Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

Upon hearing the man's words, Alice Nakiri immediately showed an expression of sudden realization.

No wonder these people came out so late. If they started collecting ingredients, they are already among the fastest to come out at this time.

“This beast lives in the mountains and is familiar with the surrounding terrain, so it was really difficult to catch. It took me a lot of effort to finally capture it.”

When asked by Alice Nakiri, the man answered truthfully, while Erina Nakiri looked bewildered.

"Oh, I see. Is there a reason why you're out so late? What are you talking about?"

Unable to understand, Erina, driven by curiosity, grabbed Alice's arm, wanting to get the answer from her.

"Teacher Bai Yuan once gave me wilderness survival training, which, simply put, means stripping you of everything and having to survive in the forest from scratch."

You'll need to build your own shelter, gather food in the wilderness, and survive.

Thinking of that less-than-pleasant experience, Alice Nakiri's lips twitched slightly, and she couldn't help but raise her hand to cover her eyes.

Bai Yuan tricked her into leaving her home by telling her he would treat her to a lollipop and took her to the mountains.

She thought Bai Yuan had finally lost his temper and wanted to do something inappropriate for children, but after she took off her clothes, her master was gone.

All that was left was a note and a hand-drawn map.

The note briefly explained the situation to her, while the map showed her the distribution of resources in the forest, as well as the locations of some supply packs.

Although it was abstract, after half an hour of impotent rage, Alice Nakiri eventually accepted it.

Although it was a solo wilderness survival exercise, she knew Bai Yuan was watching her, and having undergone similar training before, she wasn't afraid and went ahead with it.

The final assessment involves cooking three first-class dishes using natural forest ingredients: two main dishes and one soup, all of which must be interconnected.

The people in front of her were probably in a similar situation to her back then.

Having experienced that dark time, Alice Nakiri understands perfectly why these guys are only coming out now.

"Searching for ingredients in the wilderness to cook dishes..."

Alice Nakiri's words caused a subtle change in Erina Nakiri's expression and deeply moved her.

If that's the case, then this dish is indeed hard-won.

but...

Despite knowing their difficult circumstances, she would not lower her standards because of it.

Teacher Bai Yuan must have kept her here for this reason.

Erina Nakiri picked up the bowl in front of her, took a sip of chicken soup, closed her eyes, and savored the flavor.

"The chicken and mushrooms are stir-fried in chicken fat, perfectly showcasing the deliciousness of the pheasant, the savory aroma of the mushrooms, a touch of salt, the sweetness of honey, and a hint of spiciness..."

"But since you're in the mountains, I'm curious, how do you get your saltiness? Especially this kind of saltiness that I've never tasted before."

Erina Nakiri was genuinely curious. Logically speaking, it would be difficult to obtain salt in the mountains and forests, yet she could clearly sense the saltiness in it. And it wasn't just any ordinary saltiness; at least her God Tongue couldn't detect it. It was a completely new taste she had never experienced before!

"I burn pine wood in a fire and collect the ash produced after burning. I put the ash into a bamboo tube, add an appropriate amount of water, stir it well, and let it stand."

In this way, the ash alkali suspended in the water will gradually settle to the bottom of the container. After pouring out the top layer of water, what remains is a ash alkali solution containing salt.

Through further evaporation, concentration, and drying, pure pine ash alkali can be obtained, which is the source of the salt in this dish.

Hearing Erina Nakiri's question, the man's lips curled into a smile, and he began to speak, his face revealing a hint of excitement.

He could finally put on an act in front of these geniuses, and it was incredibly satisfying to see their innocent and clueless eyes!

“In the deep mountains and forests, people can use the pine ash alkali extraction method to obtain salt. This is a method that Teacher Baiyuan learned during a trip and passed on to us on the fourteenth day of the class.”

Beside her, a slender girl suddenly spoke up and told Erina Nakiri the truth: this method, which ordinary people would never think of, came from Hakugen.

Bai Yuan answered the question simply because someone asked out of curiosity, and it comes in handy now.

Judging from the judges' expressions, the effect should be quite good.

"I see. Teacher Bai Yuan is truly knowledgeable. He can even solve this kind of problem by obtaining salt from fully burned pine wood."

Upon hearing the slender girl's words, Erina Nakiri suddenly realized that if it were Shirabuchi, everything would seem normal.

The truly remarkable person is not the student in front of him, but his teacher, Bai Yuan!

"It should be the result of this year's trip, because my coach didn't mention these things to me during my special training."

Alice Nakiri muttered a complaint under her breath, then picked up her chicken soup and sipped it, a look of enjoyment on her face.

"Hawk meat contains much higher levels of calcium, phosphorus, and iron than ordinary domestic chickens, and is also rich in protein and amino acids. It is not only a good food therapy product, but also tastes more delicious than ordinary domestic chickens."

Its meat is firmer than domestic chicken and has a richer flavor with a unique aroma. This distinctive flavor allows the pheasant to bring out its deliciousness without needing many seasonings, effectively compensating for any lack of seasoning.

Taking a bite of pheasant meat and savoring it, Alice Nakiri wore a satisfied expression. This was a delicacy unique to the mountains and forests!

"Not only is the chicken delicious, but the hazel mushrooms found in the mountains are also a top-notch delicacy, having absorbed the essence of heaven and earth to grow."

Its meat is thick and firm, with a delicious, tender, and succulent texture, leaving a lingering aftertaste. One bite is like entering another world of savory delights!

With her eyes closed, savoring the delicious flavors, Erina Nakiri felt surrounded by umami. It wasn't until a rooster crowed that she snapped out of her daze.

"A wonderful dish. Despite limited resources, it made excellent use of the available conditions to create this unparalleled delicacy!"

Erina Nakiri opened her eyes and couldn't help but praise him, while her admiration for Shiro Awakening grew even stronger.

It's incredible that these students who were on the verge of dropping out could become top students in the elementary school after his guidance!

PS: Next chapter preview: A demon crawling out of hell

I need your monthly votes! I'm on the monthly vote leaderboard and really need them. I'll try my best to write 10,000 words tomorrow.

Chapter 117 The Demons That Crawled Out of Hell

"You've passed. Tell me your name."

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.