"The freshly dug sweet potato starch has a high content, not tasty, but it can be used to make vermicelli and brew wine. Typically, vermicelli is made in late autumn. Your grandpa used to love the local sweet potato brew, which was made around that time. After the winter solstice, the starch in sweet potatoes gradually transforms into sugar, making them crispier and sweeter. That's when families start making the dried sweet potatoes that kids love."
So that's how it is.
Lin Xu understood now.
But what about after they're steamed?
He curiously asked:
"What do we do next?"
"After steaming, peel them, cut them into strips or slices, and sun-dry them on bamboo mats. Right now, there are no flies, no insects, and the dried sweet potatoes come out sweeter than honey."
Chen Meijuan continued:
