I've been transported to the orc continent.

Chapter 339 Preparations Before Meals

Bai Ling led the gathering beastmen back with a full catch, and the beastmen responsible for fishing also had a good harvest.

Everyone put their haul together, and then most of their attention fell on Bai Ling's face.

The most lively of the orcs asked, "Ling, we all know you're a great cook, so why don't you cook? We'll help you."

"Yes, Ling, you can cook."

"Ling, how should we eat the fish? Should we boil it?"

Looking at the two large basins full of fish that Bai Ling had caught, as well as the fruits and vegetables she had picked, she thought for a moment and said, "For lunch, we'll have stewed fish and stir-fried vegetables. We can just heat up the cassava cakes we brought."

The orcs surrounding Bai Ling cheered and went to collect the fish they had caught and the wild vegetables and fruits they had picked.

Now, the orcs of the central tribe also clean the fish before eating it, removing the internal organs and scraping off the scales. They learned this from the tribesmen who returned from the High Tree tribe.

Many hands make light work. With so many people working together, the fish was quickly cleaned. Bai Ling also chopped the scallions, ginger, and garlic, and started heating the oil in the wok.

When she went out, Bai Ling brought the large iron pot she used for cooking at home. Compared to earthenware pots, food cooked in an iron pot tasted much better.

Once the oil was heated, Bai Ling added scallions, ginger, and garlic to sauté until fragrant. Then she added the fish. Because there was too much fish, Bai Ling fried it in three batches.

Put the fried fish into an iron pot, add water, scallions, ginger, garlic and spices, pick up an earthenware pot and put in three spoonfuls of sauce, a handful of sugar, a little sorghum wine, and finally add salt, cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.

While Bai Ling was cooking, the beastmen gathered around to watch him, constantly asking, "Ling, what is this dark thing?"

Bai Ling replied, "It's a sauce, made from beans and wheat. Adding some when cooking will enhance the color and flavor."

"Ling, what is that slightly yellowish stuff? Is it also salt?"

Bai Ling: "That's candy, made from sweet grass."

The central tribe only started planting sweet grass this year, and there has been no harvest yet.

Upon hearing that it was made from sweet grass, the beastmen knew what this thing called sugar tasted like. Although none of them had ever eaten sweet grass, they all knew that sweet grass was sweet, so sugar made from sweet grass must also be sweet.

"Ling, after adding sugar, is the fish sweet?" an orc asked.

Bai Ling shook her head: "I didn't put in much sugar, so you won't taste the sweetness."

The beastmen thought Bai Ling's cooking was really troublesome, but it was probably precisely this "trouble" that made his cooking taste better.

Not only sauces, sugars, and wines, but these beastmen were also very interested in the spices Bai Ling had added. They asked Bai Ling how to make spices.

Bai Ling: "Everyone can pay more attention to some plants with flavors, whether it's roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits. You can pick them, dry them, and try them out. Some plants have a pungent smell, but they can make food taste better."

*

Several beastmen sat together, with a ceramic bowl containing fish and a plate of stir-fried winter melon in the center. They held cassava cakes in one hand and chopsticks in the other, and were all eating with great relish.

The fish was stewed perfectly, with a very prominent freshness and aroma. The fish meat was also very tender, and it was absolutely delicious when eaten with tapioca cakes.

Stir-fried winter melon is also delicious. After eating a few bites of fish and then a bite of winter melon, the taste is really excellent.

After noon, the orcs who went out hunting began to bring their prey back.

They would come back for dinner in the evening, but by then, they would be too late to bring back the game, prepare the game, and cook.

So once noon was past, the hunting parties would send people back with their prey.

The wild animals returned were two sheep, a pig, two horned beasts, and a deer.

The prey was laid out on the ground, and the beastmen all turned their eyes to Bai Ling, their meaning all too clear.

"Ling, your cooking is the best! How should we eat this meat?"

"Yes, should we boil it or grill it?"

"Ling, can we cook it like we did for lunch?

The beastmen bombarded Bai Ling with questions, and Bai Ling, looking at the prey on the ground, said, "We can't possibly eat all this prey. A sheep, a pig, and a deer are enough for us. We can roast the meat and stew the bones. We can also catch some fish, roast them, or make them into fish balls."

After Bai Ling finished speaking, he asked the beastmen for their opinions. The group of beastmen surrounding Bai Ling all nodded, indicating that they had no objections.

Seeing that the beastmen did not object, Bai Ling assigned them tasks: some beastmen went to gather resources, some went to catch fish, and the rest went with Bai Ling to prepare the prey.

The deer didn't have much fat, but the sheep and pigs did. Bai Ling led the beastmen to cut off the fat from the sheep and pigs. One beastman carried the cut fat to the fire pit, where it would all be rendered into animal fat.

Two orcs were chopping bones with axes. With each swing of their axes, the bones with meat were chopped into pieces about half the size of a palm. After chopping a bone, the orcs would put it into a ceramic basin filled with water.

Bai Ling and several other beastmen were cutting meat. Mutton, venison, and pork were all cut into thin slices about the size of a palm. The sliced ​​meat was then placed in a ceramic basin, where Bai Ling would marinate it with spices later.

All the prey had been processed, and the orcs who had been fishing returned, laden with their catch, each carrying several fish.

The plants and animals on the Beastman Continent all grow very large, and fish are no exception. Even a fish as long as Bai Ling's leg isn't considered a big fish. Bai Ling discussed it with the Beastmen and decided to make fish balls with half of the fish and grill the other half.

After marinating the sliced ​​meat and fish, Bai Ling started stewing the bones. The bones need to be stewed for a longer time so that they will taste better.

Bai Ling brought out an iron pot, but there were three kinds of bones to stew: deer, sheep, and pork. Their flavors were completely different, so they couldn't be stewed together. Bai Ling used the iron pot to stir-fry the bones, and then started stewing them in an earthenware pot.

After the bones were stewed and the fish was prepared, the orcs of the central tribe knew how to make fish balls. Not only fish balls, but they also knew how to make meat balls. They learned these skills from the tribesmen who returned from the High Tree Tribe.

*

After the sun went down, the beastmen who had gone out hunting returned one after another.

They brought back not only dead prey, but also live wild animals.

Like the High Tree Tribe, the Central Tribe has also begun to domesticate livestock. Every time the hunting team goes out, they try to capture live wild animals. This hunting trip, which is a competition, is no exception. Before setting off, the beastmen had already agreed that live wild animals are more valuable than dead ones and will receive a higher score.