Mountains and rivers remain,
The wind has not changed.
Those ancient and magnificent landscapes,
Like movie scenes, flitted past one by one before Joichiro's eyes.
At the same time, the unique texture of crispy skin and tender meat
Slowly spread in his mouth, making Joichiro feel as if he had traveled through a thousand years, understanding the charm of Chinese cuisine.
The combination of shredded scallions and sweet sauce, blending with the Tai fish slices and sauce, was intoxicating.
"Interesting, using Sanmai Oroshi to prepare the Tai fish."
"And combining it with the Beijing roast duck method to create such a novel dish!"
"Honestly, this is the first time I've ever seen this in my life."
In any Tai fish dish, the most important aspect is the quality of the Tai fish itself, rarely incorporating other elements.
But what surprised Joichiro was that Zane's Tai Continent Map dish showed a high level of skill in the use and combination of various ingredients.
"Actually, the true charm of this dish has not yet been fully revealed," Zane said calmly.
"Yes, I'm increasingly looking forward to the next three different flavors of Tai fish," Joichiro nodded, deeply agreeing.
He continued to taste, taking the second bite, the third bite, the fourth bite... Each time, he tried a different preparation of the Tai fish.
...
"I see."
"Using both frying and cooking methods to prepare the fish slices."
"The dish has a golden color, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a strong Sichuan-style spicy flavor!"
"And then there's the fish tail."
"This is the final part of the Tai fish, and it's been made into sashimi."
"Although the combination with crab roe retains the original taste of the ingredients, the spicy flavor from the previous bite of crispy fish slices hasn't..."
"Hmm?"
"Why does it taste better the more I chew?"
"Could it be that he used the 'flower cutting' method and added some egg yolk sauce?"
"Indeed, doing so might make it a bit greasy, but in combination with the previous two Tai fish dishes, it's just right."
As Joichiro analyzed and ate, he finally understood that the texture of the entire dish was indeed very rich.
There were the spicy crispy fish slices and the light fish tail with crab roe... These four different flavors combined into a new dish!
Yes, this is not four dishes, but one dish!
Moreover, during the preparation of this dish, Zane displayed exquisite cooking techniques.
He used various traditional Chinese cooking techniques such as:
Boiling.
Frying.
Roasting.
Baking.
Stewing.
This made the texture and flavor of the Tai fish even more diverse.
He also cleverly used various Chinese specialty seasonings, such as the sauce made from Sichuan peppercorn and dried chili, egg yolk sauce, fermented bean paste, and sweet sauce!
It's not an exaggeration to say that this Tai Continent Map dish encompasses the proud flavors from all over China.
The salty flavor of the North.
The sweet and sour flavor of the South.
The spicy flavor of the West.
The light flavor of the East.
These unique flavors combined.
Not only did Joichiro taste the culinary characteristics of different regions of China, but he also experienced Zane's innovative spirit and cooking talent!
...
Gradually, Joichiro closed his eyes.
If the first bite gave him a sense of traveling back in time,
Now, his feelings were more complex, filled with deep emotion!
In his mind, a bustling and prosperous scene of Shanghai appeared.
Skyscrapers everywhere, the atmosphere of modernity, and the rapid pace of development were evident. The innovative and open character of the city was vividly displayed in the scene.
Especially the Oriental Pearl Tower, piercing the sky,
Like a shining star, illuminating the entire city of Shanghai and marking a new chapter in China's history!
Then, the scene shifted suddenly to the lush, green landscape of Sichuan.
There were giant pandas, the challenging Sichuan roads, mountains, waters, and deep emotions.
The unique scenery brought a different state of mind!
Next, a port scene emerged.
As the newborn sun slowly rose, it shone on the sea, creating sparkling waves.
The scene gradually merged with the distant islands and fishing boats, forming a beautiful picture.
"This dish, how could it be..."
As Joichiro came back to his senses, his face was filled with astonishment.
Although the images in his mind had dissipated, his heart was still unable to calm down.
...
Unlike his youthful, energetic self,
Joichiro now appeared somewhat unkempt and disheveled.
But it could not be denied that among the many students of Totsuki Academy's 69th class, he was undoubtedly a standout talent!
At that time, he held the second seat, second only to Gin Dojima on the Elite Ten Council.
However, those familiar with the Elite Ten's selection rules knew that the ranking was primarily based on the student's cooking skills but not entirely dependent on it.
It also considered the student's academic performance and contributions to Totsuki Academy.
This meant that Joichiro's cooking skills were the best in the academy at the time.
But he had some issues with his conduct, often arriving late to class or skipping entirely.
Especially after becoming an Elite Ten member, he became even more lackadaisical, neglecting many responsibilities and often using dark cuisine to bully underclassmen!
Moreover, when faced with provocations from minor characters,
He dared to serve his new dark creations to the judges, often losing in Shokugeki matches!
Due to these various factors, he could only hold the second seat position.
But even with these many shortcomings, he still won the respect and admiration of geniuses like Gin Dojima, Azami Nakiri, and others.
After all, strong people always appreciate other strong people. Joichiro's greatest strength was his ability to create unprecedented dishes using almost impossible methods.
This innate imagination in cooking guaranteed that he would achieve extraordinary success in his future life.
And indeed, that was the case.
At that time, in the world-class chef competition THE BLUE organized by WGO,
He and Gin Dojima both secured early spots due to their skills, attracting envy and dissatisfaction from many.
Eventually, the heir of the "Tsurezawa" family led a group to block Joichiro.
In desperation, he agreed to settle the matter through a Shokugeki.
To everyone's surprise, he single-handedly crushed 50 opponents in the team match, making them retreat in defeat.
This made him a legend in Totsuki Academy's history, representing the best chef of his era.
Now, such an impressive figure was easily conquered by the Tai Continent Map dish!
...
"You should try it too."
"This dish will give you an epiphany," Joichiro said with lingering awe, looking at Isami.
"Senpai, then I won't hold back," Isami responded, understanding the dish's extraordinary nature from Joichiro's shocked expression.
He eagerly took a bite.
"Mm, this flavor..."
As soon as he tasted it, Isami was stunned, unable to move.
He could hardly believe that such a stunning and delicious dish existed in the world.
The mashed Tai fish in his mouth was indescribable.
He knew that with his current skills,
Even after training for another 50 years, he might not be able to create a dish like Zane's!
...
Everyone needs to eat to survive.
But it's perplexing that in ancient China, despite valuing agriculture and commerce, chefs as "craftsmen" held low social status.
In fact, in the West and in Japan, those who prepared food and improved people's quality of life often weren't as famous as politicians who brought wars or disasters!
Chefs often didn't enjoy the same status or power as food suppliers or culinary writers.
However, in this world where "food is supreme,"
A highly skilled chef could have great status and influence.
Like the group of night chefs appearing later in the story, who could change the world with their superb culinary skills.
In Joichiro's eyes, Zane was a rare genius.
From the Tai Continent Map dish, he foresaw that the future leader of the culinary era wouldn't be the headmaster, a WGO executive, or even himself, but...
The owner of the tavern, Zane!
...
"Owner, I've traveled many places and competed with many excellent chefs."
"Each one was strong, with exceptional talent, solid skills, and a unique understanding of cuisine."
"But the most important thing,"
"They all loved the chef profession and enjoyed cooking."
"Yet, in this profit-driven world, they couldn't escape the desire for money and power."
"Their efforts were to gain recognition, treating cooking as a means to earn money."
"Some even sold their conscience, tampering with dishes for profit!"
"The current culinary world is quite corrupt and degenerate!"
"I was filled with despair,
Believing the future culinary era would be even darker."
"But coming to your tavern tonight, I realized there are still pure people like you in the world."
"With your superb skills, you could be anywhere, but you choose to stay here,
Using simple ingredients and low prices to offer the best dishes to your customers, letting everyone enjoy the true joy of food!"
Joichiro, pausing his chopsticks, couldn't help but reflect on his past and see hope in Zane.
...
"Is being a chef good or bad?"
"I believe everyone asks themselves this before entering the industry."
"Whether it's out of interest or to make money, it can't be denied that becoming a qualified chef is a long journey!"
"Take Chinese cuisine, for example. Just the basic knife skills take 3 to 5 years to master."
"And you need different knife skills for different ingredients."
"Cutting, slicing, chopping, etc., each takes weeks to master."
"Then
there's stir-frying, controlling heat, seasoning, various theoretical knowledge, understanding and using ingredients, and cooking techniques like frying, boiling, roasting..."
"So, relying on just a love for cooking is not enough."
"I'm glad that in this world, chefs still have high status and income."
"Of course, the modern culinary world has many issues and flaws."
"But so what?"
"For me, I just want to run this tavern well and make good food."
"Many can't understand my thoughts, but if I can add a bit of light to this corrupt world, I'll be satisfied!"
"I believe that in a corrupt world, people like us are even more valuable."
After finishing his words, the atmosphere in the tavern turned silent.
Everyone, including Joichiro, stared at Zane, unable to calm their hearts.
"I finally understand why Ms. Nakiri said there's only one person in the world who can truly change me," Sonoka, the assistant chef, said, staring intently at Zane, as if she had an epiphany.
"Owner, you're so young, I thought you'd be arrogant."
"But your awareness makes me feel ashamed and respectful!"
Joichiro admired Zane even more, sighing, "If I had your mindset at your age,
Many things wouldn't have happened, and I wouldn't have dropped out..."
"For you, it was an unforgettable experience, wasn't it?"
"Yes, indeed," Joichiro nodded unconsciously.
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