Under the catalysis of heat, the overflowing peppery fragrance made Mana's fingers twitch.
She instinctively picked up a small spoon, gently scooped up a perfectly formed tofu piece, blew on it, thinking it had cooled, and then slightly opened her mouth to taste it.
"Ah, ouch, ouch..."
Unexpectedly, the moment it entered her mouth, Mana's eyes widened.
Despite her caution, she underestimated the heat of the magical Mapo Tofu.
Whether from the boiling or the thickening process, the tofu retained its heat exceptionally well.
The stimulating spiciness from the Sichuan pepper, combined with the fiery heat, made Mana feel like she was chewing on a volcanic eruption!
The heat was so intense that tears welled up in her eyes.
But following this was the numbing sensation from the Sichuan pepper, causing a tingling pleasure on her tongue.
Then, the rich, spicy aroma from the Pixian bean paste and fermented black beans enveloped the tofu, allowing her to taste the spicy yet non-choking pepper fragrance and the tofu's tenderness!
After her God's Tongue had tasted all these elements, it relayed only one message to her brain:
Eat it!
...
"Although it's very hot, the flavor is indeed excellent!"
"I remember that among the many ingredients, you must use the unique Pixian bean paste from China."
"This is a crucial seasoning for Mapo Tofu, made from a mix of 70% hot chili peppers and 30% broad beans."
"And this magical Mapo Tofu..."
Suddenly, as she bit into the minced meat, a "crunch" sound made Mana freeze.
"This... this is..."
"Why does the minced meat have a crispy texture when bitten into?"
She couldn't help but close her eyes, using her God's Tongue to analyze it carefully.
Finally, a light bulb went off in her mind, and she opened her eyes excitedly, "It turns out the minced meat isn't real beef but soy-based meat, fried to create a crispy texture."
"So, it replicates the flavor of beef and provides a crispy texture when tasted."
"Ah? Does that mean the sixth flavor is crispiness?"
"Yes!"
"It's the crispy texture."
Zane chimed in.
...
Talking about Sichuan cuisine, many people will think of Douban Fish, Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork, Couple's Sliced Beef, Mapo Tofu, and Shredded Beef with Chili...
These dishes share a common trait of being primarily spicy, so associating Sichuan cuisine with spiciness is natural.
But defining Sichuan cuisine solely by "spicy" and "numbing" is incorrect.
There are many Sichuan dishes like Boiled Cabbage, Braised Pork Belly, Dongpo Pork, Leaf-wrapped Sticky Rice Cakes, and Crispy Pork Slices that are not primarily spicy.
Even Mapo Tofu itself is not just about being spicy and numbing!
It embodies a multifaceted flavor profile including "spicy, numbing, hot, fragrant, colorful, tender, fresh, and crispy."
Spiciness is just one aspect, mainly derived from the red oil and bean paste.
In Zane's perspective:
A Sichuan chef often aligns Mapo Tofu with just "spicy" and "numbing."
Doing what Kuga Terunori does by using these two flavors to conquer diners is a ridiculous approach!
At this moment, as Mana paired it with rice, she could truly appreciate that magical Mapo Tofu wasn't just about being spicy and numbing.
The bean paste and fermented black beans added "freshness" to the tofu; the spicy bean paste and red oil contributed a "colorful" look; the necessary thickening and tender tofu provided a "smooth" texture.
The Sichuan pepper brought the "numbing" flavor, while the spicy chili gave the tofu its core "spicy" flavor.
Finally, the initial burning heat added an inexplicable pleasure!
These complex flavors made every taste bud of Mana's God's Tongue continuously experience delightful sensations.
Gradually, she felt hotter and hotter.
It might have been the heat from the Mapo Tofu or the spiciness, making her sweat profusely.
The sweat on her forehead kept dripping down her delicate cheeks, and she started losing consciousness, her eyes becoming blurry.
"Can't... can't stop."
"Ah, it's so... it's so unstoppable, faster, faster!"
"I'm so uncomfortable, I can't take it anymore, ah..."
"So good!"
By the end, Mana's whole body trembled.
Her face twisted, her eyes rolled back slightly, and she opened her mouth, sticking out her tongue.
Under the astonished gazes of Annie and Zane, she wore an expression of seeming intoxication, yet looked lost and mesmerized!
"Is it that exaggerated?"
"I didn't use that much... no, I didn't use a lot of chili and Sichuan pepper!"
Seeing Mana completely overwhelmed by the magical Mapo Tofu, Zane was secretly surprised.
He thought this somewhat heavy dish might make Mana's God's Tongue resist it.
Unexpectedly, it had a more intense effect on her God's Tongue than the Frozen Bream and Comet Fried Rice.
In the end, Mana finished the entire plate of magical Mapo Tofu in one go, leaving not even a drop of sauce.
In her mind, this dish was still called Mapo Tofu, but it contained much more imaginative space.
Especially with the soy-based minced meat adding "crispiness," it made her feel that Zane had a kind of wisdom in making the most out of ingredients.
"Wow, that was truly satisfying!"
"I've never experienced such an exhilarating feeling in my life."
"This magical Mapo Tofu indeed elevates Mapo Tofu to the pinnacle of Chinese cuisine."
Breathing out heavily and wiping the sweat from her forehead, the slightly calmed Mana couldn't help but praise.
Undoubtedly, this showcased Zane's true skill!
...
"Here's a glass of water to help with the spiciness."
Then, Zane kindly handed over a glass of water.
"Thank you."
Mana accepted the water.
Seeing this, Annie wanted to stop her but was too late, watching Mana drink it down.
"It's over; how can the God's Tongue handle plain water?"
Annie was extremely anxious.
She didn't know that under normal circumstances, plain water would indeed make Mana feel nauseous.
But after eating the magical Mapo Tofu, the lingering taste in her mouth masked the plain water, making it taste flavorful.
When a plate of magical Mapo Tofu appears without reservation, it heralds a new taste experience.
This experience is more specific than ever before!
"Unexpectedly, even drinking water doesn't make me nauseous."
After a while, Mana finally came to her senses.
That long-suppressed appetite in her heart was like a blazing red flame, burning intensely...
The glossy, shiny magical Mapo Tofu remained unforgettable in her mind, leaving an indelible impression!
"Zane, can... can I have another plate?"
Touching her stomach, Mana still felt hungry, so she looked up at Zane and asked hopefully.
"No problem, but considering your physique and that it's late, it's not advisable to eat too much heavy food."
"I'll make a smaller portion this time and add more rice!"
"Okay, as you wish."
"Good, then please wait a moment."
Magical Mapo Tofu requires more accessible ingredients and conditions than Frozen Bream.
Therefore, Zane could make it often, but this dish, being heavy, wasn't suitable for the frail Mana to eat too much.
...
Night deepened.
At Totsuki Academy, because of the training camp, it was quieter and more desolate than usual with over a thousand freshmen at the resort.
Suddenly, a black car stopped in front of the school gate, and a graceful lady stepped out.
"Finally arrived."
"I wonder how much Totsuki Academy has changed?"
Her delicate, fair face with bright eyes was charming.
The dim light illuminated her soft silver hair, looking like a waterfall. With a crystal hairpin, her hair naturally fell, enhancing her allure!
Despite the poor lighting, one could feel her unique exotic charm.
Without pausing, the lady adjusted her clothes and walked briskly towards Totsuki Academy.
...
"So tired, so exhausted!"
"It's already 10 PM. Are they going to make us take another test like yesterday?"
Meanwhile, at the Totsuki Resort.
In the lobby of the five-star Totsuki Palace Hotel, Yuuki was exhausted, and collapsed on the floor.
Thinking back to the past two days of training, she felt utterly hopeless.
Though today's elimination rate was lower than yesterday's, the remaining students were naturally stronger, having survived thus far!
Even with stricter tests, the elimination rate wouldn't spike suddenly.
"Megumi, I heard that this morning's test."
"In your cooking room, the examiner was that stern-faced Shino-senpai?"
After complaining, Yuuki struggled to stand up and curiously asked Megumi.
"Yes, it was Shino-senpai," Megumi recalled the morning test, still feeling a bit scared.
"Wow, you managed to pass his test?"
Yuuki was shocked.
"Barely passed?"
"It was a nerve-wracking test, but I don't want to face him again in the upcoming tests!"
Megumi replied with some frustration.
"Yeah, he's really tough to deal with. You must have had a hard time this morning!"
Remembering her first day, Yuuki sympathized deeply with Megumi, knowing how desperate and tense facing Kojiro could be.
Finally, she patted Megumi's shoulder, expressing her understanding.
...
As the lobby buzzed with noise, the head of the culinary department, Gin Dojima appeared again.
Seeing the tired faces of the students after two days of training, he nodded in satisfaction and spoke into the microphone, "Congratulations on completing the second day of training!"
"What does that mean?"
"We... we don't have to take another test today?"
"Yay, we can finally shower and sleep early!"
"Phew, I thought I would die from exhaustion during the test, but it's over."
Hearing this news, all the tired students cheered.
Given their current mental and physical state, they couldn't handle another test.
"Quiet, I'm not done talking." Dojima gestured for the students to calm down and continued, "Now, I will announce the third day's breakfast task."
"Starting at 7 AM tomorrow, the resort will reopen after two days, expecting around 2,000 visitors."
"Your task is to make breakfast for these tourists."
"There are two main criteria for this breakfast task."
"First, the main ingredient must be eggs, and you can only use eggs to make breakfast dishes."
"Second, within 2 hours, each of you must serve at least 200 portions. Students who cannot sell 200 or more breakfasts will be considered unqualified and will be expelled!"
His words left all the students in stunned silence!
They couldn't understand why tomorrow's breakfast task was announced tonight and why it was more challenging than ever.
"Eggs? Only eggs for breakfast, and we have to sell 200 portions?"
"This... isn't this just making things difficult for us?"
"Difficult?"
"No, understand this."
"It's 10 PM now, and there are 9 hours until tomorrow's breakfast task, giving you plenty of time to think about how to do it."
Dojima's gaze swept the room, then he smiled faintly and said softly.
"That's your intention?"
Realizing his point, the students, even the slowest ones, understood. It meant a sleepless night!
They hurried to the Totsuki Resort's kitchen, preparing to develop breakfast dishes with eggs.
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