Have you ever seen glowing food? That's why you draw a food-themed anime.

"Oh, it's braised pork..."

Xu Zhou understood immediately upon hearing those two words; it was similar to the oden sold in convenience stores, completely different from the braised food he was familiar with.

But it's normal.

After all, cheese is going to be added here, so making it spicy wouldn't be appropriate.

But he still asked, "Is there a difference between this braised pork offal and oden?"

"Of course there is a difference."

After the girl with blue double braids carefully explained how to make braised kelp, she also took the initiative to explain the difference between braised pork offal and oden.

"Braised kelp doesn't require much broth... it's basically just stock, but of course, you can add some as needed."

She demonstrated it once: "The flavor of braised pork is richer and more mellow."

"Oden uses clear broth and a lot of dashi, mainly to highlight the original flavor of the ingredients, resulting in a lighter taste."

...

Time passed little by little.

After watching her make braised kelp, Xu Zhou decided to make it herself.

Soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar... these are all very basic seasonings.

After making it several times, Xu Zhou always felt that the braised kelp was not quite right.

Even with the addition of the sweet flavor of cheese, it still feels like something is missing.

"This is a bit too bland. Although it's delicious and has a rich and mellow flavor, it still feels like something's missing."

"If it's an inexpensive rice ball, a richer flavor can quickly enhance the happiness of the person eating it."

Xu Zhou took a sip of the broth from the braised kelp.

The flavor is very rich and savory with the umami of seaweed. The taste is light yet slightly sweet, with pieces of cheese sandwiched in the middle, which, combined with the creamy aroma of the cheese, is indeed quite good.

But it lacks a bit of spirit.

Unlike the previous grilled mackerel and cabbage puree, which perfectly blended the original flavors of the ingredients, this one didn't deliver the same impactful taste that made you feel the fresh, authentic flavor of the ingredients with every bite.

"Authentic flavor..."

"Yes, this flavor comes purely from seasonings."

Looking at the pot of braised kelp, Xu Zhou pondered for a moment, and an idea suddenly popped into his mind.

What if... instead of these seasonings, vegetables were used instead of broth?

I remember when I used to make carrot soup, the soup was so sweet and clear that I didn't need to add any sugar.

Moreover, if the goal is to achieve a light flavor, then kelp stewed with the natural sweetness of the vegetables should taste better than kelp cooked with seasonings.

Once he had the idea, Xu Zhou immediately started trying it out, and even dragged the blue-haired girl along with him.

A formula.

Two formulas.

Three formulas.

Although it was determined which vegetables could bring sweetness to the soup, the real challenge was figuring out how to arrange and combine them, and how much of each vegetable to use for the best flavor.

Xu Zhou only stopped when he found the best formula.

"Taste it?"

He handed over the newly made, improved version of braised kelp.

...

The blue-haired girl took the rice ball with anticipation and took a bite, gently taking a small bite of the modified rice ball.

After taking one bite, her eyes widened instantly.

"This smell..."

"It's even better than I imagined!"

The soft, sticky rice is filled with rich, stretchy cheese and has a sweet, savory seaweed flavor.

The flavor is incredibly rich.

The sweetness wasn't from seasoning; it was so natural that you could almost taste the perfect combination of sweet ingredients like pumpkin, apple pulp, and carrot in the broth.

"It's so delicious!"

"The soup made with these sweet ingredients and vegetables is delicious even without sugar!"

The blue-haired girl savored the food with a smile on her face.

The rice was hot and steaming.

The warmth of the rice grains heated the cheese inside to a perfect, stretchy state.

"Xu Zhou, your temperature control is amazing! The cheese doesn't become completely molten and sweet after heating, but rather stretches a little bit... This is the ideal state!"

When the blue-haired girl tasted the intense sweetness of the seaweed, her entire face relaxed.

"good to eat!"

"It's so delicious! Replacing sugar with vegetable packets elevates the sweetness to several levels! Xu Zhou, you're a genius!"

Xu Zhou took a bite of the prepared rice ball himself. When he bit into it, the cheese was rich and creamy, and the seaweed was sweet and fresh.

As you bite down, the sweet vegetable broth seeps into the rice grains, and you can almost taste the sweetness of the carrots, along with the combined sweetness of several other vegetables such as onions and pumpkins.

The subtle flavor of apples is not only sweet but also refreshing, making them a perfect match.

"Hmm, this feels good."

"Moreover, a pot of braised kelp does not require many vegetables, and the cost is not high."

The recipe for the second rice ball was then finalized.

...

The last rice ball was a garlic-marinated pork rice ball, and Xu Zhou still has a strong impression of its flavor.

When I was drawing it, I felt that of the three flavors, this one had the most meat and the strongest flavor.

The blue-haired girl explained as she demonstrated.

"This should be a piece of cake for you, Xu Zhou."

"After cooking the pork belly, add minced garlic, miso, and cooking wine, then add some honey to marinate it. Just let these ingredients completely soak into the pork belly and make it flavorful!"

Xu Zhou's culinary skills and understanding of cooking are no longer what they were at the beginning.

After just one look, he understood: "This is the same method used when I stewed beef in Burgundy red wine before. Honey is used to soften the meat, making it more tender and flavorful."

"The garlic-mixed pork is very fragrant, and the honey adds sweetness. The flavor is rich and mellow. Taking a bite of tender and flavorful meat can bring great satisfaction."

Xu Zhou only looked at it once before creating one himself.

Take a bite.

The pork belly is fragrant, sweet, and rich in oil. A thin layer of honey makes the meat incredibly tender. One bite and the meat melts in your mouth, with a hint of garlicky spiciness, and it's completely free of any fishy smell.

The pungent aroma of garlic and the rich, tender pork belly with a hint of honey create a delightful and satisfying flavor when paired with rice balls, without being greasy at all.

Each of the three types of rice balls has its own advantages.

After finishing her lesson, the blue-haired girl left, saying softly with her eyes crinkling before she departed, "See you next time, my friend."

...

Only when he was alone in the training room did Xu Zhou take a look at the cost of the rice balls.

really.

Because in the original manga, rice balls were packaged together as eighteen rice balls, so one serving is eighteen rice balls.

The cost is calculated based on the cost of making eighteen rice balls.

[Koshihikari New Rice: This rice has a high sweetness and stickiness, resulting in a very soft and glutinous texture. It's a popular choice in convenience stores and supermarkets. The quality is above average, but it's perfect for making rice balls...]

Price: 8 yuan/900g of raw rice

[Polar Star Pork Belly: Pork from Polar Star pigs raised by Isshiki Satoshi, Yoshino Yuuki, Yukihira Soma, and other members of Polar Star House. The breed of the pig is unknown, and the quality is average. It is said to have been given to them by a good friend surnamed Xu. It is more than enough for a simple rice ball...]

[Ingredient Price: 10 yuan/100g/300g needed]

[Chicken breast from Totsuki Convenience Store: The chicken breast sold at a convenience store near Totsuki Academy is fairly fresh, but the quality is average.]

[Ingredient Price: 5 yuan/100g / 200g needed]

[Polar Star Kelp: Grows in the cold waters north of the Golden Fishing Grounds in the world of Food Wars!, its leaves are thick like leather, and its surface is covered with a rich...]

Other cheese slices, miso, and mixed vegetable packets are served in very small quantities.

After all, a rice ball weighs only 100 grams, and each one contains only about 20 grams of filling.

A 100-gram rice ball is small, triangular, and about the size of the palm of your hand.

Naturally, the cost of one is not high.

Chapter 73 Preparations for the Second Day of the Food Festival

I glanced at the price and quantity.

Price: 5 yuan/10g/15g needed

Total price of one serving of ingredients: 80

[One serving of 18 rice balls costs 117]

"Each one weighs 100 grams, making them perfect for selling individually."

Xu Zhou was extremely satisfied.

With the emergence of rice ball ingredient prices and selling prices.

A new shop feature has appeared below, which allows users to redeem items using prayer points.

【High-tech cold storage level 0: Transform a storage room into a cold storage room, with a simple shelf, and the cold storage has a basic preservation effect.】

Fantasy ingredients can be delivered to your door the following day at a specified time, with a seamless supply chain and delivery personnel.

[Renovation of a 30-square-meter storage room at an Izakaya (Japanese pub) requires 3000 Wishes]

[Note: Cold storage facilities can be upgraded; the higher the level, the more storage methods and functions are available.]

Upon seeing this feature, Xu Zhou was ready to redeem it almost without hesitation.

This feature will have to be changed sooner or later.

I glanced at the wish points on the recipe.

Xu Zhou took out 3,000 from the cheapest fast mackerel burger set meal, which still had 10,250 wish points left.

[Redeem successful! 】

【Fast-cooked mackerel burger steak: 7250/10000 (3)】

"Although the imitation barbecue dish gained 3,000 wish points today, it's already at 5,200..."

Xu Zhou sighed, "But this dish is expensive..."

Fast-cooked mackerel is different.

The hamburger steak combo is currently the cheapest dish on the menu, and it's selling very well. I hope this wish value will return soon.

Xu Zhou left the system space only after he had exchanged the items.

I'll take a break and wait until the ingredient quantities refresh at midnight before going in to buy more.

...

Xu Zhou walked through the living room to the kitchen to get a drink.

He was still thinking about finding a helper.

The restaurant will definitely focus on fine dining dishes, with casual meals as a secondary option.