Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

Huang Mei showed a frightened expression and subtly moved her chair back, looking like she was ready to run away at any moment, which left Bai Yuan speechless.

"Don't worry, I'm not referring to the physical, but the mental."

"That doesn't sound much better..."

Huang Mei pursed her lips and complained.

Bai Yuan tried hard to explain, but he couldn't get it right, and it seemed like the more he tried to explain, the worse it got.

"Ah! How did this mushroom survive? It can even sing a nursery rhyme: 'Daddy's daddy is your grandpa, Daddy's mommy is your grandma!'"

At that moment, the man next to the two suddenly stood up, pointed at the mushroom hotpot in front of them, and shouted loudly while clapping his hands to keep the beat, but his face showed no change in expression.

"what!!!"

Upon seeing this, the shop owner let out a sharp, explosive sound.

"Quickly! Another guest has accidentally eaten undercooked mushroom soup. Get him to the hospital right away!"

Seeing the customers gesturing wildly with blank expressions, the staff reacted quickly.

Some called for ambulances, while others provided emergency treatment, demonstrating a well-practiced process.

"What...what's going on? Could someone have poisoned the pot?!"

Seeing this, Huang Mei swallowed hard.

She had heard that Yunnan's mushrooms were famous, but she didn't know that eating undercooked mushrooms could easily cause hallucinations, and in severe cases, even lead to seeing one's great-grandmother.

"That's not the case. It should be said that the toxins are naturally present in the food itself."

Take Yunnan's most famous Boletus luridus as an example. When not fully cooked, the toxins it contains can stimulate the central nervous system, causing Lilliputian hallucinations, just like he is experiencing now.

Bai Yuan pointed to the man being carried away on a stretcher, who kept insisting that he was not sick. The man saw that the mushrooms in the mushroom hot pot had suddenly turned into little people, which most likely meant that he had eaten them before they were cooked.

This is actually quite normal.

Even in Yunnan, a province known for its edible mushrooms, countless Yunnanese people are still hospitalized after eating undercooked mushrooms.

Not to mention places like Japan where such knowledge hasn't been widely disseminated, it's perfectly normal for people to steal food.

After all, the aroma released during the cooking of Boletus luridus in hot pot is hard for anyone to resist.

I noticed that there were no chopsticks on that table of guests; I wonder how they picked things up with chopsticks.

Regardless, with such a typical case, the customers who were originally restless in the store have all become well-behaved.

In fact, if it weren't for the irresistible aroma of the mushroom hotpot in front of them, they would have already gotten up and left this troublesome place.

"No matter what, I have to try it!"

This was the opinion of the vast majority of people present.

Even if they encounter villains or end up in the hospital after drinking the soup, they'd accept it all, but before that, at least let them have a sip of soup!

"Gudu."

"The aroma is wafting out, and I think I understand them a little better now."

The mushroom hot pot in front of her began to boil, and a rich, fresh aroma wafted out. Huang Mei quickly turned her gaze back and stared intently at the hot pot in front of her.

"Mushroom hot pot is one of the few dishes that can reach the top-tier level of cuisine by relying on its ingredients. Even a chef with average skills can make a pot of soup to the top-tier level by relying on the umami of mushrooms."

Seeing Huang Mei lower her head, looking longingly at him, Bai Yuan also took a deep breath to savor the delicious aroma in the air before speaking.

"Indeed, simply putting different kinds of mushrooms together can reach the level of a top-grade dish; it's practically cheating!"

Hearing Bai Yuan's words, Huang Mei nodded in deep agreement.

She worked so hard for so long, but still couldn't reach the top level.

This mushroom hot pot is simply a matter of adding the ingredients according to a set procedure.

When it's ready to serve, the natural freshness of the ingredients elevates the soup to an exceptional level, which is practically an unfair practice!

P.S.: I recommend a friend's book, "It's Awesome to Play a Tokusatsu Hero and Save the World."

Chapter 313 Hot Pot Restaurant Lesson: The Holistic Nature of Cooking

"However, the upper limit of this kind of cooking is also limited. Even if all the details are handled properly, it can only reach the level of a glowing dish at most."

Bai Yuan's voice rang out. To a master chef like him, the mushroom hot pot in front of him could only be described as average, with its upper limit set.

Without improving the dishes themselves, the mushroom hot pot on this restaurant's menu can only be considered a top-tier five-star dish.

As for the even more advanced "Radiant" level, the soup base needs to be improved to create a more enticing flavor combination between the soup and mushrooms!

The dish in front of us, made with free-range chicken and duck, can at most reach the level of a luminous dish.

Of course, for most people, let alone the legendary glowing cuisine, even ordinary premium cuisine is something they can only dream of.

If the only requirement is to cook premium dishes, then thinking about whether you can make luminous dishes is really unrealistic!

Considering the price-performance ratio, Bai Yuan would give this restaurant a nine out of ten.

"Time seems to be running out! Five seconds left! Waiter, the alarm has gone off, can we eat now?!"

As the clock ticked down to zero and finally rang, Huang Mei looked at the waitress excitedly and asked if she could have some.

However, when asked, the waiter simply stepped forward in silence and quietly added five minutes to the alarm clock.

What are you doing?! Why?

Huang Mei expressed her confusion: since the time was set at this point, it proved that the mushrooms in the pot were definitely cooked through, so why add more time?

"I'm sorry, that just happened. After a quick meeting, we decided that, just to be on the safe side, each table's mushroom hotpot will be cooked for an extra five minutes to ensure that the mushrooms are thoroughly cooked."

The waitress spoke up and kindly explained why she did this: it was all because of that guy earlier; you could say that when the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer as a result.

"It's alright, just get us some chopsticks."

The raw, fishy smell of the mushrooms in this pot has disappeared, replaced by a distinctly fresh and fragrant aroma, which remains consistent and proves that they are fully cooked.

In addition, the mushrooms will soften on the surface, some will turn from pale to dark, and they will sink to the bottom of the pot – all signs that they are cooked.

Upon hearing the explanation, Bai Yuan's voice rang out. He could understand not providing chopsticks if the food wasn't fully cooked. But to continue delaying even after it was cooked was something he didn't understand.

Admittedly, someone lay down just now. But that was because they didn't follow the rules.

"But..."

Despite Bai Yuan's reasoned analysis, the waiter remained hesitant. There was already one person lying on the floor in the store; it would be terrible if another one appeared.

"No buts. If this continues, the mushroom hot pot will taste much worse. Overcooked mushrooms are also not tasty. That would ruin the shop's reputation. Your boss wouldn't want that, would he?"

The aroma in the air grew stronger and stronger, and even Bai Yuan couldn't help but swallow his saliva. Putting everything else aside, the fresh and delicious smell was truly amazing!

"The signboard... I'm sorry, please let me consult the manager. I can't make a decision on my own."

Hearing Bai Yuan's words, the waiter felt a little apprehensive, since it was the assistant manager who made the decision to delay for five minutes.

After leaving those words, the waiter jogged over to the manager, who was putting the man on the ambulance and preparing to return to the store, and told him about the assistant manager's decision: to cook each pot of mushroom soup for an additional five minutes.

"Damn it! These Japanese people who seem to be living a good life really have no common sense at all! Mushrooms are ready to eat once they're cooked; there's absolutely no need to cook them for another five minutes. If they're overcooked, they'll taste terrible!"

This guy saw the little man because the mushrooms weren't ripe. There's nothing wrong with the mushrooms themselves. How could that idiot dare to do that?!

Listen, don't extend the time. Let the guests eat when the time is up. Holding back for too long will cause problems!

Standing at the shop entrance, listening to the salesperson's story, the already annoyed owner turned green with anger and started cursing loudly right there in front of the shop.

When they first arrived, their main selling point was their unique selling point.

If you delay eating it by five minutes, the taste will definitely drop significantly.

In addition, there's the risk of seeing villains if you eat undercooked mushrooms. People will weigh the pros and cons, and their business will definitely plummet!

We must take this opportunity to spread the word about how delicious mushroom hot pot is, so that people know that even if they are sick from eating it, they still can't resist the temptation!

Thinking of this, he quickly summoned the waiters and gave them a few instructions, assuring them that as long as they started eating at the originally scheduled time, there would be no problem.

And so he gave the order.

Bai Yuan and Huang Mei also received the chopsticks that should have been given to them a few minutes earlier.

I received a sincere apology from the waiter.

"Try it, the deliciousness will fade with time."

Theoretically, the faster you eat, the better the mushroom hot pot will taste. However, you should still eat in moderation to avoid overeating and ruining your health.

Bai Yuan handed Huang Mei the chopsticks the waiter gave him, and as he spoke, he scooped up some soup with a spoon, saying, "This is the essence of mushroom hot pot!"

Mushroom soup is the only thing in mushroom hot pot that doesn't become unpalatable over time; in fact, it becomes even richer and more delicious.

"I know. How could it be so delicious that it would cause a stomach ulcer?"

Huang Mei followed suit and started ladling soup. In no time, a large bowl was filled in front of her. She took a deep breath of the aroma and drank it in big gulps.

"Using free-range chicken broth as a base, the woody aroma of matsutake mushrooms, the crisp sweetness of termite mushrooms, and the rich, fatty flavor of porcini mushrooms blend together as it boils, creating an incredibly fresh and rich taste!"

After simmering for more than twenty minutes, the mushroom broth becomes exceptionally rich, and the guanylic acid and glutamic acid in the mushrooms provide it with a umami flavor far exceeding that of ordinary ingredients!

As Huang Mei ate, she unconsciously raised her head, her face turned exceptionally rosy, and her eyes narrowed slightly in comfort.

"It also has a refreshing sweetness similar to that of asparagus, and it becomes sticky and smooth towards the end, with a flavor that lingers in your mouth for a long time!"

After finishing the bowl of soup, Huang Mei licked her lips contentedly, swallowed all the overflowing broth, and then spoke with a sigh.

"Does it taste as sweet and delicious as asparagus? This is mainly due to the presence of aspartic acid, which indicates that there are a lot of ingredients like morel mushrooms in the pot."

After finishing the mushroom soup, Bai Yuan, savoring the lingering taste in his mouth, began to explain.

"I see, Chief, you know a lot!"

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's detailed analysis, Huang Mei's face immediately showed an expression of admiration.

"Actually, I don't know much. I just like to read a little bit of miscellaneous books in my spare time, and over time I've come to know these things."

Bai Yuan simply smiled gently at this.

He used to think that as long as he cooked well, that was enough, but later, in order to teach Alice Nakiri molecular gastronomy, he came into contact with biology.

Compared to the experience passed down from the older generation, biological knowledge is undoubtedly more scientifically grounded and can see the essence behind the phenomena, allowing him to use scientific methods to create dishes with higher stability.

Thanks to this, his culinary skills successfully broke through to the level of an eight-star chef.

This is a combination of knowledge and practice.