The lid was completely off.
The moment he opened the box, Li Xiao was first captivated by its vibrant colors.
The crabs in this raw marinade were wild three-spotted crabs. Not only were they exceptionally fresh and plump, but since it was already autumn, they were full of rich red roe in addition to their thick meat.
And it was because of this enticing red roe that the three-spotted crab was also known as the red-roe crab.
After being marinated in large amounts of salt and alcohol, the originally red roe had turned a breathtaking orange-red.
Looking at the tempting crab roe, how could Li Xiao possibly resist?
He put on his gloves, picked up a top shell brimming with roe, and began to suck it out.
Unlike cooked crab roe, the raw roe had a jelly-like consistency after marinating. With just a gentle suck, Li Xiao drew one piece of roe after another into his mouth.
The next moment, his eyes went wide.
The deep orange crab roe had a rich and thick texture.
Texture-wise, the roe was smooth and delicate, like jelly or ice cream, practically melting on the tip of his tongue and leaving behind a full and profound mouthfeel.
During the raw marination process, the roe absorbed the essence of the strong liquor and other seasonings, making its flavor more complex and rich.
The roe itself had a faint savory saltiness and a subtle sweetness. Then, a light aroma of liquor and spices gradually emerged, adding layers and depth to its flavor.
This interplay of flavors allowed one to taste the richness of the ocean and the subtlety of the seasonings.
Li Xiao had eaten many crabs and a lot of crab roe, but he had never tried anything with a flavor so… wild.
As he carefully savored the delightful dance on his taste buds, the system’s notification sound echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations, you have unlocked the 42nd entry in the Food Atlas!]
[The food entry you have unlocked is: Chaoshan Raw Marinade]
[Food Rating: 96 Points [Excellent]]
[As the food rating is Excellent, you will receive a 4x reward.]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000]
[Congratulations, you have received a recipe reward: Secret Raw Marinade Sauce Recipe]
…
Li Xiao wasn’t surprised in the least that this incredibly simple raw marinated crab could score 96 points.
Autumn was the best time to eat crab. To store up energy for winter, crabs would frantically hunt prey, converting it into energy within their bodies, and this energy was what was known as crab roe.
However, all the crabs’ hard work was declared futile the moment they were caught.
Only after slurping clean the roe from the top shells of two whole crabs did Li Xiao look up, completely satisfied.
He turned to his little assistant beside him.
“This raw marinade is really quite good. Are you sure you don’t want to try a little?”
Zhou Shishi saw how even the usually prim and proper Wen Yaqian had been devouring it ravenously, and she couldn’t help but hesitate.
‘This raw marinade really does seem amazing.’
But in the end, her resistance won out over her curiosity. Zhou Shishi waved her hands and quickly found a new excuse.
“No, thanks, Boss. I still can’t quite bring myself to eat it.”
“Besides, I have to drive you guys later. This marinade has such a strong alcohol smell, I’d definitely be driving under the influence if I ate it. You guys go ahead. I haven’t even finished the loaded rice noodle roll you ordered for me.”
Seeing her refuse again, Li Xiao didn’t press the issue and lowered his head, picking up a crab claw.
The simplest way to tell if a crab is wild or farmed is to look at its claws.
A farmed crab’s left and right claws are very uniform in size, with almost no noticeable difference.
This is because farmed crabs are provided with large amounts of food at set times every day. They don’t need to hunt for themselves and can get food easily.
The claws’ function is reduced to simply picking up food.
Wild crabs, on the other hand, are completely different. A wild crab’s claws will invariably be one large and one small. The larger the crab, the more pronounced this difference will be.
This condition of having one large claw and one small claw is called heterochely.
The reason for this is also very simple. In the wild, crabs need to hunt on their own. The larger claw is typically used for hunting, defense, and grabbing food, while the smaller claw is used for other tasks, like cleaning its body or grooming its antennae.
The claws of the two crabs in front of him were clearly one large and one small.
Because when the crabs were being prepared, the female vendor had already used the back of her knife to crack the joints and hard shells of the claws.
Therefore, it was exceptionally easy for Li Xiao to eat the claws.
With just a firm twist of his fingers, the red-and-white claw meat was pulled out.
He tossed the sauce-coated crab meat into his mouth, and its delicate, fresh flavor immediately filled his taste buds.
The unique texture brought about by the raw marination process allowed the crab meat to retain its natural sweet freshness while also absorbing the deep flavors of the strong liquor and carefully selected seasonings.
Li Xiao could clearly taste the blend of liquor and subtle spices in the crab meat. The seasonings were just right, neither too much nor too little, combined in perfect harmony.
In just a few moments, Li Xiao had devoured the entire box of raw marinated crab like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds.
Looking at the disposable plastic box with only the sauce and some minced garlic left, he couldn’t help but feel a little regretful. It seemed his choice had been a bit too conservative.
He never expected the raw marinated crab to taste even better than he had imagined.
He hadn’t dared to order too much just now, casually picking only two crabs that weren’t particularly large.
Now, if he wanted to eat more, he would have to wait for over half an hour. And who knew if the crabs at that stall had already sold out in that time.
Wen Churen, who happened to look up just then, immediately saw Li Xiao’s dilemma. People trying raw marinade for the first time were always like this.
Before eating it, they worry that having too much will give them diarrhea.
After taking a bite, they realize they ordered too little, that it’s nowhere near enough.
She quickly spoke up with a smile.
“It’s not just you who don’t eat it often. Even we regulars don’t dare to eat too much raw marinade.”
“Otherwise, your stomach definitely won’t be able to handle it. I’d advise you to give up the idea of ordering another portion. Don’t forget, you still have other raw marinades you haven’t finished.”
Li Xiao looked down at the two unopened boxes of raw marinade beside him and finally gave up the idea of ordering another portion of raw marinated crab.
He took out the second box of raw marinade, gave it a good shake just like before to make sure the sauce inside was mixed again, and then opened the box.
This box was filled with shrimp: mantis shrimp and sea shrimp.
To better absorb the flavor, the mantis shrimp had already been cut into small pieces. The sea shrimp had also been cleaned very thoroughly; not only were their heads removed, but even the veins running down their backs had been completely deveined.
The two different kinds of shrimp were mixed together in the sauce.