Such a pity that the people here don't yet eat chili peppers. In this era, the main spices were Sichuan pepper, ginger, and cornelian cherry, with chili peppers only used as ornamental plants and medicine. Such a good thing, utterly wasted!
Gu Youyou found some wild chilies not far from the hill behind her house. At this time of the year, the chilies were still tender and not as spicy as the ripe red ones, so she picked a few more.
She started by gutting and cleaning the fish, then salted it for marinating, and stuffed the fish belly with Sichuan pepper, chili, and ginger.
Start the fire for cooking rice first!
When Jin Zijin returned, he could see the smoke rising from his house from a distance, and he quickened his pace in slight surprise.
At this moment, Gu Youyou was putting the fish into the pan, and a thick enticing fragrance wafted from the pot—it was the aroma of various spices she had sautéed in oil!