Everyday Life Starting with Food Wars

Across from him, Hayama Akira picked up a white cloth, wiped his hands, and looked at the dish in front of him with a confident smile.

"So!"

"Let's invite Kurokiba Ryo to present his dish first!"

As soon as Kawashima Rei finished speaking, Kurokiba Ryoya picked up a huge tray with one hand and strode towards the judges' table.

"boom!"

He slammed the large tray heavily onto the judging table, the force so great that even the water glasses on the table vibrated.

"Hey, eat the food while it's hot!"

Kurokiba Ryo grinned, but his eyes were full of arrogance.

Kakuzaki Taki, sitting on the far right, frowned when he saw Kurokiba Ryo's expression.

But before she could react, she looked at the dishes that had been served.

In the center of the white porcelain plate was a lucky bag tightly wrapped in baking paper. The surface of the paper lucky bag had become translucent from the moisture and oil seeping in from inside, but the seal was made of a piece of slightly curled eel skin.

"Hey, brat."

Kakuzaki Taki crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Kurokiba Ryo with displeasure, saying, "What kind of attitude is this? It's one thing if you serve the food, but at least prepare it completely before serving it?"

"You've wrapped yourself up so tightly, do you really expect us to open it ourselves?"

After hearing this, Kurokiba Ryo not only did not apologize, but instead took a step forward and placed his hands on the edge of the judging table, looking down at Kakuzaki Taki.

"Shut up! You old hag!"

After he shouted that, the entire moonlit sky fell into dead silence.

Everyone in the audience was stunned.

“That Kurokiba Ryo guy… he actually called Chef Kakuzaki an old woman?!” Aoki Daigo’s voice trembled as he spoke. “Is he out of his mind?! That’s the second seat of the Elite Ten, a monster…”

On the judging panel, Kakuzaki Taki's forehead veins bulged instantly upon hearing Kurokiba Ryo's words. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up abruptly: "Who are you calling an old woman?! You disrespectful brat, don't think you can act recklessly just because you're a contestant!"

"Should I, as your senior, teach you what the rules are right now?!"

The tension between the two was escalating, and they were on the verge of fighting on the judging panel.

Sitting on the left, Dojima Gin sighed helplessly and reached out to press down.

"Alright, Kakuzaki, sit down first."

Dojima Gin's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority: "Don't forget your current role is that of a judge."

"And when you were a student, your attitude towards your seniors seemed to be similar to his, right?"

Despite his resentment at Dojima Gin's words, Kakuzaki Taki merely snorted and sullenly sat back down in his chair.

"Now, please untie this paper strip yourselves."

Kurokiba Ryo looked at the five judges in front of him, his eyes burning with confidence, "Then get ready to be completely devoured by my dish."

Kojiro Shinomiya pushed up his glasses, ignoring Ryo Kurokiba's attitude. He reached out and gently pulled the eel skin string sealing the paper bag.

The moment the knot was untied and the parchment paper was unwrapped.

"boom!"

A visible plume of white steam, carrying an incredibly rich seafood aroma, burst out of the paper bag.

"This smell..." Kikuchi Sonoka instinctively closed her eyes as the heat hit her face. "It's such a strong seafood smell! It's like standing by the sea..."

After the steam dissipated a little, the true contents of the paper bag were finally revealed.

Soaked in a rich, milky-white broth are thick, appealing slices of eel meat.

Scattered around the eel meat are many plump and round seafood balls.

Kakuzaki Taki was still angry, but when she smelled this scent, the prejudice in her eyes immediately disappeared.

She opened the paper bag, picked up a knife and fork, cut off a piece of eel, dipped it in the broth, and then ate it.

"This is... dried eel?"

After tasting it, she looked at the fish on the plate with some surprise.

Despite being air-dried raw fish, it didn't become drier after being heated in the oven; instead, it became more elastic.

"This tastes just like it's alive!"

Kikuchi Sonoka covered her cheeks, her voice trembling slightly, "This piece of eel meat is so springy in my mouth, it's like a fish that's just been pulled out of the sea and is still jumping around! No... it's even more tender and juicy than fresh eel!"

"It's the effect of the broth and collagen," Shinomiya Kojiro explained while tasting the fish. "The dried eel is soaked in broth made from fresh eel meat paste and bone fragments."

"After being sealed in a paper bag, the water vapor generated at high temperature continuously circulates and heats the dried eel, not only restoring its fresh taste but also locking in the delicious flavor of the dried product."

Dojima Gin, on the other hand, immediately set his sights on the seafood balls next to him.

He forked one of them and ate it.

"Crench."

The moment the meatball is bitten open, a variety of different seafood flavors burst out from inside.

Sea cucumber, shark fin, abalone, scallops, crab, lobster, squid, and flounder.

The umami flavor of eight kinds of dried seafood mixed together left Dojima Gin completely stunned.

In his mind, the moon and sky had completely disappeared.

He was standing on a small island, surrounded by an endless expanse of milky white sea.

Waves surged on the sea surface, and each wave that crashed onto the beach left behind a wriggling eel.

The eels were jumping around on the beach, their scales reflecting a rainbow of colors in the sunlight.

Suddenly, a huge gash appeared in the sea.

A gigantic monster rose from the opening. Its body was made of shark fins and sea cucumbers, its tentacles resembled squid and flounder, its head was a mix of lobster and crab, and its lower body was abalone and scallops.

The monster let out a deafening roar and slammed its paw into the sea, creating a wave that swallowed Dojima Gin whole.

He tried to open his mouth to shout, but the moment the seawater filled his mouth, he stopped struggling.

The taste of seawater is so fresh, warm and thick, with the unique salty and savory flavor of seafood.

In reality, Dojima Gin was panting heavily, his forehead covered in sweat, and his eyes were filled with shock.

"This is monstrous deliciousness..."

Dojima Gin wiped his sweat and said, "Dried eel itself has a concentrated umami flavor. You used the rich broth made from fresh eel to soak the dried eel. You're a truly terrifying young man..."

Senzaemon Nakiri, who was sitting in the middle, also put down his chopsticks, his clothes trembling slightly.

A few seconds later, the kimono ripped open from the shoulder.

The commander-in-chief, shirtless, closed his eyes and remained silent for a while.

"A very good dish." The commander slowly opened his eyes and looked at Kurokiba Ryo, saying, "You made use of every part of the eel and even used a paper bag to seal it, creating a cycle of umami flavor."

"This is truly a destructive work."

Upon hearing the judges' comments, Kurokiba Ryo laughed.

He then turned to look at Hayama Akira, who was standing to one side.

"Your turn is next, White Hair."

"Let me see if your spices can break my tsunami."

Ignoring Kurokiba Ryo's taunts, Hayama Akira picked up his tray and walked towards the judges' table.

"My dish, French Appiuille roast duck."

Hayama Akira placed the five plates in front of the judges.

Unlike Kurokiba Ryo's dishes, Hayama Akira's dish looks very ordinary.

A few slices of duck breast lay on the white porcelain plate, the skin of the duck roasted to a brownish color with some charred marks.

The duck meat at the cut surface is a perfect pink color and looks very plump, with a touch of sauce garnishing it.

There was no exaggerated steam, nor the rich aroma that comes with cooking; it tasted just like ordinary duck meat.

"Oh? Roast duck from Appiquius?"

Shinomiya Kojiro looked at the duck meat on the plate: "This is also a famous dish that has been passed down from ancient Rome, but if it is not handled properly, the gamey smell of the duck meat will ruin the whole dish."

"The judges will know once they taste it."

Hayama Ryo bowed slightly, but his words were full of confidence.

Kakuzaki Taki first picked up a knife and fork and cut off a piece of duck meat. She dipped it in the sauce next to her and put it in her mouth.

The moment the duck skin touched the teeth.

"Click".

A crisp snapping sound rang out in my mouth.

The outer layer of duck skin, which looked roasted to a golden brown, was actually very crispy.

"There are actually two layers of charred crust?!"

Kakuzaki Taki's eyes widened suddenly.

"Yes."

Akira Hayama explained from the side, "Before putting the dish in the oven, I first brushed a layer of honey on the surface of the duck skin."

"Honey forms a first crust at high temperatures, and before taking it out of the oven, I sprinkled a layer of white sugar on it and baked it again."

"The caramelization of the two types of sugar elevates the crispiness of the duck skin to its peak, while also locking in the juices inside the duck meat."

But this is only the beginning.

When Kakuzaki Taki bit through the sugar coating and ate the duck meat.

The spices hidden in the gaps of the duck skin suddenly burst open.

Thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, black pepper, and so on.

More than a dozen different spices have already permeated the duck meat beneath the duck fat.

The original gamey smell of the duck meat was completely eliminated, and instead, the spices transformed it into a rich and mellow meaty flavor.

The true nature of this dish is revealed when the sauce spreads on the tongue.

"This sauce..."

Dojima Gin pondered for a moment: "A sauce made with port wine, onions, and duck liver...?"

"The texture of the duck liver, the sweetness of the onions after stir-frying, and the fruity aroma of the port wine are really good."

“In the traditional method of making Appiuus roast duck, the duck meat and spices are stewed together, and all the flavors blend together,” Hayama Ryo explained with his arms crossed. “That’s why I chose to use different spices and sauces.”

"This creates new layers of texture without them interfering with each other. The sauce is also made to further highlight this texture."

If Kurokiba Ryo's cuisine is a rampaging deep-sea monster, then Hayama Akira's roast duck is like a king reigning supreme.

The illusion unfolded simultaneously in the minds of the five judges.

An ancient Roman palace in the desert appeared before everyone.

The palace was also inlaid with gold and jewels, and the floor was covered with various kinds of precious silks.

On the throne in the very center of the palace sat a king whose face was obscured.

He held a cinnamon scepter in his hand, and was surrounded by vines woven from various spices.

At the king's feet, countless wild beasts lay prostrate.

The air was filled with the intoxicating aroma of spices, which transformed into a pair of gentle hands that lightly caressed the judges.

"call……"

Kojiro Shinomiya slowly put down his knife and fork and let out a long breath.

He looked at Hayama Akira, his eyes revealing undisguised admiration.

"What a wonderful blend of spices!"

"The spices did not mask the original flavor of the duck meat; rather, they enhanced the flavor of the duck meat to a new level, like stars surrounding the moon."