The sesame leaves were washed and put into the pot. Seventh Uncle glanced at the leaves and immediately knew that the group of young employees didn't know how to pick the leaves properly, despite their confident claims.
Not good at all!
It's fortunate these aren't for sale; otherwise, it would be embarrassing.
Master Jiang was still asking, "Are we blanching them or steaming them?"
Seventh Uncle looked at the sesame leaves in the bowl, sighed, took the large steamer, and told the employees to rinse them again:
"Steam them."
Master Jiang chuckled: "I noticed they picked the leaves neither too young nor too old. If we were to blanch them, the taste wouldn't be as good."
Even though it's a simple process, the outcome is vastly different.
If sesame leaves are blanched, the taste is refreshing, retaining most of the fibers, with a bit of chewiness.
But if steamed, the taste is softer and more fragrant, although it's hard to get rid of the slight fuzziness on the leaves.
