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

"Cherry charcoal is hard, dense, easily combustible, and has a high calorific value."

It burns for a long time and produces a rich smoky flavor, making it ideal for grilling meat, fish, vegetables, and other similar foods.

"In addition, cherry charcoal has a unique aroma."

Upon hearing the conversation between Bai Yuan and Ye Shanliang, the other judges seemed to have been activated, and they all shared their insights, explaining the cherry charcoal to the audience.

"Xiao Liang..."

Looking at the situation on the stage, Shiomi Jun placed his hands in front of his chest, his eyes filled with pride.

"Teacher Bai Yuan, do you also possess the nose of a god?"

Seeing Bai Yuan's calm expression, Ye Shanliang couldn't help but ask.

The other party knew the secret of his cooking just by smelling it: cherry blossom charcoal, which he had chosen as the most effective charcoal among six kinds of fruitwood charcoal.

It can coat food with a layer of aroma, and with a long burning time and constant temperature, it can release the flavor of spices to the maximum extent.

"No, but I have a super sense of smell, you can think of it as a similar ability."

Shaking his head, Bai Yuan didn't want to say more about it. He stabbed the venison steak in front of him with his fork and then put it in his mouth.

The venison steak is tender and juicy with a hint of wild aroma. The smoky flavor of cherry charcoal gradually permeates the steak during the cooking process, greatly enhancing its aroma.

This is the first of three flavors.

In addition, the combination of ground black pepper, rosemary, and thyme adds a spicy touch to the venison steak.

This is the second of the three flavors.

As for the third flavor.

It's the garlic-flavored soy sauce brushed on its surface.

"The salty and savory flavor of soy sauce provides the necessary seasoning for the venison chops, making them more flavorful."

In addition, the amino acids and sugars in soy sauce undergo a Maillard reaction during grilling, producing a unique caramel aroma.

He lifted the grilled venison steak in his hand with a fork and placed it under the spotlight, where it was clearly captured by a camera hovering in the sky.

"Gudu."

"What beautiful colors! I've never seen such beautiful roasted meat before."

"It looks so tempting! Damn it, I should have eaten breakfast before coming here!!"

As the audience watched the perfect caramelized brown on the venison steak on the big screen, they couldn't help but swallow hard, their faces filled with longing.

"It has a tender texture, a unique smoky aroma, a slightly spicy surface, and the unique garlic flavor and salty umami of garlic soy sauce."

The various aromas blend together perfectly, creating a harmonious and delightful experience that tantalizes the taste buds, making the venison steak even more flavorful!

"tasty!"

As he spoke, Senzaemon Nakiri's clothes suddenly tore open, turning into wisps that fell to the ground, causing the audience to shout.

"The CEO's clothes have ripped off again!"

"As expected of Hayama, he easily got the Commander-in-Chief to rip his clothes!"

Someone shouted something, and the crowd immediately started talking.

At this moment, everyone's face was filled with excitement, as if they were the ones who went on stage to compete and made the head coach's clothes rip off!

"This dish can be described as a multi-layered deliciousness, with each layer stronger than the last, ultimately elevating the flavor to a new level. It's a great idea."

Bai Yuan nodded in praise, saying that the ability to utilize fragrance to such an extent truly deserved the title of "God's Nose."

"My dish is ready, please enjoy."

Just as the judges were praising Hayama Akira, Hisako Shinto's voice suddenly rang out. Looking up, they saw her walking up carrying a small pot.

"This is?"

Looking at the chunks of venison in the pot, the elderly man in the pinkish-brown clothes asked a question at the right moment, and everyone else looked up at Hisako Shinoto, waiting for her explanation.

"Four Qi Return to Origin Venison Stew"

Hisako Niito began to speak.

Because of Bai Yuan's suggestion yesterday, she reduced the spices by 60%, using only a few medicinal herbs to bring out the full flavor of the venison.

"Such a pure color."

"It looks like ordinary venison soup. What's this 'Four Qi Returning to Origin' theory...?"

Looking at the milky white venison hot pot in front of them, everyone present showed expressions of curiosity.

"No matter what, let's try it first."

They discussed it for a long time without reaching a conclusion. After exchanging glances, the old man in the pinkish-brown clothes was the first to pick up his chopsticks and take a piece of venison.

Chapter 185 The Unexpected Visitor

"So tender!"

With one bite, the juices instantly spread across the tongue, and the unique aroma of venison lingers in the mouth, making it irresistible and prompting cheers of joy.

"The juices exploded in my mouth! It was such a wonderful feeling; it was the first time I'd ever tasted venison so vividly!"

The bald old man couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, explaining that the venison had been rinsed in ice water before being stewed and then stir-fried with venison fat.

Its moisture is locked firmly inside the meat, so it bursts with juice with every bite.

"Such a pure flavor, all the spices must have been used to bring out the flavor of the venison, and that wildness that belongs only to the deer has also been brought out."

Opening his eyes and savoring the lingering taste on his tongue, Bai Yuan slowly spoke.

"This contains cinnamon, angelica, star anise, etc... and the last ingredient... if I'm not mistaken, it should be deer antler glue."

Deer antler glue is a solid glue made by boiling and concentrating deer antlers. There wasn't enough time on the field just now, so you must have prepared this beforehand.

Bai Yuan spoke to Shinoto Hisako with a smile, his eyes revealing a hint of approval, his attitude completely different from that towards Hayama Akira just now.

There's no way around it; people are divided by their closeness to others.

Hisako Shinto was, after all, his protégé, so naturally they were closer.

"That's right. I tried a lot of cooking last night, but the taste was still a bit off, so I decided to try the deer."

Deer antlers are processed into deer antler glue, which has the effects of warming and nourishing the liver and kidneys, and replenishing essence and blood. At the same time, deer antler glue has a sweet taste mixed with a salty and savory flavor, and adding it will make the soup richer and more mellow in taste.

Seeing that Shirai had recognized her little trick in cooking, Hisako Shinoto suppressed her excitement and tried her best to remain calm.

At this moment, she felt like Bo Ya had met Zhong Ziqi, or a kindred spirit finding a soulmate in the music of high mountains and flowing water. It's hard not to like such a knowledgeable teacher!

"Cinnamon, angelica, star anise, and deer antler glue—this venison stew is made with four kinds of medicinal herbs. In other words, these are the four ingredients of the Four-Part Guiyuan Venison Stew."

Having understood the source of the complex flavors in the dish, the elderly man in the pinkish-brown clothes looked utterly delighted and exhaled a long breath of hot air.

"The key is still the venison. Through this cooking method, the wild flavor of the venison is perfectly released, which can be said to be very suitable for the theme."

The bald old man chimed in, saying that although Hisako Shinto's dish only used a few spices, the taste of the venison was fundamentally improved.

Its juiciness makes you want to take another bite after just one. The satisfaction of chewing and swallowing it is so great that you almost swallow your tongue!

"Indeed, if the dishes brought by Hayama Akira are a feast of aromas, then Shinoto Hisako's dishes are a unique celebration of venison!"

Senzaemon Nakiri looked at the little girl waiting in front of him, exhaled a long breath, savored the taste in his mouth, and then praised her.

"The outcome is already quite clear."

Setting down his spoon, Bai Yuan glanced at the two people waiting in front of him, then at Senzaemon Nakiri, and slowly began to speak.

At the same time, the audience quieted down upon hearing his words, the noise subsided considerably, and everyone's face revealed anticipation.

"Yes."

Senzaemon Nakiri nodded and spoke, a shrewd glint appearing in his aged eyes.

"Xiao Liang..."

Shiomi Jun placed her hands on her chest, her lips slightly pursed, her beautiful face filled with tension, and her heart pounded wildly.

"Ryo Hayama, your cooking is ingenious. You use cherry charcoal, ground black pepper, rosemary and thyme and garlic soy sauce to create a triple flavor that makes the venison steak taste rich and colorful."

Hisako Shinto's Four Qi Returning to Origin Venison Stew makes excellent use of four medicinal herbs: cinnamon, angelica, star anise, and deer antler glue. They blend together to bring out the full flavor of the venison.

Both of them cooked very well, but the theme for this meal was deer.

As they were speaking, the word "deer" suddenly appeared on the large screen in the sky, and the audience was puzzled as to why the commander-in-chief would suddenly bring this up.

The two of them served venison, so could there be some difference between them?

"Don't you understand yet?"

Seeing Hayama Akira standing there dumbfounded and somewhat confused, Nakiri Senzaemon sighed.

"One of you chose to showcase a complex combination of aromas, while the other showcased the purest flavor of venison. With deer as the sole theme, Hisako Niito's dish is undoubtedly more suitable!"

Senzaemon Nakiri slowly opened his mouth. The difference in their cooking skills was not that great. If it weren't for their different focuses, it would be hard to tell who would win.

Normally, a dish should showcase the delicious fusion of spices and venison, which is what ordinary chefs do, and Hayama Akira did just that.

However, Hisako Niito took a different approach, using spices as nutrients to enhance the aroma of the venison, thus perfectly matching the theme.

"The triple-flavored seared venison steak uses venison fat to bring out a deeper aroma in the venison, while other spices build on this foundation to further shape the flavor of the dish, creating layers of flavor that ultimately surpass the taste of venison."

But, to be fair, how much of the original flavor of venison is left in this?

Looking at the silent Hayama Akira before him, Nakiri Senzaemon's voice was calm, yet it resonated powerfully, exploding in his heart like a thunderclap.

So that's how it is. He seems to have focused too much on the proportions and flavors of the spices, thus neglecting the taste of the venison itself.

This dish doesn't test the use of spices, but rather the ability to bring out the natural flavor of the venison; it strayed from the point from the very beginning…

Ahhhhh!

Can I try your cooking?

Thinking of this, Hayama Akira looked at Hisako Shinoto beside him. There was not much change in her eyes; she just nodded slightly.

"I originally planned to pack it up and take it home to taste, then summarize my experience and improve it next time. Since you want it, I'll give it all to you."

As they were talking, Hisako Shinto returned to her original position, picked up the remaining venison stew from the stove, and then came to Akira Hayama.

"Thank you."