After Brother Li’s generous barrage of comments, the stream chat filled with thanks from other viewers.
Li Xiao waved his hand and said,
"The fact that you’re all here in my stream proves you’re all food lovers."
"I don’t have many hobbies myself; I just love to eat everywhere I go."
"Since I’ve got something good on my hands, I should definitely share it with everyone."
"Once you receive the walnut powder I’m sending out, it’s very simple to make walnut paste."
"Normally, you’d use 100 grams of walnut powder for every 200 to 300 grams of water or milk."
"Of course, if you want it a bit thicker, you can slightly reduce the amount of liquid."
"If you prefer it thinner, then just add more water or milk."
"Because this is raw walnut powder, you can’t just mix it with water and drink it. It needs to be cooked in a pot for a bit."
"Walnuts burn very easily, so you need to simmer it over low heat the entire time."
"After the walnut paste comes to a boil, let it cook for about another five minutes to ensure it’s thoroughly done."
"While it’s cooking, you must remember to constantly stir the bottom of the pot with a utensil."
"Otherwise, the walnut powder will easily stick to the bottom, giving the paste an unpleasant, burnt flavor, just like this bowl in front of me."
With that, Li Xiao didn’t take another taste of the walnut paste. Although its score wasn’t low, there were still many other desserts to come, and he didn’t want to waste his appetite on a flawed one.
After chatting with the viewers for a bit, the fourth dessert was served.
Sweet potato sweet soup is one of the more traditional sweet soups in Guangdong Province. Because it’s very simple to make and the ingredients are readily available, many families cook it themselves in the summer.
Li Xiao was first drawn in by its warm color and the steam rising from it.
The sweet potato sweet soup in the bowl had a clear, pale yellow color, with a few very uniformly cut pieces of sweet potato settled at the bottom.
Each piece of sweet potato looked like it had been cut from a mold. They were all quite large, without the tapered ends, which meant the less desirable parts had clearly been trimmed off beforehand.
The surface of the sweet potatoes had a faint sheen. They were orange-yellow overall, but the color deepened toward the center. This was a clear sign that the sweet potato had begun to caramelize slightly—what people often refer to as a "sugar-heart" sweet potato. The quality was quite good.
Li Xiao picked up his spoon and gently scooped up a piece of sweet potato.
He noticed that because all the pieces were the same size, the chef had been able to control the cooking time with great precision.
Each piece was cooked just right—the edges were slightly softened while the center still retained a bit of firmness.
He placed a piece in his mouth, savoring the sweetness and soft, smooth texture that gradually unfurled on his palate.
The natural sweetness of the sweet potato blended perfectly with the sweetness of the syrup, without being cloying or overly sugary.
After finishing a whole piece, there wasn’t a single fibrous strand left in his mouth.
Next, Li Xiao tasted the syrup itself.
It was crystal clear with a light sweetness. The long cooking time had allowed the natural, fragrant sweetness of the sweet potatoes to fully infuse the liquid.
The level of sweetness was just right, not at all cloying.
[Congratulations, you have unlocked entry #34 in the Food Encyclopedia!]
[Food Encyclopedia entry unlocked: Sweet Potato Sweet Soup]
[Food rating: 90/100 [Excellent]]
[Due to the Excellent rating, your reward is multiplied by 4.]
[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: Sweet Potato Sweet Soup Recipe]
Li Xiao nodded in satisfaction.
"This sweet potato sweet soup is very simple; there’s almost no room for any flashy techniques."
"They didn’t do anything innovative here, but the flavor is still excellent. The main reason is the high quality of the sweet potatoes they used, and their control over the cooking process was also superb."
As he spoke, he used his spoon to lift a piece of sweet potato and show it to the camera.
Li Xiao pointed to the center of the sweet potato.
"As you all can see, the outside of this sweet potato is orange-yellow, but the inside has turned orange-red."
"This is the caramelization that only occurs in very high-quality ’sugar-heart’ sweet potatoes."
"These kinds of sweet potatoes are naturally very sweet, so when you cook them, the water takes on their light, refreshing sweetness. You only need to add a little white sugar later to complete the flavor."
"Moreover, the texture of these ’sugar-heart’ sweet potatoes is relatively soft and smooth. They don’t have coarse fibers, so you won’t get that feeling of them sticking to your teeth."
"If you’re interested in this sweet soup, you can buy some good-quality sweet potatoes and try making it at home."
After several bowls of sweet soup, the waitress finally brought over a few pastries.
These pastries were: a Mango Pancake, a Durian Pancake, and Coconut Purple Sweet Potato Mochi.
Seeing that many in the stream chat were unfamiliar with this type of dessert, Li Xiao began to explain,
"This is a classic Hong Kong dessert. The Chinese name for it is a Cantonese transliteration of the English word ’pancake’."
He used his fork to point at the yellow-skinned pancake in front of him.
"This outermost layer is a thin crepe made from egg and flour, and inside you’ll find various fruits and fresh cream."
"The two in front of me are the mango pancake and the durian pancake."
"Don’t be fooled by their different colors; the only thing that’s different is the fruit filling inside."
"As for why the crepes are yellow and green, it’s because a little food coloring was added when they were made."
In the stream chat:
"I’ve never heard of this dessert before!"
"It looks pretty good!"
"We can get them here too, but I find the cream inside is way too sweet and heavy."
"I make durian pancakes at home all the time, and the taste is to die for!"
...
Li Xiao used his knife and fork to cut open the mango pancake before him.
The pancake’s crepe was a pleasant, bright yellow color.
The crepe was so light and delicate that the knife sliced through the outer layer with ease.
Immediately, the pancake’s internal structure was revealed to the camera.
Beneath the yellow crepe lay snow-white cream, which enveloped a large chunk of orange-yellow mango.
Li Xiao placed a piece of the mango pancake into his mouth.
He savored the bite, first noticing the softness of the crepe and the freshness of the mango.
The crepe was thin and elastic, blending perfectly with the sweet and tart notes of the mango.
Each mouthful was a rich, multi-layered experience, combining the fresh fruit with the silky cream.
Next, Li Xiao tried the durian pancake.
This pancake looked similar to the mango one, except its crepe was green—an obvious design choice by the shop to help differentiate the two. However, the durian flesh hidden inside made it vastly different in flavor.
The durian filling was plump and juicy, exuding the fruit’s distinctively strong aroma.
When Li Xiao took a bite of the durian pancake, he was immediately conquered by its unique flavor.
The richness of the durian and the softness of the pancake intertwined in his mouth, creating a texture that was both luxurious and comforting.
The durian’s aroma was intense and lingering, complemented by the mildness of the pancake to create a truly unique flavor profile.