The delicacies of the heavens begin with obtaining gem meat.

Chapter 139 The Golden Smile

Snapping out of his reverie, Kirisenzaemon's clothes had unknowingly slipped off, revealing his well-built muscles.

Clearly, Alice's cooking has reached the point where it "tears Kirisanzaemon's clothes apart."

The students in the audience were not too surprised by this.

After all, Alice, who was standing on the field, was a member of the Che family and a genius girl known for her molecular gastronomy.

It's only natural that he could make a dish that would "rip Kirisenzaemon's clothes."

Just as everyone's attention was still focused on Alice, Jiang Yan picked up his dish and went to the judging panel.

Immediately, everyone's attention was drawn to Jiang Yan's cooking.

Jiang Yan's dishes were not placed on plates, but on a meticulously crafted azure dragon statue.

The dragon's scales and claws are clearly defined. It raises its head and sways its tail, exuding a magnificent aura. On its back and claws, a dozen or so fist-sized buns are arranged in a staggered manner.

The steamed buns are a brilliant golden yellow, as if they have been gilded, and they are glossy and smooth but not greasy.

Furthermore, each bun has a crack on it, making it look like it's grinning.

A subtle aroma slowly spread, the rich flavor of meat and wheat blending perfectly, warm and robust, instantly whetting everyone's appetite.

"This is my dish—Golden Smile, please enjoy."

Jiang Yan said calmly.

Looking at the golden buns, which were shaped like cute little dragons and supported by a dragon statue, the five judges exchanged glances, all feeling a sense of novelty.

"The plating is quite ingenious and innovative."

One of the judges looked at the Azure Dragon statue in front of him and sighed in admiration.

"Judging from the outer skin of this bun, it must have been deep-fried? It's rare to find a bun fried so perfectly."

Another judge leaned closer to take a look, and then prepared to pick up a steamed bun that Jiang Yan called the Golden Open Smile to taste.

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However, as soon as the judge's finger touched one of the buns, the bun, which had been quietly placed on the Azure Dragon statue, began to tremble slightly upon being touched.

Immediately afterwards, a crisp and cheerful laugh came from the steamed bun: "Hahaha—hahaha—!"

The laughter was crisp and melodious, like the playful laughter of children.

The next moment, all the buns on the Azure Dragon statue began to tremble one after another, and bursts of laughter rang out, converging into a joyful sound that echoed throughout every corner of the arena.

"W-What is this?!"

The judge who had just reached out to touch the steamed bun abruptly pulled his hand back, his face filled with disbelief and astonishment.

The other four judges, including the well-informed Kirisenzaemon, all had their pupils suddenly contract and their faces were full of astonishment.

Having lived most of my life and tasted countless dishes, I have never heard of or seen a steamed bun that can smile!

Amid the laughter, many trainees gaped, their eyes wide, their faces filled with shock and bewilderment.

For a moment, the only sound in the entire venue was Baozi's clear laughter echoing in the air.

After a few seconds of deathly silence, Kirisenzaemon was the first to come to his senses.

He took a deep breath, and the astonishment in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by intense interest and admiration. Then, his deep voice broke the silence of the arena.

"Smiling buns — this is truly a wildly imaginative idea. The way of cooking should be to break the rules and be unconventional."

Even though the principle behind the steamed bun's laughter is still unclear, its creativity surpasses that of most dishes.

However, the taste of a dish is ultimately the most important factor.

Senzaemon waved his hand, offering a reminder.

"Alright, let's start tasting!"

The other four judges then seemed to snap out of their daze, suppressed their astonishment, and carefully reached out to pick up the golden buns that were still emitting soft smacking sounds.

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The warm touch came from their fingertips, and the five judges no longer hesitated. They opened their mouths and took a bite of the golden bun in their hands.

The thick, almost undissolved gravy gushed out like a fountain the moment you bit into the skin, instantly filling your entire mouth.

"It's so hot! It's burning hot!"

The scalding hot broth made the judges instinctively open their mouths to breathe and furrow their brows. Even though their tongues were numb from the heat, none of them were willing to spit out the buns in their mouths.

"It's so delicious! Just biting into the bun skin releases an incredibly rich, piping hot meat juice that fills my mouth. The savory flavor is an irresistible assault on my taste buds!"

One of the judges, ignoring the fact that his mouth was burning, exclaimed in a loud, indistinct voice, his eyes filled with surprise.

"Incredible! Despite the rich meat juices, it's refreshing and delicious, not greasy at all, and has a lingering sweet aftertaste. The texture is absolutely amazing!"

Another judge closed his eyes and savored the moment, a look of deep enjoyment on his face.

"The outer layer is fried to a perfect crisp, while the inside is tender and juicy. The crispy dough paired with the piping hot and delicious filling is a match made in heaven!"

"This is an absolutely novel and delicious dessert that I've never had before!"

"6

The five judges' exclamations of praise echoed throughout the competition venue.

Kirisenzaemon's clothes, which he had just put back on, slipped off again, revealing his strong, powerful muscles once more.

Ignoring his slipped clothes, Senzaemon Nakiri picked up a complete golden open-mouthed smiley face and examined it closely.

He gently rubbed the opening on the bun with his fingertips, lost in thought.

"The opening on this bun didn't crack from being fried; it was cut open beforehand with a knife."

"When deep-fried at high temperatures, the dough expands, and the cuts naturally open."

"But in this way, the hot oil will inevitably seep into the bun through the opening, and the meat juice inside should flow out completely."

"But these buns are so juicy and flavorful, not a single drop has been lost. How is that possible?"

With a sense of doubt, Kirisenzaemon tore open the bun in his hand, revealing the internal structure of the bun.

Beneath the golden, crispy dough lies tender chunks of meat and translucent glass noodles.

The thick meat juices were completely absorbed by the glass noodles, locking them firmly inside the buns without leaking out at all.

"So you're a fan!"

Senzaemon Nakiri suddenly realized, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light.

"Using glass noodles to absorb the meat juices not only locks in the broth but also enriches the flavor!"

Jiang Yan smiled and then added.

"I soaked these fans in the juices that seeped out when I was frying the beef."

"Even if a small amount of meat juice is lost during the frying process, the vermicelli, which has absorbed the meat juice in advance, will always remain plump and rich, resulting in a better taste."

Meanwhile, the other four judges each tore open a steamed bun to examine it.

After observing for a while, one of the judges suddenly clapped his hands.

"I get it! The secret to why Baozi smiles!"

"Because of deep-frying, the inner skin is crispy, and the bun has a large space inside. The rising heat causes the meat pieces inside to rotate, like steel balls inside a bell, hitting the dough and producing this crisp, cheerful sound!"

"That's not all!"

Another judge looked at the golden-yellow skin of the steamed bun and said seriously.

"A layer of egg yolk is evenly brushed on the bun skin. After being deep-fried at high temperature, the egg yolk forms a tight film that locks in the heat inside the bun, allowing the heat to escape only from the pre-cut opening."

"It not only ensures a golden, crispy outer layer but also serves as a mechanism to trigger laughter—what a brilliant idea!"

As the secret of Jiang Yan's "Golden Open Smile" dish was fully revealed, it not only did not lose its charm, but instead became even more ingenious.

Every detail and every design element is ingenious, perfectly blending technology and fun.

"This is a really interesting and delicious dish."

Senzaemon Nakiri looked up at Jiang Yan, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration.

"This Golden Smile dish was a wonderful surprise, and it showed me the boundless potential of the new generation of chefs at Totsuki Culinary Academy!"

The judges' analysis and praise were clearly transmitted to the ears of every trainee in the audience through the microphone.

The students, who were initially shocked that Baozi could smile, now showed expressions of admiration on their faces.

Although Jiang Yan showed his talent in the autumn selection preliminary competition, he was still considered a dark horse with slightly better luck by the other trainees.

But this golden, smiling dish in front of us has reached a level that is beyond our reach in terms of creativity, technique and flavor.

They knew perfectly well that even if they knew the recipe now, their culinary skills would be no match for it; the difference was real.

Unlike the other students' admiration, Alice was very uneasy, biting her lip tightly, her eyes slightly red, yet still clinging to the last glimmer of hope.

But reality is ultimately cruel.

Senzaemon Nakiri straightened his clothes and solemnly wrote down the name of the winner of the competition—Jiang Yan.

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