A Block
The sweat of the contestants and the enthusiasm of the audience.
Every corner speaks of the passion and charm of the preliminaries.
At this moment, a difficult-to-describe stench, like a mix of rot, fermentation, and expired food, filled the air.
Everyone wrinkled their noses, with some even wanting to leave immediately.
The dish looked dull and sticky, making it hard to imagine what it might taste like.
Perhaps it was different from all other delicious foods.
This stinky dish should be classified as a "biological weapon."
...
"So smelly!"
"This dish shouldn't even be brought out."
Many people held their noses and looked at the contestant Nao in disgust.
At the judges' table, Shingo, weak and frail like a withered tree, stared at the slightly disgusting "dark dish."
Finally, his face changed. "That dark, thick soup, could it be made with squid ink?"
"Yes, it's black magic squid ink!"
Nao, still wearing a sinister expression, nodded and said, "As you can see, my dish is laksa curry."
Gulp!
Gulp!
Shingo swallowed hard.
He began to have second thoughts, wondering if such a smelly laksa curry could really be eaten.
But in the end, driven by strong professionalism, he picked up his chopsticks and took a taste.
"Huh?"
"It's... it's delicious!"
As soon as he tasted it, he exclaimed in excitement.
This laksa curry could be summed up in one word:
Fragrant.
...
Something extremely smelly can actually be fragrant.
Like the three kings of the "smelly food" world: stinky tofu, snail noodles, and durian.
People who hate them want to avoid the smell, while those who love them can't get enough!
The reason lies in human olfactory function.
The front olfactory sense comes from the nasal cavity to the olfactory cells, which is the process of "smelling."
The back olfactory sense involves the aroma entering through the mouth, connecting to the nasal cavity and reaching the olfactory cells.
In short, it's the process of "eating" or "drinking."
While eating, the back olfactory sense is far stronger than the front olfactory sense.
This means food often smells worse than it tastes when eaten.
The saying, "One person's delicacy is another person's poison," is very fitting.
...
Nao's laksa curry did have a strange smell.
It was slippery and sour at first, with a spicy aftertaste. The smell of rotten fish lingered in the mouth.
The stimulating chili, fragrant coconut, and rich curry made each bite more enjoyable.
This laksa was similar to sour and spicy noodles but used much more complex spices. The main feature was a mix of herbal spices and condiments, including lemongrass, chili, tamarind paste, shrimp paste, and coconut milk.
Nao also emphasized traditional hand preparation.
She ground all the spices by hand and used a clay pot for frying, keeping the original flavors.
Then, she added cooked and boneless rotten fish meat and squid ink for simmering.
Though smelly, the taste was fresh and exciting.
"In a steamy environment, dried salted fish cooked with various seafood produces a special flavor."
After eating, Shingo praised it.
To everyone's surprise, Nao's laksa curry scored:
87 points.
...
The hostess Anne was stunned.
She quickly regained her composure and said excitedly into the microphone, "Nao has broken the 80-point barrier, scoring 87 points, and is currently in second place."
"Hehehe, although it's only 87 points, it should place me ahead of Kurokiba Ryo."
Nao said with a sinister smile.
"This... is unexpected."
"A dish that smelly scored so high."
"Let's have the next contestant present their dish for the judges' tasting!"
The shy hostess Anne, unlike Kawashima, had a timid personality and lacked professional skills.
Currently, the top four in A Block were:
- Kurokiba Ryo.
- Nao.
- Ikumi Mito.
- Ibusaki Shun.
With scores of 91, 87, 87, and 86, respectively.
...
"Miss, watch my progress and growth!"
With a determined look at Erina in the judges' seats, Hisako spoke to herself.
Then, when a steaming bowl of Four Herbs Bitter Melon Lamb Soup was served, the first thing to catch the eye was the rich broth. The soup had a golden hue, like the rising sun, warm and bright.
In the broth, bitter melon and lamb intertwined.
The bitter melon was emerald green like jade, and the lamb was a tender pink, like a girl's cheeks.
The taste was cool.
The bitterness of the bitter melon was not strong, instead carrying a slight sweetness.
This sweetness, coupled with the bitterness, created a unique taste.
Slowly.
Once swallowed, a warmth spread through the body.
"Incredible!"
"This lamb typically has a strong smell, so handling the odor is challenging."
"But this Four Herbs Bitter Melon Lamb Soup is extraordinary."
"The lamb is fresh and tender, not gamey or greasy. The bitter melon, being a cold ingredient, adds a refreshing touch."
"Lamb is inherently warm, creating a hot and cold sensation."
"Cold."
"Hot."
"Two interwoven feelings."
"Such a wonderful experience!"
"Indeed, using Angelica sinensis, Chuanxiong, white peony root, and rehmannia as the main ingredients for the Four Herbs Soup."
"Using these with gamey lamb and making it so delicious. This contestant must be a highly talented medicinal cuisine expert!"
The judges couldn't stop praising it.
...
At first, they ate cautiously, not wanting to miss anything.
But the more they ate, the more energy the soup gave them. The balanced warmth and coolness brought them a unique experience.
Finally, they couldn't help but devour it.
Shingo, despite his frail appearance, showed great strength as a food critic and essayist.
He entered a mystical state, suddenly becoming very strong. His frail form seemed to undergo a mysterious transformation.
His once thin body now exuded strength.
Muscles visibly swelled, each like a sculpted masterpiece, clear and powerful.
His shoulders broadened as if he could carry the world.
His chest was solid like a shield.
Hmm!
Now he looked less like a refined food critic and more like a powerful warrior with a sword!
Finally, amid exclamations, Hisako's score was revealed:
90 points!
This score was just shy of Kurokiba Ryo's but knocked Ibusaki Shun out of the top four.
...
Compared to B Block, A Block's contestants seemed more skilled overall.
Halfway through judging, two contestants had already scored over 90 points, but there were still some with low scores.
After Hisako, the scores dropped, even hitting single digits:
8.
"Pfft~"
"A single digit?"
"I've seen low scores, but never this low."
"I thought 18 was low, but now there's an 8?"
"How did this person qualify for the autumn selection?"
These poor performances quickly drew criticism.
"Next contestant, please present your dish."
Anne looked at the 8 on the screen and wiped her sweat.
As hostess, she had to maintain composure and announce the next contestant.
...
Beef.
Potatoes.
Carrots.
Onions.
Curry.
That's it.
When Soma presented his "Soma-style Curry Beef, 23rd Edition," the judges were stunned.
They couldn't believe they, as esteemed judges, were eating such a plain dish!
"Normally, you'd get a zero for this."
Shingo adjusted his glasses and glared at Soma.
The last contestant had scored 8, disappointing him, and now this?
"Judges, sometimes the simplest dishes are the hardest to master."
Soma replied with a smile.
"Hmm?" Shingo frowned.
Without further comment, he tasted the curry beef.
The tender meat was chewy and flavorful, each bite bursting with rich sweetness.
The beef was tender and aromatic, not greasy, with a lasting fragrance.
It was, in a word:
Wonderful!
This simple curry beef surpassed Ikumi Mito's Masaman Curry Beef Rice.
Finally, Soma's curry beef earned:
90 points.
"Wow!"
"A simple curry beef tied with Hisako?"
"Soma Yukihira is amazing. Recently, he lost to Ikumi Mito in the rice bowl incident."
"Yeah, he lost 5-0."
"What an inspiring story, avenging his defeat and making it to the top four in A Block!"
As the audience buzzed, Ryo walked up with his dish.
...
Puff Pastry Soup.
This was Ryo's preliminary dish.
Sealing the soup's aroma with a pie crust and baking it.
The golden crust shone like the sun, always inviting.
The cracks in the crust told its story.
The hidden soup made everyone eager to taste it.
A spoonful of crust burst with flavor, waking the taste buds.
Next was the rich broth.
The broth combined vegetable sweetness, meat richness, and spice uniqueness perfectly.
The best part was the rich meat juice under the crust.
Cutting the crust revealed a fragrant world.
This explosive aroma filled the room, detectable even from afar.
Fragrant!
So fragrant.
Who would have thought this small Puff Pastry Soup held such power?
...
"Incredible!"
"I can smell it from here."
"This strong aroma is smooth and round."
"My stomach is growling."
"Sigh!"
"I envy the judges."
"They get to taste this dish."
Many were excited, as this aromatic dish made everyone hungry.
Finally, this Puff Pastry Soup scored 92 points, taking first place in A Block!
So, the top four in A Block were:
- Ryo.
- Kurokiba Ryo.
- Soma Yukihira.
- Hisako Arato
.
...
"I only got third, tied with Soma."
Hisako felt a bit down, barely making it.
She adjusted her clothes and, feeling disappointed, approached Erina: "Sorry, Miss, I let you down."
"Hisako, don't say that. Ryo has a super sense of smell. He can detect any ingredient's aroma."
"You did well to stay in the top four."
Erina patted her shoulder, comforting her.
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