Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

"Shen Qing's final score is ten points."

"Li Zhesheng's final score is 9.4 points."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the host still had to make the announcement.

In the first round, Li Zhesheng lost.

The crowd erupted in uproar, and Master Jin was filled with regret.

If I had known he would also give that bowl of shredded tofu a perfect score, maybe we could have tied.

Now, things have gotten even worse; Li Zhesheng has already lost a round right from the start.

At this moment, Li Zhesheng's face turned red and white in turns.

He looked down at Caiyun in front of him, seemingly lost in thought.

The servant carried the two people's shredded tofu back to the stove.

Li Zhesheng strode up to Shen Qing's stove, his eyes fixed on the bowl of shredded tofu.

The cross-section is as smooth as a mirror, as if it were not cut.

Looking at the knife next to it, it was indeed an ordinary knife, the kind that every contestant had.

"I lost."

Li Zhesheng was completely convinced of his defeat. Putting aside the knife, he lost simply because of that bowl of shredded tofu.

This was the first time he had ever lost to someone.

"But I won't lose to you in the next round."

After Li Zhesheng finished speaking, he turned around and walked back to his stove, clearly determined to outdo Shen Qing.

Shen Qing sighed helplessly. Just now, when Li Zhesheng came over, she was about to tell him her secret to cutting tofu.

I didn't expect this person to leave so quickly.

To be honest, Li Zhesheng was really amazing. He could cut tofu so finely as hair and so evenly, which was simply the ultimate achievement for people in ancient times.

The most important reason she was able to defeat Li Zhesheng was the layer of salt water film on the knife.

This brine film allows the knife to glide smoothly over the tofu, minimizing the risk of rough edges on the tofu's surface.

If Li Zhesheng had used the salt water method today, it would be uncertain who would have won or lost.

"The results of the first round are in. Now we'll move on to the second round—a true test of skill!"

"In the second round, we will still provide cooking tools for all contestants. We will also provide iron pots, copper pots, earthenware pots, etc., and contestants can choose freely."

"Contestants need to cook the shredded tofu in a pot without adding any seasonings other than salt. The winner is the one whose tofu shreds remain intact and tender after cooking!"

To put it simply, it's just boiled tofu.

The contestants' control over the heat was tested by boiling tofu.

clang--

With the sound of a gong, the competition began.

Li Zhesheng immediately took action, his face showing determination.

He's already lost the round on knife skills, but he absolutely must win this round on fire control!

Li Zhesheng carefully took a deep, round-bottomed pot out of his basket.

The pot is very shallow, with a diameter of 1.2 feet and a depth of only 2 inches. It is shaped like a flat drum and is made of forged copper.

"That's a copper pot!!" someone in the crowd shouted.

"Good heavens, Li Zhesheng has brought out all the family heirlooms! And that... that's a sandalwood-handled strainer!!"

"A white jade hourglass!!"

"A bamboo thermometer!"

"Those are Xiangfei bamboo long chopsticks!!!"

"..."

Li Zhesheng immediately took out a complete set of tools, including a ladle, chopsticks, and so on, all of which were related to controlling the heat.

He usually wouldn't use this set of tools, but he brought it with him today just in case.

But he really couldn't figure out Shen Qing's capabilities, so he simply used him directly.

"I heard that this set of tools is a family heirloom of Li Zhesheng's family. Every item is of the highest quality. It truly lives up to its reputation as a family of imperial chefs." Even Madam Yan couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

Li Zhesheng moved swiftly, placing the copper pot on the stove, filling it with water, and starting a fire underneath.

Before long, the water boiled.

Instead of adding the tofu strips, he took out a whirlpool ladle and stirred it clockwise in the pot.

With each breath, a circle formed, and the boiling water in the pot quickly turned into a deep whirlpool. The center of the whirlpool was concave, and the water flowed, carrying all the foam and impurities, against the pot wall.

Clearly, this step is to ensure that the tofu is fully cooked in the purest water.

Then he used his long bamboo chopsticks to scoop up the tofu strips from the bowl and gently slide them into the pot.

He turned the white jade hourglass upside down until the last grain of sand was gone. He then used a sandalwood-handled strainer to scoop out the tofu strips and immediately immersed them in ice water.

He changed the ice water twice before putting the shredded tofu into the white porcelain bowl.

Throughout the entire process, not a single strand of tofu was broken; it was as white as jade.

"Lee Cheol-sung is really amazing!"

"I once saw a famous chef use a whirlpool technique to scald Wensi tofu, exactly the same technique Li Zhesheng just used!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, what is Madam Shen doing? I don't understand again!"

Everyone looked at Shen Qing.

Shen Qing was using a clay pot provided by the competition; it was very ordinary and dusty.

At this moment, water was boiling in the clay pot, but it hadn't boiled yet.

Shen Qing took a dry cloth, scooped the tofu strips out of the water, and placed them on the dry cloth.

For her, this was something she was already used to doing.

Tofu strips taken out of cold water, still wet, will instantly lower the temperature in the pot if put directly into it, causing uneven heating.

Use a dry cloth to absorb the water from the tofu strips before putting them in the pot. There will be no excess cold water, and the temperature inside the pot will be stable, so that each tofu strip will receive the same treatment.

"Look! The water in that clay pot hasn't even boiled yet, why did Madam Shen put the tofu strips in already?!"

"Yeah, the water hasn't even boiled yet. Is Madam Shen just going to give up and leave it alone?"

Shen Qing, however, remained calm.

The optimal cooking temperature for soft tofu is not 100 degrees Celsius, but between 85 and 90 degrees Celsius. Therefore, the water should not be fully boiled.

Boiling water has too much impact, while water between 85 and 90 degrees Celsius is just right, providing a gentle nourishment for tender tofu strips.

When the tofu strips are added to the pot, the water inside does not boil or churn; there is only a very slight natural convection.

Before long, the tofu strips gradually changed from raw white to a warm, milky white.

Shen Qing observed the color of the tofu strips while watching the steam rise and fall, as the tofu cooked to a smooth, white color.

The time has come.

Shen Qing immediately scooped out the shredded tofu and put it into the prepared cooled boiled water.

The reason for not using ice water is that ice water will cause the protein in the tofu strips to shrink suddenly, making the texture firm. Cool boiled water is just right, as it can stop the residual heat without causing the tofu to shrink and harden.

The pure white tofu strips were placed on a white porcelain plate, intact and not broken.

Li Zheyuan watched Shen Qing's actions from a short distance away. This time, he didn't think he would lose.

Although Shen Niangzi's tofu strips were also intact and not stuck together, his were definitely more tender and smooth.

This time, he really brought out all his best skills!

clang--

"The second round of the competition is over. All contestants, please stop cooking!"