MTLNOVEL Chapter 662: Preparedness Competition
One of the necessary principles for the emergence of a rich variety of cuisines is the abundance of produce, which essentially depends on the richness of species.
Just as a Huaxia person would find it hard to comprehend how to cook without scallions, ginger, and garlic.
Therefore, it can almost be seen that the closer to the low latitudes, the more diverse the culinary possibilities become, even presenting many unheard-of spices.
Besides latitude, there also needs to be a sufficient platform to facilitate the convergence of ingredients from all corners of the world.
Adhering strictly to one place, indeed, could yield exquisite food, but it usually tends to be rather monotonous, becoming a "local flavor."
Just like the sour and spicy flavors of Southeast Asia, they are quite good, but apart from this cuisine, there doesn't seem to be another more profound impression. It's not that the produce isn't rich, but rather a lack of exchange, fundamentally due to national borders and transportation limitations.
Thirdly, there needs to be a prosperous period; people need to be safe and content to ponder over their culinary desires.
And looking at the global map, only Huaxia meets these three conditions.
Its vastness is matched by the richness of its produce, and although it hasn't always been peaceful and prosperous, every dynasty had at least such a time.
Then, looking at Polar Bear, the latitude is too high, largely consisting of Siberia, and Canada similarly.
As for Ugly Country, with its latitude nearly twenty degrees higher than Huaxia, it barely meets the first condition, but it has a brief history and certainly can't satisfy the third condition. Moreover, due to its colonial nature, the tastes of Ugly Country are essentially transferred from the high latitudes of Europe.
Moving on, no one else meets the third condition.
Therefore, Huaxia is unique, where every region has its distinctive cuisines, but Huaxia's vast boundaries themselves present endless possibilities for these culinary arts, an extensive variety.
Bi Fang took a sip of water, contentedly lying on the ground, with half-eaten big fish scattered around, seemingly the leftovers of an Alaskan Brown Bear's feast.
Only they would indulge in eating the high-fat belly meat and disregard the rest.
Bi Fang had cleaned out all the fish bellies, leaving only the less fatty parts—no need to worry about them spoiling within a day or two in the current Arctic weather.
If the bountiful harvest continues tomorrow, these remains would be preserved, as the limited stomach space should be reserved for high-calorie foods.
Glancing at the live stream's chat, Bi Fang noticed many viewers were still discussing the strong taste of pickled puffin, and he couldn't help but smile with a sense of mischief accomplished.
Considering humans' history of venturing into the polar regions, we naturally haven't evolved taste bud genes that accommodate this "delicacy," only those who have grown up eating it might potentially develop a customary adaptation. But as living standards improve, the number willing to accept it will only decrease.
Even with surströmming, as economic conditions improve, many locals actually find it hard to stomach.
"The Inuit people still eat puffin, but one type of puffin, the great auk, has already gone extinct. The last specimen of the great auk existed in the form of pickled puffin, it's like a witness to human history, I guess."
Bi Fang got up, dusted the snow off himself, and prepared to dig tonight's shelter.
The night was quite favorable; the temperature dropped only to negative thirty degrees, not too extreme, and even the aurora appeared. Pale green ribbons floated in the night sky, providing a good view.
A rather strong display of the aurora borealis, the snowfield was cold, but the hearts of the viewers were boiling, watching the sky full of Northern Lights fluttering, as if the souls of angels were swaying.
In history, people have been very afraid of the aurora borealis.
Especially for the local Sami people of Northern Europe, their legends about the aurora are often stories of terror.
For example, there's a legend that children should not look at the aurora because it will take away their souls. There's also a belief that the aurora carries an axe as it flies across the sky, killing anyone who mocks it.
Therefore, under the bright aurora, sleds in motion are not allowed to use bells, in order to avoid startling the aurora and encountering misfortune.
But in modern times, aside from possible solar storms causing changes in the magnetic field, affecting mobile phone signals, the aurora has become a beautiful scene.
"I feel like I'm filled with strength right now, the feeling after a full meal is just different," said Ben as he shoveled a block of frozen earth from the pit, his face reflecting the shimmering green light, huffing and puffing as he worked.
If the weather is also good tomorrow, Ben felt he might even take a bath.
On the vast snowy plain, digging the foundation caused Ben's heart to continuously supply blood to the skin's surface and limbs. The temperature was still a biting minus thirty degrees. The moment Ben stopped moving, the blood supply would immediately slow, and the warmth from the food gradually faded away.
The cold attacked from all directions, launching a full-on assault against Ben, the tiny being on the snowy plain.
Blood is alive, and when faced with a sudden assault of cold, it will fight back. But if it exceeds the threshold, it will retreat and seek cover, staying away from the terrible chill.
The dug-out pit that took quite some time to complete acted as a barrier, ultimately not letting the blood recoil in fear. Ben huddled in the pit, took out a few finger-thick branches left over from before, used the remaining charcoal from last night, and quickly lit a fire once again, speeding up the warming of the cold pit. Explore more stories with My Virtual Library Empire
Feeling the pleasant warmth around him, Ben grew drowsy.
He buried the water bottle beneath thirty centimeters of snow.
"In the polar region, I recommend using a wide-mouth container because narrow-mouthed flasks can freeze shut more easily and take longer to melt," he advised.
"The insulating properties of snow are really good. Put a pot of water under thirty centimeters of snow even if the temperature drops to minus 40℃, most of the water in the pot will still remain liquid."
Ben carefully sealed the pit with snow, keeping the cold air on the outside, and placed the water bottle upside down. This way, even if a little water at the top — which now was the bottom — froze, it won't prevent the lid from opening.
After completing the last task, Ben turned off the live broadcast.
Tomorrow would be very busy. He needed to gather more food for the winter and a secure enough shelter to welcome the polar night.
The four-day storm had greatly reduced the daytime activities for Ben. What followed was a life-or-death race against time.
So, the next morning, armed with a Hunting Knife, Ben set off, not to go ice fishing right away. Frequently fishing in the same cave might alert even the most indifferent fish, so he decided to save it for the evening.
Today, Ben wanted to follow the river downstream to see if he could find a coniferous forest, gather enough firewood, or perhaps encounter larger game.