Oil-Poured Dried Beef was not complicated to make. Heat oil in a wok, add the cured beef, stir-fry it briefly, then add some Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies. Heath soon had a serving ready, but he did not rush to bring it over. Instead, he washed the wok and made some tomato and egg stir-fry, then brought both dishes over with the freshly cooked rice and set them in front of Cord. As for the soup, Heath was still cooking it; he could bring it over in a little while.
"Cord, this is the Oil-Poured Dried Beef. Give it a try." Heath wiped his hands and spoke to Cord with a smile. Cord looked at it curiously. He really had never seen food like this before, but he had to admit that even its appearance seemed rather greasy. Some of the cured beef was practically soaking in oil, after all. For once, this made Cord feel a little doubtful about Heath. He wondered whether eating it would overwhelm him with grease. The food really was so oily that just looking at it left him with little appetite.
There was a reason appearance came first in "appearance, aroma, and flavor." Before trying an unfamiliar dish, the information most people could obtain most easily was visual: looking at photos, videos, or the food itself. If a dish looked moldy, most people would have little appetite for it. By the same token, if a dish looked decent, most people would not mind giving it a try. These days, however, some bizarre-looking foods were actually more likely to attract a following.
Still, seeing Heath's expectant gaze, Cord's mouth twitched. He silently picked up his chopsticks, took a slice of Oil-Poured Dried Beef, and ate it with some rice. Heath raised his eyebrows in slight