Everyday Life Starting with Food Wars

The egg mixture made a light sizzling sound the moment it hit the pan, and the edges quickly solidified into a pale yellow sheet. Chen Yuxing held the pan handle with one hand and a silicone spatula in the other. With a flick of his wrist, he removed the pan from the burner.

Then, starting from the edge of the pan, he gently pushed the egg mixture with a spatula. With each push, the solidified egg skin would accumulate in the center of the pan, while the unsolidified egg mixture would be pushed to the side of the pan and spread out again. He pushed at a moderate speed, precisely controlling the force with each push.

"Reheat the pan back on the heat for three seconds, then remove it from the heat. Repeat this action six to eight times. After each removal from the heat, use a spatula to push the egg skin, and then put it back on the heat for three seconds." He demonstrated three cycles as he spoke.

Tadokoro Megumi watched intently from the side, not daring to blink.

The egg mixture slowly takes shape through repeated heating, removal from the heat, and rolling. The egg skin in the center of the pan is stacked into an oval shape with a smooth, mirror-like surface and no burnt color.

However, due to the brief high temperature of each reheating, a crispy crust that is almost invisible to the naked eye forms on the outermost layer of the egg skin—it feels slightly crisp when touched with chopsticks, but it won't break.

When it came to the last cycle, Chen Yuxing flicked the pan handle with his left hand, and the egg roll flipped over in the pan, shrinking and closing to form an oval shape.

out of the pot.

He picked up a small knife and made a cut in the middle of the egg roll.

As the knife sliced ​​through, the egg roll was cut open, revealing its cross-section—a thin, fully cooked golden-yellow outer layer that faded towards the center, with a moist, smooth, semi-solid egg custard in the very center, its pale yellow color carrying a slight translucency, like semi-melted cream.

"So beautiful..." Tadokoro Megumi whispered.

Chen Yuxing cut a small piece and handed it to her: "Try the center part."

Tadokoro Megumi took the spoon and put it in her mouth. The moment the egg custard melted on her tongue, she was completely stunned.

The outer crust makes a slight crunch between your teeth, the inner layer is as soft as pudding, and the semi-solid egg liquid in the center, with its rich aroma of milk and butter, rushes up, enveloping your entire mouth in a warm and fragrant egg flavor.

"It's so delicious...it's so delicious..." She covered her mouth, her eyes welling up with tears.

Chen Yuxing took a bite himself, then began plating. Two French omelets were arranged on a white plate, garnished with a small pinch of chopped green onions. The plating was minimalist, without any unnecessary decorations, but the omelets' sheen and shape were already eye-catching enough.

The two carried their trays toward Chappell.

Chappelle glanced at the shape of the egg roll first.

He picked up a fork and gently pressed the surface of the egg roll to feel its elasticity, then flipped it over to check the bottom—the bottom was also uniformly golden brown, without a single burnt mark.

He cut the egg roll with a knife.

The knife fell, and the cut surface unfolded.

Chappelle paused for a moment.

Everyone else in the classroom was focused on the podium. They saw Chappell stare at the cross-section for a full four seconds before slowly cutting off a small piece and putting it in his mouth.

chew.

stop.

He chewed it a second time.

Then he put down his knife and fork, picked up his pen and wrote a few words on the scoring board. When he put down the pen, the corner of his mouth moved again—this time the movement was much more obvious than in the morning. Although it was still hard to call it a “smile,” it at least showed that some emotion was softening.

"The outer crust is flaky, the internal baking temperature gradient transitions evenly from fully cooked to partially cooked, and the egg mixture in the center is at the critical point of solidification, resulting in a smooth texture. Did you change the recipe?"

Chen Yuxing shook his head: "The recipe hasn't changed, only the method has been slightly altered."

What changes?

"The egg mixture is first filtered to remove egg strands and air bubbles to ensure even coagulation. Then, the heat is controlled by using a pan-sliding technique—the pan is removed from the heat for three seconds, the egg skin is pushed off the heat, and then it is put back on the heat for three seconds, repeated six to eight times. This creates a crispy exterior and tender interior while preventing the surface from burning."

Chappelle fell silent.

The classroom was so quiet that you could hear the hissing of the embers on the stove.

“The technique of swishing the pan, the control of the hot pan in Chinese cuisine,” Chappelle said slowly, as if talking to herself. “Applying the heat control techniques of Chinese cuisine to French omelets not only maintains the traditional soft and tender interior of French omelets, but also adds a crispy outer layer.”

He looked up at Chen Yuxing: "Is this what you wanted?"

"Yes, I tried some of the basic skills over here, and I found that the effect was surprisingly good."

Chappell picked up her pen and wrote a few more words on the grading board, then turned the board to face the whole class.

"A+"

The classroom erupted in chaos.

"A+?! Professor Chappelle gave me an A+?"

"That Xia Pei who didn't give an A?" Soma Yukihira poked his head out from the front row, his eyes wide open. "Giving an A yesterday was one thing, but today you gave an A+? Chen Yuxing, what exactly did you do?"

"And Tadokoro Megumi also got an A+?" Aoki Daigo peeked out from the other row, his jaw nearly dislocating in surprise.

Chappelle tapped the scoring board, and the classroom fell silent.

"In today's lesson, all groups except Chen Yuxing and Tadokoro Megumi's group failed to meet the standard."

silence.

Then he screamed.

The entire classroom was like a hornet's nest that had been poked, with cries of pain rising and falling, but no one dared to question Chappell's judgment, because they had just witnessed the change in his expression when he cut the egg roll—that was the highest level of affirmation this cold-faced professor had ever given.

“You can go now,” Chappell said to Chen Yuxing. “The others who didn’t pass will stay and train for an extra hour.”

Chen Yuxing packed up the knives and pulled the still somewhat dazed Tadokoro Megumi out of the classroom.

In the hallway, Tadokoro Megumi leaned against the wall, letting out a long sigh, her face flushed: "A+...Ms. Chappelle gave us an A+... Am I dreaming...?"

"Your scallion-cutting technique has improved; it's at least two levels more consistent than yesterday," Chen Yuxing said. "You deserve it."

Tadokoro Megumi looked up at him, something shining in her eyes.

"Ah Xing... classmate, thank you. Really, thank you."

Chen Yuxing waved his hand, about to say something, when a notification sound suddenly rang in his mind.

[Task Completed: Improve a dish using Chinese techniques in a French cuisine class and achieve an A grade or higher. Task Rating: A+. Reward: Unlock recipe – Crystal Shrimp Dumplings.]

Then another notification appeared: [Sweet and Sour Pork Proficiency +3%, Wensi Tofu Proficiency +3%, Three-Egg Shumai Proficiency +2%, Dragon Beard Noodles Proficiency +1%.]

There was an additional benefit: while making that egg roll, his understanding of heat control deepened slightly, a realization that the system's proficiency stats couldn't fully reflect.

"Let's go," Chen Yuxing said.

“Um, Hoshino-kun, there’s one more thing…” Tadokoro Megumi pulled out a small notebook and flipped through it. “You mentioned before that you wanted to visit the various research clubs, so I’ve compiled a list of the main research clubs at Totsuki Academy and their locations. If you have time today… I can take you there.”

Chapter 7 Teruki Kuga

Chen Yuxing took the notebook and glanced at it. The list was quite detailed, with each research group marked with its location, main cuisine, and main person in charge. The handwriting was just like the notes she took in theory class, neat and clean, and key information was marked with a marker. It was clear that a lot of thought had been put into the preparation.

"Okay, let's go now."

Megumi Tadokoro's eyes lit up.

The two first visited several research societies. The Italian cuisine research society occupied an entire two-story building, where students were baking pizzas in a wooden oven, and the whole corridor was filled with the aroma of olive oil and basil.

There was a long queue outside the dessert research club, and the students in charge of greeting guests were handing out tasting coupons. It seemed to be a very popular business.

The classroom of the French Table Manners Research Institute is spacious and solemn, where students are practicing plating and beverage pairing in a simulated high-end restaurant setting.

When they turned to another building, Megumi Tadokoro suddenly pointed to an inconspicuous little door at the end of the corridor and said, "This way... there's also the Local Cuisine Research Club, the one I joined. But the Local Cuisine Research Club is very small, and there aren't many people there."

Chen Yuxing pushed open the door and glanced inside. The room wasn't large, but it was quite clean, with photos and hand-drawn maps of local Japanese cuisine hanging on the walls.

“It’s a nice place,” he said.

Megumi Tadokoro lowered her head again, embarrassed.

The two strolled around for about an hour and finally headed towards the most conspicuous building on the Far Moon campus—a huge Chinese palace-style building with upturned eaves, vermilion pillars, and six large gilded characters "Chinese Cuisine Research Association" above the main entrance.

“This is one of the largest research clubs in Totsuki.” Tadokoro Megumi looked up at the row of gold lettering. “Kuga Terunori is the eighth seat, specializing in Chinese cuisine, especially Sichuan cuisine. He has turned the Chinese Cuisine Research Club into one of the top clubs in Totsuki and has swallowed up several other research clubs in the Food Wars.”

"Let's go in and take a look." Chen Yuxing pushed open the door.

He was dumbfounded the moment he stepped inside.

A row of bald, burly men stood in neat rows in the main hall, tossing woks with synchronized movements, their actions as uniform as a military drill formation, chanting in unison, "Hey—hey—hey—"

The flames in the pot danced up and down in rhythm, filling the entire hall with a rich aroma of red chili bean paste.

Chen Yuxing covered his forehead and laughed helplessly. He had only seen this scene online in his previous life, in those New Oriental-style recruitment videos where a row of bald men were collectively flipping a wok. He never expected that anyone would actually see it here.

“That’s truly spectacular,” he said, using a rather neutral term.

Tadokoro Megumi whispered in his ear, "Kuga-senpai is very good at training students to quickly execute the same recipe... This can really be very useful in large-scale events like school festivals..."

"The prerequisite is that the recipe itself has to be good enough," Chen Yuxing said.

As the two were walking inside, they heard a conversation nearby.

A young man with blond hair was pulling a tall girl aside and talking to her in a very enthusiastic tone: "Miyoko, why don't you join my Chinese Cuisine Research Association! Your skills will definitely make you my right-hand woman!"

The girl, Miyoko Hojo, shook her head rather coldly: "Senior, I just came to borrow some seasonings. My mother told me to walk my own path and stop following you."

"Don't say that, we're family—"

"Hey." Suddenly someone spoke up.

Kuga Teruki turned his head.

Chen Yuxing stood in the middle of the hall, his hands in his school uniform pockets, looking as relaxed as a tourist.

"You must be Kuga-senpai, right? The captain of the Chinese Cuisine Research Association, and the eighth seat of the Totsuki Ten Masters."

Kuga Terunori sized him up. A Chinese? This guy's aura has been so relaxed since he walked in, like he's just strolling through a market.

"I am Chen Yuxing, a freshman who transferred here this year. I'm here to visit the largest research society for Chinese cuisine—but to be honest, this is a little different from what I imagined."

Hisako Teruyuki laughed and snapped his fingers.

The bald men in the main hall immediately stopped tossing the woks, neatly placed them down, and lined up in two rows. Their movements were so synchronized that it was as if they had rehearsed it ten thousand times.

"It seems you don't quite agree with my training methods."

Kuga Terunori said, "But it's okay, there's no point in drawing conclusions after just one look—step forward ten people, and make a dish for Chen Yuxing and this... Tadokoro Megumi, right?

"it is good!"

The ten bald men responded in unison, their voices so loud that a few grains of dust fell from the beams of the main hall.

Then they turned on the fire, poured in the oil, and chopped the tofu—their movements were so synchronized that it was as if ten fully automatic food processors had started up at the same time.

In less than ten minutes, ten plates of Mapo Tofu were served at the same time.

Kuga Terunori leaned against a pillar, spreading his hands: "As a Chinese student who was able to get into Totsuki Academy as a new student, your Chinese cooking skills must be quite good. Why don't you try it?"

Chen Yuxing didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up a spoon and scooped a spoonful of tofu from the nearest plate. The bright red oil clung to the tender white tofu pieces, and the numbing aroma of Sichuan peppercorns filled his nostrils.

Put it in your mouth.

It's spicy, really spicy. In this island nation where people generally can't handle spicy food, this spiciness is practically a declaration of war against the entire Japanese archipelago. But it's not just spicy; you can also taste the richness of the fermented soybean paste and the sweetness of the tofu beneath the spiciness. The overall seasoning is well-balanced, and the tofu is cooked to perfection—tender on the outside and smooth on the inside, without breaking apart or becoming tough.

but.

The Sichuan peppercorns used were ready-made Sichuan peppercorn powder. The aroma of those ready-made packaged Sichuan peppercorn powders will dissipate if left for too long, leaving only a numbing taste without any layers. Moreover, the thickening was only done once, and the tofu started to release water after eating half of the dish, becoming thinner and thinner as you ate more.

Also, I didn't add fermented black beans when stir-frying the base. Fermented black beans are the backbone of the umami flavor of Mapo Tofu. Without them, the whole flavor is like a spineless body.

"how do you feel?"

I followed the record and asked.

"It's quite delicious." Chen Yuxing put down his spoon.

"but?"

"You said 'but'?"

"Your expression tells me you still have a lot to say."

Chen Yuxing thought for a moment, then pointed to the plate: "Then I won't be polite. Your Mapo Tofu—it does taste good, it's spicy enough, and the tofu is cooked just right, but there are a few things that are different from authentic Mapo Tofu."

Kuga Terunori raised an eyebrow, and the two rows of bald, burly men next to him were already showing hostile eyes. How dare they say his dishes were not authentic in front of the commander-in-chief at the headquarters of the Chinese Cuisine Research Association?

"What do you think."

Kuga Terunori's voice held a suppressed smile, but behind that smile lay a dangerous probing.

"First, Sichuan peppercorns. You used pre-packaged Sichuan peppercorn powder, which loses its aroma over time, leaving only a numbing sensation. Authentic Mapo Tofu should have freshly roasted Sichuan peppercorns and finely chopped, so that the numbing, fragrant, and crispy sensations are all achieved simultaneously. Second, this dish should include fermented black beans. The fermented, salty, and fragrant flavor of the fermented black beans forms the foundation of the dish's umami. Without fermented black beans, relying solely on fermented bean paste won't provide enough flavor. Third, thickening the sauce—you only thickened the Mapo Tofu once. The tofu releases more and more water as it cooks, and the sauce will be diluted by the end. Authentic Mapo Tofu should be thickened at least three times to lock in the moisture released by the tofu, ensuring that the sauce remains thick even on the last bite."

Hisagi Terunori narrowed his eyes.

“Authentic, my foot! Are you trying to outdo each other in memorizing the best text?” A bald man next to Terunori Kuga couldn’t help but speak up.

Hisagi Terunori raised his hand to stop him, looking at Chen Yuxing: "You explained it quite thoroughly, why don't you try making a plate?"