eurekapd Chapter 187 Ministers Enjoy Bubble Tea
Chapter 187 Ministers Enjoy Bubble Tea
As night fell, soft moonlight streamed through the carved window lattices, illuminating the sleeping quarters of the Nanzhao Kingdom's royal palace. Gu Liuli and Jia Xiaoyan sat on a soft couch by the window.
The candlelight on the table flickered gently, illuminating their smiling faces. After successfully making hamburgers and potato chips, the two were in high spirits and began to think about a new delicacy—milk tea.
"Liuli, the hamburgers and potato chips today were a huge success, everyone raved about them. I was thinking, how about we make milk tea tomorrow? I'm already craving that sweet and smooth taste." Jia Xiaoyan tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, breaking the silence first.
Gu Liuli nodded gently, a sweet smile appearing on her lips: "Xiaoyan, that's exactly what I was thinking."
In modern times, milk tea is my absolute favorite; enjoying a cup in my leisure time is simply wonderful. Now, here in the palace, I'd like to let everyone taste this unique delicacy.
Jia Xiaoyan clapped her hands excitedly, rested her chin on her hands, and reminisced: "I still remember the chewy and soft tapioca pearls in bubble tea. Taking a bite was so blissful. I just don't know if we can find suitable materials to make tapioca pearls in this palace."
Gu Liuli frowned slightly, lost in thought for a moment. After a while, she parted her lips and said, "These pearls are mainly made of tapioca starch. I vaguely remember that the imperial kitchen's food storage room seems to have a similar starch. Tomorrow, we might as well go and check it out; perhaps we can find a substitute."
Upon hearing this, Jia Xiaoyan tapped the table in front of her, her face serious as she replied, "That's excellent! However, besides the pearls, milk tea certainly needs tea leaves and milk. In my Nanzhao Kingdom, there are many varieties of tea, so we can choose several of the finest ones. But as for the milk..." At this point, Jia Xiaoyan paused, her gaze shifting to Gu Liuli.
Gu Liuli smiled and said, "As for the milk, I think the palace's pastures should be able to supply fresh milk. Furthermore, in my opinion, we can also prepare some sugar and various spices, which will make the milk tea taste even more delicious."
Upon hearing this, Jia Xiaoyan's eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly in agreement, "Yes, yes, yes! I also remember that some milk teas have coconut jelly, red beans, and other toppings added!"
“Yes, yes!” Jia Xiaoyan nodded repeatedly, her eyes full of agreement. “I remember some milk teas have toppings like coconut jelly and red beans. We can prepare some of those too, so everyone can add them according to their own taste.”
The two chatted away, their conversation flowing freely, as if they could already see those cups of sweet and tempting milk tea laid out before them.
"Xiaoyan, do you still remember the steps to make milk tea?" Gu Liuli frowned slightly, trying hard to recall. "It seems that you first brew the tea leaves to bring out the aroma, then add milk and sugar, boil it for a while, and finally add the tapioca pearls and other toppings."
Jia Xiaoyan patted her head and said, "Oh dear, I can't quite remember either. But it's okay, we can try making it first, and adjust it if it doesn't work. Anyway, the imperial kitchen has plenty of ingredients, and the chefs can provide us with a lot of help."
“Yes, you’re right,” Gu Liuli said with a smile. “Moreover, we can also be innovative and add some ingredients unique to the Nanzhao Kingdom. Maybe we can create a unique flavor.”
"That's a great idea!" Jia Xiaoyan's eyes lit up as she excitedly said, "Adding some local dried fruit or honey would definitely make the milk tea taste even more unique."
“And another thing,” Gu Liuli added, “we can make milk tea both hot and iced, so everyone can choose according to their preference.”
The two became more and more excited as they talked, filled with anticipation for making milk tea tomorrow.
"Xiaoyan, tell me, do you think everyone will like the milk tea we made ourselves?" Gu Liuli tilted her head slightly, a hint of worry showing in her beautiful eyes.
Seeing this, Jia Xiaoyan, standing to the side, quickly reached out her right hand and firmly grasped Gu Liuli's slightly cold hand. Then, in a very firm tone, she comforted her, "Liuli, don't worry. Look, everyone enjoyed the hamburgers and crispy potato chips today! So, the milk tea must be just as good. Besides, these are all delicious dishes that we put a lot of effort into making. I'm sure everyone can truly feel our sincerity."
Hearing her friend's heartwarming words, Gu Liuli looked up, her gaze fixed on Jia Xiaoyan's confident and encouraging face. In that instant, a warm current seemed to flow through her heart, making her feel grounded. She nodded emphatically and replied, "Okay, sure! With you by my side, cheering me on, I feel much more confident. Let's work even harder together and try to make an even sweeter and more delicious milk tea tomorrow!"
"That's right! Let's work hard together!" Jia Xiaoyan said, raising her little fist high, as if she were full of endless energy.
"Xiaoyan, do you think we should put the milk tea in a cup or a bowl?" Gu Liuli asked.
"I think it's more convenient to use a cup, so that everyone can hold it in their hand and drink from it."
Jia Xiaoyan replied, "Moreover, we can find artisans to make some exquisite cups, engraving our exclusive logo on them, which will make them even more unique."
“That’s a good idea.” Gu Liuli nodded in agreement. “As for the sales method, we can hold a small milk tea tasting event in the palace and invite the emperor, ministers, and their wives to taste it. If everyone likes it, then we can consider promoting it to the general public.”
“Great! This way, everyone can enjoy the delicious milk tea and get their feedback so we can improve,” Jia Xiaoyan said.
“Okay, let’s do it this way.” Gu Liuli said with a smile, “Tomorrow we’ll go to the imperial kitchen and discuss with the chefs to prepare the ingredients, and try to let everyone drink delicious milk tea as soon as possible.”
"I can't wait to see everyone's expressions when they taste the milk tea!" Jia Xiaoyan said excitedly. "I can't wait to see everyone's expressions when they taste the milk tea."
The two chatted for a while longer before reluctantly returning to their rooms to rest. Gu Liuli lay in bed, the lively scene of the milk tea tasting event constantly replaying in her mind. A smile unconsciously crept onto her lips as she drifted off to sleep, filled with anticipation for tomorrow.
The next morning, Gu Liuli and Jia Xiaoyan arrived at the Imperial Kitchen in high spirits. Inside, the chefs were already busy at work, and upon seeing the two ladies arrive, they all stopped what they were doing and bowed respectfully.
"Master chefs, we have something important to discuss today," Gu Liuli said with a smile. "We plan to create a novel drink—milk tea, and we would like to ask for your help in preparing the ingredients and sharing some cooking techniques."
An experienced chef stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, the Imperial Kitchen will do its utmost to assist you. May I ask what ingredients are needed for this milk tea?"
Jia Xiaoyan quickly said, "We need fresh milk, high-quality tea leaves, white sugar, and tapioca starch to make pearls. In addition, we also need some fruits, such as strawberries, mangoes, and blueberries, as ingredients."
The chefs nodded in agreement, indicating that the imperial kitchen had all the ingredients in stock and they could prepare them immediately. So, everyone divided the work: some went to fetch milk and tea, some began processing fruit, and others prepared the equipment for making pearls.
Gu Liuli and Jia Xiaoyan were also busy. They personally learned how to brew fragrant tea with the chefs. The old chef patiently instructed them: "The brewing time and water temperature are very important. If the time is too short, the aroma of the tea will not come out. If the time is too long, it will be bitter. The water temperature should also be controlled at around 80 degrees Celsius."
Gu Liuli and Jia Xiaoyan listened attentively, carefully observing the old chef's every move, and then tried it themselves. After several adjustments, they finally brewed a fragrant tea.
Meanwhile, Jia Xiaoyan was learning how to make pearls. She poured tapioca starch into a bowl, added an appropriate amount of hot water, and began stirring. At first, the dough wasn't smooth enough, but with the chef's guidance, she kept adjusting the ratio of starch to water until she finally kneaded a smooth and elastic dough. Next, she rolled the dough into round pearls and cooked them in boiling water. Watching the crystal-clear pearls tumbling in the pot, Jia Xiaoyan smiled happily: "Liuli, look, the pearls are a success!"
Gu Liuli walked over, looked at the tapioca pearls in the pot, and nodded in praise: "Xiaoyan, you're amazing! It looks like there's hope for our milk tea."
With the ingredients ready, Gu Liuli and Jia Xiaoyan began preparing for the milk tea tasting event. They had an exquisite venue set up in the palace garden, with several carved round tables covered with beautiful tablecloths and decorated with fresh flowers.
Next, they sent invitations to the Emperor, his ministers, and their wives. Those who received the invitations were all intrigued by the novel milk tea and promised to attend on time.
On the day of the tasting event, the garden was bustling with activity. Xiao Jingchuan and Jiang Liushen arrived early and praised Gu Liuli and Jia Xiaoyan for their thoughtful arrangements.
Ministers and their wives arrived one after another, and everyone sat around the round table, chatting and looking forward to the arrival of milk tea.
"What does this milk tea taste like? This is the first time I've ever heard of it," a minister asked curiously.
“Yes, I heard it was personally developed by the two empresses, so it must be extraordinary,” another minister chimed in.
Gu Liuli and Jia Xiaoyan, dressed in gorgeous attire, walked out with smiles on their faces. Behind them, palace maids carried trays with steaming cups of milk tea on them.
"My lords and ladies, this is our bubble tea. Please enjoy it," Gu Liuli said with a smile.
Everyone took the milk tea, their eyes filled with curiosity as they looked at the chewy tapioca pearls and fragrant milk tea in the cup. One lady carefully took a sip, and her face immediately lit up with a look of surprise: "Mmm, this tastes so wonderful! It has the aroma of tea, the aroma of milk, and these chewy tapioca pearls. It's a delicious treat like never before!"
The other ministers and their wives also sampled the food, praising it highly and expressing their admiration for Gu Liuli and Jia Xiaoyan's culinary skills.
"Your Majesty, this milk tea is so delicious! I wonder if it could be promoted among the common people so that they too can enjoy this delicacy?" a minister said.
Gu Liuli replied with a smile, "That's exactly what we were thinking. If everyone likes it, we will promote milk tea to the general public as soon as possible so that more people can taste this unique flavor."
Seeing everyone's happy expressions, Xiao Jingchuan smiled and said, "Liuli, Xiaoyan, you've really brought us a wonderful surprise this time. This milk tea is not only delicious, but it also strengthens our friendship."