Culinary God in Wilderness

"We’re making potato starch noodles. They’re basically noodles made from potato starch."

As he scrubbed the dirt from the surface of the potatoes, Lin Chen gave him a brief explanation.

"In our Great Xia, what we make from wheat flour are called noodles. They can be thin, wide, hand-pulled, knife-cut, shaved... they come in all sorts of shapes."

"But if they’re made from starches—like rice, sweet potato, or potato starch—we call them by a different name to distinguish them from wheat noodles. That’s because these starch-based noodles have a smooth, slick texture, unlike the chewy bite of wheat noodles."

"You can make noodles from starch?"

Andre scratched his head, unable to imagine what that kind of texture would be like.

It seemed that every time he came over to eat with Lin, he learned something completely new. It gave him the same fresh sense of discovery he’d felt exploring the jungle as a child.

With nothing better to do, he went over and started helping wash the potatoes.

"So, after they’re washed, what’s the next step? Extract the starch?"

"Right. You just grate them and soak them in water. At home, you’d use a high-speed blender with some water to make potato juice, then just let it settle for an hour or two."

Since the man was helping, Lin Chen went ahead and started the next step.

He had previously found a rough-surfaced stone by the river. It was covered in irregular bumps, much like a wasabi grater, which made it the perfect tool for shredding the potatoes.

First, he melted a pot of snow, not bringing it to a boil—just letting it turn to water.

He rubbed the potatoes, skin and all, back and forth across the stone’s surface. Clumps of potato mush fell into the pot, and the clear snowmelt quickly turned murky.

Perhaps it was an aftereffect of making the beef balls earlier, but after only two or three minutes of grating, his right arm was already aching and numb, forcing him to switch hands.

"Ah, I’m screwed. My muscles are going to be killing me tomorrow. It’ll probably be sore for two or three days, don’t you think?"

"Definitely," Andre grinned, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth. "It’s a necessary part of getting stronger. Look at you, so skinny. You look like a strong gust of wind could blow you away."

"That’s determined by genetics and diet. For us Asians, our staple food growing up is carbohydrates. Carbs don’t build muscle; they help burn fat and provide enough energy for heavy physical labor. It’s not like you guys, who grow up eating beef, plus all those fried foods, high-calorie desserts, and dairy products. It’s only natural you’re built so sturdy."

"But what good are all those muscles? I seem to recall *someone* complaining about being tired after just a few minutes of work earlier." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Er... haha, that was a fluke! A total fluke! It must be because I didn’t get enough rest!"

As the two chatted, time slipped by, and before they knew it, the entire large bag of potatoes had been cleaned.

To show off his strength, and to redeem himself for his performance while making the beef balls, Andre joined in on the task of breaking down the potatoes.

Lacking a proper tool, he used his combat knife to cut the potatoes into thick slices and then smashed them with a wooden club. The result wasn’t as fine as grating, but it would have to do.

After about two hours of continuous work, the pile of potatoes on the snow was nearly gone.

By now, the sky was already growing dim.

"Phew... I’m exhausted. Totally exhausted."

Andre flopped onto the ground, letting out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Don’t be fooled because it’s getting dark. It’s actually only a little after two, almost three in the afternoon. In an Alaskan winter, it gets dark earlier each day. A little farther north, and you’d even have polar nights."

They still had several hours left before his and Lin Chen’s partnership was over, so he didn’t have to worry about missing dinner for the time being.

"I wonder how the other contestants are doing... whether they’ve had a decent meal. I’d love for them to see the wonderful life we’re living here~"

Lin Chen said nothing, simply lifting the lid of the stew pot to check the tenderness of the braised beef brisket.

It had been stewing over medium-high heat for a full two hours, with water being added three times along the way. Even wild Musk Ox brisket, which is known for being tough and difficult to break down, had now become fork-tender.

He picked up a piece of meat marbled with sinew. His arm, trembling uncontrollably from the long hours of work, made the brisket jiggle nonstop, giving it the wobbly texture of Jell-O.

The collagen in the brisket had almost completely rendered down, melting into the broth. The date-red sauce was thick and rich, exuding an alluring, savory aroma.

The moment the lid came off, that lethal aroma enveloped the entire yard.

Andre shot up from the ground. "Is it time for a taste test? Let me, let me!"

The same sauce, yet with a different ingredient and cut of meat, had created a completely different flavor.

The moment the piece of brisket entered his mouth, he could feel the immense amount of collagen in the rich sauce; it was so thick it almost glued his mouth shut.

The brisket was half sinew, half fat. The fatty part melted instantly with just a gentle press of his tongue, while the sinewy part retained a slight chewiness and resilience. It was a completely different flavor from the bear paw he’d eaten last week.

Lin Chen picked out another piece of brisket, this one mostly lean meat covered in a thin, white membrane, and held it to Andre’s mouth.

Andre blew on it cautiously a couple of times before opening his mouth and taking it.

This lean cut of brisket tasted much richer and more succulent than it looked, but without the greasiness of pure fat. Nor did it get stuck in his teeth like plain beef. As he chewed, he could feel a distinct, springy resilience.

"This is amazing! The braising method looked so simple, and you only used soy sauce, sugar, and salt, but I never expected the meat to turn out this delicious!"

"It would be incredible mixed with rice or used as a dip for bread."