“Sample one or two? I'm even more curious! I wonder what supreme delicacy this young brother has brought out today!”
Regardless, since Han Mo had accepted the token given to him by Prince Yun, these princes saw him as bearing Prince Yun’s mark.
Zhao Gou was quite happy to step on him at this moment!
“Then may I open it?”
Han Jiayan took a deep look at Zhao Gou, his expression filled with complexity.
Zhao Gou’s talent for stirring up trouble truly surprised him. He had never imagined that this unassuming fellow possessed such a skill!
“Uncle Patriarch, please feel free to open it!”
Han Mo smiled and cupped his hands towards Han Jiayan.
Seeing him say that, Han Jiayan did not hesitate and directly opened the box before him.
However, after opening the box, he was stunned. Although he hadn’t expected anything valuable to be inside, seeing the contents of the box completely bewildered him.
“What is this?”
Even with Han Jiayan’s extensive knowledge, faced with something he had never seen before, he still frowned.
“Could these be pastries made by Brother Mo himself?”
Han Shu asked dismissively.
Hearing his words, the expressions of the other royal scions also began to turn strange.
“This gift is truly very unique. Let me try it!”
Seeing the awkward silence, Han Jiayan coughed dryly, picked up a small piece, and was about to put it in his mouth.
“Uncle speaks humorously! Although Han Mo is poor and lives under someone else’s roof, he would not stoop to such vulgarity!”
Even though he knew the other party meant him no good, Han Mo said with a smile.
“Ah?”
Catching the familiar sweet scent, Han Jiayan was instantly stunned.
“Not a pastry? Then what is this?”
Prince Yun was standing quite close. As soon as the box was opened, he naturally smelled the scent of crystallised sugar.
“This is sugar that I recently refined according to ancient methods!”
“Sugar?”
Hearing Han Mo say this, even Prince Yun stepped forward curiously, picked up a piece, and brought it close to his nose to sniff.
“That’s right! Don’t underestimate this small piece; it’s enough to boil a pot of sweet soup!”
“Can this be eaten directly?”
After sniffing the scent, Han Jiayan’s eyes lit up.
He had always liked sweets, but crystallised sugar had too many impurities that affected the taste. Honey also had a sourness to it, always feeling somewhat unrefined.
He was truly intrigued by this pure sugar that Han Mo spoke of.
“Of course, you can. However, Uncle Patriarch, you are getting on in years, and such sweet things are best eaten in moderation!”
In fact, by the Song Dynasty, cooking techniques had already advanced considerably.
Various seasonings had appeared one after another, even including compound seasonings.
As the saying goes, food should be refined, and fine cuts should be delicate. Although the Master had taught that a gentleman stays away from the kitchen, some scholars still enjoyed researching food.
For example, the famous glutton, Su Dongpo!
“What you’re saying is exactly what those esteemed chefs in the palace say. However, a little indulgence occasionally should be fine! This is truly unprecedented. Let me taste it myself!”
In truth, regardless of the taste, Han Jiayan had to stand by Han Mo today, otherwise, the Han family’s reputation would be utterly ruined.
Prince Yun, Zhao Kai, had originally intended to try it himself, but before he could speak, Han Jiayan had already put it in his mouth.
Since someone had already tried it for him, he was happy to sit back and observe.
All eyes were on Han Jiayan’s face, as even these princes had never seen such a thing.
In their impression, there had never been the concept of solid sugar.
It was either honey, crystallised sugar, or maltose, always something sticky.
Han Jiayan had not held out much hope for this item, but as soon as it entered his mouth, he could not help but frown.
Then, he simply closed his eyes, as if savouring the taste in his mouth.
“How is it, Uncle?”
Seeing his displeased expression, Prince Yun, Zhao Kai, asked curiously.
“It is indeed a supreme delicacy. Your Highness, you might as well try it!”
After a moment, Han Jiayan opened his eyes and said.
“Oh? Uncle is a renowned gourmet in this capital city. To receive your praise, this item must indeed have extraordinary qualities!”
Although Zhao Kai said this, considering Han Jiayan’s expression earlier, he did not seem inclined to try it directly.
Instead, Zhao Gou stepped forward, picked up a piece, and popped it into his mouth.
In his opinion, this was Han Jiayan lying. Regardless of how delicious the item was, the old man would surely praise it. He had intended to expose Han Jiayan’s trick, but as soon as the item entered his mouth, he was completely stunned.
An indescribable sweetness, mixed with the taste of ginger, coursed through his taste buds and directly into his brain.
“How is it?”
The remaining princes looked at Zhao Gou curiously.
“It is indeed a supreme delicacy! Uncle’s words are not false; this is truly the sweetest thing I have ever eaten! However, there seems to be a hint of ginger, which complements the sweetness rather well!”
In terms of sweetness, what could possibly compare to this pure cane sugar?
Under everyone’s gaze, even Zhao Gou, despite his disdain for Han Mo, could not lie at this moment.
“Your Highnesses, why don’t you also have a taste, just for novelty?”
Han Jiayan smiled at the princes beside him and made an inviting gesture.
Hearing him say this, the princes did not hesitate. Each of them picked up a small piece and put it directly into their mouths.
“Hiss—”
In this era, sweets were a luxury exclusive to the nobility. After tasting it, they were instantly enamored with this pure sweetness.
Even the most expensive crystallised sugar contained countless impurities, and as for honey, while it had its own unique flavour, it also possessed an undeniable sourness.
“This item is a bit too sweet to eat directly. It’s more suitable for mixing with water. In this cold winter, a cup of ginger and brown sugar water would be perfect for dispelling the chill!”
Seeing these bumpkins eating brown sugar as if it were a candy, Han Mo cleared his throat and stepped forward.
“Oh? There are also brewing tools here. Why don’t you demonstrate how it’s done?”
Hearing Han Mo’s suggestion, Han Jiayan pointed to the tea set placed in the center of the hall.