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

It's truly lamentable how unpredictable life is. I only hope that before I die, I can pass on my skills.

Upon hearing Zhuang Lei's words, Zhang Zhong nodded slightly, a hint of emotion on his face.

He only took on two apprentices in his life, but unfortunately neither of them had the talent to reach the top level and could not inherit his mantle.

Now, in the last few years of his life, he hopes to take on another apprentice and pass on all his knowledge to him, so that there will be a legacy.

"This smell..."

Thinking it over, Zhang Zhong scooped up a fish ball and tasted it. His relaxed brows immediately furrowed, but he was still unsure. Undeterred, he guessed that this fish ball might be bad, so he scooped up a new one...

"Well, were you amazed by my cooking?"

Because he was right in front of the judges, Zhuang Lei could clearly see Zhang Zhong's changing expressions. He felt smug inside, but his face remained calm and composed.

"You can't do it like this."

Putting down his spoon, Zhang Zhong looked at Zhuang Lei with a disappointed expression.

"The fish balls you made have a terrible texture; you probably just added starch because you were lazy."

While this can quickly achieve a chewy effect, relying solely on starch cannot truly create a chewy texture, nor can it make it springy and elastic.

For professional chefs, even the slightest changes in flavor can be detected with a gentle touch of the tongue, and the same applies to texture.

So the moment he took a bite, he showed a look of disappointment, because neither the texture nor the taste of this fish ball was very good.

Many of these errors are in the details. If these errors can be corrected, the taste will definitely be improved by several levels!

Making these mistakes means that the basics are not solid and that the student was definitely not paying attention in class.

That was the real reason for his disappointment.

"Not only the fish balls themselves, but the crab roe inside also doesn't taste good; it's processed too delicately."

While this method maximizes the release of flavor, it leaves the taste bland after the first bite; only the first three pieces are delicious.

Jinshan's voice rang out. Looking at the golden yellow wrapped in white in front of him, he couldn't help but shake his head. This taste was only slightly better than that of the street vendors.

It's not even as good as some long-established stalls.

"The only thing I did well was controlling the heat when cooking the fish balls. There was no uneven heating, which I would consider an advantage."

Chu Qiu followed up with her evaluation, pointing out one of the few merits of Zhuang Lei's crab roe fish balls, which in a sense was a forced merit.

"Besides that, I won't go into detail about the ingredients. Although onions and celery can also remove fishy smells, their effect is much less than that of scallions and ginger."

In other words, the amount you add cannot be the same as that of scallions and ginger. You need to adjust the proportion according to the desired effect in order to achieve a satisfactory removal of fishy smell.

Soy sauce provides saltiness, but it can make food appear dull in color.

You're being far too arrogant and extremely careless. This is a youth chef competition, not a place where you can win by just making any dish!

Zhang Zhong stared sharply at Zhuang Lei, his voice filled with disappointment.

I was initially happy that my good friend had a successor, but I never expected that he was a good-for-nothing who hadn't inherited any of the cooking skills.

"I…"

Zhuang Lei's smile froze. Looking at Zhang Zhong's rather displeased expression, he realized that the other man didn't seem to be his helper, but rather…

"I'll talk to your master about your education later. Now you can go downstairs."

Zhang Zhong glanced at Erina Nakiri, who was coming up behind Zhuang Lei, and his voice was cold, completely lacking the enthusiasm he had shown at the beginning.

Zhuang Lei, having been rebuked, dared not refute, but simply lowered his head and silently retreated. Hearing Zhang Zhong's last words, he felt a chill inexplicably in his heart, as if he were about to face a raging storm.

"Is this shrimp stuffed with fish maw...?"

Looking at the beautifully presented dish even after being cut open, and recalling Erina Nakiri's cooking steps, Chu Qiu couldn't help but look at her and say something.

"To be precise, it's fish roe and shrimp stuffed into fish maw."

I mixed the fish paste and shrimp meat, stirred it well, and then stuffed it into the fish's belly.

Next, simmer it slowly in the previously prepared fish bone broth for an extended period, allowing the flavors to meld perfectly. This is how you create the exquisitely flavorful fish roe and shrimp paste stuffed with fish maw.

Erina Nakiri began to explain the creative concept behind her dish.

"I wonder what this dish, a combination of elements, will taste like..."

Chu Qiu's face was filled with anticipation; the dish in front of her was simply too beautiful to be true!

Fish maw, the main ingredient of this dish, has a pale yellow, translucent texture with a smooth and delicate surface, without the slightest wrinkle.

And because of the stewing process, it looks plump and soft.

Inside the fish's belly, shrimp paste is evenly filled, giving it a light pink color that contrasts beautifully with the fish's milky white, making it exceptionally tempting!

"I feel that it would taste even better with ingredients like hot sauce, but this sauce is pretty good when resources are limited, with a rich shrimp and chicken flavor."

"Yes, if I'm not mistaken, you probably used that old hen to render the chicken fat, then sautéed the shrimp heads in the pan until fragrant, and finally added scallions, ginger, cornstarch slurry, and salt to make a sauce."

Zhang Zhong sniffed, fanned the sauce in front of him with his hand, closed his eyes to savor the flavor, and his voice rang out.

As a seasoned chef, he can determine the preparation method of even simple sauces just by smelling them.

"That's right. Because of the limited ingredients, I can only improvise with the available seasonings and adjust the sauce while maintaining a harmonious flavor."

Erina Nakiri nodded, her gaze towards Zhang Zhong filled with surprise. She wondered if he also possessed the God Tongue, otherwise why would he speak so accurately without the slightest deviation?

Not only was there no deviation, but they even reproduced the steps of the method, which is simply unbelievable!

Wait, it seems that Mr. Zhang didn't actually taste it; he just smelled it briefly. Perhaps he doesn't have a divine tongue but rather an extraordinary sense of smell?

For a moment, Erina Nakiri thought about many things, but her expression remained unchanged; she simply raised her hand and gestured for her to proceed.

She was very confident in her cooking. Although she had stopped at the beginner level due to limited ingredients, it was still a top-grade dish, not something that Zhuang Lei's mere first-grade dish could compete with.

What's more, that guy's cooking was riddled with flaws; from the outside, it looked like a plug full of holes. If he could win, it would be a rigged affair.

At that time, even if she doesn't say anything, Bai Yuan will come up and seek justice for her!

"Try it."

"With such an exquisite presentation and an exceptionally enticing aroma, the taste must be quite good."

"We'll have to try it to know for sure."

As they chatted back and forth, Jinshan and Chuqiu simultaneously reached out with their chopsticks and picked up fish roe and shrimp paste stuffed with fish belly, which was cut into small pieces, evenly arranged on a plate, and drizzled with sauce.

Upon tasting the dish, the first thing they experienced was the incredibly soft and tender texture of the fish maw, its light and bouncy flavor seemingly melting gently on their tongues.

Next, the bouncy texture of the shrimp paste contrasts sharply with the fish maw, and the sweetness of the shrimp meat, enhanced by the combination of fish paste and starch, appears firm and elastic.

The most surprising element is the fish roe mixed in with the filling. The jet-black fish roe bursts gently in the mouth with the movement of the palate, releasing a rich ocean flavor that instantly elevates the taste of the entire dish!

"Indeed, the salty and savory flavor of the fish roe and the sweetness of the shrimp paste intertwine to create a unique taste sensation! The fish paste added in the middle acts as a good binder, making the texture even smoother and more delicate."

Chu Qiu nodded approvingly. Although it was just a combination of a few ingredients, it was just right, and none of them seemed superfluous.

"Speaking of texture, you can clearly feel the different textures of the shrimp and fish pieces when you chew. Was this intentional?"

Jinshan looked at Erina Nakiri and asked her about the secret of the shrimp and fish.

"That's right. In order to add layers to the dish and prevent it from becoming greasy after just a couple of bites, I processed the shrimp and fish pieces into three different sizes to create layers."

Erina Nakiri nodded. After discovering that Zhuang Lei had mashed all the crab roe into a paste, she took out the sliced ​​shrimp and fish pieces and temporarily added a layer of minced meat, creating a triple texture.

"The simmering of the broth gives this dish its soul. The fish maw and shrimp paste fully absorb the essence of the fish bone and chicken broth, resulting in a rich but not greasy soup with layers of umami flavor. It is simply a rare delicacy!"

Upon hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Kinzan was genuinely impressed. This dish was exceptional in every aspect and had been brought to its fullest potential.

"The soft and glutinous texture of the fish maw, the bouncy and tender texture of the shrimp paste, the bursting flavor of the fish roe, and the umami of the broth together create a feast for the senses!"

Zhang Zhong closed his eyes as he spoke, thoroughly enjoying the taste in his mouth. This was the kind of dish that should be served in a competition, not the perfunctory one served by Zhuang Lei.

"The moment you bite into the fish belly, it's as if you're in a soft sea of ​​clouds. The soft and glutinous texture of the fish belly melts in your mouth like clouds, bringing a light and warm feeling."

Beside him, Jinshan also closed his eyes. At this moment, he felt light and airy all over, as if he were floating among the clouds.

But when their teeth touched the shrimp paste, the scene suddenly changed, and they were almost instantly transported to a shimmering ocean.

"The bouncy texture of the shrimp paste dances on your tongue like ocean waves, and its fresh and sweet taste is like a sea breeze, bringing a refreshing and energetic feeling!"

Immersed in the ocean, feeling the rising and falling waves around him, Jinshan was filled with bliss, as if his whole body had been cleansed.

Next comes the flavor of the fish roe. When those tiny black fish roe burst on the tip of your tongue, the scene is instantly illuminated.

Each fish roe is like a tiny star, releasing a rich umami flavor.

These tiny stars, crushed by the tongue, fall onto the shimmering ocean, creating a magnificent picture.

Then, the umami flavor of the broth from stewing the fish maw, like a stream, flows from all directions into the sea, nourishing every taste bud in the mouth and bringing a deep and warm sense of satisfaction.

"This is really good! This kind of dish deserves to be featured in the Young Chef Competition!"

Chu Qiu looked at the fish roe and shrimp paste stuffed with fish maw in front of him, his face full of praise. The dramatic difference before and after made him subconsciously sigh.

"It's not just the natural flavor of the ingredients, but also the carefully prepared sauce."

Zhang Zhong's voice rang out, drawing everyone's attention to the sauce.

"That's right. If the dish itself lays the foundation for deliciousness, then the sauce gives it its soul and makes it shine with new brilliance."

Jinshan also nodded in agreement, and a delicious aroma wafted from his mouth. Because the ingredients used were from the same source as the dishes in front of him, the two complemented each other perfectly.

"The chicken oil extracted from old hens has a rich poultry aroma, which can add a deep and warm umami flavor to the sauce."

This umami flavor complements the fresh seafood flavors of the fish maw and shrimp paste, making the overall taste of the dish more complete.

Chu Qiu's voice rang out, and by carefully tasting the sauce, one could taste the unique flavor of the old hen.

The superior aroma of poultry harmonizes and intertwines with the unique umami of marine life, creating a new taste experience!

"Using the original broth to cook the original food—that's the highest level of cooking!"

Zhang Zhong put down his chopsticks with a satisfied look on his face. He had already cleaned the fish roe and shrimp stuffed fish belly in front of him. Such deliciousness was not far from being a top-grade one-star dish. It was hard to imagine that the person who made such a dish was just a little girl.

Although she was wearing a mask, it was easy to tell from her figure, voice, and the youthful skin beneath the mask that the person in front of her was definitely not very old.

They might even be only around twenty years old.

What exactly is this so-called "dark cuisine" world?!

Although the world of dark cuisine had already given him quite a shock during this period, he still felt his hair stand on end when he saw another young genius emerge from it.

It's perfectly normal for a faction to have one or two geniuses.