Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　Zhang Zhong nodded. He started tasting from the top, and the incredibly rich flavor was so delicious that it made him gasp and savor the taste. The sweet, sour, and spicy flavors were surprisingly well-matched with the texture of the fried lobster.

　"The lobster broth at the bottom is closely connected with the chili oil. The strong savory flavor of the lobster shell broth is wrapped in the warmth of the chili oil. If I had to describe it, it would be similar to the lemongrass and red pepper aroma of Thai Tom Yum soup. When it is whipped into foam, the texture is as light as cotton candy. After melting on the tongue, it releases a rich seafood caramel flavor!"

　Unlike the two who started tasting from the head, Tan Guai began by trying the bottom. He dipped the prepared lobster in the sauce at the bottom and then put it straight into his mouth, chewing heartily.

　As a result, he tasted a top-notch flavor that the other two had never experienced!

　"The heat on the outside of the lobster and the ice on the inside are not at all out of place, as if they were naturally like that."

　The feeling is like "biting into a burning charcoal, only to find snow inside"—the temperature difference creates a stimulating sensation similar to pain!

　As Zhang Zhong spoke, he closed his eyes, feeling the extreme sensation of heat and cold exploding in his mouth, and revealed a joyful expression. This feeling was truly delightful from the bottom of his heart!

　"Is this your answer? Using the instantaneous heat from frying to contrast with the ice inside, creating a wonderful experience of both fire and ice. It turns out the principle is similar to that of fried ice cream."

　"No, this is just one of the answers to my cooking. The real secret lies in the combination of the top and the bottom. You can experience it for yourself."

　Upon hearing Zhang Zhong's words, Wang Qing shook his head, a mysterious smile appearing on his face.

　"The combination of above and below, could it be...!"

　Upon hearing Wang Qing's words, Su Yan was initially puzzled, but then, as if she had thought of something, she combined the shaved ice on the top half with the spicy lobster broth foam on the bottom half, and ate it with the hot-on-the-outside-and-cold-on-the-inside lobster meat.

　"It's actually like this!"

　Savoring the rich flavors in her mouth, Su Yan's face showed a look of sudden realization.

　"That's right, that's exactly it. The cold exterior and hot interior is only one aspect of this dish. The coldness from the shaved ice on top and the spiciness from the foamy spicy lobster broth below are the second layer of temperature changes!"

　Seeing that Su Yan understood his good intentions, Wang Qing smiled and then explained further to Zhang Zhong and Tan Guai.

　"I see. No wonder you said you would show us the true spectacle of ice and fire. That's what you meant by 'two extremes'!"

　Tan Guai immediately tasted the dish and then a look of sudden realization appeared on his face.

　He was just thinking that although Wang Qing's dish was delicious, it was only a regular Grade 2 dish, which was not up to his usual standard. Who would have thought that the real secret was the sauce on both sides! The combination of the two became the ultimate weapon.

　Wang Qing's dishes, when eaten individually, are only average, but when combined together, the taste is novel and amazing. The three together make up this special three-star dish!

　"As the cold mist rises from my throat, the lingering wasabi spiciness and the savory lobster foam create a 'taste rollercoaster'—one second it's a warm, roasting sensation, the next it's a chilling, snowy landscape, and finally, the pure sweetness of the lobster sashimi lingers. This feeling is just like riding a real rollercoaster!!"

　Zhang Zhong's shout rang out. At this moment, he had his eyes closed, his hands still holding a knife and fork stretched out in front of him, his face full of the horror of facing a roller coaster, and the wrinkles on his old face were tightly stuck together.

　"Ahhhh!!!"

　Tan Luan and Su Yan also closed their eyes, but before them was an incredibly realistic scene: the roller coaster soared into the clouds and then rapidly slid down from the sky. The extreme experience of going from top to bottom was like crossing from an iceberg to lava, making people feel excited involuntarily.

　"It's truly an excellent work."

　Su Yan has said this countless times, which shows how satisfied she is with this dish—it's no exaggeration to say it's outrageous!

　"They actually gave it such a high rating..."

　"Teacher Leah is in a bit of danger now. Hopefully, she can come up with an even better dish to turn the tide!"

　In the audience, where Bai Yuan and the others were sitting, watching Liya still cooking and Wang Qing, whose dish had received high praise from the judges, each person had a different degree of worry on their face.

　As members of the same faction, they naturally hoped that Lia could achieve final victory, so that her reputation in the world of dark cuisine could be fully established.

　"Believe in Leah, believe she can win the match, her eyes show no sign of giving up!"

　She sat upright in the middle of the girls, with Tadokoro Megumi and Nakiri Alice beside her.

　Bai Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a powerful stimulant, instantly calming their anxious hearts.

　Their gazes turned back to the stage, but this time their attention was no longer on Wang Qing and the judges, but rather on Liya, or more precisely, on her extremely resolute eyes.

　Even as the judges showered Wang Qing with praise, there was not a trace of fear in her eyes, only an absolute desire for victory.

　"What great eyesight!"

　Looking into Lia's eyes, Hisako Shinto, sitting behind Shirabuchi, couldn't help but mutter to herself.

　She suddenly realized that she was missing something: this kind of unwavering attitude!

　"Right? Leah is my treasure."

　Bai Yuan naturally heard Hisako Shinto's self-talk and a faint sense of pride appeared on his face.

　This kind of pride is somewhat like when others praise your child. Even if parents don't interfere much in their child's growth, they still feel proud because of the bond between them.

　"what about me?"

　Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Alice Nakiri pouted and blinked her big eyes, hoping to gain his approval, something she had always been searching for.

　"Alice is my heart; I would die if I lost her."

　Bai Yuan gave his answer without hesitation.

　He wasn't lying about that; in his heart, Alice Nakiri was as important as life itself, and he absolutely couldn't lose her.

　While he wouldn't commit suicide for love if the other person died, he was still a very important character.

　Saving his life is one thing, but more importantly, because of the years they've spent together, Alice Nakiri has long been his intended wife.

　No matter what happens in the future, he will protect her like a knight until the end of his life.

　Am I really that important to you?

　Although she had expected it, when she actually heard Bai Yuan say it, Nakiri Alice still felt her heart race and her eyes fill with pink bubbles.

　"Of course!"

　As Bai Yuan spoke, he grasped Alice Nakiri's hand, revealing his true feelings.

　After so many years together, he already knew exactly how to win her heart and was willing to put in extra effort to make her happy.

　"Oh dear, it's quite embarrassing to say this in front of so many people."

　Because there were people around, Alice Nakiri's face turned bright red when Bai Yuan said those words.

　Before anyone else could look over, she quickly lowered her head and threw herself into his arms. It took her a long time to recover, but her breathing was still rapid.

　During the short time they were playfully fighting, Lia finally finished her meal.

　She let out a long sigh of relief, then looked at the audience, smiled at Bai Yuan who was also looking at her, and then picked up the dish and walked towards the judges' table.

　"Please enjoy this dish, which I call Charcoal-Grilled Snow Wagyu Rhapsody."

　Her voice was steady, and as she spoke, she bent down slightly and placed the freshly cooked dish in front of the three judges.

　"Charcoal Fire Sizzling Snow and Beef Rhapsody, that's quite a stylish name."

　Upon hearing Liya's words, Su Yan, who was sitting on the left side of the judges' panel, offered a word of praise.

　This time, she didn't hesitate to talk. Instead, she picked up her knife and fork, cut off a piece of meat, put it in her mouth, and chewed it carefully.

　"The charcoal in your grill must be binchotan from Japan, right? I ate grilled meat cooked with this kind of charcoal when I traveled to Japan before."

　This is a type of charcoal with an extremely high carbon content. It has a silvery-gray appearance and was carbonized at a temperature exceeding 1000 degrees Celsius.

　When Su Yan mentioned that the carbonization temperature could reach over 1,000 degrees Celsius, a look of understanding appeared on her face.

　That's probably why Leah chose to use an oven for grilling, and the charcoal itself can enhance the flavor of the ingredients.

　“That’s right, I’m using binchotan charcoal. As you said, it’s a very good type of charcoal.”

　Leah nodded. She knew this because of last year's midterm exam.

　At that time, Baiyuan and I were on the mountain. There was no electricity, and we needed coal that could burn for a long time without going out. Then someone brought us this binchotan, which can burn for a long time and at a very high temperature.

　The current exam question is about temperature difference, and binchotan charcoal has become her first choice in the competition. Fortunately, Fuzhou is a big city with shops that specialize in selling coal.

　"The outer layer is heated instantly with coal, while the inside is kept at sub-zero temperature using an ice salt bath and vacuum packaging."

　The charcoal-grilled layer of meat is slightly dry and intensely aromatic, while the marbled fat inside melts slowly in your mouth, like sous-vide beef sashimi—tender and creamy!

　As she savored the taste, Su Yan's eyes lit up, and she gave it a very high rating, drawing the attention of the audience.

　I initially thought that once Wang Qing served his steak, it would be a sure win, but now it seems that Lia's steak dish is also quite good.

　Chapter 269: Though Defeated, Still Honorable; The Entire Audience Boils Over

　"Putting everything else aside, the presentation is really great. The outside is a crispy, caramelized layer, while the inside is tender and delicate beef sashimi."

　One dish, two different textures—that's the effect of temperature! I can't wait!

　Tan Luan's voice rang out as he looked at the pieces of meat on the knife and fork, golden and crispy on the outside.

　It was brimming with fat, yet its interior exuded a faint chill.

　One bite, and the tender, delicate flavor spreads through your mouth, while the cool sensation lingers around your gums, making you unconsciously show an expression of enjoyment.

　"The smoky aroma of binchotan charcoal permeates the Wagyu beef fat, forming a crispy crust similar to crème brûlée, with a rough, bitter charcoal flavor and a nutty aroma from the caramelized meat fat."

　The taste on the tip of his tongue made Tan Luan close his eyes. He took a bite and tasted the smoky outer layer, with the bitterness of charcoal and the aroma of smoke.

　"It tastes a bit like a mixture of toasted butter and brown sugar. I once made a dessert that tasted like that when I failed!"

　I initially thought it would be awful, but it turned out to be surprisingly delicious. I even used it as the basis for a dessert recipe, which is why it's so memorable.

　Beside her, Su Yan excitedly held up her finger, making a more apt description. The short, intense grilling over charcoal brought the meat to just the right doneness.

　"The slightly cool, marbled fat in the center melts slowly in your mouth, as cool and creamy as snowflake beef sashimi."

　The sweetness of the fat is gradually released as the temperature rises in the mouth, lingering on the tip of the tongue and creating a layered sensation of "fire and ice" with the crispy outer crust!

　Tan Luan's voice rang out again. As he savored the dish, the coolness of the food spread across his tongue, giving him an invigorating feeling.

　This coolness not only soothes the scalding heat of the steak's exterior, but also perfectly brings out the sweetness of the fat and the aroma of the oil!

　"A thin layer of salt was sprinkled on the outside, while the inside was pure, sweet fat."

　Yet, the combination of the two doesn't feel awkward at all; on the contrary, it feels perfectly natural, as if this is how they were meant to be.

　Zhang Zhong nodded slightly, then looked at the sauce under the steak, which was still bubbling and radiating an astonishing heat because it had only been poured on recently.

　On top of the steak are small white ice balls, forming a white curtain.

　This dish requires...

　"We'll taste them together, right? We've already had experience with that before."

　Su Yan spoke first, echoing Lia's words, and then explained, "But before that, please let us taste both sides separately."

　Seeing that Lia looked hesitant, Su Yan smiled and spoke.

　The two dishes were surprisingly similar, clearly a clash of ideas, except one used lobster and the other used steak.

　The differences between them are not significant.

　Nowadays, the only way to determine the winner is through the most primitive method: the taste test!

　"The following should be Port wine truffle hot sauce, a very French sauce with exquisite craftsmanship, rich layers, and balanced flavor."

　The piping hot sauce has the dried fruit sweetness of port wine and the earthy aroma of black truffle.

　When coated with beef, the high temperature causes the outer layer of fat to instantly release its meaty aroma, making it feel like savoring "beef juice bursting into boba" the moment it enters your mouth!

　As the sauce and steak entered her mouth together, the rich flavor made Su Yan's eyes widen, her beautiful little face filled with surprise.

　This is what it tastes like! Despite the burning sensation on my tongue, I couldn't resist trying it until the internal coolness brought some relief.

　"The little balls on top were actually yogurt, and they even had a faint spicy flavor..."

　Considering the greenish color of the balls and their pungent spiciness, you probably added wasabi.

　Looking up at Liya, Zhang Zhong picked up a small ball and put it in his mouth. The warmth of his mouth made it melt instantly, turning into wispy strands that rippled outwards.

　"That's right. The lactic acid in frozen yogurt can effectively soften the spiciness of wasabi, making it taste milder and less unpalatable."

　Lia nodded, and Zhang Zhong took the opportunity to cut off the steak under the frozen yogurt ball and put it in his mouth along with the meat.

　When the ice hockey puck touches the tongue, it first releases a milky aroma, followed by the pungent odor of wasabi that rushes straight to the nasal cavity, like a cold wind sweeping over hot barbecue, refreshing the taste buds!

　"This time, let's try both together..."

　As the three of them shared the steak, the amount in front of them dwindled.

　And because of the extremely high temperature on the surface of the steak, the tiny ice balls on it are melting at a speed visible to the naked eye. If you don't taste it now, you'll miss your chance.

　So, with an ice ball on top and sauce underneath, Su Yan put the steak into her mouth and then closed her eyes.

　"The richness of the hot sauce and the stimulation of the ice ball meet in the mouth, and the sweetness of the Wagyu beef fat is amplified infinitely under such stimulation."

　The first taste is the raw, smoky flavor of charcoal, followed by the elegant, chilled creaminess.

　The final aftertaste lingers between the forest notes of truffles and the freshness of wasabi, like a lavish feast of ice wine enjoyed beside a volcano!