The story begins in Food Wars, when Alice took him home.

Bai Yuan didn't specify what level was required to pass; he simply told her to choose based on her heart, and that as long as she did her best, he would let her pass.

As for how to feel whether he did his best.

Cooking can provide accurate answers.

"My name is Kenji Nishikio."

The first step has been taken; the rest is up to you!

As he spoke, Kenji Nishiki looked at another young man beside him. The two had come together and met the slender woman later.

"Let me go first. Mine is stir-fried, so it won't taste good if it gets cold."

Please try our spicy stir-fried rabbit meat.

He placed the dishes, each contained in a half-bamboo tube, in front of both Erina Nakiri and Alice Nakiri, and handed them chopsticks at the same time. The boy's face was filled with strong confidence.

"Wild rabbits from the mountains? That's excellent ingredient. Living in the wilderness, their muscles are firm, and with a little cooking, they can become a delicious meal. Let me have a taste."

Looking at the brightly colored rabbit meat in the half-open bamboo tube, Alice Nakiri showed an interested expression, then picked up her chopsticks, took a piece, and tasted it.

"Did you carry this chili pepper with you? It's been dried. It couldn't have just fallen naturally in the mountains and happened to be dried by the sun, could it?"

Looking at the chili peppers used to stir-fry the rabbit meat, Erina Nakiri didn't rush to taste it, but instead looked up and asked curiously.

The saltiness we just experienced could be explained by chemistry, but what about the chili pepper?

The process of drying chili peppers from harvesting to producing the finished product is not something that can be done overnight.

"That's right. Because of personal habits, I always carry some chili peppers with me. And for this assessment, I used chili peppers in my cooking."

"I see."

Hearing the boy's explanation, Erina Nakiri nodded in satisfaction.

Finally, there were no more cooking methods she couldn't understand, so she reached out with her chopsticks, picked up a piece of rabbit meat, and put it in her mouth.

"You used chicken fat in this dish, didn't you? You traded chili peppers for the chicken fat from that person earlier."

The fat on the surface of the rabbit meat is fully locked in by frying it in chicken fat, forming a crispy outer shell, while the inside retains a relatively tender texture.

Beside her, Alice Nakiri swallowed the rabbit meat she was chewing and commented.

“That’s right, I used chicken fat to fry the rabbit meat until golden brown, and then I added the wild green onions that I traded with Kenji, as well as the wild garlic that I found in the mountains to enhance the flavor of the dish.”

The boy nodded upon hearing Alice Nakiri's words.

Although he initially wanted to use nuts to extract vegetable oil, there were too few nuts to collect in the mountains. In addition, he met Kenji Nishikio on the road, who was holding a pheasant. Without thinking, he proposed to exchange ingredients.

Chili peppers and wild garlic are rare condiments, and the only condition for exchanging them is a little chicken fat. Kenji Nishikio naturally wouldn't refuse, and so the cooperation was reached.

"The rabbit meat is fried until it's dry and fragrant. The richness of the chicken fat and the essence of the rabbit meat intertwine and create a unique aroma. It's a very nice combination."

Feeling the lingering taste in her mouth, Erina Nakiri opened her closed eyes.

Because of the limited availability of seasonings, the flavors of the chicken fat and rabbit meat stand out exceptionally well after simple stir-frying.

"In addition, there is a subtle spiciness, which can be described as the finishing touch."

"Iris Nakiri said, pinching her chin."

Because only dried chili peppers are used, the spiciness is not very prominent, which further highlights the rich flavor of the rabbit meat itself.

A large amount of spices can easily mask the original flavor, while a small amount of seasoning will bring out the original flavor. This dish only uses salt and spiciness, so the flavor of the wild rabbit meat itself is brought to its peak.

"It feels like... the exhilarating feeling of running wildly through a forest, desperately dodging the pursuit of a superior predator, and finally escaping with superior skill!"

At this moment, she seemed to transform into a wild rabbit, running wildly through the mountains and forests, trying to escape the pursuit of the eagles in the sky.

Just before it swooped down again and was about to grab it, it darted into a hole in the surrounding tree, with the eagle's talons less than a centimeter away from its throat!

However, that one centimeter is like an insurmountable chasm…

Exhaling a long breath of hot air, Erina Nakiri looked at the boy and expressed her most direct feelings.

The exhilarating feeling of being one step ahead in jungle competition is simply amazing!

"This dish is very good. It makes full use of the ingredients from the mountains and fields, and perfectly brings out the flavor of the chili peppers it comes with. It's acceptable."

Alice Nakiri's voice was full of praise, then she turned her gaze to the spicy stir-fried rabbit in front of her: "But you're wrong about one thing. This dish won't taste bad when it's cold; on the contrary, the aroma will be even more intense."

"Does it taste better when it's cold?" A question appeared on the boy's face.

"I agree with this point. During the high-temperature frying process, a crispy outer shell forms on the surface of the food, locking in the aroma."

After cooling, the flavor of the chilled rabbit meat gradually stabilizes. At this point, a bite releases a burst of aroma, delivering a powerful and impactful experience.

Meeting the boy's questioning gaze, Erina Nakiri began to explain that this was a common misconception among many chefs, who believed that hot dishes were always better than cold dishes.

"There is a dish in Sichuan, China called cold-cooked rabbit. It has an appealing color, a spicy and savory flavor, and a crispy and delicious texture that leaves a lasting impression! The way it is made is somewhat similar to the spicy stir-fried rabbit you are making now."

Alice Nakiri further illustrated this point by picking up a piece of rabbit meat from the top, which was cooler than the other meats because it was on top.

"I see. This is the first time I've heard of this. It seems my studies are still insufficient."

Hearing what Erina Nakiri and Alice Nakiri said, the boy closed his eyes and thought for a while, deciding to try the so-called cold-cooked rabbit meat when he got back.

After all, he wasn't very skilled at cooking rabbits; this was probably only the second time, considering his previous experience cooking them in Totsuki.

"Just as I expected, this is the taste!"

As the aroma exploded in her mouth like a bomb, contrasting with the cool rabbit meat, a look of enjoyment appeared on Alice Nakiri's face.

"Same question, what's your name?"

"My name is Mitsui San."

When asked, Mitsui San revealed his name; he was one of the five second-class chefs who had performed exceptionally well in the special training.

“Mitsui-san, right? I’ll remember that.”

Erina Nakiri nodded, looking intently at his face, indicating that she had remembered his name.

In Totsuki Culinary Academy, those who can become second-class chefs before advancing to the advanced faculties are considered rare talents, and their chances of graduating smoothly in the future are very high.

Once she graduates successfully, she will have access to Totsuki Academy's connections. As the future headmaster of the academy, she will maintain due respect for the strong.

"Next, please bring your dish."

Beside her, Alice Nakiri didn't want to pay attention to these convoluted matters. She looked up at the last slender woman and urged her to step forward.

"Is it finally my turn? Please enjoy my dish, snake taco, a taco made primarily with snake meat and snake eggs."

As they were talking, the slender woman stepped forward and placed the delicious food she had prepared in front of the two of them.

"The base is made of bamboo leaves, and the filling is snake meat. There's even a sauce; judging from the smell, it must be made by simmering raspberries."

Alice Nakiri looked at the beautifully presented dish in front of her, her expression showing a hint of delight. This dish had a very girlish style.

“That’s right, I found raspberries in a remote place. Each one was very plump, so I added honey to them to make taco sauce.”

The yellowish-brown bamboo leaves were cooked to perfection, their sides arching up like small boats due to the heat, with snake meat stir-fried in oil inside.

There wasn't much seasoning; it was simply made by removing the fishy smell with wild onion water, adding snake eggs and mixing well, then stir-frying over high heat and placing it in the center of a bamboo leaf.

Then squeeze on some raspberry jam, and every bite is unique and flavorful.

"You shaped these bamboo leaves by baking, right? And since we're in the wild, you must have used a simple stone oven."

It's quite remarkable that they could maintain such precise temperature control under such rudimentary conditions.

Picking up the snake meat taco in front of her, Alice Nakiri praised the yellowish-brown bamboo leaves that cracked easily with the slightest pressure but didn't break.

She used to use a stone oven to dry and preserve the meat she hunted for a long time.

"This is actually one of the few successful products after more than ten failures."

Hearing Alice Nakiri's praise, the slender woman wore a bitter smile; only those who had tried it knew how difficult it was.

"You used nut oil, didn't you? This tart has a rich nutty aroma."

After being stir-fried, the snake meat has a slightly charred outer skin, while the inside remains tender and juicy. The wild onion water removes most of the snake meat's fishy smell, and because snake eggs are used in the preparation, the creamy yolks contrast sharply with the firm snake meat.

Savoring the taste in her mouth, Erina Nakiri slowly opened her mouth, her face showing a hint of respect, with no trace of contempt remaining.

Don’t say anything else.

It's quite an achievement to be able to collect so many ingredients in just one day.

Not to mention that these ingredients were perfectly combined. Although the taste was not perfect, it was definitely a work she put her heart into!

“That’s right. I roasted the nuts on a hot stone slab, crushed them, roasted them a second time, then wrapped them in bamboo leaves and used heavy objects to squeeze and pound them to extract the oil.”

The slender woman said, "This little bit of nut oil is really hard to come by."

From the first step of collecting nuts to the subsequent extraction and pressing of oil, each step took her a lot of time.

"To complete this step using traditional physical oil extraction methods, you must have collected nuts for a very long time."

"It takes about five hours, since I don't need a lot of nut oil. If I needed a lot, I would probably use a different method."

The slender woman explained that she chose physical oil extraction because she needed only a small amount.

"The best part here is actually the sauce."

Autumn is the perfect time to harvest plump raspberries, which, combined with honey stored up by bees for the winter, create a rich fruity aroma mingled with the sweetness of honey. The overall flavor is a delightful balance of sweet and sour, making it incredibly appetizing. Paired with stir-fried snake meat, it's simply perfect!

Erina Nakiri licked her lips and said with great satisfaction.

"Same question, what's your name?"

"Qingguo Ruoji."

The slender woman said calmly.

"Qingguo Ruoji? I'll remember that name. You've passed!"

After glancing at the woman in front of her and then at the snake meat tacos on the table, Erina Nakiri announced that she had passed.

"You can go down the mountain now. This is the hotel's access card."

Alice Nakiri said, tossing the three cards into the hands of Kenji Nishikio, San Mitsui, and Wakaki Aoka respectively.

"Please wait a moment, we will go down with them."

"them?"

Upon hearing Kenji Nishikio's words, Erina Nakiri's voice held a hint of doubt, followed by a commotion coming from the jungle.