Culinary God in Wilderness

Just as it had when I first made fire by drilling wood in the Alaskan wilderness, the gentle breeze lifted the surface of the wood dust pile, revealing the orange-red ember within.

The rush of fresh oxygen was like fuel to the fire, nourishing the fragile ember and helping it grow. The moment it touched the surface of the tinder, it was instantly ignited.

I kept waving the bundle, helping the flame grow quickly. Only when a noticeable flame was burning did I place it atop the firewood pile.

I fed new tinder into the flame while pushing thin twigs into the center. Once a twig caught fire, I added another.

Slowly, the fire grew higher and higher, gradually igniting all the surrounding firewood.

As he watched the scorching flames leap half a meter into the air, his ears filled with the CRACKLING of burning wood, and a sense of pride welled up inside Lin Chen.

[Made fire by hand on a beach in Panama. Happiness +2]

He had no time to pay attention to the system prompt. Shaking out his sore forearm, he hurried into the pit and brought out all the seafood he had gathered that morning.

First, he placed two short, thick, finger-length plantains at the edge of the fire. Then, he piled the oysters and crabs around them in a circle.

He wrapped the razor clams in a small piece of a banana leaf and tucked them into the cross-shaped trench at the base of the fire pit, using the heat from the fire to steam them and prevent them from drying out.

While waiting, he cracked open a coconut and savored the wonderfully sweet coconut water.

He smashed open the new coconut along with the ones he’d already emptied, using the back of his knife to scrape out the tender flesh. He popped pieces into his mouth as he went.

The fresh coconut meat was tender and crisp. While not as sweet as the coconut water, it still had a faint sweetness of its own.

After chewing for a while, a slight, rich oiliness came through.

As he ate, he found himself staring at the hemispherical coconut shell, and paused.

"Of course! Isn’t this a natural container?"

He subconsciously tapped his watch screen and, sure enough, saw many comments suggesting he use the coconut shells as pots for soup.

The beach was covered in coconut trees, and now that he’d unlocked the tree-climbing skill, he had a limitless supply. He didn’t need to worry about wearing out these disposable pots.

He’d just be tossing them after eating anyway, so he might as well put them to good use.

"I have about enough food for tonight. I’ll save it for the next meal. Then I can figure out how to cook the coconut crab, or maybe make a soup with some of the smaller crabs and seafood."

Thinking of the coconut crab’s enormous size, he realized a coconut shell might be too small and immediately corrected himself.

After only about five minutes on the fire, the tightly shut oysters silently began to open.

Once the first one popped, the others followed suit, opening their "tightly sealed doors." A rich, briny aroma immediately filled the air.

The blue crabs next to the oysters were also visibly turning a tempting orange-red. It wouldn’t be long before they were cooked through.

Lin Chen swallowed hard, using a stick to pull the two plantains from the fire.

The high heat had completely charred the plantain peels, which now gave off a burnt smell.

Through the cracks in the blackened skin, however, he could still smell a faint, sweet aroma.

"To be honest, I’ve never actually eaten a roasted banana. I did, however, help a black colleague of mine roast one back when I worked in a kitchen. When she handed me an unripe banana, my mind just went completely blank. It’s pretty funny to think about now."

He chuckled and shook his head, sitting on the ground and talking to the camera.

"It was right after the lunch rush, during a lull in service. She came up to me with two green bananas and asked me to roast them for her. You know what I was thinking?"

"I was thinking I should peel them and put them on the grill, or maybe use a kitchen torch on them. See, in the Western restaurants back in Great Xia, we serve a caramelized banana in our fruit salads. You slice a banana in half, sprinkle sugar on top, and use a torch to create a crispy caramel shell." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"But then my colleague told me to just toss it straight into the oven for ten minutes. I was completely floored. All I could think was, ’Is this even edible?’"

"And when it came out, the peel was this mushy, scorched-brown color—not completely blackened like this one, but it looked rotten. Then I just watched as she peeled it, sliced it into pieces, and ate it with this look of pure bliss on her face."

"I’m not gonna lie, when I saw that, I only had one thought: when it comes to good food, nobody beats Great Xia."

"I’m not just bragging, and this isn’t some kind of cultural prejudice. Any viewers who’ve had Daxia Cuisine will know what I’m talking about. But honestly, while there are plenty of Great Xia restaurants over here, dessert shops are pretty rare."

"Haven’t a bunch of new milk tea shops been opening in North America these past few years? Anyone here tried them?"

At this, the viewers in the stream chat immediately perked up.

[I haven’t tried it, but all my friends who have say it’s the most delicious drink they’ve ever tasted.]

[I heard it’s some kind of drink made with milk and tea? And it has pearls in it?]

[Pearls? Like the kind you wear on a necklace? You can EAT them??]

[Not real pearls. They’re little balls made from tapioca starch. They just get their name because they look like pearls.]

[Yes, yes, exactly! I’ve had it! It’s a drink that perfectly blends milk and tea. Trust me, ladies, as long as you don’t hate milk or tea, one sip is all it takes to get you hooked!]

[How’d you know I’m drinking one right now? Milk gives you protein and fat, and tea is the healthiest drink there is. Milk tea is absolutely a healthy beverage. The best part is it isn’t super sweet like most drinks; it’s actually pretty light.]

[Now I’m curious. Where can you even buy it? How have I never heard of this before?]

[Most of the bigger cities should have them. You definitely won’t find them in small towns, though, since they’re international chains.]

[Try looking in the Chinatown of a major city, or just search online. You’ll definitely find one.]

[My favorite is the brown sugar pearl. The brown sugar tastes a bit like caramel.]

[Have you guys tried green milk tea? It’s milk, green tea, and sugar. Oh my god, the flavor is completely addictive!]