Chapter 542 - 376: Farm Snack Stall Plan

"A Great Xia Burger?"

Hearing the word "burger" and seeing the half-eaten bun in the woman's hand, the aunties sniffed the rich, meaty aroma in the air. Their throats bobbed as they quietly swallowed their excess saliva.

The large chunks of fat floating silently in the pot looked a bit intimidating, but trusting in Lin Chen's culinary skills, they decided to buy one to share and try.

"Alright, we'll take one. How much is it?"

"Let's say five bucks. I just made this on a whim. We're all neighbors here, so think of it as a discount."

Five dollars was an incredibly cheap price. At McDonald's, that would only get you two mini burgers with less than half the amount of meat.

Lin Chen was well aware that North Americans could be unusually resistant to unfamiliar foods, especially fatty meat, offal, or anything that looked unsettling to them.

In most cases, if it didn't look appealing, they would refuse to even try it. ℯℯ𝑙.

This was also why he'd chosen to experiment at the farmers' market. It attracted people from all over the world, with a wide variety of culinary tastes and a relatively higher level of acceptance.

He placed the pork cracklings, left over from rendering lard, onto the counter. He grabbed a pinch of sea salt, sprinkled it in, and gave them a quick toss.

"Why don't you try some of this first? You can eat it like a snack. It's delicious."

This wasn't the first time he'd made pork cracklings here, but very few people had ever tried them. Those who were willing were instantly won over, and the whole batch would be devoured in moments.

If business hadn't been so good that the other stall owners were too busy to get away, this bowl of pork cracklings would have likely been wiped out again, leaving no chance for any newcomers to try them.

This bowl of what looked like potato chips immediately piqued the ladies' curiosity. In the minds of most Westerners, anything crispy and fried was bound to be good. Without worrying about what it was, they each reached out, grabbed a piece, and popped it into their mouths.

'It's a free sample. It'd be a waste not to eat it!'

CRUNCH

CRUNCH

For a moment, a continuous crunching sound filled the air in front of the stall.

The texture was so crispy it crumbled, coupled with the satisfying sensation of juices bursting forth with each bite. The searing heat masked any greasiness, and a light saltiness highlighted the cracklings' savory flavor.

It didn't seem that amazing at first taste, but as the aroma of the pork fat slowly spread, the aftertaste in their mouths grew richer and richer. Only then did the true charm of the cracklings begin to reveal itself.

The two ladies' eyes lit up. They exchanged a glance, then each grabbed a handful to savor slowly, their gazes shifting back to Lin Chen, who was now making their Great Xia Burgers.

They watched as he fished a large, reddish-brown piece of marbled pork belly from the stockpot. He sliced off a large chunk, tossed it onto the minced meat on the cutting board, and his wide-bladed knife began to dance. Wherever it passed, the minced meat flew.

In just over ten seconds, the entire chunk of pork belly was chopped into a mince even finer than pulled pork.

As he chopped, he added a spoonful of broth. The broth mixed with the melted fat and lean meat, making a sticky, squishing sound as it was stirred. The mixture glistened, and the continuous wafts of meaty aroma raised the two women's anticipation to a whole new level.

Soon, a Great Xia Burger, stuffed full of meat, was ready.

Lin Chen casually sliced it in half, wrapped it in wax paper, ladled half a spoonful of broth over each half, and handed them over, taking the opportunity to ask for feedback on the cracklings.

"So, ladies, how is it?"

"It's fantastic!"

"I've never had such flavorful chips! What are they made of?"

"Here, this," Lin Chen said, picking up a stainless steel container and showing them the white, mostly solidified lard inside.

"This is what's left after rendering lard from pork leaf lard. Leaf lard is the large piece of fat around a pig's internal organs. Butcher shops and slaughterhouses usually throw it away as trash, so you can't buy it."

This place was an exception. The owners of the various stalls almost all had their own businesses and were just running a stall here to make some extra money. This was especially true for the beef, pork, and chicken vendors; they slaughtered the animals themselves and brought the meat directly here to process.

The offal that nobody normally wanted had its own regular customers here. However, the quantity was limited, and people didn't eat it every day. Whatever was left unsold would be thrown out, and no one would bat an eye.

To meet the demand from this group of customers, they had gradually shifted to processing the meat at the market after slaughter, or processing it beforehand and bringing the offal along.

"I can't believe the fat from a pig could be made so delicious! And it's not greasy at all, just as tasty as the chicken skins you made before."

"Looks like pork fat is going to become a popular cut from now on. You're amazing, Lin. If you stay here for six months or a year, I bet none of the shops will have any unsold scraps left to throw away, will they?"

They praised Lin Chen from the bottom of their hearts. They had even used the fried chicken skin recipe they'd learned from him to cook for their families and kids, receiving rave reviews. That was why they didn't hesitate to come try his new dish.

CRUNCH

CRUNCH

Two more crispy crunches.

The brittle crust of the Crispy Skin Steamed Bun shattered at the sound. The inside, which had soaked up the broth, was soft and burst with juice. This, mixed with the incredibly tender meat, the savory-sweet gravy, and the thick texture and aroma of the lard, made both women's eyes go wide.

This Great Xia Burger completely exceeded their expectations. Its deliciousness left regular burgers leagues behind.

The crispy bun in particular was a revelation—crunchy yet soft, and it soaked up the juices like a sponge. It almost felt like eating a pulled pork sandwich, but with a bun like a croissant.

After just one bite, both women immediately raised their hands and each ordered a whole one.

'Who could be satisfied with just half of something this delicious? It's gone just as your appetite is whetted!'

"Lin!!!"

Not far away, Zack from the chicken stall and Kardashian from the seafood stall had been drooling for a while. Seeing that a customer was already eating, they eagerly shouted from a dozen meters away.

"Two over here, please!"

"Me too~"

Hearing their shouts, Mr. Beef, who was even farther away, couldn't sit still any longer. He sprinted over, placed an order, and then dashed back to his work.

Many of the market's regular customers who had yet to try Lin Chen's cooking saw that these stall owners, their old friends, had already become his loyal patrons. Overcome with curiosity, they started to gather around as well.

When they heard that today's special was a Great Xia Burger, and that the few who had tried it were giving it their highest praise, these people didn't hesitate. One by one, they started pulling out their wallets to pay.

While paying, they noticed the pork cracklings laid out on the counter for anyone to try, and casually grabbed a piece to pop in their mouths.

That one taste was like opening the door to a whole new world.

By the time Lin Chen had served up the first batch of six Great Xia Burgers as fast as he could, the bowl of pork cracklings had been completely wiped out. All the customers in front of him had glistening lips, and their faces showed they were far from satisfied and wanted more.

In the gaps between making the Great Xia Burgers, he also had to find time to roll out dough and put it in the oven. Otherwise, at this rate of consumption, the dozen or so Crispy Skin Steamed Buns he had stockpiled would soon be gone.

Baking one batch took at least ten minutes. Adding the time to roll them out, it was about fifteen minutes in total, and one batch only produced eight buns.

Making the Great Xia Burgers, however, only took a few minutes. With one process outstripping the other, his entire stock was depleted in about half an hour. What followed was a long wait.

To save time, he was forced to use a flat-pan as well. Though he could only griddle two at a time, it was better than nothing.

Through his continuous labor, one hundred Crispy Skin Great Xia Burgers were finally sold out within three hours. This could be considered his first time formally charging a large number of customers.

If all his previous efforts were just for making videos, with less than ten percent of people actually tasting his cooking, then after today's meal, that number had skyrocketed to fifty percent.

Almost every customer was full of praise for the delicious Great Xia Burgers. Only a few who had a very low tolerance for richness found it a bit heavy after eating a lot, but this problem was solved by adding a handful of lettuce and green peppers.

Seeing everyone so satisfied with the Great Xia food, Lin Chen wiped the sweat from his brow, a contented smile spreading across his face.

[Cultural export successful in a remote town on Vancouver Island. Happiness Points +2]

As expected, the system provided feedback.

This wasn't the first time he had acquired Happiness Points in the city. He had gained them on several occasions before, for instance during private, tender moments with the two women. However, because he had no immediate use for the points and the timing was never right, he had simply ignored them.

He opened the system interface for the first time in a while and saw that his Happiness Points had accumulated to 14. Just one more point and he could exchange them for a new skill, or he could spend 10 points on a knowledge-based upgrade.

He closed the interface with a thought. 'I don't plan on using the points anytime soon. I'll save them and see what I need after the restaurant and farm open.'

Before leaving, he didn't forget to pack up the five Great Xia Burgers he had specially saved for the three at home. He packed the buns and meat separately so they could be reheated and assembled later to preserve the taste; otherwise, the Crispy Skin Steamed Buns would get soggy and the texture would be ruined.

'Based on the reactions at the market today, the Great Xia Burger seems to suit the tastes of people from all over the world, with the exception of those who don't eat pork.'

'However, it's a snack food, which doesn't seem to fit with a restaurant.'

'But that's fine. I have another idea: I can set up a stall at the restaurant's entrance to sell these snacks. That way, I can cater to customers who want to dine in the restaurant, as well as those who want to eat while they walk around.'

"This is delicious. I think it'll be incredibly popular."

"It's got carbs, protein, fat, and vegetables. The nutritional balance is pretty good. It's perfect for a quick energy boost. For example, after spending three days out in the wild, having one of these would be incredibly satisfying."

Erica and Jin Meiyan both gave it their highest praise. Even Meiyan, who usually had a small appetite, couldn't resist the delicious temptation and ate one and a half.

As for Erica, perhaps it was from living under the same roof with Meiyan every day, but she had started to feel a little chubby. Claiming she needed to start a diet, she also ate only one and a half.

Otherwise, with her appetite, eating two would have been no problem at all.