In the livestream, many viewers drooled as they watched the dark, thick sesame paste in front of Li Xiao.
"Oh my god! The sesame paste is actually pure black!"
"So real sesame paste is actually made from pure sesame seeds?"
"Jeez, I just checked. The top ingredient in the instant sesame paste I usually drink is rice flour? The sesame content is listed fifth?"
"Can you even make sesame paste from pure sesame??? When my family makes it, we always use a mix of sesame and peanuts. I feel like that makes it more fragrant!"
"To the commenter above, if you’re making it at home for yourself, I recommend pure sesame. The flavor is absolutely incredible!"
"Anyone who’s had sesame paste should know that the best kind is pure sesame, followed by the kind mixed with peanut butter! I imagine it’s the same principle for this dessert!"
·······
While answering some of the audience’s questions, Li Xiao waited patiently. Before long, the third dessert soup was served.
When a bowl of steaming hot walnut paste was placed on the table, he was first captivated by its deep brown color.
The meticulously prepared walnut paste exuded a rich walnut aroma, filling the entire space with a warm and cozy scent.
The surface of the walnut paste had an oily sheen, looking thick and tempting.
"The aroma of this walnut paste is just so enticing."
Li Xiao said to the camera before taking a bite.
He hadn’t even brought it close yet, but the rich, milky fragrance unique to walnuts was already wafting toward him.
Unlike the entranced Li Xiao, many people in the livestream were a bit confused.
"Wait, why is this walnut paste brown??? Shouldn’t it be white?"
"Yeah, the ’Three Walnuts’ drink I usually have is always milky white."
"’Three Walnuts’??? Is the person above trying to say ’Six Walnuts’?"
"Hasn’t a vlogger already exposed ’Six Walnuts’ for false advertising?? They claimed one can uses six walnuts, but based on the energy content on the ingredient list, it could only have used 1.5 walnuts at most."
"The first ingredient in ’Six Walnuts’ is water, with a negligible amount of walnut. The reason it’s white is mainly because of added thickeners and emulsifiers. With those two things, of course it’s going to be white and fragrant."
"So all the walnut paste I’ve been drinking is fake?? This is outrageous!"
"To all you big shots up there, have you ever considered the price of the walnut drinks you buy? A pound of walnuts costs a ton of money. After you shell them, how much walnut meat do you think you get? Don’t you have any idea?"
"You’re paying a few bucks for a bottle of walnut drink and you actually expect them to use real walnuts?"
Seeing the doubts raised by many in the livestream,
Li Xiao explained,
"Actually, there are two types of walnut paste. One is this freshly ground kind in front of me. Because the walnut content is high, it naturally presents as a light brown color and is quite thick."
"The other type is the so-called white walnut paste you’re all talking about. You can’t exactly call that one fake; it just has a very low walnut content. Some businesses add a lot of milk to lower their production costs."
"Both types of walnut paste have their own merits and their own audiences."
"Alright, let me taste this and see how their walnut paste really is."
Li Xiao scooped a spoonful of the thick walnut paste and put it in his mouth.
He savored the hot dessert. The walnut flavor was rich and pure, leaving a deep impression in his mouth after the first taste.
The texture was extremely fine and slid smoothly down his throat. Every mouthful was full of the mellow richness of walnuts and a subtle sweetness.
But very quickly, he detected an almost imperceptible bitterness within the sweetness.
After a moment’s thought, he realized the source of the bitterness.
It must have been from the walnut paste being accidentally scorched when it was reheated. Although it wasn’t obvious, it lowered the overall score.
[Congratulations, you have lit up the 34th entry in your Food Codex.]
[Food Codex entry lit up: Freshly Ground Walnut Paste]
[Food Score: 88 [Good]]
[As the food score is Good, rewards are tripled (x3).]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 400,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a recipe reward: Freshly Ground Walnut Paste Recipe]
[Congratulations, you have received an item reward: 10,000 pounds of premium walnut powder]
[The walnut powder has been...]
"Making walnut paste may seem simple, but doing it well is a true test of skill."
"Even though all the desserts at Manji Dessert are prepared in a central kitchen, they still need to be stored and processed again on-site, which can lead to some minor issues."
"This bowl of walnut paste in front of me is quite good overall. The walnut flavor is very fragrant and strong, and it’s ground very finely, without any gritty texture."
"However, my specific bowl has a clear mistake. I suspect that during the reheating process just now, the chef in the back didn’t stir it in time, causing the bottom of the pot to get slightly scorched."
"This tiny bit of scorching has ruined its overall perfection."
"If this bowl of walnut paste could have originally scored over 90 points, now I can only give it 85 at most."
The walnuts, having been slow-cooked for a long time, retained their nutrients while also offering a surprising texture.
Seeing that many people in the livestream wanted to try authentic walnut paste, not the kind with added milk and additives, and looking at the reward he had just received, an idea sparked in his mind.
He quickly typed out a message, telling Zhou Shishi to get ready to set up a giveaway.
After sending the message, Li Xiao continued,
"Walnuts are an incredibly nutritious ingredient. Walnut paste not only tastes wonderful but also has great brain-boosting effects."
"I see a lot of friends want to try making it themselves but are worried about the high price."
"In that case, I’ll fulfill that wish for everyone."
"I have 9,000 pounds of very high-quality walnut powder on hand."
"All 9,000 pounds of this walnut powder will be given away for free as a bonus for you all."
"You just need to participate in the password-based giveaway that my assistant will post in a moment."
"Each person who wins will receive a one-pound bag of walnut powder. I will cover all the costs, so you won’t have to pay for any packaging or shipping fees."
The moment he finished speaking, Zhou Shishi sent out the password-based red packet giveaway she had prepared in advance.
In an instant, the stream with over 8,000 viewers erupted.
A massive wave of "Brother Li is so generous!" instantly flooded the screen. The dense barrage of comments completely obscured the livestream’s video feed.
The viewer count also shot up from over 8,000 to 15,000 in a flash.
However, Zhou Shishi had been clever with the giveaway settings. There was only a 10-second delay, which meant that viewers who were already in the stream could basically grab it right away.
As for the viewers who joined later, they would have to rely on their own speed and luck to get a share.