PFC Chapter 94 Angelica
Chapter 94 Angelica
Jiang Luoluo actually found several familiar plants in the witch's herb field.
The first one is ginger.
The main part of ginger is its rhizome, which means that it grows underground, just like carrots, potatoes, and peanuts.
Jiang Luoluo wasn't unfamiliar with Jiang, but she had never actually seen Jiang's native flowers and leaves before...
It wasn't until the shaman pulled one up from the ground that Jiang Luoluo squinted and, from its shape covered in mud, recognized that it looked like ginger.
“Speaking of which, Luo, there’s a kind of herb here called Flesh Root, which also has a spicy taste, similar to White Almond…” the shaman said, as he pulled out a ginger stalk to show the cub.
Ginger is similar in color to human skin and has an irregular shape, resembling pieces of meat. Because it grows in the soil, it is called "meat root"—a root that looks like chunks of meat.
After confirming that the plant was indeed ginger, Jiang Luoluo couldn't help but look in the direction of Chi... If she had discovered this thing earlier, the boiled fish she made today would probably have tasted even better.
After all, ginger is the real champion at removing fishy and gamey smells!
Especially an essential ingredient for cooking fish!
Jiang Luoluo pointed in the direction of Chi, gesturing to connect Jiang and Shuiyu together, and Wu quickly understood what the cub meant.
"Luo, you mean that the meat root can better remove the fishy smell of soft-shelled turtle, making the cooked soft-shelled turtle taste better?"
Jiang Luoluo nodded vigorously.
The shaman did not agree, but pointed to the small patch of herbs and sighed softly, "However, Luo, flesh roots are difficult to cultivate. Even I can only grow this much."
The shaman bent down and replanted the ginger plant.
"Flesh root is an important medicinal material needed to treat cold-related illnesses."
Jiang Luoluo was stunned, only then realizing that there were indeed only a few dozen living plants here.
However... Jiang Luoluo remembered that ginger should be planted in fertile and loose soil, and it has poor drought and waterlogging resistance. It has high requirements for water and soil moisture, after all, it is a plant whose value lies in its roots and stems.
Jiang Luoluo looked around. Perhaps because it was near the Taz Forest and the river, the land on Silver Peak Mountain was quite moist. In addition, the rain had not stopped for the past few days, which made the humidity even more intense.
In such an environment, to be able to grow this much ginger, in some ways, Wu is already incredibly skilled.
"Luo, are you saying... because there's too much water in the soil?" Wu asked in surprise, then seemed to be deep in thought.
Jiang Luoluo continued her treasure hunt.
She soon found another plant she recognized—angelica.
Jiang Luoluo was truly shocked when she saw the angelica; she never expected that such a large area of angelica would be planted here in Wu.
Angelica sinensis has the function of regulating and nourishing blood, and its effects are extremely powerful. It is often used to treat postpartum lochia in pregnant women and can also treat qi and blood imbalances, so that qi and blood can return to their proper places, hence the name "Angelica sinensis".
It has always been considered the number one medicine for gynecology, and is known as the "holy medicine of blood" and even revered as the "king of medicine".
The shaman explained that although the tribe members were physically strong, there was still one thing that, even for these superhuman tribesmen, was fraught with danger—that was bearing offspring.
That was a dangerous situation where even the most powerful female orc warrior could be defeated and killed.
To ensure the continuation of the tribe, important herbs like angelica, which can save lives in critical moments, are herb seeds that have been passed down since they were moved from the tribe 1,500 years ago.
It is also thanks to the existence of angelica that so many healthy children have been born in the tribe, allowing the tribe to be successfully passed down to the present day.
Of course, the angelica here is not called angelica, but "Yanxuecao", named after the Yan character in the Yanshuang tribe, which is enough to prove its value.
Jiang Luoluo had a strange sense of unreality. She had always thought that she would be the kind of person who could "find a bargain"—something that everyone else thought was worthless, but only she knew its value and could make use of it, giving her a sense of "inflation" as if she were the protagonist of the world.
But at some point, she suddenly realized that even without her, there would still be someone who could discover the value of something truly valuable. That kind of "arrogance" hidden deep in her heart, which she herself was unaware of, was thus exposed.
Jiang Luoluo avoided Wu Kan's gaze with some discomfort... So what if she knew the medicinal value of angelica? She still didn't know that angelica could be used to make soup.
The shaman had no idea how a child's emotions could change so quickly, going from happy to sad in an instant. Just as she was about to offer some words of comfort, the cub turned around and its mood changed again.
Sichuan peppercorn???!
Those are Sichuan peppercorns, right?! They're definitely Sichuan peppercorns!
Jiang Luoluo never expected that she would see a Sichuan pepper tree here.
These pepper trees are not in the herb field, but their location doesn't seem to indicate that they are naturally growing plants. It's obvious that someone planted them, but they haven't been properly cared for and are growing rather haphazardly.
Meeting the cub's gaze, the shaman began to explain, "This is a hemp fruit tree. The small fruits on it are hemp fruits. Eating them will make your mouth feel numb, and they don't taste good."
"However, hemp fruit can be used to expel worms. If Luo eats worms outside, he can eat hemp fruit to expel the worms from his body."
Upon hearing Wu's explanation, Jiang Luoluo remembered that Sichuan peppercorns, besides being the "top of the thirteen spices" and known as the "king of seasonings," also have certain medicinal value.
But that didn't matter. Jiang Luoluo simply put all that stuff out of her mind. All she needed to know was how to cook these things!
Jiang Luoluo looked down and counted, and found that she had actually collected all the basic seasonings and spices such as scallions, ginger, garlic, chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. The rest were basically icing on the cake and not essential.
It would be best if we had it, but we can manage without it.
Just like when ordinary people cook, they wouldn't put in star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, fennel seeds, cardamom, licorice, cloves... all of them.
Those who keep half a spice supply at home are either culinary professionals or hobbyists.
Jiang Luoluo's requirements are not high; she would be satisfied as long as she can replicate simple home-style dishes.
Jiang Luoluo thought with a headache, "I'm still missing soy sauce and vinegar."
When talking about soy sauce, we have to mention soybean paste again. Soy sauce is a derivative product that evolved from soybean paste, and it still requires soybeans...
Wait a minute! A sudden idea flashed through Jiang Luoluo's mind.
She vaguely remembered that the earliest soy sauce was made by marinating fresh meat, and the production process was similar to that of fish sauce. Later, because the flavor of soy sauce was similar and it was cheaper, it was gradually replaced by soybean sauce.
The tribe may not have much of anything else, but it has plenty of fresh meat!
So... how is fish sauce made? Jiang Luoluo had only heard of it, but had never tasted it.
It seems to involve salting and then waiting for fermentation, which can take several months or even years to complete.
Jiang Luoluo pondered. More important than the issue of time was where she could find so much salt.
Salt is scarce in the tribe; a fist-sized piece of salt can last for more than a month.
But if she wants to use it to make soy sauce, she would need at least several hundred fist-sized pieces of bitter salt, assuming she succeeds on the first try.