The delicacies of the heavens begin with obtaining gem meat.

Chapter 136 Autumn Selection Tournament Opens

One week after the preliminary rounds of the Autumn Selection concluded, the eight Jiang Yan members who ultimately emerged victorious are about to face the main competition of the Autumn Selection.

Unlike the preliminary rounds, the autumn selection tournament adopts a two-person duel system with the winner advancing.

There is no room for error; every match will directly determine whether you stay or leave.

The day before the official competition, Jiang Yan received a notification that he needed to go to the Autumn Selection Committee office to determine the battle groups, the order of appearance, and to draw the theme of the competition dish.

They had very little time to prepare, which put the trainees to the test of their on-the-spot adaptability and culinary skills.

Early in the morning, Totsuki Academy specially dispatched a car to pick up Jiang Yan, Yukihira Soma, and Tadokoro Megumi, who had passed the preliminary rounds at Polaris Dormitory.

Inside the carriage, Jiang Yan leaned against the window, watching the rapidly receding autumn scenery with a calm expression.

Yukihira Soma, standing to the side, seemed eager to try.

As for Tadokoro Megumi, she slightly gripped the hem of her clothes, a hint of nervousness in her eyes, yet her gaze was firm, clearly ready to meet the challenge.

The three of them quickly arrived and were taken to the office of the Autumn Selection Committee.

They then joined up with the five trainees, including Hayama Akira, who had passed the preliminary rounds.

The three people in charge of the Totsuki Autumn Selection, Satoshi Isshiki, Erina Kiri, and Ezuya Eizan, have also arrived.

Isshiki explained the relevant procedures for the main competition to everyone.

Next came the matters concerning the battle groups, the order of appearance, and the selection of dishes for the competition.

After that, Isshiki and his two companions had individual conversations with the eight trainees to clarify the competition details and requirements.

Jiang Yan was the last to arrive at the conference room.

Looking at Jiang Yan as he entered, Isshiki Satoshi spoke with a serious expression.

"Jiang Yan, the draw results are in. You've been assigned to the fourth match, and your opponent is Alice."

"The topic of your competition is dessert."

"The range of desserts is very broad, and there is a high degree of freedom in it."

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"And today you need to decide on the dish and prepare all the necessary ingredients and utensils —"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan paused slightly, then raised an eyebrow helplessly.

A battle against Alice, renowned for her molecular gastronomy skills —

In fact, the easiest way for him to win is to use rare ingredients to directly crush his opponent.

But if you actually do that, it won't make any sense.

True culinary skill should be about transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary; it's a combination of technique, creativity, and heart.

Jiang Yan believed that his culinary skills, honed to the point of perfection, were more than enough to handle this duel.

However, Alice's personality is like a child's, and she has an extremely strong competitive spirit. If she loses a match, she will probably cry for a long time!

After everything was resolved, Jiang Yan and his two companions returned to Polaris Lodge in a private car.

Jiang Yan went straight back to his room and began to think about the desserts he wanted to make.

The first thing that comes to mind is naturally Chinese pastries.

However, Chinese pastries are incredibly diverse, ranging from thin-skinned and generously filled shumai, to soft and sweet steamed buns, mooncakes symbolizing completeness, and crumbly pastries—

Each one has its own unique flavor and technique, but no matter how much you think about it, the outline of a particular dessert always lingers in your mind.

After all, that dessert left a deep impression on him.

Jiang Yan finally made up his mind and decided to make that dessert.

While Jiang Yan was contemplating the dishes he wanted to make, the kitchen of Polaris Dormitory was brightly lit, and Soma Yukihira and Megumi Tadokoro were also busy preparing for their respective competition themes.

A day passes in the blink of an eye.

By the next day, as dawn broke, the Moonlight Hall at Totsuki Academy was already packed with people.

The audience seats were packed, while the judges' seats were occupied by Totsuki Academy's Grand Master Kiri Senzaemon, along with four other renowned gourmets.

The first match was between Soma Yukihira and Hisako Shinoto.

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Almost the entire Polar Star Dormitory turned out, with Jiang Yan, Ryoko, Yoshino Yuuki, Aoki Daigo, and others taking up front-row seats early on, creating a huge spectacle.

As it was her second match, Megumi Tadokoro was currently in the backstage preparation room adjusting her condition, watching the situation on the field through the screen.

As Kirisenzaemon announced the start, Soma Yukihira and Hisako Shinoto got busy.

The topic of their duel in this match is bento boxes.

Hisako Shirato, as Erina Kiri's personal secretary, is skilled in medicinal cuisine, and naturally, she prepared medicinal cuisine this time as well.

Five-red steamed buns are made with red beans, red rice, red goji berries, red dates, and red-skinned peanuts as a staple food.

It has a soft and fluffy texture, is sweet but not cloying, and carries the warm aroma of the ingredients themselves;

Paired with refreshing and palate-cleansing medicinal cold tofu, it's smooth, tender, and flavorful.

When paired with refreshing bamboo leaf porridge, it perfectly complements the hot and dry weather during the transition from summer to autumn, leaving you feeling cool and refreshed afterward.

Soma Yukihira presented him with a Yukihira-ryu seaweed bento box, which was made just for him.

We used the latest insulated lunch boxes, which can lock in the temperature and taste of food for a long time.

The moment the box was opened, a rich aroma filled the room.

The top layer consists of three side dishes: seaweed and fish cake, crisp burdock shreds, and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside fried cod. The texture is rich and the taste is full of surprises.

The middle layer is miso soup simmered with onions and bacon, which is rich, fragrant and warming to the stomach.

A layer of seaweed granules is evenly spread on the bottom layer of white rice.

As the kudzu root soup in the lid is poured over the rice, all the flavors blend perfectly, instantly igniting the taste buds.

After tasting the food, the five judges all showed expressions of delight, their chopsticks unable to stop, completely immersed in this bento box full of surprise and heartfelt sentiment.

During the judging process, the five judges paused briefly to consider their options.

Hisako Shirato's medicinal bento is exquisitely crafted, seasonally appropriate, and has an impeccable taste;

Soma Yukihira's seaweed bento is not only delicious, but also firmly grasps the core of "bento" - convenience, warmth, fun and thoughtfulness. Every detail shows consideration for the diner, combining creativity and flavor.

Ultimately, the judges unanimously ruled that Soma Yukihira was the winner.

This result greatly excited everyone in the Polaris Dormitory. More importantly, many students have changed their opinion of Soma Yukihira.

With the first match concluded, the second match followed immediately, with Megumi Tadokoro facing off against Ryo Kurokiba.

The competition topic was: Ramen.

Just before Tadokoro Megumi was about to enter, Yoshino Yuuki took out a large handful of meticulously crafted round fans.

The round fans are colorful, in cherry blossom pink and lavender purple—adorned with cute patterns and Tadokoro Megumi's name, full of girlish charm.

"Come on everyone! Grab this and let's cheer for Xiaohui!"

Yoshino Yuuki enthusiastically handed the round fans to everyone in the Polar Star Dormitory.

Mito Ikumi and the Takumi brothers were also forced to accept a share.

Jiang Yan looked at the pink and brightly colored fan in his hand with a helpless expression. It seemed a bit too girly.

Then, Aoki Daigo and Sato Shoji, who were standing nearby, enthusiastically put their arms around Jiang Yan.

"Jiang Yan! Let's cheer for Tian Suo together!"

Jiang Yan sighed helplessly, and could only grit his teeth and raise the fan, forcing a stiff smile on his face.

At this moment, Soma Yukihira, who had just stepped off the field, also arrived at the stands. With a quick glance, he locked onto the location of the Polar Star Dormitory members.

The main reason is that they stand out so much in the audience that it's hard not to notice them.

On the field, Kurokiba Ryo's aura was fully unleashed, like a raging wild beast.

Looking at Kurokiba Ryo, Tadokoro Megumi took a deep breath, her eyes hardening as she focused all her attention on cooking.

Under the intense gaze of the entire audience, before the appointed time had even arrived, Kurokiba Ryo had already finished his dish—French fish soup ramen.

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The broth has a rich and mellow bright red color, which is achieved by simmering fish offal, shrimp brains, and crushed shrimp shells for a long time.

The freshness of the fish offal, the sweetness of the shrimp brains, and the rich texture unique to French cuisine blend perfectly in the soup base.

Without any unnecessary embellishment, the flavor is direct and aggressive, like the claws of a beast, fiercely gripping the taste buds of every judge.

After just one sip of the soup, the judges' faces all showed expressions of utter rapture.

The rich, almost overwhelming seafood flavor exploded in their mouths, layer upon layer, reaching straight to the top of their heads, making them almost forget that they were judging the dish, completely immersed in the ultimate enjoyment brought by this dish.

The addition of shrimp shells to the batter makes it even more flavorful.

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