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

Chewing on the chewy glutinous rice and savoring its flavor, Dojima Gin couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. It was hard to imagine that the other party would use goose fat to steam eight-treasure rice; it was truly a bold innovation.

"After countless attempts, I found that goose fat has the mildest flavor and will not affect the original flavor of the dish, making it the most suitable ingredient for eight-treasure rice!"

Seeing that the judges were satisfied with her cooking, Wang Jing smiled. Her efforts had finally paid off, and she then began to introduce her dish.

This Eight Treasure Rice is the result of her experimentation over a week. It is an improvement on the traditional and halal recipes for Eight Treasure Rice, making it a dish that better reflects the flavor of rice.

Brown sugar adds a rich caramel flavor to the black glutinous rice, dried sweet potato adds a unique texture, and the sweetness of red dates and the fragrance of lotus seeds blend together to bring a refreshing aroma to the black glutinous rice.

The sweet aroma of longan complements the sweet and sour taste of raisins, giving the black glutinous rice a fruity flavor, while the addition of red bean paste elevates the taste of this dessert to a new level.

The delicate sweetness of the red bean paste complements the soft, chewy texture and sweetness of the black glutinous rice, creating a perfect balance.

Feeling the flavor spreading on her tongue, Kikuchi Yoko couldn't help but sing, while comfortably squinting her eyes.

The deliciousness of the Eight Treasure Rice was astonishing; various elements made the rice unique.

Without a doubt, this is the dish that best suits the theme of rice! Wang Jing has perfectly brought out the deliciousness of glutinous rice using only a few ingredients.

"As expected of a dish that has been passed down for thousands of years, it is truly extraordinary!"

With a heartfelt compliment, Dojima Gin put down the bowl in his hand and then looked at Yukihira Soji, who was standing behind Wang Jing, and was now carrying a bowl forward.

What kind of surprise will this rice-themed dish bring him this time?!

"Sorry to keep you waiting! I've really gone through a lot of hardship to develop this dish. Fortunately, it was successfully developed the day before the competition, otherwise I wouldn't have had a dish to participate in today."

Seeing the five judges all looking at him, Soma Yukihira had a confident expression on his face, and then placed a small bowl in front of them.

"This is…"

"ice cream?"

"Isn't the main subject rice?!"

The judges were stunned when they saw the dish presented by Soma Yukihira.

The dish in front of me looks like just an ordinary ice cream. Although it has a lot of fresh fruit on top and looks luxurious, it still doesn't change the fact that it's just ice cream.

"It's summer now, the perfect time for ice cream, but this isn't your ordinary ice cream, it's my improved and created version of micria!"

Soma Yukihira's voice was filled with excitement as he introduced the ice cream, or more accurately, the micelli, to the judges.

"You call it rice ice cream, so that means it's made from rice, right?"

Although it looks no different from ordinary ice cream, if you bring your nose close, you can indeed smell an incredibly rich aroma of rice, proving that it's made with rice. The aroma is truly intoxicating!

Hinako Inui was the first to notice the unusual nature of the dish. Although it was also as white as snow, the ice cream in front of her seemed to have a yellowish tint.

So she leaned her face forward and then shook her head vigorously, and a rich aroma of rice immediately filled her nostrils.

"Rice ice cream? Rice ice cream? That's quite creative."

Upon hearing Hinako Inui's explanation, the people present became interested, looking at the bowl in front of them with curiosity in their eyes, clearly seeing it for the first time.

"I wonder what it tastes like. I've never heard of rice being used as a staple food to make ice cream before. Today has really broadened my horizons."

Mizuhara Fuyumi looked at Miki in front of her with a subtle expression.

Mango, watermelon, and blueberries are arranged on a plate of pure white rice ice cream, releasing their own sweetness and adding both color and flavor.

But if that's all there is to it, it's just a rice-flavored ice cream, somewhat creative but nothing special, and winning the competition would be nothing short of a pipe dream.

but…

Seeing Soma Yukihira's calm and composed demeanor, the judges couldn't help but feel more expectant and had more confidence in him. It seemed that there was something more to this Michelin-starred dish.

We'll have to wait until we taste it to find out exactly what it is.

With that in mind, the judges observing the cooking no longer hesitated, picked up the spoons that Soma Yukihira had prepared for them, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in their mouths.

The moment the tongue touches the rice ice cream, a rich rice aroma spreads, accompanied by an indescribable, incredibly mellow flavor.

With his eyes closed, Dojima Gin felt as if he were in a rice paddy, with the autumn wind blowing, the sunlight falling on the earth, and the rice stalks rustling.

"This feeling is like going back to my childhood..."

The golden rice stalks evoke a sense of home, as not everyone is born in the city, especially in earlier years when many families lived in the countryside.

There aren't many things in the countryside, but what's most memorable are probably the bright starry sky and the golden rice paddies.

The children played in the rice paddies. The summer sun was scorching and the air was thick with heat, but the scene was lively. They chased and played naked in the fields, enjoying their childhood to the fullest.

"I'm curious, how did you make this? How could you create such a delicate flavor and such a smooth texture?"

Because most of his attention was focused on Wang Jing and he didn't observe Yukihira Soma much, Kakuzaki Taki asked in confusion after tasting a bite of the dish.

Pour milk into a pot and cook the rice until done. Use a blender to blend it into a smooth paste. Let it cool naturally and then freeze it in the refrigerator.

Place the frozen milk rice cereal in a large bowl, add the cream in two batches at a 1:1 ratio, then add one-tenth of the condensed milk…

"You added rice wine to it."

Yukihira Soma spoke eloquently about his cooking, while Kikuchi Sonoka's voice rang out at the same time, revealing the secret to its rich flavor.

"It must have been added. The aroma of rice wine isn't overpowering; instead, it blends perfectly with the taste of the rice ice cream, bringing a subtle alcoholic kick."

At this moment, Dojima Gin's voice also rang out. He also tasted the rice wine in it. Although it was very light, it was the finishing touch to the whole dish.

The rich aroma of rice wine and the sweetness of rice ice cream intertwine to create a unique flavor.

On top of the rice ice cream are fresh seasonal fruits. These fruits do not overpower the flavor; instead, they add a sweet and sour taste to the rice ice cream, creating a striking contrast with the mellow aroma of the rice wine.

"Even rice probably never imagined that it would one day become ice cream, and that it would surpass ordinary ice cream in both texture and taste."

Hinako Inui's voice was teasing as she scooped a spoonful of rice ice cream into her mouth, her face full of enjoyment.

"Indeed, before tasting it, I didn't expect anyone to serve such a dish in this competition. It is a bold innovation that makes the most of rice, changing its form without changing the taste."

Dojima Gin scraped the last bit of scooped ice cream from the bowl and put it in his mouth, saying these words. The lingering taste of the ice cream made him squint his eyes comfortably.

Indeed, there is nothing more satisfying in the world than eating a bowl of ice-cold rice ice cream in the summer!

If so, I'll eat two bowls!

"Miqilin, using this method to describe rice, what a troublesome fellow."

Watching the highly praised Mi Qilin, Wang Jing, who was not far away, muttered to herself, then turned her gaze to the judges, looking forward to their final scores.

"I'm so conflicted..."

"The two little ones each have their own strengths in cooking, making it difficult to make a direct comparison."

"Moreover, both contestants offered their own interpretations of the theme and created dishes that perfectly integrated the theme. Each of them is an absolute talent!"

"Ahhh!"

After both sides finished tasting the dishes, the judges did not rush to give scores, but instead spoke one after another, deeply conflicted.

The reason is simple: both dishes are excellent and perfectly suited to the theme, so they can't quickly determine who wins.

"In that case, let's vote."

In this situation, the best approach is to vote, with the minority obeying the majority. This is also why competitions have an odd number of referees.

"Gudu."

"What should I do? I feel even more nervous than the contestants above me."

In the audience, Yoshino Yuuki held Sakaki Ryoko's hand, held her breath, and her body trembled slightly with excitement, looking both expectant and nervous.

"Relax, we're not the main characters in this competition. It doesn't matter who wins, there's no need to be so nervous."

Sensing the somewhat complicated emotions of Yoshino Yuuki beside her, Sakaki Ryoko raised her hand and pinched her cheek, saying in a slightly teasing tone.

Not only them, but everyone in the room was focused on the screen, waiting for the final vote from the five judges.

Both sides have taken the theme of rice to the extreme, and there's nothing to criticize. Now it's up to the judges to decide which one they prefer.

At this moment, Dojima Gin and the others also had conflicted expressions on their faces. They hesitated greatly when looking at the two buttons in front of them. In the end, they could only close their eyes and savor the dishes made by the two of them, to appreciate the excellent parts of them, before finally making up their minds and giving their answers.

The result appeared on the big screen.

Soma Yukihira wins and advances!

"Sure enough, I still crave desserts in the summer."

Kikuchi Yoko smiled as she watched her chosen opponent win.

"But the rich flavor of Eight Treasure Rice, after steaming, is all infused into the rice, undoubtedly the best expression of rice! Why not choose it?"

Kakuzaki Taki frowned slightly. She admired Wang Jing's eight-treasure rice, so she voted for her, but she didn't expect that even with her vote, there would only be two people voting for her.

"Eight Treasure Rice is too old-fashioned. I don't even know how long it has been around. It has no creativity at all. Although it has been improved, it is still basically the same. Compared to that, I still prefer the innovative micelli."

Mizuhara Fuyumi stated that compared to Wang Jing's Eight Treasure Rice, she still prefers the sweet and fragrant rice ice cream.

"Eight-treasure rice has a long history and profound cultural heritage. Its flavors are rich and diverse, and I personally quite like it."

Dojima Gin also spoke highly of the Eight Treasure Rice, preferring the more traditional version to Yukihira Soma's innovation.

"Creativity is a chef's sharpest weapon. Chefs who lack creativity will be eliminated sooner or later. Michelin deserves to win!"

At this moment, Hinako Inui also spoke up, expressing her opinion, which was the real reason why she cast her vote for Soma Yukihira.

The importance of creativity to a chef is self-evident; only with abundant creativity can one expand the boundaries of the culinary world!

"Great!"

After confirming his victory, Soma Yukihira clenched his fist, raised his arm in celebration, and smiled broadly, making no attempt to hide his excitement.

"We've finally made it to the semifinals! It wasn't easy. It looks like if we win two more matches, we can have another chance to compete against Teacher Bai Yuan!"

Soma Yukihira glanced at the judges' panel, then at the audience, and took a deep breath. From now on, he would just play it safe and aim for victory!

"I...lost?!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as they watched the final score on the big screen.

The one who was most affected was Wang Jing, who stood opposite Yukihira Soma. She had given it her all, but why was the result still disappointing?

Two judges chose her, which proves her cooking is not bad. It's a pity that only two judges chose her; if there had been one more, she would have won!

"Congratulations on advancing to the semifinals."

Fortunately, Wang Jing is a person who can take things in stride. She won't be discouraged or cry because of the lost bread. She quickly accepted the reality of her failure and reached out to Yukihira Soma.

"Thank you, your cooking is also very good."