Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

A casual remark from someone nearby made the clever people present realize something, and they looked at the shumai in their hands with thoughtful expressions.

The textures and flavors presented in these small shumai are just like those of different parts of a sheep, aren't they?

For a time, cheers and exclamations of praise filled the air. Many men and women had rosy cheeks and, after finishing their own food, wanted to grab food from those around them.

However, because each person only received one, by the time they finished theirs, there wasn't another whole lamb shumai to be found.

"Ah, this..."

The Mediterranean man paused slightly when he saw the audience's frenzied reaction. He then turned to look at Chihiro Natsume, wanting to get his shumai back, only to find that she was flushed and clearly not in a good condition. The whole lamb shumai in front of him had already been completely devoured by her.

"Truly excellent, as expected of Totsuki!"

As the whole lamb shumai entered her stomach, a gentle warmth emanated from it. Chihiro Natsume's expression was slightly dazed before she uttered a heartfelt exclamation of praise.

She closed her eyes, and images appeared before her.

At this moment, she seemed to have become a sheep, living among a flock of sheep, and as she chewed and savored, the scene slowly began to move.

It was a picture of a flock of sheep migrating!

As you chew, the different cuts of lamb intertwine in your mouth.

The scene then shifts to depicting sheep migrating through different terrains and climates, yet still full of vitality. It shows both the arduous journey along rugged mountain paths and the free running across the plains.

"So this is the life of a sheep..."

Opening her eyes, Chihiro Natsume's eyes were initially confused, then brightened. Such top-notch cuisine was only an appetizer, which was surprising.

Of course, what shocked her even more was the quality of this whole lamb shumai.

She was certain she hadn't misread that faint ray of light; this tiny Far Moon Palace actually harbored a chef of this caliber. She had to meet him!

Thoughts swirled in his mind, but his face remained calm and composed, maintaining the dignity expected of a judge.

At the same time, in venue B.

Chihiro Orie pursed her lips, crossed her legs, and her face was full of suppressed restraint, but in the end she couldn't bear it anymore and collapsed onto the table.

Her beautiful, obedient face was pressed against the cold tabletop as she gasped for breath, her chest rising and falling, her eyes filled with something indescribable.

"That's...foul."

Lifting her face from the table and looking at the spotless plate in front of her, Chihiro Orie paused for a long time before gritting her teeth and speaking.

Simultaneously.

She also had the idea of ​​meeting the cook.

Venue A.

Looking at the young men and women who had been captivated by the whole lamb shumai and were slumped in their seats, Hisako Shinto had a knowing look on her face.

On the cutting board in front of her was a plate of lamb chops with skin on, which she had ordered a few days ago from a lamb supplier.

In his right hand, he held a blowtorch, from which roaring flames shot out, scorching the skin of the lamb chops and burning away any remaining hair.

Cut the prepared black goat ribs into small pieces and soak them in cold water to remove the blood. Put them in a pot of cold water, add cooking wine and angelica root to blanch them, then rinse them clean and place them in a bowl for later use.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and stir-fry the lamb until it develops a milky aroma. Then transfer it to a clay pot and add hot water to cover the top of the meat.

"To relieve dryness, use hairy root, sugarcane, and water chestnut. To moisturize dryness, use Solomon's seal and lily bulb. Codonopsis strengthens the spleen and replenishes qi. Red dates replenish blood, and angelica removes fishy odor."

Hisako Shinto silently recited the medicinal properties she had read about in a pharmacology book, her eyes fixed on the clay pot in front of her, turning the heat down to a simmer when the water boiled.

Unlike other dishes, medicinal cuisine requires a lot of time to accumulate, but it cannot be over-accumulated; it needs to be taken out of the pot at the right time.

"Such a strong curry smell, is this for curry lamb? It's surprisingly ordinary..."

With a slight blush, Chihiro Natsume, sitting on the judges' panel, squeezed her legs together, an unnatural flush appearing on her face: "This unique fragrance that lingers around me!"

"They're actually kneading dough. Curry lamb with baked naan is indeed a good combination."

Looking at Hayama Akira who was cooking, Roland Chapel crossed his arms and voiced his guess.

"That naan...could it be...?"

Sitting next to Roland Chapel is Shiomi Jun, a young genius professor in the history of Totsuki Culinary Academy, known as the "Spice Authority".

At that moment, as if she had just thought of something, she lightly covered her mouth, her face full of surprise.

"Shhh."

Perhaps noticing Shiomi Jun in the audience, Hayama Akira raised his hand and made a shushing gesture.

"As you expected, Jun. My cooking... only begins now..."

As he sprinkled the holy basil into the soup pot, Akira Hayama's face revealed a determined expression. He wanted to prove his talent with this dish!

"This aroma... is a slightly refreshing scent mixed with thick coconut milk."

"It brings a refreshing feeling and stimulates the appetite."

In the audience, many people swallowed hard, their faces showing longing as they smelled the rich yet refreshing aroma in the air.

"In this venue filled with all sorts of smells, only the aroma from his pot stood out."

"This is evidence that the spices are blended perfectly."

Even though the judges were all famous food critics, they all looked like they were enjoying themselves.

"Ah, this is a different scent, is it smoke?"

"I see. Smoking is also a cooking method that can release aroma."

"The air in the venue was covered again."

He closed his eyes, savoring the aromas in the air, while providing commentary.

The battle for fusion cuisine actually began the moment they stepped onto this stage.

The air is filled with the intense aromas of various dishes, which can easily interfere with the chef's judgment.

If you can't judge the state of your cooking, then you don't need to continue cooking; you can declare defeat now.

"Dough and curry, that guy must be making puff pastry soup, a dish created by Paul Bocuse, a representative figure in French cuisine."

However, while flamboyance is certainly a form of expression for curry, a restrained yet explosive approach might produce a better effect in the competition.

"Teacher Bai Yuan."

"Brother Bai Yuan".

Upon seeing Bai Yuan suddenly appear in the VIP room, Erina Nakiri and Alice Nakiri stood up at the same time and greeted him in unison.

"You can just sit here, don't worry about me."

Seeing the two people get up, Bai Yuan waved his hand indifferently, stepped to the glass, and looked down at everything that was happening in the A venue.

Especially Hajime Hajime, the owner of the Nose of God, undoubtedly possesses unparalleled potential, and his talent is exceptionally good.

"Teacher Bai Yuan, what did you mean by that just now? What do you mean by 'restrained explosion'...?"

Sitting down again, Erina Nakiri asked with some curiosity.

"It's about locking the aroma of the curry in the curry until it bursts forth the moment you swallow and chew it, so that the deliciousness can reach straight to the heavens."

Of course, I'm not saying the following method is bad; if you're opening a shop, a strong aroma is more likely to attract customers.

Objectively speaking, both cooking methods have their advantages and disadvantages, but Bai Yuan prefers the more understated approach.

For him, deliciousness is the key.

"To be able to sleep so soundly in that kind of chair, this transfer student is really a peculiar person."

Just as Bai Yuan was lost in thought, Nakiri Erina's surprised voice rang out.

Bai Yuan followed her gaze and found that Yukihira Soma was asleep in a chair, with his legs crossed.

"It's probably because I was too tired from studying the dishes, and the waiting time was boring. Plus, I was too exhausted, so I fell asleep. This happens often."

Looking at Yukihira Soma's appearance, Bai Yuan nodded with understanding. He had been in the same situation before, so he was not surprised, but rather felt a sense of familiarity.

"It's now!"

With a slight twitch of his nose, a rich aroma filled his nostrils. Soma Yukihira's expression shifted slightly, and he suddenly opened his eyes, lifting the lid off the pot in front of him.

"Look, in that pot, rice, vegetables, spices, and mutton are stewed together!"

In the audience, everyone looked surprised when they saw the dish in Soma Yukihira's hot pot.

"You added crushed apples, bananas, and carrots to your pot, which gives the rice a thick consistency and makes it into an Italian-style lamb risotto."

Beside him, Hayama Akira, who had been watching Yukihira Soma closely, sniffed, closed his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then revealed the key to Yukihira Soma's cooking.

"Yayama, not bad, you're right, you really have a good nose."

In short, just wait and see; this is only the beginning of making a dish.

Upon hearing Hayama Akira's words, Yukihira Soma smiled mysteriously, and his expression made the other party suspect that there might be something else hidden in the other party's dish.

Meanwhile, at venue B.

"The water buffalo grows its horns first, then its head; your mom bought you roasted mutton."

Humming an unknown tune, Huang Mei kept her hands busy as she cooked mutton, adding peppercorns, scallions, and ginger.

"The aromas of Hangzhou peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and wild chili peppers have come together to create a complex fragrance. Is this for spicy lamb chops?"

Chihiro Orie sniffed, her gaze fixed on Zhang Chen in the corner, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"That girl over there is also quite good. The meat in the pot smells so pure and delicious, with no impurities mixed in except for some vegetables."

I remember a dish from the Hui people of China called hand-pulled mutton, which doesn't have many seasonings; you just enjoy the pure aroma of the meat.

Beside the Senpyo-ori River, a chubby old man smiled at Wang Jing, or rather, at the mutton in her pressure cooker, his heart filled with anticipation.

He has no other hobbies except eating meat; otherwise, he wouldn't have come to Totsuki as a judge.

After tasting the contents of the pressure cooker—carrots, peppercorns, bay leaves, celery, and salt—Wang Jing closed the lid and stood aside to wait.

She is from Ningxia, and her ancestors have been followers of Islam for generations. The cuisine she learned was all halal. She once ran a well-known halal restaurant in Ningxia, but was defeated when someone came to challenge her business, so she embarked on the path of studying.

She started out with sincerity, but after witnessing too many amazing and despair-inducing technologies, she became desperate. Then she met Liu Yu, who had also been severely discouraged, and the two of them started to give up together.

Of course, giving up is just an attitude; she still insists on cooking for eight hours every day, taking every dish seriously and improving her culinary skills.

However, she could never recapture the passion for cooking she had in her youth.