"By the way, do you see this mixture that stands on our table"? asked grandfather.
"Is it dark purple, almost black? I thought it was some kind of sauce," the grandson answered, looking sourly at his grandfather.
"Well, in principle, you're right, although this is not a sauce but rather a jam. Previously, sugar was very expensive, so people made sweets using berries or fruits!"
"Wow, that's interesting!"
"But can you, at a glance, appreciate what this jam is made of? Without trying it?"
"Judging by the color, it could be plum, blackberry, mulberry, fig, blackcurrant. What else is blue and violet? Blueberries?"
"But there are small, orange seeds floating there, so it could be blackberries or figs?"
"Well, what did I please grandfather"?
"No, you did not please! This is mulberry!"
"I wonder why you think so? Or is it an experience? Did you know from the very beginning, huh?"
"Well, I knew from the very beginning, yes!"
"Do you know how to cook"?
"Well, they probably just boil it with sugar and get jam, as my grandmother does!"
"No, you missed what I told you at the beginning. This sauce, jam, is made without sugar. The simple way is to take fresh mulberry just picked. Do not wash it. You take cheesecloth, clean, two layers. You pick out the berries. Then you take large porcelain dishes. Squeeze out the juice there. And after that, you just put the dishes with juice in the sun. In the evening, cover the dishes with a rag. Three days later a thick mass forms, which now lies in front of you! "
"Yes, grandfather! Everything was just before!"
"Well, then take the dried mulberry agendas, wipe it on a mortar, sift through a sieve. Put on a stone, even. A day later the mass parties and a sticky mass form. Cut it, sprinkle with ground nuts and serve for tea."
"Some primitive sweets, and grandfather, do not you find?"
"The most primitive you are!"
"In our childhood, there was not a lot of money, everything was expensive, so we prepared sweet stuff from what was at hand. Our fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, and their great-great-grandfathers lived like that!"
"Now it's all cheap, artificial, and low-quality, but a lot!" grandfather smiled sourly.
"We didn't chew the chewing gum, if you remove the cherries from the cherry or apricot tree, small. It is so orange, it looks like amber. You remember it in your hands and mouth. It chews for a long time, your gums became healthier and your teeth were white!"
"Yes ... I would not risk it!" said the discouraged grandson, "although if there is nothing, then there is nowhere to go, you will have to eat!" "I fed my mother, father, and brother in the desert — snakes, locusts, and everyone liked everything!"
"Well, you are extreme! You probably already know that this is rations for survivors and destinies of special units if they are left without food" ?!
"Yes, business, I know, you yourself gave me a birthday book, 4 years ago, I read it!"
"Well, now you see, the good of books!"
"Do you know that if you take out the apricot kernels and fry them, they can be a dessert?"
"Yes, I know, grandfather!"
"You can also make such syrup from vegetables, for example, from carrots, beets, pumpkins. And also berries such as watermelon and melon. Not to mention grapes, lemon, orange, apples!"
"Well, grandfather do you know so much ?! Why did you go to work for the secret police? Would you be a chef?"
"It's good to teach elders, cooking for any Asian is a hobby, it's his pride, the smart ones to feed his family, arms mates, and party!"
Meanwhile, the waiter came up to the table, imperceptibly put two plates. With steaming noodles with vegetables and garnished with fresh herbs. This was the third dish prepared in this cafe.
In winter, there were some dishes from the local cuisine, in the spring they prepared only three dishes from the Dungan cuisine, in the summer three dishes from the Uyghur cuisine, and in winter three dishes from the Persian cuisine.
There were not many such small cafes in the old city, but they cooked well, even untwisted restaurants cooked worse.
The dish that they brought was called "Dungan noodles."
On top of the noodles was a liquid sauce of lamb, potatoes, turnips, daikon, carrots, cabbage, garlic, sweet pepper, tomatoes, and onions. The noodles themselves were homemade from wheat. Greens of finely chopped cilantro and green garlic were sprinkled on top.
The dish had a slightly sweet aroma, shiny vegetables, white noodles, emerald greenery, with onyx spots of garlic in places.
Oil draining from vegetables. It was all so appetizing.
"Hey grandson, do you know how to cook this dish?" again with a sly grandfather asked.