Chapter 27

After confirming that Chen Huihui's sense of taste was normal, Qin Huai began his buckwheat bun experiment.

Since Chen Huihui and the side quest had both confirmed that buckwheat buns were the taste she liked, Qin Huai naturally had to put his efforts into this track.

Making ordinary buns had no difficulty.

Any person who is quick-handed and has no cooking experience can successfully make buns—though not necessarily delicious ones—by following a tutorial and controlling the temperature and amount of water when kneading.

But when broken down, buckwheat buns still have some nuances.

Because buckwheat flour doesn't taste good.

Unlike cornmeal, which has its own corn fragrance and a slightly sweet taste, pure buckwheat flour is truly unpalatable.

Not only is the flour coarse, making it feel bad to eat and difficult to knead into a smooth, formed dough, but buckwheat flour itself has no sweetness; it's not only not sweet but even has a faint bitterness. This is why sugar is usually added when making buckwheat buns.

Because without sugar, it really doesn't taste good.

Most of the time, buckwheat buns are not made with pure buckwheat flour; they are basically a half-and-half mix of buckwheat flour and all-purpose flour. Depending on the ratio of white flour mixed in, the color of the buckwheat buns will also change; basically, the whiter it is, the higher the proportion of white flour.

Qin Huai sent a WeChat message to ask Chen Huihong what color the buckwheat buns her family ate during the New Year were. Chen Huihong said they were gray, which showed that quite a bit of white flour was mixed in; strictly speaking, they didn't count as coarse grain buns.

With the situation clarified, Qin Huai was ready to start his controlled variable experiment.

First, he would make 18 types, using sugar and the ratio of buckwheat flour to white flour as variables, and steam a batch to taste them.

The next afternoon, the kitchen of Yunzhong Cafeteria was filled with the rich fragrance of buckwheat buns.

Steamed buns are one of the simplest flour-based foods.

Making buns is very easy; both kneading and steaming are very easy, so easy that Qin Huai could even watch variety shows while keeping an eye on the heat.

"Brother, what are you researching to eat? Why does it smell like steamed buns to me? Brother Yang said you made a particularly delicious kind of bun yesterday afternoon. Is it that kind from yesterday? When will they be out of the steamer? I want to taste them!" Qin Luo, full of energy after waking up from her nap, asked as soon as she entered the kitchen.

"Your brother Yang has a unique taste; don't believe his nonsense. These are all buckwheat buns, you won't like them. There's mung bean jelly cake in the freezer; go get some yourself. I saved it specifically for you. At noon today, Ouyang cried and begged me to share half with him, and I didn't," Qin Huai said.

Qin Luo said with a grin: "Thanks, Brother. Actually, you could have shared two pieces with Brother Yang. Brother Yang even brought me lychees yesterday; they were so... expensive!"

Qin Huai, of course, wouldn't tell Qin Luo that the reason he didn't share with Ouyang at noon was because Ouyang had already bought half a jin through back-channel operations. Eating half a jin of mung bean jelly cake in one day—Qin Huai was afraid Ouyang would eat his way into the emergency room; sharing another portion with him was impossible.

With his own mother reimbursing his meal money, Ouyang was generous when buying things, buying pastries half a jin at a time, half a jin of each kind.

Qin Luo changed her clothes, entered the kitchen, took the mung bean jelly cake from the freezer, sat beside Qin Huai to eat it, and took the opportunity to watch the variety show.

Yesterday, when Zhao Rong learned that Qin Luo had actually played on her phone until 3 AM, she was furious and immediately set a very strict phone-usage schedule for Qin Luo: she couldn't play on her phone for more than three hours a day, and it would be confiscated if she exceeded the time.

Qin Luo had already used up her three-hour quota in the morning, so she could only watch Qin Huai's variety show in the afternoon.

"Brother, how did you think of making buckwheat buns?" Qin Luo asked, taking small bites of the mung bean jelly cake.

The only raw materials in the mung bean jelly cake Qin Huai made were mung bean paste and honey; the mung bean flavor was very rich, cool, and smooth. In Qin Luo's words, the mung bean jelly cake just taken out of the freezer tasted very much like refrigerated mousse cake; it was definitely an excellent cooling snack for the summer.

"Your Aunt Chen said Huihui loves buckwheat buns, but she has never eaten particularly delicious ones. Since buckwheat buns aren't hard to make anyway, I thought I'd just try it; maybe I can make some that Huihui likes."

Qin Luo expressed that she couldn't understand how anyone could love buckwheat buns. Weren't brown sugar buns sweet enough, or white flour buns soft enough, or perhaps fermented rice buns...

Forget about fermented rice buns; Qin Luo expressed that the fermented rice buns her brother made were average, not as good as brown sugar buns.

"Then Brother, are we going to sell buckwheat buns in the morning in the future?" Qin Luo asked.

"Not selling them," Qin Huai said decisively.

A task is a task, and life is life. Qin Huai stated that he would firmly implement the principle of getting off work at 12:00 noon and would absolutely not add food like steamed buns to breakfast—which requires a second fermentation, can't be sold for a high price, and might affect his time to get off work.

One episode of the variety show ended, and the buns were successfully out of the steamer.

The buckwheat buns of varying shades of color were lined up in a row; at first glance, they looked like an art piece made by some obsessive-compulsive patient to prove that buns could change color.

Chen Huihui would arrive at the cafeteria in 3 minutes.

It's great during final exams; no dragging out classes, no meetings, school is out as soon as the exam is over, which is convenient for Qin Huai to precisely control the time the buns come out of the steamer.

Qin Luo, who had already finished a small plate of mung bean jelly cake, looked at the row of steaming buckwheat buns in front of her and suddenly felt that buckwheat buns might not be as unpalatable as she remembered.

Since Chen Huihui loves them, it must mean that buckwheat buns definitely have their merits!

Qin Luo blinked at Qin Huai, her eyes full of: Brother, how could you forget me for such an important task? I am your number one taste tester!

Qin Huai didn't speak either, just silently cut the buns into pieces.

Chen Huihui had to taste 18 types of buckwheat buns later; if he didn't cut them into smaller pieces, the child would be full before she finished.

Three minutes later, Chen Huihong led Chen Huihui into the cafeteria. Seeing the row of buns on the dining table ranging from dark to light, both mother and daughter were stunned.

This is... a steamed bun banquet?

What a niche banquet.

"Huihui, I don't know exactly what flavor you like, so I made 18 types first. You try them and see if there are any you like."

Chen Huihui sat down blankly. After Chen Huihong was slightly shocked, she said a bit embarrassedly: "Xiao Qin, Huihui might have just said that casually yesterday; you didn't have to..."

"I don't usually make buns anyway, and since Huihui wants to eat them, I just thought I'd research it. If I can make a delicious, hit buckwheat bun, the cafeteria can also add it to the menu, right?" Qin Huai said with a smile.

Chen Huihong didn't speak, but muttered in her heart that she was already a very warm-hearted person in her daily life, but she didn't expect Qin Huai to be no less so. No wonder she felt so close to Xiao Qin; it turned out they were of the same kind.

In an instant, Chen Huihong's favorability toward Qin Huai rose a little more.

"Huihui, let me introduce them to you. This is No. 1 buckwheat bun. No sugar, 90% buckwheat flour, 10% all-purpose flour. If you think it doesn't taste good after eating it, just shake your head. If you like it, tell me, and if you have any suggestions or thoughts, tell me at any time. Shall we eat one and evaluate one?"

Chen Huihui had never been a taste tester before. Hearing Qin Huai say this, she immediately felt that the buns she was eating today were very important and nodded firmly, indicating that she would definitely eat the buns seriously.

Chen Huihui picked up the No. 1 buckwheat bun, stuffed it into her mouth resolutely, chewed hard, and tasted it seriously.

0.1 seconds later, she shook her head firmly.

It was too unpalatable!

Chen Huihui indicated that the No. 1 buckwheat bun was coarse and abrasive to the tongue, and it was also a bit bitter. Although the buckwheat flavor was very rich, it really didn't taste good—it was even worse than the bun with the strange taste from yesterday.

Qin Huai immediately started the next one: "This is No. 2 buckwheat bun, white sugar, 90% buckwheat flour, 10% all-purpose flour."

Chen Huihui chewed seriously again.

0.1 seconds later, she shook her head even more firmly.

It was a buckwheat bun that was slightly sweeter than the last one but equally unpalatable.

"This is No. 3 buckwheat bun, no sugar, 85% buckwheat flour, 15% all-purpose flour."

By the time Chen Huihui tasted the No. 8 buckwheat bun, Ouyang, having heard that Yunzhong Cafeteria was holding a steamed bun tasting conference, aggressively skipped work to come and watch.

Chen Huihong didn't realize at all that Ouyang had skipped work to come over and even thoughtfully explained the tasting results of the previous buckwheat buns.

None of them were very ideal.

Chen Huihui tasted them in the order of the buns' color from dark to light; the darker the color, the higher the proportion of buckwheat flour. Although Chen Huihui likes the taste of buckwheat flour, it doesn't mean she really likes eating this kind of pure coarse grain.

This kind of liking is more like a child who is usually managed by their parents not to go out and eat roasted sweet potatoes, who occasionally gets to eat one. If you let her eat sweet potatoes every meal like an ordinary peasant family in the last century who couldn't get enough to eat, until she had heartburn and wanted to vomit, I'm afraid she wouldn't like sweet potatoes either.

Only after eating the buckwheat bun with a fifty-fifty ratio of buckwheat flour to white flour did Chen Huihui nod for the first time.

I have to say, this child Huihui has great perseverance, and her temper and personality are also quite good.

Normally, some children from pampered families would have flipped out if they were made to eat so many unpalatable buns in a row. Although Chen Huihui expressed denial for all the previous buns, her chewing action was very decisive, and her interest was also very high.

Perhaps in Chen Huihui's view, whether she could eat delicious buns today wasn't important; completing the important mission of tasting was what mattered.

Qin Huai began to record the buns that Chen Huihui gave good reviews to.

Watching the two of them really turn the tasting into an experimental research stance, Ouyang turned his head and asked Qin Luo in a low voice: "Was your brother like this before?"

Qin Luo nodded calmly: "Always like this."

"My brother has always made pastries one by one like this; buns are the easiest to make. Those pastries that have fillings but don't taste very good when made according to the recipe and need to have their ingredients changed are the troublesome ones. You have to buy a lot of things and try them one by one, making seven or eight kinds a day, and it's very normal to do it for twenty or thirty days in a row."

Ouyang was a bit surprised: "Then who tastes them?"

"Me!" Qin Luo raised her head proudly. "I've been the one tasting them for so many years!"

"I am the number one taste tester in our family!"

Qin Huai heard Qin Luo's showing off and nodded silently in his heart to show affirmation.

That's for sure; this child Qin Luo hasn't been picky about food since she was little and has a big appetite. If she doesn't taste them, who will?

Chen Huihui, who had tasted up to the No. 15 buckwheat bun, was obviously a bit full, and her swallowing action began to slow down.

Qin Huai noted in his little notebook: Huihui's appetite isn't great; 14 types is the best for one tasting session.

It was still a mistake; at Huihui's age, Qin Luo could eat at least 26 types.

Qin Huai's peripheral vision drifted toward Qin Luo, and he found that Qin Luo had already snuck into the kitchen and taken out the No. 10 buckwheat bun that Chen Huihui had rated the highest, breaking it into two halves—half for her and half for Ouyang.

The two of them were already eating.

"Luo Luo, I've discovered that your brother's buns aren't bad either. Although this bun isn't as good as yesterday's, the taste is indeed okay."

"What kind of buns did my brother make yesterday?" Qin Luo's eyes were full of longing. "My brother won't tell me."

"Tsk tsk tsk." Ouyang clicked his tongue twice. "He probably couldn't be bothered to make them. It's okay, next time I'll beg your brother to make them, and when he does, I'll share half with you."

"Thanks, Brother Yang!"

(End of chapter)