The delicacies of the heavens begin with obtaining gem meat.

Upon entering the audience area, Jiang Yan quickly spotted the Polar Star Dormitory members and walked over to sit down next to Ibuzaki Jun.

Then he looked at Ibuzaki Shun and said.

"I was too busy traveling before to mention it, but I have an idea, if we..."

After listening to Jiang Yan's explanation, Ibuzaki Jun pondered for a moment, and then offered some suggestions on the steps involved.

The two then began to discuss the smoking method for Ligalo mammoth meat.

As they were talking, the noise in the room suddenly increased.

Jiang Yan and Ibuzaki Jun temporarily stopped their discussion and looked up to find that Yukihira Sou had actually walked to the center of the venue.

The audience members' protests rose and fell.

Clearly, many trainees had a negative impression of Soma Yukihira because of his previous remarks.

Most of the students who came to watch the Food Wars this time were hoping to see Soma Yukihira lose and drop out of school.

Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow and said with a hint of teasing.

"Look at this scene, Yukihira is really 'popular'."

Hearing this, despite some worry, the people in Polaris Dormitory couldn't help but laugh.

At this point, Rei Kawashima, the host, announced the start of the food battle.

In front of everyone, Mito Ikumi took out the ingredients she had prepared: a piece of Ligalu mammoth meat with firm texture and a bright red color.

The trainees in the audience were completely bewildered. Although the meat looked quite good, they couldn't tell what kind of meat it was.

In contrast, the expressions of everyone in the Polar Star Dormitory became serious.

Yoshino Yuuki tugged at Jiang Yan's sleeve, asking with a hint of trepidation.

"Hey, Jiang Yan, is Xingping... really okay?"

The others in Polaris Dormitory all turned to look at Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan nodded seriously at this.

"Don't worry, Yukihira will be absolutely fine."

Although the preparation time was short, Soma Yukihira had previously used orange salt, so there shouldn't be any problems with its use.

..............................

On the judges' panel, Yoshiki Oto suddenly stood up as he looked at the meat that Ikumi Mito had brought out, his eyes filled with shock.

"This is……"

Seeing this, Zangmu Zina asked curiously.

"Oto-kun, do you recognize this meat?"

Yoshiki Obō nodded emphatically, speaking with a touch of solemnity.

"Yes, I met him once before by chance."

"It's a top-quality ingredient that appeared recently, and its meat quality far surpasses that of top-grade A5 Wagyu beef."

"It's just that the quantity is extremely small, and it hasn't circulated on a large scale at all."

He paused, then added.

"It's said to be some kind of elephant meat, but the specific test results are still pending."

Although the source of the ingredients may be questionable, for true gourmets, these are irrelevant; the ultimate taste experience is their only pursuit.

He was the same.

That's why, even though no one can explain its exact origin, it has become a delicacy that countless diners flock to.

Many people are racking their brains to trace the source, but their purpose is nothing more than to monopolize the supply and seize the initiative.

Katsunori Okamoto rubbed his hands together, his face beaming with anticipation.

"So this is the elephant meat that attracted the attention of many important figures recently! Being able to taste it myself today, it was definitely worth being a judge!"

I had heard of Ligaloo mammoth meat before, but unfortunately I never had a way to get my hands on it.

It's something he's always regretted.

This time, I'm finally able to get what I wanted.

...........................

When the two-hour cooking time came to an end, Soma Yukihira and Ikumi Mito stopped what they were doing almost simultaneously, as both of their dishes were finished.

Mito Ikumi was the first to bring the dishes forward and place them in front of the judges.

"This is a special grilled meat rice bowl made with elephant meat."

The roasted Ligalo mammoth meat glistened with an enticing sheen, and its aroma filled the nostrils. The three judges could not resist their appetite and immediately picked up their chopsticks to taste it.

As an expert specializing in meat dishes, Ikumi Mito has perfected the preparation of Rigalu mammoth meat.

The Ligalo mammoth meat she prepared instantly captivated the taste buds of the three judges with its domineering and rich meaty aroma, and its tender and chewy texture was simply irresistible.

In no time, the Ligalo mammoth meat in the bowl was completely devoured, but a lot of rice remained. The aroma of the meat was too strong and overpowering, overpowering the original flavor of the rice and making it difficult to swallow.

Next, Soma Yukihira served his dish—Yukihira-ryu Shariabin Steak Rice Bowl (modified).

Because he needed to use orange salt, a key seasoning, Soma Yukihira temporarily changed the entire cooking plan.

The steak was first marinated in orange salt for a short time, then pan-fried until golden brown, allowing the aroma of the orange salt to blend deeply with the meat's flavor.

Then sauté the onions in the oil left over from frying the steak.

The rice was also specially treated. Soma Yukihira originally planned to add preserved plums to enhance the flavor and whet the appetite, but after trying it, he found that the sourness of the preserved plums and the aroma of the orange salt did not go well together.

So Soma Yukihira changed his approach, adding a little rice vinegar to the rice and steaming it with water mixed with orange salt. This retained a subtle sour taste to stimulate the taste buds while also giving it a refreshing orange aroma, which perfectly balanced the richness of the meat.

..............................

The three judges were initially quite casual about Soma Yukihira's cooking, but when they took their first bite of rice with steak, their nonchalance was instantly replaced by surprise.

The sweet and sour rice wraps around the crispy on the outside and tender on the inside steak, which is fragrant but not greasy. The aroma of orange, meat and rice unfolds layer by layer and blends perfectly. Every bite is unforgettable and you can't stop eating it.

In just a short while, the three judges finished off all the meat and rice in their bowls.

Yoshiki Oto put down his chopsticks and looked at Soma Yukihira with amazement.

"Unbelievable! To be able to make ordinary meat taste like the finest ingredients is truly amazing!"

The other two judges nodded repeatedly, their eyes filled with obvious shock, clearly completely captivated by the dish.

Soma Yukihira scratched his head and said casually.

"Well, it's all thanks to someone's help."

If it weren't for the orange salt Jiang Yan gave us, this food battle would have been in real trouble.

Ultimately, all three judges felt that Soma Yukihira's dish was more delicious and better suited the theme of rice bowl.

This allowed Soma Yukihira to win the food battle against Ikumi Mito with an absolute advantage of 3-0.

Mito Ikumi was naturally very unwilling to accept this.

However, after tasting the dish that Yukihira Soma had specially saved, Mito Ikumi had to admit that she was indeed not as good as Yukihira Soma.

Seeing that Soma Yukihira had won, the members of the Polar Star Dormitory prepared to leave.

"By the way, Jiang Yan, what did you give Yukihira?"

As Yoshino Yuuki walked outside, she looked at Jiang Yan curiously and asked him a question.

Jiang Yan did not explain this, but instead made a suggestion.

"Well, when Yukihira comes back, we'll have him do it again, and then you'll understand."

Of course, the most important thing is that Jiang Yan is also very curious about what Yukihira Soma's Yukihira-ryu Shariabin Steak Rice Bowl tastes like.