The Literary Master Chef

[-Blurb-] Everyone in the literary circles of the Great Song dynasty knew that Mr. Dongpo had a wonderful cook at home, someone who was good at breathing life into the master. When his soul was missing, Mr. Dongpo’s daily life went like this: “In an empty kitchen, cold greens simmer; in a broken stove, damp wood burns...” But once his soul had been restored, even his poetry took on a whole new flavor: “The host’s bamboo shoots and ferns are nothing to boast of; I gaze wistfully at the lychees, wondering when they’ll ripen!” Xie Yao: Glad you asked. I’m in the Great Song, and it’s my life’s pursuit to use delicious food to help diners forget their troubles and find happiness. When a great chef meets a passionate eater, they hit it off immediately. Whenever they had the time, they’d explore all the things around them that might be edible First stop, Huangzhou: “The Yangtze circles the city, so I know the fish must be delicious; bamboo-covered hills stretch far away, and I can almost taste the fragrant shoots!” Next stop, Huizhou: “I spent the whole day picking at a sheep’s backbone, finding bits of meat in all the crevices. I was delighted, as if I’d been eating crab claws!” Then came Danzhou, a remote, desolate place near the frontier. Mr. Dongpo: Is there anything good to eat here? Xie Yao: ...Yes. Two days before the winter solstice in the year Ji Mao, Mr. Dongpo ate oysters and praised them as “delicious beyond anything I’d ever tasted.” Overcome with excitement, tears streamed from his mouth. He immediately picked up his brush and wrote to his youngest son: “My boy, make sure to keep the secret of how delicious the oysters here are. Otherwise, those gluttons in the north will hear about them and come all the way to Hainan to snatch my oysters...” Later, Xie Yao searched through all of Mr. Dongpo’s poems and prose, counting the fine words he’d written about pufferfish, mugwort, bamboo shoots, pork, lychees, and more... but not a single mention of oysters. Xie Yao: I give up... So you really did mean to keep them secret. A literary giant’s life as a diner: poetry and good food are the only things that must never be let down. [-Read Before You Start-] ※ If your tear ducts are in your mouth, don’t worry. That’s how it is in the food world. ※ A food-loving journey of discovery through the Great Song’s ingredients, as a transmigrator accompanies the great Dongpo through half his life. A silly historical read [don’t believe it]. ※ The blurb and protagonist’s name may change before the story officially starts, but the jokes will stay. Idea recorded on 2018-12-12. Weibo: @Guanming Dajiji