Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country-Chapter 353 - 354: Restocking at Kazanqi Food Street

Chapter 353: Chapter 354: Restocking at Kazanqi Food Street

In the Northern Border, it’s common to enjoy the scenery, while in the Southern Border, it’s all about cultural experiences in the Great Border.

But that doesn’t mean the Northern Border lacks culture.

Wang Fan didn’t pay much attention to other things, but he was very eager to try the Northern Border cuisine.

Luckily, yesterday’s earnings were optimistic, so today they’ve planned a trip to Kazanqi Ethnic Street, followed by a direct trip to Sayram Lake.

Kazanqi Ethnic Street is the only street in the Northern Border themed around Uyghur folk culture.

Curious, Wang Fan asked Zhuo Qianqian, "The name Kazanqi sounds nice, what does it mean when translated?"

With a serious tone, Zhuo Qianqian said, "Trust me, you really don’t want to know. It’s better to keep some mystery and beauty."

Her words only made Wang Fan more curious: "Tell me, I’m really curious now."

With a shrug, Zhuo Qianqian said, "Translated, it means ’iron pot craftsman.’ There used to be many people here making a living by crafting iron pots, hence the name."

Wang Fan compared Kazanqi and iron pot craftsman in his mind and somewhat regretted asking out of curiosity.

After parking and walking to the gate, there were many pigeons on the sky-blue archway, plump enough to make rose syrup pigeon dishes... cough cough, better not think like that; it could lead to trouble.

It’s the tourist season now, and after some time of promotion, more and more people are traveling to the Great Border. Currently, the streets are filled with tourists from all over and some wearing ethnic clothing feeding the pigeons.

Most of these people have very pronounced features and look full of exotic charm.

Without stopping there, Wang Fan and the others walked straight in. As soon as they entered, Wang Fan felt the uniqueness of the place.

The houses here were predominantly sky-blue, and various public facilities along the road were heavily adorned with sky-blue decorations.

Wang Fan didn’t have anything specific he wanted to eat, so he decided to buy whatever caught his eye.

A hand-sized roasted steamed bun was first on the menu. Its crust was golden brown and crispy, and inside, it was filled with mutton. A bite revealed a crispy and delicious taste, with the mutton inside being tender and juicy. The aroma of the meat mixed with onions, cumin, and other spices, accompanied by the unique earthy smell of the pit oven, made Wang Fan exclaim with satisfaction.

Reasoning backward from the final product and taste, Wang Fan managed to grasp the technique for making this roasted steamed bun.

A little further ahead, they saw a sturdy man with a small flower-hat pushing a cart full of cut cakes, calling out for sales.

He had heard about this before, as in Beijing there’s a saying, "One cut makes you poor, another makes you rich, and the next makes you a boss living in a villa." But it shouldn’t be that absurd here in the Great Border, right?

Some people were at the stall, and they didn’t seem like they’d been ripped off, which put Wang Fan’s mind at ease a bit. He was worried that the 10,000-plus yuan in his pocket wouldn’t be enough to pay.

Wang Fan bought a piece. The man’s hand was steady, slicing a bit over 100 grams into a tidy piece, costing 20 yuan, which was reasonably acceptable. The man explained that the price increased because cashews and almonds are currently quite expensive.

The cake’s taste was ordinary, using local dried fruits and nuts, solidified together with rock sugar syrup, with materials being substantial.

Along the way, besides the vendors’ cries, the most frequent sound was singing. Wang Fan praised, "You Great Border people really all can sing and dance?"

Zhuo Qianqian said proudly, "Indeed, we have a saying here: ’When children can walk, they dance; when they can talk, they sing.’

As they continued walking, a horse-drawn cart approached, the clip-clop of hooves ringing clearly, with the bells around the horse’s neck chiming melodiously.

At that moment, Wang Fan turned into a curious baby, wanting to try everything new.

The black horse was tall and mighty, its sleek black coat making it appear even more majestic.

The ticket office wasn’t far; each person pays 150 yuan, for about an hour-long ride, with an ice cream included.

As the two sat on the cart, the horse moved forward briskly, showing no signs of strain.

Zhuo Qianqian explained, "This cart is called Hadik, the earliest and most important means of transport here. The tourist area maintained this traditional transportation method in 2008, solving employment issues for local elderly cart drivers."

With Zhuo Qianqian’s explanation, the two headed straight to the food street.

The food street looked very clean and tidy. Various small stalls lined both sides of the street, with offerings that had more local characteristics, not much different from food streets elsewhere.

With a serious face, Zhuo Qianqian reminded, "Boss, you should eat it at a mild spice level, don’t order other spice levels."

"Why?"

"In the Great Border, there are two statements you can’t trust: ’This chili isn’t spicy at all’ and ’This drink has a low alcohol content.’ If you believe them, you’ll soon feel uncomfortable."

Wang Fan nodded, realizing that taking advice is always good.

He suddenly recalled an earlier scene and couldn’t help but laugh, "There’s another saying that can’t be trusted either."

Curiously, Zhuo Qianqian asked, "What else?"

Considering the boss had never been to the Great Border, how could he know something she didn’t?

Wang Fan laughed heartily and said, "The saying ’Start with three jin of baijiu, and drink beer as you please’ isn’t trustworthy either, hahaha."

When Zhuo Qianqian heard this, she recalled a certain embarrassing moment and blushed, feeling she’d embarrassed herself with her drinking capacity.

Drawn by the aroma, Wang Fan found a stall selling offal-wrapped meat. The thick tripe, secured with bamboo skewers, held a meat filling as large as a fist, costing 15 yuan each, which was quite reasonable, contrary to exaggerated online descriptions.

The two ordered two portions, and the vendor added garlic paste and chili oil, then drizzled some vinegar, scooping some broth into it. The rich meat aroma quickly wafted through the air.

Wang Fan decided not to have it cut as he took a bite from the skewer. The tripe was generously stuffed with meat, filling the mouth with a meaty bite.

The meat filling had been seasoned, and the taste in the Northern Border was somewhat similar to the North, known for being heavier, but the quality meat made it hard to overshadow its innate flavor.

This combo of tripe and beef was very interesting, with the crunchy tripe being chewy paired with the sour and spicy sauce and tender beef, enhancing the eating experience.

Eating it without cutting felt even more satisfying, capturing the spirit of eating large chunks of meat.

Zhuo Qianqian had no reservations, for though it was the Northern Border, it was still her hometown, and she ate with abandon, savoring the long-missed hometown flavors in front of her.

After finishing the offal-wrapped meat, they each got a 25-yuan big lamb skewer, thinking it weighed nearly half a pound, appearing very imposing.

The barbecue chef placed the skewers in a tray, evenly covering them with a yellow sauce. Wang Fan had tried barbecuing skewers with coating before, which offered a tenderer taste. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

These skewers were also roasted in a pit oven, emitting a rich meat aroma upon being cooked. Regular skewers have only a mouthful of meat per skewer, but this large skewer filled the mouth with a single chunk.

Measuring half a meter, the skewer in hand resembled a sword, both delicious and fun to hold.

There were also water-fried buns, jar meat, rose chicken soup, sheep hoof soup; Wang Fan and Zhuo Qianqian tried everything from street start to end. Qianqian satiated her cravings, while Wang Fan not only filled up but also expanded his culinary repertoire.

A business that lasts long must have its unique aspects. Wang Fan’s various skills broke down the secrets, allowing him to master these Northern Border delicacies’ flavoring methods, enriching his culinary knowledge again.

The knowledge would later be applied to more cuisines, creating new sparks with other regional techniques.

After a hearty meal, the two returned to the RV for a brief rest and then headed straight to their ultimate destination of the day—Sayram Lake!