Chapter 318: Everchanging, Yet Always Familiar
The white porridge was just as delicious as yesterday. Today, however, Qi Han decided to try something different — adding a bit of sugar into it, just to see what the "sweet faction" was all about.
You didn't need much sugar. The porridge was already thick and hearty. If it got too sweet, it would feel cloying, ruining the delicate balance of its texture and taste.
Lifting the bowl, he took a generous sip. The faint sweetness lingered pleasantly on his lips and tongue.
Within the thick, creamy porridge were generous amounts of starchy goodness.
As the rice simmered and broke down, the starches had fully gelatinized and dissolved into the soup. When these met the amylase enzymes in his saliva, they transformed — yielding a hint of maltose sweetness. That natural sweetness, when mingled with the added sugar, gave the porridge a richer, deeper flavor.
Smooth as silk upon entering the mouth, fragrant and comforting as it spread through the palate.
Such a simple bowl of porridge… yet the culinary pleasure it brought was anything but simple.
Warmth settled in his belly with each bite. Qi Han's gaze then turned toward the three types of pastries he had ordered.
Crab Cake, Crispy Skin Ball, and Sweet Fragrant Taros.
The Crab Cake was oblong, its surface painted with a striking orange-red hue.
Qi Han immediately recognized that color.
Crab roe.
Matching the name, the color piqued his curiosity. He reached out and picked one up, bringing it close for a better look.
As he drew near, the aroma of the Crab Cake began to creep into his nose.
It had been steamed, not baked, so the fragrance was gentler — not like the overpowering sweetness that wafted from a cake shop.
Amid the delicate sweetness, a faint whiff of crab drifted through — subtle but captivating, like a whisper that stirred the appetite.
The cakes were small, even tinier than an egg, and the soft give in his fingers told him they were incredibly fluffy.
He took a bite — half the cake gone in one go.
After a few chews, Qi Han's eyes lit up.
The texture was tender, springy, and familiar. Instinctively, he thought of a food from his old world, the steamed sponge cake — fa gao.
Yes, that was it. The texture was nearly identical, but the flavor? Quite different.
It shared the sponge cake's gentle sweetness, but there was also the rich, mellow taste of crab roe. As he chewed, the aroma gradually bloomed, lingering between his teeth and lips.
If one had to give it a name… maybe "crab roe sponge cake"?
Surprisingly, the crab flavor didn't clash with the sweetness. Qi Han recalled a dish he once made — Crab Stuffed with Orange — where a hint of citrus only highlighted the crab's freshness and umami.
This cake played a similar trick. Though soft and fluffy like a dessert, every bite was brimming with savory crab flavor.
He savored the aftertaste for a while, then popped the other half into his mouth, already feeling a twinge of regret.
Too little. Not enough at all.
Thankfully, there were still two more pastries waiting.
He reached for the Crispy Skin Ball, giving it a curious once-over.
To be honest, the name immediately reminded him of a popular Earth street snack:
Taro sweet potato balls — golden on the outside, fried to crispy perfection, and filled with soft, aromatic mashed taro. They were dangerously addictive.
Especially fresh out of the fryer — the burst of sweet fragrance could make anyone's mouth water.
But the moment Qi Han laid eyes on the real thing, he knew:
This wasn't even close.
It was also round, yes, but much larger — almost half the size of a fist.
Its golden surface was dusted evenly with white sesame seeds, and even from a slight distance, he could catch the deep aroma of oil-fried pastry.
If anything, it looked more like a sesame glutinous rice ball.
But the feel in Qi Han's hand was not like that of a sesame glutinous rice ball.
In fact…
Why does it feel so light?
Could it be… hollow?
The thought made him pause. Without hesitation, he picked up the Crispy Skin Ball and took a bite.
Crunch, crunch—
A burst of crispness echoed in his mouth, followed by an explosion of rich, toasty fragrance.
It was savory.
The thin outer crust, lightly salted and deep-fried to golden perfection, shattered delicately between his teeth. The toasted white sesame seeds clinging to the surface released their own warm, nutty aroma, enhancing the flavor in surprising layers.
This texture... it's kind of like spring roll wrappers?
Qi Han narrowed his eyes, intrigued, and peered into the bitten piece.
As he suspected—completely hollow.
A thin, brittle shell was all there was to it.
So essentially... it was like a sesame ball on the outside, but spring roll on the inside — with no filling whatsoever?
Strange.
But honestly? Kind of delightful.
Back on Earth, Qi Han had once wondered what a spring roll would taste like if it were just the skin, without the stuffing.
Now, here on the Douluo Continent, he was finally getting his answer.
Despite being about the size of half a fist, the airy interior meant it was light — gone in just two or three bites.
With that mystery solved, his gaze moved to the final treat:
Sweet Fragrant Taro.
Just from the name alone — especially the word "taro" — his mind wandered back to the familiar taro sweet potato balls yet again.
—Wait, why did his thoughts keep circling back to those?
Maybe it had just been too long since he'd eaten them?
Qi Han scratched his chin, thoughtful.
He'd have to find a chance to redeem that dish from the system menu later.
As far as he remembered, it was only a 1 Star dish.
Shaking off the cravings, he focused on the last remaining dessert.
The more he looked at it, the more his expression turned... complicated.
Finally, unable to resist, he picked up the spoon and gently tapped the surface of the Sweet Fragrant Taro with the back of it.
Plop!
A light sound, and the soft, glossy lavender surface jiggled twice in response.
Qi Han's eyes lit up.
This dessert was eerily similar to a treat he'd tried in his past life: the beloved bunny milk pudding.
Although this one wasn't shaped like a rabbit — just a humble, translucent purple cube — the sheen and bounce were unmistakable.
Could this be… taro-flavored milk pudding?
Gripped by curiosity, he sliced through it with the edge of the spoon and scooped up a bite.
The texture was soft, elastic — just slightly chewy — and as he chewed, a gentle milky fragrance bloomed across his palate.
Beneath that was a deep, mellow taro flavor, richer than the milk itself. Rather than competing, it lifted the dairy notes to a fuller, rounder finish.
Yes. It was taro-flavored milk pudding.
Qi Han couldn't help but smile.
So many of the "new" dishes he'd tasted here had counterparts on Earth.
And maybe that proved something:
No matter how the world changes, the roots of good food stay the same.
Even across worlds, the language of cooking was universal.
After finishing the last bite of pudding, Qi Han returned to his porridge, savoring it slowly until the last sweet spoonful was gone.
Setting down his payment, he rose to leave — his belly content, but not stuffed.
He'd made sure to save some space.
After all, there was still more of the Food Street left to explore.
<+>
if you want to see more chapters of this story and don't mind playing $5 per month to see my latest update, please go to my Patreon[1]
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed[2]
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 405: How Embarrassing[3]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-141635754[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/collection/67255?view=condensed
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-141635754
[4] https://www.patreon.com/posts/becoming-food-in-141635754