The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 268 Exchanging Tastes
"Phew~ I can finally rest."

Qin Lang breathed a slight sigh of relief as he watched the tourists disperse.

The food exhibition lasts for 72 hours, during which participating chefs are free to choose when to set up their stalls and take a break.

It was already afternoon, and the peak dining season had just ended, so the number of tourists had decreased significantly. Qin Lang quickly put up a "Service Temporarily Closed" sign and took the opportunity to rest for a while.

While a booming business is a good thing, cooking non-stop puts extremely high demands on a chef's physical condition, and prolonged periods of this can even affect the consistent taste of the dishes.

"Are you two feeling tired from today's food exhibition?" Qin Lang asked with a smile, turning to look at the two food spirits beside him.

"Guru Guru~"

Egg Baby shook its head.

It used to set up a stall at the "Happy Party" amusement park, where the intensity was no less than here, so it has gradually gotten used to it.

As for Lala, you could tell from her shining eyes that she felt more excited than tired.

"Since neither of you is tired, let's go visit the other spirit chefs, try their food, and have a bite to eat."

Qin Lang said with a smile.

In the morning, Zhao Qian browsed other stalls and brought him some food. He hadn't eaten anything since then and was quite hungry.

However, just as he was about to leave the cooking unit, a figure appeared beside him, none other than Dylan from the cooking unit next door.

The other party had clearly been paying attention to Qin Lang's situation. After Qin Lang stopped serving, she also stopped serving and brought over a dish of food.

"Crispy fish, please enjoy."

"Thank you, I was just hungry." Qin Lang smiled and took it.

Qin Lang was equally curious about this incredibly fragrant and fiery fish, which was just as delicious as his own crispy-boned fish.

Upon opening the packaging, the crispy fish inside was no bigger than the palm of his hand. After being deep-fried, its surface had turned an enticing golden color, and a rich, fresh aroma of fish quickly wafted towards Qin Lang, whetting his appetite.

After briefly observing its appearance, Qin Lang took a bite, and the crispy-boned fish lost its head.

The most complex skeletal structure of a fish is its head, which contains many large, hard bones, as well as some internal organs that will taste slightly bitter if not properly prepared. When frying fish, the whole fish is put into the pot, and the meat and bones can be eaten. Therefore, whether the fish head is fried well is crucial.

With a slight chew, a rich fishy aroma burst in Qin Lang's mouth. The bones in the fish head were not hard to chew, and they were as crispy as potato chips. The fish brain and fish face meat melted in his mouth as he chewed, and the rich and delicious flavor spread quickly.

Having tasted the fish head, Qin Lang already knew that the spirit chef named Dai Lan was not to be underestimated.

No wonder he's someone who can go toe-to-toe with Du Ziyan; although it's just simple fried fish, his method is anything but simple.

With this thought in mind, Qin Lang immediately took a bite of the meat from the back of the crispy-boned fish.

The meat on the back of the fish is less tender than the meat on the belly, but this disadvantage seems to have been quietly erased in Dylan's cooking. The large pieces of fish back meat are crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. Such a texture in fried fish is amazing.

Fish belly... fish tail...

When Qin Lang had eaten the entire crispy fish without leaving a single crumb, he licked his lips with lingering satisfaction and gave Dai Lan a thumbs up.

"Impressive cooking skills."

"Hold on."

With that, Qin Lang walked back to the table, made a chicken leg, and handed it to the other person, saying, "Here's a chicken leg, please enjoy."

"Okay." A look of anticipation also appeared in Dylan's eyes as she took the food Qin Lang offered, examined it carefully, and took a bite. The rich flavors created by the various ingredients intertwining during the frying process quickly brought the same amazement to Dylan's eyes. After finishing the chicken leg, a hint of fighting spirit appeared in Dylan's eyes as she looked at Qin Lang.

"Your cooking skills are also amazing."

"But I won't lose to you easily."

"Then let's wait until the food exhibition ends and see whose food gets more votes." Qin Lang waved to Dai Lan and turned to leave.

After checking on Cao Dongdong and Zuo Ge's arms to see if they were alright, Qin Lang then wandered aimlessly around the food exhibition, ordering a serving of any food that caught his eye.

It must be said that although the chefs at the food exhibition may not be as skilled as him, everyone has their own ideas about cooking.

During the tasting, Qin Lang also witnessed many cooking methods and ingredient combinations that he had never seen before.

With Danbao and Lala, two foodies, around, he doesn't even need to worry about not being able to finish his food. He just takes a couple of bites of each dish and then shares it with them.

Soon, Qin Lang arrived at Di You's cooking unit.

"Idol, you're here!" Di You's eyes lit up, and he quickly sliced ​​off a plate of spicy braised goose liver and handed it over. "Try the delicious food I prepared!"

"Okay." Qin Lang smiled and took it, then couldn't help raising an eyebrow after glancing at it. "This is... foie gras?"

“That’s right!” Di You winked at Qin Lang. “Spicy braised goose liver, a new dish I developed myself.”

"Then I'll have to give it a good try." Qin Lang nodded, took a bite, and was stunned after chewing for a moment.

When cooking liver, the cooking time and temperature are crucial, because if it is overcooked, it will become tough and astringent.

This principle applies equally to other practices.

Prolonged braising will make the liver taste terrible.

However, Di You's spicy braised goose liver did not have this problem.

The tender foie gras has a delicate and rich texture. When you take a bite, it's like taking a bite of creamy ice cream, which melts completely in your mouth with just a gentle sip.

At the same time, a burst of incredibly appetizing spiciness explodes forth, intertwining with the tenderness of the foie gras, creating a truly amazing flavor.

This delicious food…

Qin Lang couldn't help but give Di You a thumbs up, "Amazing!"

This was the first time he had ever tasted braised food with this kind of texture.

Receiving praise from his idol, Di You's expression became even more delighted.

Without delaying other diners, Qin Lang and Di You chatted briefly before taking their leave and wandering around for a while before returning to their cooking unit.

As soon as he got back, he saw two girls lamenting in front of the "Service Temporarily Suspended" sign. When they saw him, one of them immediately became excited.

"Qin Lang, are we going to continue operating?"

"Yes." Qin Lang nodded, recognizing the other person as one of the fans who had asked him for a photo that morning. "How many chicken drumsticks do you want?"

“We’ll have three together!” Bai Qi made a “3” gesture, then excitedly looked at Fatima beside her. “Qin Lang is the champion of this year’s cooking competition. His cooking skills are amazing!”

(End of this chapter)