Everyday Life Starting with Food Wars

She walked to Chen Yuxing's kitchen counter, bowed, and then picked up the bowl of Wensi Tofu and looked at it. The soup was as clear as water, the tofu strands were as fine as hair, and the bamboo fungus and goji berries floated quietly on the surface of the soup.

She scooped up a small spoonful and put it in her mouth.

Then she froze.

Her shoulders trembled slightly, the spoon hovered in mid-air, her lips were tightly pursed as if she was trying to control herself from making a sound, and she chewed very slowly, so slowly that the person next to her could clearly see the movement of her throat as she swallowed.

“Tofu is a basic ingredient in shojin cuisine, and I’ve always let it play the role of ‘carrying’ – carrying the richness of sesame paste, the saltiness of miso, and the sweetness of dashi broth.” Her voice trembled slightly. “I’ve always thought this was a matter of course. Tofu itself is too bland, too bland to be a main flavor, so it must be given flavor by sesame paste, miso, or dashi broth.”

She looked down at the half-bowl of Wensi Tofu left in the bowl, remained silent for a few seconds, then took a deep breath, put the remaining soup and tofu strips into her mouth, swallowed, and then gently pressed the back of her hand to the corner of her eye, where it was a little wet.

"But your tofu is different. You didn't add any seasonings, no sesame paste, no miso, no kudzu starch. You just cut the tofu into thin strips as fine as hair. The tofu strips melt in your mouth, releasing the natural aroma of the tofu and the sweetness of the vegetarian soup. It doesn't need any seasonings because it is the seasoning itself. It doesn't need any carrier because it is the carrier itself."

She put down the bowl, turned to face Chen Yuxing, clasped her hands in front of her, and bowed deeply. This bow was longer and lower than the one at the beginning, and her back bent to an angle almost parallel to the ground.

"My sesame tofu uses sesame paste and kudzu starch to coat the tofu, enhancing its flavor through external seasoning. Your Wensi tofu, on the other hand, uses knife skills to fully unleash the tofu's inherent potential, making it the flavor framework of the entire dish. Comparing these two dishes, I can clearly see my own limitations, the limitations of my way of thinking. I always thought that enhancing the flavor of a dish required adding ingredients, never considering that subtraction could achieve the same effect, or even better. In today's food battle, my sesame tofu was just a standard, unrefined culinary creation, while your Wensi tofu showed me what refined cuisine truly pursues: not simply 'vegetarian,' but 'subtle flavor.' I've read about this in textbooks since I started learning, but I never truly understood it until today."

She straightened up, her eyes still a little red, but a smile played on her lips.

"Chen Yuxing, thank you for letting me taste this dish. I will re-examine my knife skills and cooking techniques, and rethink what it truly means to improve my cooking. If there is an opportunity in the future, please continue to guide me."

Chen Yuxing placed the wiping cloth on the counter and turned to face her. "You strain your sesame paste more finely than I do, and you control the consistency of your kudzu starch slurry better. Knife skills can be practiced; it's just a matter of time," he said. "But your sense of proportion in controlling the heat is something that's hard to develop. You don't need to be so modest."

Sakurai Yumi paused for a moment, then couldn't help but smile. She bowed for the third time, then picked up her cooking box and rewrapped it in the furoshiki cloth, her movements lighter than at the beginning. As she walked towards the passageway, several members of the Japanese Cuisine Research Association stood up, wanting to say something to her, but she shook her head at them and didn't stop.

On the judging panel, the head judge raised the scoreboard, and all five judges showed their unanimous votes.

"Five votes—the winner is Chen Yuxing!"

In the audience, the Polar Star Dormitory row erupted in explosive cheers. Daigo Aoki jumped up and slapped the armrest of his chair. Ryoko Sakaki remained calm as always, but the curve of her lips betrayed her. Yuuki Yoshino was almost crying while holding her chick. Megumi Tadokoro didn't join in the cheering; she simply held up the banner that read "Polar Star Dormitory Will Win" high amidst the commotion. Satoshi Isshiki leaned back in his seat, watching Chen Yuxing's posture and the way his wrist drooped when he handed the knife to Yumi Sakurai—those hands hadn't trembled at all during the five food battles. He muttered something, but it was quickly drowned out by the surrounding cheers.

Kawashima Rei took a deep breath on the stage and then raised the microphone: "The fourth match is over! The winner of this food battle is—Chen Yuxing from Polar Star Dormitory! With that, the afternoon's food battles have concluded with four rounds. The next match is the final noodle battle. The last challenger is Hojo Miyoko from Hojo Building in Nakayokohama Chinatown!"

A discussion, even more boisterous than the previous ones, erupted from the audience. Hojo Miyoko was a prominent representative of the Chinese cuisine faction among the first-year students at Totsuki Culinary Academy.

She won the best score for two consecutive years in the Yokohama Chinatown simulation store competition in junior high school. After that competition, almost no one questioned her pastry skills. This time, she took the initiative to challenge Chen Yuxing, which means one thing - the Chinese cuisine showdown will finally meet head-on in Lien Chan's last match.

Miyoko Hojo, who was sitting in the corner, stood up. She was tall and had short hair that made her look very capable. Her expression was calm and focused. She didn't say anything, but she made eye contact with Chen Yuxing on the cooking table across half the venue for a second. Then she turned around and walked towards the players' rest room without any hesitation.

Chen Yuxing put the knife back in his bag, his mind already racing with ideas for how to make dragon beard noodles.

Chapter 15 Glowing Dishes

Totsuki Academy, Moon Sky Branch.

Kawashima Rei stood on the stage, her palms slightly sweaty.

Next up is Lien Chan's fifth and final match!

After six hours and four intense food battles, even just watching from the sidelines, Kawashima Rei felt a little breathless.

But the black-haired boy standing in front of the kitchen counter, despite having a fine layer of sweat on his forehead, had eyes that were even brighter than in the first round.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today's Food Wars is about to reach its final battle!"

Kawashima Rei took a deep breath and shouted into the microphone, "Miss Hojo Miyoko, daughter of the head chef of Hojo-ro, a long-established restaurant in Yokohama Chinatown, and known as the 'Iron-Fire Dragon,' will face off against Chen Yuxing from Polar Star Dormitory, who is currently undefeated in four matches!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a low but excited buzz erupted from the audience.

Miyoko Hojo strode onto the stage from the contestant entrance. She was very tall, with short, neat purple hair, and wore a sleeveless chef's uniform that resembled a Chinese cheongsam, revealing clearly defined and smooth muscle lines on her exposed arms.

Unlike the previous contestants, Hojo Miyoko was also carrying a jet-black iron pot that looked to weigh at least ten kilograms.

"Hey, Chen Yuxing."

Miyoko Hojo walked to her kitchen counter and slammed the iron pot onto it, making the entire counter vibrate with a dull thud. "Although you've already fought four matches, and your stamina must be quite depleted, I won't hold back because of that."

Chen Yuxing wiped the knife clean and put it back on the knife rack. He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and replied with a smile, "I couldn't be happier. The previous few matches were a warm-up. We are all inheritors of Chinese cuisine. Giving our all is the greatest respect we can show our opponents."

Just then, the side gate of the arena was suddenly pushed open with a "bang".

All eyes were instantly drawn to the person who had arrived, and the audience fell silent for a second upon seeing who it was.

With long golden hair and exquisitely beautiful features, she is the queen of Totsuki Academy and the tenth seat of the Totsuki Elite Ten—Erina Nakiri!

Her secretary, Hisako Shinto, was also with her, carrying a laptop.

Excuse me.

Erina Nakiri, wearing high heels, walked straight up the steps to the judges' table.

Upon seeing this, one of the Food Wars Bureau judges, who was originally sitting on the far right, quickly stood up and gave up his seat without saying a word.

Erina sat down very naturally, her long golden hair gleaming with a cool sheen under the spotlight, her amber eyes staring straight at Chen Yuxing.

Hisako Shinto stood behind her, holding a notebook, her lips pressed into a tight line, her gaze towards Chen Yuxing a mixture of wariness and a curiosity she herself was reluctant to admit.

"Four matches in a row, and you're still standing here steadily..." Erina Nakiri crossed her arms and pursed her lips slightly. "I missed the first few matches, but for this final Chinese cuisine showdown, I'll reluctantly use my 'God Tongue' as a temporary referee. I hope the food you serve won't sully my tongue."

Kawashima Rei reacted swiftly: "A new temporary judge has been added to the judging panel—Ms. Nakiri Erina, the tenth seat of the Totsuki Elite Ten! With her divine tongue, she will provide tasting opinions for this confectionery competition!"

The audience erupted in uproar. The fact that the Elite Ten had personally stepped down to act as judges was something almost unheard of in the Year of the Food Wars.

In the Polar Star Dormitory audience, Yoshino Yuuki almost jumped off her chair. Aoki Daigo and Sato Shoji had already started whispering to each other. Isshiki Satoshi squinted, his fan frozen in mid-air.

Erina's presence indicates that this food battle has garnered more attention than a typical series of matches.

Miyoko Hojo frowned, but didn't say anything. After all, within Totsuki Academy, the authority of the "God Tongue" was unshakeable.

Chen Yuxing shrugged indifferently.

"Now that the judges are in place..." Kawashima Rei quickly raised her arm, "I hereby announce that the theme of the fifth food battle is—Chinese Pastries! 60 minutes time limit, the competition officially begins!"

As soon as Kawashima Rei finished speaking, a blue flame half a meter high shot out from the stove on Hojo Miyoko's side.

She showed absolutely no girlish affectation. With one hand, she gripped the handle of the heavy iron pot and placed it over the fire. The moment the pot started to smoke, she poured a large spoonful of rendered pork fat into it, followed by minced ginger, minced garlic, and the special red chili bean paste from Yokohama Chinatown!

"Fuck-"

With her left hand tossing the wok and her right hand holding a large spatula, Hojo Miyoko's arm muscles were taut. The heavy iron wok was tossed and caught like a toy in her hands. Fierce flames rose up from the edge of the wok, creating a spectacular scene as if a fire dragon was swirling and roaring inside. The rich aroma of spices, numbing spiciness, and soy sauce mixed with the fragrance of meat fat, which was so intense that just one whiff was enough to make one's mouth water, swept across the entire moonlit sky like a tsunami.

"This is... Iron Fist Fire Dragon!" Soma Yukihira's eyes lit up in the audience. "What incredible arm strength! She can stir-fry that heavy iron pot so evenly with just one hand!"

Satoshi Isshiki squinted at her from the side: "She made 'Red Oil Pork Intestine Noodles'. Using extremely high heat to stir-fry, the fat in the beef tendon and pork intestines is instantly forced out, while the 'wok hei' of the iron wok tightly locks in the noodles. It's a dish full of wildness and aggression."

However, opposite this raging "fire dragon," Chen Yuxing's kitchen counter was eerily quiet.

There was no fire lit, and the pot was not moved.

Chen Yuxing simply stood quietly in front of the large kitchen counter, his hands pressed on the flour-covered cutting board, his eyes slightly closed, his chest rising and falling with the rhythm of his breathing. He was adjusting his muscle state; the continuous high-intensity food battles had indeed made his arms a little sore, but the next dish could not tolerate the slightest flaw.

"Hey, what's he doing? Why is he spacing out?"

"Could it be that he's exhausted and has given up?"

Hearing the whispers around her, Erina, sitting on the judges' panel, bit her lip and unconsciously tapped her fingers on the table: "Hurry up and get moving, you! If you lose so badly, I'll laugh at you for the rest of my life!"

Just then, Chen Yuxing took out some premium high-gluten flour from under the counter, poured it onto the cutting board, and dug a hole in the middle.

Next, he took out a small bowl of pale yellow solution, which was warm water with a specific ratio of lye and salt added.

"The most crucial element in making noodle dishes is, of course, the dough."

Chen Yuxing poured water into the dough pit, put his hands in, and began to knead the dough quickly. His hands kneaded, rubbed, pushed, and pressed the dough, and his movements were so fast that they left afterimages. Others knead dough with their hands, but Chen Yuxing kneaded dough with the strength of his entire waist and back, pouring the power into his fingertips through his upper arms.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The dough made a dull thud on the work surface, and in just a few minutes, the originally loose flour was kneaded into a smooth, silky dough that reflected a faint sheen.

"Such a fast gluten development speed!" Erina Nakiri on the stage raised an eyebrow. "But he didn't have time to let the dough rest. If high-gluten flour isn't properly rested, the gluten will be too tight and won't be able to stretch at all."

At that moment, Chen Yuxing did not choose to let the dough rest. Instead, he grabbed both ends of the dough and pulled it sharply to both sides. The seemingly taut dough was stretched to more than a meter long like a rubber band under the even force of his hands. Then, he folded the dough in half with his hands and stretched it again.

"Two, four, eight, sixteen..."

Chen Yuxing's movements were fluid and graceful; each stretch drew a perfect arc in mid-air, and the noodles rustled in the air.

Meanwhile, to prevent the noodles from sticking together, he would occasionally grab a handful of dry flour and sprinkle it into the air, the white flour enveloping him like a thin mist.

"Sixty-four, one hundred and twenty-eight, two hundred and fifty-six..."

The entire audience was stunned, and even Miyoko Hojo, who was tossing the wok, couldn't help but glance over out of the corner of her eye.

"Ramen isn't about kneading the dough more; the key is 'following' the texture of each gluten strand," Chen Yuxing murmured to himself in the white mist. This was his deepest understanding of pastries from his previous life.

"Five hundred and twelve, one thousand and twenty-four, two thousand and forty-eight..."

With his hands constantly overlapping, the noodles became thinner and thinner. When there were only 4,096 noodles left, Chen Yuxing suddenly flicked his wrist, sending the noodles flying in the air in a beautiful wave, folding and stretching them one last time!

16,384!

"Snap!" Chen Yuxing cut the pulled noodles at both ends and placed them on the cutting board.

On the cutting board, a handful of noodles, as thin as silkworm silk, lay quietly. Under the light, they were almost translucent. If you didn't look closely, you might even mistake them for a neatly combed clump of white hair.

"Dragon beard noodles!"

The seasoned Chinese food connoisseurs on the judging panel recognized him and stood up excitedly, "To be able to stretch the noodles to this extent in such a short time, without relying on a long resting period, just by using your hands, this... this is simply divine wrist strength and skill!"

Erina Nakiri bit her lip, a hint of disbelief flashing in her eyes, but she still wouldn't let it go: "Hmph, what's the use of just being thin? Noodles ultimately depend on the broth. Noodles this thin will melt into mush as soon as they hit the pot if you don't control the heat properly!"

Ignoring the noise outside, Chen Yuxing turned around and opened a clay pot that had been simmering over a low flame while he was preparing the ingredients.

The moment the lid was lifted, an extremely rich and mellow aroma wafted out, but the soup inside was as clear as plain water!

After simmering old hen, pork ribs, and ham to make a cloudy, thick broth, repeatedly minced chicken breast is poured into the boiling broth to absorb impurities. After several rounds of "smashing the broth," this pot of broth has reached the level of "a lotus emerging from clear water." It looks like plain water, but it is actually a concentrated essence of all kinds of meat.

"Time's up! Ten more minutes until it's ready to be taken out of the pot!"

Chen Yuxing used a slotted spoon to put the thin noodles into the boiling water. In just two seconds, these noodles, which are as thin as silk threads, will be cooked in boiling water. If it takes a second longer, they will be mushy; if it takes a second less, they will be raw.

As soon as the water boiled, he immediately poured the noodles into a strainer, rinsed them in ice water to tighten their elasticity, and then placed the dragon beard noodles into several prepared white porcelain bowls.

As a final step, he uncovered the pot of crystal-clear broth, which was as pure as "boiled cabbage in clear broth," picked up a ladle, and slowly poured the broth along the side of the bowl.

Just as the noodles and broth were completely blended, Chen Yuxing sprinkled the last few tiny chopped green onions as a garnish.

Everyone in the room gasped.

Even Erina Nakiri suddenly stood up.

For in that instant, the bowl of noodles, under the refraction of the light and steam, actually shimmered with a faint, fleeting golden light!

The golden light emanated from the center of the soup, tinting the rising steam a pale gold color. The light lasted for only about one or two blinks.

The entire room was silent for a full two seconds, then erupted into a huge murmur of discussion.

"what is that!"

"It's glowing, isn't it? Ah Xing's face was glowing just now, right?"

Yoshino Yuuki jumped up from her seat, nearly dropping the chick in her hand. Her loud voice was particularly clear amidst the chaos.

"Am I...am I seeing things?" Daigo Aoki in the audience rubbed his eyes frantically.

"No... I saw it too!" Shoji Sato exclaimed, his mouth agape.

Although Isshiki Satoshi didn't speak, his eyes, which had been squinting, were now fully open, staring intently at the bowl of soup noodles that looked like a work of art.

On the judges' panel, Erina Nakiri clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white.

The light just now wasn't an illusion; it belonged to the tongue of God, whose sensitivity to taste far surpasses that of ordinary people, and whose visual perception of food is also far superior to that of ordinary chefs.

She was certain that the light she had just seen came from the food itself, not from a reflection of the light, or that she had simply misread it.

Her secretary had already come up to her and asked in a low voice, "Lady Erina, what was that just now...?" Before she could finish speaking, she raised her hand to cut her off.

"It's done." Chen Yuxing and Hojo Miyoko served their dishes to the judges' panel almost simultaneously.

"Please try mine first!" Miyoko Hojo stepped forward, "Secret Recipe Spicy Red Oil Braised Pork Intestine Ramen!"

The five judges looked at the plate of noodles in front of them, which was bright red, exuded a wild spiciness and rich aroma, swallowed hard, and picked up their chopsticks.

Erina Nakiri picked up a piece of noodles with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

The moment your teeth bite down, with a "crack," the surface of the thick ramen noodles forms a crispy crust due to the intense heat of the wok, while the inside remains chewy. Then, the domineering spiciness of the red chili bean paste, the tenderness of the beef tendon, and the rich aroma of the fatty intestines explode in your mouth like a burst of molten lava!

The intense taste sensation caused sweat to instantly bead on the judges' foreheads.

"Absolutely perfect!" an old judge exclaimed. "Perfect timing! In this dish, I can feel a giant dragon roaring in flames, wild and powerful!"

"Hmph," Erina Nakiri closed her eyes and examined the dish for a moment, then had to admit, "The control over the heat is indeed perfect, and the seasoning is bold enough yet harmonious, without letting the fishy smell of the offal ruin the overall flavor. As a powerful noodle dish, it is truly impeccable."

Upon hearing this, Hojo Miyoko's lips curled up slightly. She confidently took a step back and looked at Chen Yuxing: "Your turn."

Chen Yuxing stepped forward and pushed the dragon beard noodles in front of the judges. He even made an extra bowl and handed it to Hojo Miyoko next to him.