Li Xiao leaned his head closer to the soup bowl and gently fanned the air with his hand. A richer, clearer aroma of button mushrooms wafted into his nose.
The White Button Mushroom Consommé was, in reality, a clear soup of the utmost simplicity.
Forget high-end restaurants; even a regular home cook could achieve the same result with a simple pan.
The only concern for this dish was whether the ingredients used were of high enough quality.
Although the preparation method was simple, Li Xiao didn’t think there was anything wrong with such a simple dish appearing in a high-end restaurant.
Food isn’t necessarily more delicious the more complex or expensive it is. As long as the customers enjoy it, there seemed to be nothing wrong with having such a simple dish on the menu.
When Li Xiao picked up one of the silver spoons, he noticed a special groove at its base. This groove held the button mushroom securely in place, preventing it from sliding around as the guest moved the spoon.
As the clear soup entered his mouth, the fresh aroma of the mushrooms filled his senses. Li Xiao’s first impression was the consommé’s silky and mellow texture.
The broth was as pure as a mountain spring, unfolding lightly on the tip of his tongue.
Then, the delicate texture and elegant sweetness of the button mushrooms gradually emerged.
Li Xiao savored it carefully. He could detect faint hints of herbs and a subtle umami flavor in the broth.
These flavors intertwined, both refreshing and complex, as if performing a light dance on his taste buds.
Each mushroom, steeped in the broth, released a deep, fungal flavor—rich with the earthiness of soil and the subtle elegance of wood.
There was also a trace of truffle in the soup. The black truffle flavor wasn’t overpowering; a very small amount must have been used to enhance the umami and enrich the overall taste.
Li Xiao felt that this combination of texture and flavor struck a perfect balance between the consommé’s lightness and the mushrooms’ richness, making the entire gustatory experience more complex and multi-layered.
After enjoying every wonderful spoonful of the consommé, Li Xiao turned his attention to the button mushrooms that held the broth.
He gently picked up a mushroom filled with broth and carefully brought it to his mouth.
The moment he bit down, the mushroom’s flesh revealed another side—soft and juicy, saturated with the essence of the broth.
Each mushroom was like a tiny treasure chest of flavor. As it gently burst in Li Xiao’s mouth, it released a taste that blended the consommé with the mushroom’s own subtle sweetness.
The flavor was both rich and profound, making Li Xiao feel as if he were in a quiet forest, surrounded by nature’s gifts.
With each chew, the mushroom’s fibers gradually broke down, releasing even more flavor.
Li Xiao could tell that these mushrooms weren’t just vessels for the broth; they were indispensable stars of the dish in their own right.
Their texture and flavor perfectly complemented the consommé’s freshness, adding more layers and depth to the dish.
A feeling of satisfaction and pleasure washed over Li Xiao.
It wasn’t just because of the enjoyment on his palate, but also because this simple dish showcased profound craftsmanship and a deep understanding of its ingredients.
His heart filled with gratitude for this dining experience and admiration for the chef’s exquisite skill.
[Congratulations, you have unlocked the 27th item in your Food Guide.]
[Food Guide Item Unlocked: Black Truffle & White Button Mushroom Consommé]
[Dish Rating: 96/100 (Excellent)]
[As the rating is Excellent, rewards are quadrupled (x4).]
[Congratulations, you have received a cash reward: 800,000.]
[Congratulations, you have received a special reward: 1x Mushroom Plantation.]
[Congratulations, you have received an experience reward: Mushroom Selection Expertise.]
[Congratulations, you have received a special reward: Special Spore Bank.]
[The Mushroom Plantation deed transfer is complete. For details, please contact... ]
[Special Spore Bank: You have obtained a special spore bank. The quality of these spores is superior to those currently available on the market.]
’I can’t believe I got a mushroom plantation from the system,’ he thought.
He had no idea what this plantation was like.
But since he was still livestreaming, he didn’t immediately contact the real estate agent mentioned on his phone for details about the plantation.
Anyway, he had recently finished up the follow-up work for the Xihan’er Milk Tea Shop, so he would have plenty of free time.
’It won’t be too late to look into it tomorrow. The other reward, though—the [Special Spore Bank]—is what really interests me.’
Edible mushrooms have been cultivated for hundreds of years. Over this time, under the continuous efforts of mushroom farmers and merchants, a vast number of new varieties have emerged.
However, to pursue greater economic efficiency, these commercial mushrooms often sacrifice flavor.
Li Xiao was getting excited. ’I wonder if there are any incredibly delicious mushrooms in this Special Spore Bank.’
In the livestream chat:
"Whoa, this dish is so unique!"
"Host, is it any good?"
"Just looking at the clear soup inside the mushrooms is making my mouth water."
"I’ve made this at home before. The taste is actually pretty good, but the one downside is that there’s always a faint sawdust-like smell in the soup."
"Host, can you teach us how to make this dish?"
...
Seeing that many people in the chat wanted to learn how to make this dish, Li Xiao didn’t hesitate, as the recipe was indeed quite simple.
Li Xiao explained:
"I see some people mentioning that their homemade mushroom soup has a weird taste. The reason is very simple: either your button mushrooms aren’t fresh enough, or the growing medium you used was poor quality."
"The mushroom soup I just had was very fresh. It didn’t have that fermented, rotting-wood-chip smell that many mushrooms have."
"They probably used a single-use mushroom growing medium. In reality, most fungal growing mediums can be reused."
"But the more times it’s reused, the stronger that rotten wood smell becomes. Some unscrupulous plantations even use low-quality mediums and hormones to grow their mushrooms."
"Although this method is cheaper and yields faster growth, these mushrooms have almost no nutritional value, have a strange taste when eaten, and completely lack the fresh sweetness a mushroom should have."
Li Xiao continued:
"As for the recipe for the White Button Mushroom Consommé, it’s actually very simple. First, wash the button mushrooms and remove their stems.
Set your oven to 130°C (265°F) with both top and bottom heating elements on. Start by placing the mushrooms cap-side up and slowly roast them at this low temperature for 3 minutes, until the surface turns golden-brown.
Then, you can open the oven and flip the mushrooms over.
Arrange them neatly in the oven with the caps facing down. At 130°C, the moisture inside the mushrooms will slowly start to be drawn out. Because the caps are already seared golden-brown, this water will naturally collect in the hollow of the caps.
This process will take about 2 to 3 minutes. At this point, you can open the oven and, while they’re still hot, add salt and a pinch of sugar to enhance the flavor.
If you like the taste of black truffle, you can sprinkle in a little black truffle powder along with the other seasonings. If you can’t find black truffle powder, you can just leave it out.
Once the mushroom caps are full of broth, you can turn off the heat, and your simple White Button Mushroom Consommé is complete."
The soup was well-made. Its remarkable fresh sweetness gave it a certain elegant and refined quality.
It perfectly aligned with the Cantonese culinary philosophy of pursuing the true, original flavor of the ingredients. This mushroom consommé used nothing but the mushrooms themselves as its raw material, without even a single drop of added water. This truly fit the motto on the restaurant’s entrance—"Return to the original beauty." And what is the original beauty of Cantonese cuisine if not returning to the flavor of the food itself?
In other words, a mushroom consommé made this way has both a high floor and a high ceiling in terms of quality. It’s perfect for a beginner to adopt as a signature dish. Plus, the presentation looks quite sophisticated, and the method is incredibly simple.
After hearing Li Xiao’s explanation, many viewers were tempted.
"This mushroom soup is even simpler than I thought!"
"I always see these mushrooms when I pass by the supermarket. I never bought them because I didn’t know how to cook them. I’m going to buy a box tomorrow and give it a try!"
"I don’t think they have this kind of mushroom where I live. Can I use shiitake mushrooms instead?"
"These mushrooms are delicious even without an oven! You can just chop them up and pan-fry them to make a super fresh and sweet mushroom soup!"