After Eric left, although Bi and the others hadn’t learned how to make frozen tofu, they knew how to make peanut milk, so naturally, they knew how to make soy milk to drink.
This way of eating quickly became popular in the Ox-Head tribe.
Before, apart from eating soybeans raw, they only boiled them; there was no dish that removed the raw smell yet was as rich and fragrant as soy milk.
Although the Ox-Head tribe was mostly vegetarian and didn’t reject the raw smell of beans, who wouldn’t prefer more delicious food?
Having gotten used to delicious food, it was hard to go back to the simple dishes of before.
Eric didn’t have much sugar left, so he didn’t add any for them. After distributing the soy milk, he poured himself a bowl to warm up, then took out the sour liquid prepared while filtering sea salt, diluted it into a coagulant solution, and started pouring it slowly along the side of the pot.
He did these things without avoiding others; after all, it wasn’t something one could learn just by watching.
The soy milk in the pot had cooled down a bit. Eric poured the sour liquid along the side of the pot, and the soy milk began to curdle right before everyone’s eyes. This magical scene made the other beastmen drop their jaws.
Bi, Balu, and Kiet were witnessing this for the second time; seeing the surprise of the others, they seemed to see themselves from the first time.
Tu realized that the bowl of slightly turbid liquid in the kid’s hand was the key to making tofu; he silently memorized his movements.
Outside the shed, snow drifted down; inside, however, were the burning gazes and surprised cheers of the beastmen. Eric wasn’t stingy either; he generously shared soy milk with the beastmen who came to watch, and soon, he even shared the tofu pudding.
He diced the python meat, stir-fried it with various spices into a large pot of sauce. A spoonful was ladled over each bowl of tofu pudding; the savory flavor seeped in, the fresh tenderness of the pudding and the rich sauce complementing each other perfectly.
Most beastmen were used to eating grilled and boiled meat, accustomed to simple eating habits, so when eating tofu pudding, they swallowed it down without even chewing.
The beastmen were stunned on the spot by this delicacy they had never tasted before.
A beastman with incredibly beautiful silver-purple hair, standing out even as much as Evan, only a head taller, spoke in a clear voice:
"Is this a dish made from beans? I didn’t expect it could be as tender as fish brains."
Eric was engrossed in admiring the beauty. It must be known that while all beastmen had good looks, they were of the rugged type; a beastman with such soft features was very rare, and the voice was nice too.
As a result, as soon as the beauty opened their mouth, they compared it to fish brains. Eric froze.
Sigh, he knew it; beastmen, regardless of appearance, were all uncouth inside, even the females.
This beautiful beastman was different from Evan. Evan clearly had masculine beauty, with heroic spirit between his brows, while this beastman was so beautiful it was hard to distinguish their gender.
Eric was also shy to stare to see if it was a male or female; guessing by the voice, it was probably a male, but he was just too beautiful.
"Really? Then... would you like another bowl?" Eric blushed, asking shyly.
Facing such a great beauty, he really couldn’t keep his composure!
The beastman smiled and shook his head:
"I am Nemo of the Silver Fox tribe. Thank you for your generosity; it is very delicious."
When Nemo smiled, Eric felt like he was suffocating. It was a pity that around here, besides Joseph, no one understood his feelings.
Who told beastmen to worship strength? Regardless of male or female, they all admired those with greater power.
A familiar burning sensation suddenly came from behind. Eric turned his head, just meeting Max’s incomprehensible gaze, and involuntarily felt guilty.
Helpless, who told him to be a sucker for handsome guys.
The Snow Wolf warriors were accustomed to wrapping the tofu pudding tightly in clean cloth and putting it into molds, then pressing it with heavy objects. To prevent freezing, the tofu after pressing was placed in the kitchen.
Pot after pot of tofu pudding came out. Tu also started grinding soy milk; under Eric’s guidance, he used the prepared sour liquid to make tofu.
Eric stood by to control the amount of coagulant he poured. Tofu that was too tender or too firm wasn’t good. Now with him watching over, later the Ox-Head tribe would have to slowly experiment themselves to get used to it.
Kiet, Bi, and Balu also took turns trying to make tofu a few times. This process, no matter how many times done, fascinated people; witnessing a pot of soy milk solidify in one’s own hands was truly too interesting.
Beastmen of other tribes were also very tactful; they only curiously gathered around one side, not asking for more food after being given a share. Although they maintained a wary attitude towards each other, they were quite amicable.
With so much tofu, it was very time-consuming to make. Balu decisively carried a large mill over to grind soy milk together, and added two more pots; only then did the speed increase significantly.
After working for a while, the first batch of pressed tofu was done. Eric gave everyone a piece of hot tofu; without adding any seasoning, the original aroma of the beans was already very attractive.
He watched Tu carefully bite a piece of tofu, his eyes and expression seeming very satisfied with this food, and felt more at ease.
Chief Tu being satisfied with this food meant their trade could be successful. Although he had heard they agreed before, only now was it considered certain.
Happy, Eric began to rattle off ways to eat tofu:
"Tofu is very easy to preserve in winter. If you make too much at once, don’t leave it indoors as it will go sour, but you can freeze it outside. When eating, put it straight into stew; it will absorb the broth better than fresh tofu."
Tu listened attentively while chewing tofu. Eric continued:
"When pressing tofu, you can also use stones to press it a bit longer; that way, it will come out as dried tofu. Dried tofu can be stir-fried or tossed in salads, it’s very chewy, and can also be put in soup, or made into smoked tofu, which is also delicious..."
He spoke in a stream. As a foodie, once talking about culinary experience, Eric couldn’t stop. Who told tofu to have so many ways of making, each with its own unique flavor. If the procedure wasn’t difficult, Eric would have wanted to teach them to make fermented tofu too.
These things seemed simple in Eric’s eyes, but Tu still listened vaguely. The female Ox-Head beastman sitting next to him, on the contrary, kept nodding, her face looking like she was pondering something.
"I’m not good at cooking; this is my mate, Boa. She cooks very well. Today I specially brought her here to learn how to make tofu." Tu touched his ox horns in distress, hugging the female beastman and introducing her to Eric.
When the Ox-Head tribe came over, Eric and everyone were already busy, and hadn’t had time to ask about the identity of this female beastman.
Eric thought she was just someone watching for fun; it turned out she was the Chief’s wife.