Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

After tasting it, I realized the flavor and texture were completely different; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe them as worlds apart!

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Yoshino Yuuki's face lit up with excitement. She couldn't wait to know how the so-called meat swallow was made!

"Actually, meat swallows and wontons are quite similar, at least in terms of preparation, there is only one different step."

Feeling the girl's expectant gaze, Bai Yuan's expression was subtle. Meat swallows and wontons, these are completely different things, okay?

However, upon closer examination, it's understandable that the Japanese, who lack access to dishes like meat swallow dumplings, might have this misunderstanding.

"What steps?"

Beside her, Ryoko Sakaki spoke up in confusion, her curiosity no less than that of Yuuki Yoshino, because it was she who suggested buying meat swallow dumplings, and they really tasted amazing!

Wonton and meat swallow dumplings look very similar, but the skin of meat swallow dumplings is noticeably firmer, and they present a different texture in the bowl.

"Wonton is made by wrapping meat in a skin, while meat swallow is made by wrapping meat in a skin. Simply put, meat swallow is made by wrapping pork in a skin."

The biggest difference between the two is the outer skin that wraps the meat filling; otherwise, they are pretty much the same.

"Oh, by the way, the methods for making meat swallow dumplings and pissing beef balls are somewhat similar. Both involve pounding the minced meat with a hammer to improve its texture."

Bai Yuan placed the pork hind leg on the cutting board, and a wooden hammer appeared in his hand. This was the large hammer that Fujian people used to pound rice cakes during the New Year.

Since he couldn't find a suitable tool, he had to use this as a substitute.

With his superb control, there shouldn't be any unexpected problems.

Of course, compared to the chunk of flesh that was only the size of a head, this wooden hammer was far too big, but Bai Yuan had a strong control over his strength, so there was no need to worry.

"Wood, big, big, big, big, big!"

With his waist and stance in perfect harmony, Bai Yuan relentlessly pounded the massive hammer on the chunks of meat, letting out a booming roar as the hammer struck the meat with pinpoint accuracy, one blow after another.

With a burst of power, the intact chunk of meat was turned into mincemeat in just a few moments. This was even with Bai Yuan holding back his strength; otherwise, the situation would have been far more dramatic.

"The minced meat cannot be used directly; the internal fascia needs to be removed, and then sweet potato flour is added and mixed in. Wontons are made with ordinary flour wrappers."

As Bai Yuan spoke, he demonstrated. In his hands, a lump of minced meat quickly transformed into a spread-out pink pancake, which he folded, rolled out thinly, and cut with a cleaver.

Before long, meat swallow skins made of minced meat and sweet potato flour appeared in the girls' eyes.

"Yuuki, is the filling I asked you to prepare ready?"

As he spoke, Bai Yuan looked at Yoshino Yuuki beside him. When he was making the meat swallow skin earlier, he had specifically instructed her to prepare the meat filling for the meat swallow.

The meat swallow filling is also quite particular. Fresh fish and pork leg meat are chopped together into a paste, dried shrimp and water chestnuts are chopped into small pieces, and then an appropriate amount of bone broth, egg liquid, MSG, Shaoxing wine and shrimp oil are added. The mixture is then stirred with chopsticks to form the filling, which can be described as an advanced version of wonton filling.

"nailed it!

But Teacher Bai Yuan, you call this the same as wonton filling? Both the ingredients and the process are far more difficult than making wonton filling!

While stirring the meat swallow filling, Yoshino Yuuki couldn't help but complain that the meat swallow filling was complicated to make. Even she had spent a long time on it, and it was now similar to wonton filling!

"The filling mainly depends on the maker's combination. A hundred people will have a hundred different combinations. This filling will taste good when used to make wontons, not to mention that everyone makes different fillings for meat dumplings."

Hearing Yoshino Yuuki's comment, Bai Yuan scratched his head and explained.

There are no fixed rules for the fillings of wontons and meat dumplings; a thousand people will have a thousand Hamlets, and the same is true for cooking.

"What you're saying isn't entirely unreasonable, but it's just sophistry!"

Bai Yuan's words left Yoshino Yuuki speechless for a moment, and then she began to make even more sarcastic remarks.

While fillings are indeed a matter of personal preference, there are generally some basic preferences. The filling in front of me is clearly not very suitable for wontons.

"Ahem, don't worry about those details, just wait to eat something delicious."

After receiving the meat swallow filling from Yoshino Yuuki, Bai Yuan coughed awkwardly twice, then focused his attention back on wrapping the meat swallows.

On the other side, Alice Nakiri kept a close eye on Bai Yuan's hands, but before she could see Bai Yuan's movements clearly, one meat swallow after another quickly took shape and piled up on the table into a small mountain.

Without any hesitation, she immediately started boiling water.

Although I've never cooked meat dumplings before, judging from the similarity of the ingredients to wontons, they should both require boiling water before cooking. Even if you don't, there's no harm in boiling the water beforehand; you can always just use a different pot.

"Once the meat dumplings are wrapped, they can be cooked in a pot. There are no other steps. Good meat dumplings will not become mushy even after being cooked for a long time, which is quite different from wontons."

As he spoke, Bai Yuan dumped all the meat swallows in his hand into the pot, not at all worried that they would stick together if cooked for too long.

"Teacher Baiyuan, why is this thing that looks like wonton called 'rouyan'?"

Seeing that Bai Yuan had finally finished his work, Nakiri Erina asked with a face full of curiosity.

She had wanted to ask this question for a long time: why do people in Fujian call this meat swallow "meat swallow" instead of simply calling it meat wonton?

However, wontons are supposed to be filled with meat, so calling them "meat wontons" seems a bit redundant...

“You’ve hit the nail on the head. It’s written in the history of Fujian cuisine that the whole shape is like spring flowers, like the character swallow welcoming spring, and it’s made of meat, hence the name meat swallow.”

However, many people believe that the "swallow" in "meat swallow" is related to bird's nest, because meat swallows are characterized by being tender, translucent, smooth, crisp, and refreshing, emitting a clear and warm meaty aroma, which is very similar to the texture of bird's nest.

Upon hearing Erina Nakiri's question, Hakugen pondered for a moment before replying that, in his memory, he seemed to have asked his mother a similar question many years ago...

He still remembers those words vividly.

He really is worthy of it!

Looking at the bubbling meat dumplings in the pot, Bai Yuan had this thought inexplicably come to mind, and a little bit of pride couldn't help but rise in his heart.

"I see. So you're comparing it to bird's nest, even though it's just made of pork and starch. I have a feeling this dish will taste amazing!"

After hearing Bai Yuan's explanation, Erina Nakiri's voice rang out, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Actually, the meat swallows served in hotels are usually cooked with vermicelli and tiger-skin quail eggs, because swallows and banquets are homophones and often appear at wedding banquets and birthday banquets. At the same time, swallows symbolize returning home and reunion, which is suitable for entertaining guests."

Vermicelli is a type of longevity noodle from Fujian province. Its long, unbroken strands symbolize lasting good fortune, health, and longevity. It is often used at banquets to express blessings to guests.

Quail eggs have golden, wrinkled skin resembling tiger stripes. In the Fujian dialect, "tiger skin" sounds like "good fortune," which is considered auspicious. Furthermore, quail eggs are shaped like ingots, symbolizing wealth, and some people believe that eating more of them can bring good fortune.

Seeing that Erina Nakiri was interested, Shirabuchi began to give a long and detailed introduction.

Before venturing into the world of dark cuisine, he was from Fujian and had a relatively better understanding of Fujian's food culture. This meat swallow was a childhood memory for him.

This is the real reason why he showed a surprised expression when Yoshino Yuuki talked about meat swallows.

"Chinese people really like auspicious omens."

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Nakiri Erina and the others finally understood the reason why the hotel had paired the dishes in this way.

Thinking about it carefully, it's true. If you tell such a story at a birthday banquet, everyone who hears it will smile and scramble to have a few more bowls, even if it tastes terrible.

"Here's the thing, you'll have a taste later. It's quite a coincidence that this dish is exactly what I'm going to teach you next. Eat now, and tell me your thoughts after you're done."

Smelling the rich aroma from the pot, Bai Yuan swallowed hard. He hadn't eaten meat dumplings in a long time and was starting to miss the taste of his hometown.

And through the meat swallows, he can continue to preach, teach, and answer questions, which is a win-win situation!

When Yoshino Yuuki mentioned meat swallows earlier, he had already envisioned the next lesson for them, but before he could begin, he needed to get them thinking.

Bai Yuan thought to himself, then scooped the meat swallows out of the pot.

"Try it and see how it differs from meat swallow dumplings. Isn't there a big difference?"

Turning around, he met Erina Nakiri's desperately pleading gaze. Bai Yuan handed her the spoon and placed the meat swallow on the table.

Anyone who wants to eat can scoop some out themselves.

"I'm gonna start now!"

Without any hesitation, Erina Nakiri picked up a spoon, scooped up a meat swallow, and put it in her mouth.

"Sigh~"

There was no taste; the first thing she felt was the heat. After gasping for breath twice, Erina Nakiri managed to put her teeth down.

The moment the teeth lightly touch the swallow skin, it feels as if you are biting through a trembling membrane, which has great toughness and requires a little force to tear.

"The subtle glutinous texture imparted by sweet potato starch intertwines with the refined fibers of pork, resulting in meat swallow skin that is three times more fresh and chewy than ordinary dough!"

The most unique feature of meat swallow dumplings lies in their skin. The chewy outer skin, made from pork and sweet potato flour, is the secret to their unique flavor! Making the meat swallow dumpling skin is half the battle won!

"Then a torrent of fresh and sweet fillings bursts forth, the crispness of the fish, the richness of the pork leg, and the saltiness of the dried shrimp blending together perfectly with the bone broth."

The chopped water chestnuts, like sprites, burst with a crisp, juicy flavor; the egg and shrimp oil transform into golden and silver threads, coating each grain of minced meat with a glossy sheen.

As she spoke, Erina Nakiri closed her eyes.

At that moment, she felt as if she were standing on a mountaintop shrouded in mist.

Two giant dragons burst forth from the clouds!

One is a translucent crystal dragon transformed from the finest swallow skin, its scales as light and translucent as crepe. The other is a crimson flame dragon formed from the filling, its breath a burst of savory aroma from dried shrimp and fish.

The two dragons intertwined and soared into the sky, then miraculously merged into one, carrying her soaring into the heavens!

During this process, the strong wind generated by Long Tengfei lifted her clothes, causing her to press her skirt down in embarrassment.

However, what she didn't know was that as the dragon rose to a certain height, an even stronger storm struck, and her already thin clothes were torn to shreds in the gale.

Chapter 401 Huangmei Arrives! The Tenth Contestant!

"The outer skin is made of pounded pork with a sweet and savory flavor, while the filling is a gushing juice that blends the flavors of mountains and seas. The layering of meat inside meat allows the umami flavor to expand exponentially!"

The pounding process, reminiscent of making "pissing beef balls," gives the meat a breathable texture, and it even springs back slightly when you bite into it—it's like your tongue is dancing with the food!

At the same time, the dragon disappeared, and the "muda muda" sound of Bai Yuan pounding the meat turned into countless phantoms of wooden hammers, frantically pounding in Erina's taste space.

Each hammer blow sent up golden sparks of flesh, which eventually coalesced in the space of consciousness to form a magnificent food battle arena, inspiring awe in all who beheld it.

She stood in the center of the ring, her opponent none other than the berserk Erina, controlled by Rouyan! Wearing boxing gloves made of Rouyan, she attacked her taste buds again and again!

"This is not a simple meat bun at all..."

This is the rhythm unique to flesh!

After swallowing the chewed meat swallow, the taste of dried shrimp and the sweetness of water chestnuts lingered in my throat, while the subtle sweetness of sweet potato starch was like the afterglow of the sunset.

Erina Nakiri leaned on the table, her eyes seemingly losing their light. The deliciousness of the meat swallow had exceeded her expectations, and she was still in shock.

It's clearly a combination of pork and pork.

Why did it end up not resembling pork anymore?

This delicious dish called "meat swallow" is truly amazing!

"Let me try some!"

"Is it really that exaggerated?"