and bamboo.

   There is also a way to enjoy both refined and popular tastes. A stage is set up on the first floor, and theatrical troupes regularly sing - Jiangxi is a nest of operas, but any large restaurant or teahouse will not be qualified if it lacks an opera troupe.

  Early in the morning, the sky is not yet bright.

  The Dingsheng Building hadn’t opened yet, and the door panels hadn’t even been removed, so someone came and knocked on the door frantically.

"Who is it? Here it is, here it is, don't knock any more!" The shop assistant just woke up, he took down a door panel, saw seven or eight people standing outside, yawned and said, "The cook hasn't come yet, It's too early, everyone."

   "It's not early, check the accounts!"

  Fei Xi (big shopkeeper) gave an order, and the servants around him immediately restrained the shop assistant.

  Zhao Han, Fei Ze (Jian Dan) and Fei De (Jiu Po), with a few servants, quickly broke into the shop.

   "What are you going to do?"

   "Help, robbers are robbing people!"

   "..."

  A total of four shopkeepers were detained in a blink of an eye, and the entire restaurant was taken over.

  As soon as the ledger was dug out, several restaurant employees came, and they were all detained in the private room on the second floor, and they were interrogated separately about the information they knew.

  At the back door of the restaurant, some food deliverers came one after another, and they were also invited into the store to talk.

  A fish delivery man wanted to run away, but Fei Ze (Jian Dan) quickly caught him back. After some inquiries, it turned out that this person was the nephew and son-in-law of the shopkeeper, who was responsible for receiving the goods from the fishermen, and then transporting them to the restaurant for sale.

  The situation of the other food deliverers is not far behind, more or less related to the management.

  The accountant Mr. Zhao Han brought is intensively checking the accounts.

   Fei Xi (big shopkeeper) said to Zhao Han: "There is a problem with the purchase price of the ingredients, at least 50% higher than the normal market price."

Zhao Han said: "Separately interrogated and exposed each other. Those ordinary guys are only petty theft. A few cooks are the most powerful. They deliberately killed the fresh fish, or the meat was spoiled. They brought it back at night after work. At home, sell it to the neighbors at a low price. Spices are also stolen, especially pepper. By the way, a guy confessed that the second shopkeeper in charge of the opera troupe and music troupe had a trick with those opera singers."

   "Brother, the shopkeeper is here!" Fei Ze ran over to report.

"catch!"

  The shopkeeper of the restaurant is named Fei Zhong. He was arrested just as he stepped into the shop in a daze. He immediately shouted in fright: "Heroic man, spare your life, heroic man, spare your life!"

   There were three shopkeepers in total, and they were arrested one after another.

  Zhao Han said: "Uncle Xi, you are the shopkeeper sent by your wife, of course you are in charge of the restaurant. As for these three people, you must **** them to the official, and the other shop workers can hold the handle."

   "Brother Yihan's." Fei Xi said with a smile.

  Zhao Han called all the cooks again, a chef, three apprentices, and a group of help cooks.

  The chef's name is Peng Zhengxiang, he is a hired worker, and he is already very old. Unless there are VIP guests, he usually does not do it himself, and only lets three apprentices take care of the cooking.

  Zhao Han grabbed a handful of dried chilies and said with a smile, "This pepper is used up quickly. Are there many customers who like spicy food?"

   "Master, please forgive me, please forgive me!" Peng Zhengxiang quickly knelt down and kowtowed.

  Zhao Han did not mention his charges, but only asked: "Is there any pepper planted in Qianshan?"

  Peng Zhengxiang replied: "Most peppers are shipped from Zhejiang, and they are also grown locally in recent years, but not a lot."

  Simple written records about peppers first appeared in the 19th year of Wanli.

  The detailed text description of peppers, including what color flowers bloom, first appeared in the first year of Tianqi.

   That is to say, at least 30 years ago, chili was introduced to Ming Dynasty. Moreover, the real introduction time must be much earlier, it was first recorded by literati thirty years ago.

   There were two early transmission routes of pepper, one from Zhejiang and the other from Liaodong.

  Qianshan County is next to Zhejiang, and it was exposed to chili much earlier than Huguang, Sichuan, and Guizhou.

   "Take out all the spices." Zhao Han said.

   "Huh?" Peng Zhengxiang didn't understand.

  Zhao Han asked: "Are you discussing how much money you made, or do you want to learn cooking skills with me?"

  Peng Zhengxiang immediately shouted: "Bring all the spices!"

   The kitchen was in a panic, everyone was scared and curious.

  Zhao Han picked up a fragrant leaf and smelled it, and said with a smile, "This stuff is native to the Mediterranean, and Daming also has it. Is the price very expensive?"

  Peng Zhengxiang replied cautiously: "It used to be very expensive, but it has become less expensive these years. Cinnamon trees are planted in many places."

  Zhao Han pointed to a cup of dried chili, and ordered: "Pound it!"

  Peng Zhengxiang hurriedly ordered his disciples: "Pound it to pieces."

  Zhao Han glared at him: "If you don't want to learn, you can go out."

  Peng Zhengxiang was stunned. He was already in his fifties, and he never thought about learning cooking again, nor did he believe that Zhao Han had any cooking skills. But if someone caught him, he couldn't do without learning, so he had to pound the chili by himself.

  Zhao Han asked people to prepare other spices.

  Everything is ready, he ordered: "Burn vegetable oil."

  A chef, three chefs, and a group of assistant cooks, forgot to be afraid at this moment, and stepped forward to watch.

   Zhao Han stretched out his hands to test the temperature of the oil, and suddenly poured hot oil into the pan.

   "Here!"

   Pour the oil twice in a row, and as Zhao Han stirs it with chopsticks, a strong aroma hits his nostrils.

  Peng Zhengxiang took a deep breath, his expression intoxicated, and he couldn't help but want to taste it.

   Swallowing, Peng Zhengxiang asked: "This is..."

   "Spicy oil," Zhao Han said with a smile, "Unfortunately, stuffed bean paste takes time, and I don't know if the air colony in the lead mountain is suitable. Well, the most important thing is that I don't know the specific process."

  There are many varieties of Jiangxi cuisine, especially the Yanshan cuisine, which is relatively heavy, and because of the prosperity of commerce, it has absorbed a large number of characteristics of other cuisines.

   It shows that the lead mountain vegetables at the end, the upper-class gentry and merchants, eat relatively light, but the overall taste is heavy. The lower-level peddlers and pawns, the more serious the better, the street snacks have long been various.

  Zhao Han belongs to Yeluzi and is familiar with Sichuan cuisine, which just fits the local taste.

   Unfortunately, the soul of Sichuan cuisine, "Pixian Douban", has not been invented yet.

  Sichuan cuisine in the Ming Dynasty is completely different from Sichuan cuisine in later generations.

  Sichuan popular Hu spicy soup, can you believe it?

  According to the records of literati in the Ming Dynasty, Hu spicy soup was also a Sichuan delicacy. The general method is the same as that in the north, except that rice noodles are used to thicken it.

  If Zhao Han unifies China in advance, so many people in Sichuan will not die, and there is no need for Huguang to fill Sichuan, I am afraid that it will be difficult to produce "Sichuan cuisine" in this time and space.

   "Is there any rice noodles?" Zhao Han asked.

   "Yes." Peng Zhengxiang didn't order his apprentice anymore, but brought the rice noodles by himself.

  Mixian was called "Can" in the Sui Dynasty and "Milan" in the Song Dynasty. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, the written method was "Mi Noodles", and the folks have been commonly known as "Rice Noodles".

  Boil the water pot, scoop up more than ten bowls of rice noodles, and add soy sauce, garlic, chopped green onion and oily chili.

  Red, green and white, full of color, fragrance and taste.

  Zhao Han said: "There is no MSG, and when making rice noodles in the future, you can boil chicken soup or bone soup to enhance the flavor."

  Peng Zhengxiang didn't know what MSG was, so he could only nod flatteringly: "Master taught me, I will remember it."

  Zhao Han ordered: "Take it out, tell them not to check the accounts, and fill their stomachs first."

  Peng Zhengxiang couldn't help asking: "Master, can I have a taste?"

   "Taste it." Zhao Han said with a smile.

  Peng Zhengxiang subconsciously put mint in, but was stopped by Zhao Han, letting him simply experience the charm of spicy oil.

  Cooking at this time, all provinces like to use perilla, especially mint here in Qianshan, and many dishes throw mint into it.

  Peng Zhengxiang mixed the rice noodles well, took a bite, it was spicy and refreshing, and his nose was so spicy that he said: "If it is cold and wintery, eating a bowl of spicy rice noodles with oil will be a hundred times more delicious."

   "You calculate the cost and give the price to the shopkeeper. From now on, you will sell spicy rice noodles in the morning. Well, spicy fried noodles are also available." Zhao Han said.

  Peng Zhengxiang thought for a while and said, "Master, there seems to be another use for this spicy oil?"

   "You can study it by yourself," Zhao Han said with a smile, "every half a month, I will teach you a new dish. Today I will teach you how to cook chicken in red oil and white, just in time to make chicken soup for rice noodles."

  Peng Zhengxiang, who was already in his fifties, suddenly knelt down and kowtowed: "Master, please accept my disciple's bow!"

   Zhao Hansheng accepted a bow, but did not refuse.

   Before noon, diners came to the restaurant one after another.

  The consumption here is high, and the people at the lower level cannot afford it. Not to mention the private rooms on the second floor, the lobby on the first floor is also quite expensive.

   Fortunately, Hekou Town has developed commerce and trade, and there is no shortage of tourists at all.

  Every time a customer comes in, the shop assistants are actively promoting red oil fried chicken and oil spicy rice noodles (noodles), saying that they are new dishes from the royal chef.

   Palace dishes?

  Good guy, then hurry up and serve it up!

   There are not enough chickens in the kitchen, and the restaurant buyers are sent to look for chickens all over the world.

  Upstairs and downstairs, unlucky diners can be seen everywhere, who are so hot that they sit there and stick out their tongues.

  I only heard a strong man slapping the table and shouting: "Another plate of red oil chicken!"

  Zhao Han sat at the counter to observe the situation, and saw that this guy was dressed in ordinary clothes, and he didn't seem to be a rich man, but he ordered a table of good food and carried a stick with him. He summoned the shop assistant and asked, "What is that table for?"

  The store clerk replied: "They are all the leaders of the Iron Foot Society."

   "Iron Feet Society?" Zhao Han had never heard of it.

The store clerk explained: "In the past few decades, all walks of life have established guilds. There are rice guilds in the rice industry, and cloth guilds in the cloth industry. The bitter haha ​​have learned from others, and they have also formed clubs. The iron foot guild is the wharf. The guild of coolies, and later the porters in the town also joined, and if any employer dares to default on wages, hundreds or thousands of people from the Iron Foot Society will come to the door with poles to ask for it."

  My good fellow, this is the embryonic form of trade unions.

   Zhao Han didn't know that the various trade unions in Qianshan, especially the paper industry union, were the most powerful.

   are all skilled workers, and the industry is densely populated, and many of them can read a few big characters. The owner of the private paper mill had no choice but to compromise if he was treated harshly and went on strike at every turn.

  As for the official paper mills, they don’t treat their employees as human beings at all, and those who dare to take the lead in making troubles are directly beaten to death or maimed—it doesn’t matter if production is delayed.

  In the mid-Qing Dynasty, paper workers in Qianshan County accounted for more than 30% of the county's population (excluding children).

  The late Ming Dynasty was not so powerful, but the number of paper workers was equally terrifying. In Shitang Town alone, if you count the bamboo chopping, burning tanks, and lifting, there are 50,000 to 60,000 papermakers in one town. It can be said that the whole town revolves around the paper mill!

  Union?

  Strike?

interesting.

  Zhao Han got up and walked over, cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Guest officers, are you satisfied with the new dishes in our restaurant?"

   (Seriously consecrate a book: "Red Heart Patrol", a particularly awesome fairy tale, with more than three million words, it is full.)

  (end of this chapter)