Food Wars!: God's Tongue is no match for me.

Page 2

All that is known is that a month ago, he was invited by his grandfather, the current commander-in-chief Senzaemon Nakiri, to become a lecturer at Totsuki Culinary Academy. He is responsible for teaching the third-year students in the elementary school, especially Erina's class.

It's obvious that the commander-in-chief recognized his abilities and thus entrusted him with the responsibility of teaching Erina.

At first, Erina was quite curious about Lin Xu.

But she later discovered that he always liked to teach about commoner dishes in class, which made her, a young lady from a noble family who admired "high-class cuisine," quite unhappy.

However, during a practical lesson, she unexpectedly tasted Lin Xu's sushi and became completely addicted to it.

Despite saying things like, "This sushi is awful, it tastes exactly like rotten fish and shrimp from a stinky ditch," deep down, she already really appreciates and likes Lin Xu's cooking!

……

"Cough cough."

"Lin... Lin Xu, oh no, Lecturer Lin."

"The tempura you made was simply fresh shrimp dipped in batter and deep-fried."

"But...but why does it taste so good, not greasy at all, but rather very crispy, which I really like..."

"What I mean is, how exactly was it done?"

Afterwards, Erina, still slightly flushed, blinked and asked Lin Xu.

"Don't you have the ability of the God Tongue?"

"What, can't you even detect this little secret?" Lin Xu chuckled and teased.

"Ok?"

"I...of course I know."

"I just wanted to test you, after all, you are a lecturer at Totsuki Academy!"

Erina said somewhat guiltily.

"What kind of logic is it for students to test their teachers?"

That's what he said, but Lin Xu was quite happy to show off in front of Erina, no, he was to explain: "Under the thin feather robe, the original flavor of the ingredients is sublimated, which is the true taste that can never be forgotten."

"I think this is perhaps what makes tempura different from other fried foods."

"Good tempura should be crispy, with that 'crunch' sound as soon as it enters your mouth."

"at the same time."

"It also must not have the greasy feeling of fried food."

Upon hearing this, Erina nodded in agreement, clearly showing that she strongly agreed with Lin Xu's point of view.

……

"So, how do you fry up good tempura?"

Lin Xu then changed the subject: "In my opinion, 70% depends on the oil temperature, 20% on the batter, and 10% on the attention to fresh ingredients."

"I understand."

"Is oil temperature the main factor?"

Erina suddenly interrupted, then fell into deep thought.

"Yes, although tempura is a deep-fried food, the oil temperature for frying tempura is usually maintained at a high temperature of 180°C. Before the moisture in the food evaporates completely, the internal temperature of tempura is often less than 100°C."

"Although it is deep-fried, the inside of tempura is actually steamed."

"And the perfect balance between frying and steaming is what tempura is all about..."

"The ultimate secret technique!"

Lin Xu said.

……

indeed.

The oil temperature and frying time for the ingredients seem insignificant.

However, upon closer examination, there is a great deal of knowledge involved, especially when frying several ingredients together in a pot, which is quite time-consuming.

You need to consider, based on the frying time, which ingredients should be added first and which should be added later.

Which ingredients' batter tends to fall apart in the frying oil and therefore must be fried separately first? Which ingredients shouldn't be stirred after being put into the oil? Thinking about it...

I was completely confused.

Even after figuring everything out, throw a batch of ingredients into the oil in order.

It seems that everything can be peaceful and harmonious, and you can time it perfectly to harvest the fried tempura.

No.

As Lin Xu said.

Tempura may look like it's fried, but it's actually steamed.

After adding the ingredients, the oil temperature will quickly drop.

A drop in oil temperature is a terrible thing. It means that frying time has to be extended, the batter will absorb too much oil, and all the theories about the perfect tempura that I had envisioned are defeated by reality.

……

"So how do we find this balance?"

After thinking it over, Erina looked up at Lin Xu and asked again.

"At least."

“There are two solutions.”

"One is to quickly adjust the heat when the oil temperature drops, so that the temperature can rise again."

"Second, use two pots to fry tempura."

"One pot is heated at a higher temperature, and the other pot is heated at a lower temperature. We switch between the two pots according to the needs of the ingredients and the process."

"The premise of using this method is that you can remain clear-headed and judge the temperature changes of each pot at any time when switching between the two pots."

"And remember the frying time for each ingredient in each pot."

Lin Xu replied.

"I see!"

Erina suddenly realized: "These solutions seem simple."

"But it's not so easy to actually control the oil temperature by using the heat to fry tempura to perfection."

"For example, chefs also need to consider the residual heat inside the oil pan after the heat is turned off, which affects the further cooking of the ingredients, especially for ingredients that have been fried until they are half-cooked."

“Yes, that’s exactly what I wanted to say.”

"Any kind of cuisine, even a common dish like tempura, requires constant refinement and self-torture in its details."

Lin Xu gave Erina a deep look and said softly.

"Ok?"

This statement came out.

Erina was stunned for a moment!

Chapter 3 Unpolished Gem

China, a country with a long history and splendid culture.

In terms of food culture, it also demonstrates unparalleled diversity and depth, existing in two distinct dimensions:

Popular dishes.

Banquet dishes.

Take Sichuan cuisine as an example.

This cuisine is renowned for its distinctive spicy and numbing flavor.

Many spicy Sichuan dishes, such as Mapo Tofu and Boiled Fish, originally originated from the streets and alleys of the countryside and are the crystallization of the wisdom of the working people.

Furthermore, its unique seasoning techniques and cooking methods make it unforgettable and leave a lasting impression.

However, within the vast realm of Sichuan cuisine, there are also elegant and refined dishes served to officials, such as: Chicken Slices with Egg White and Boiled Cabbage in Clear Broth.

They emphasize the freshness of ingredients and the exquisite cooking, with excellent color, aroma, taste and presentation, making them a top choice for banquets.

Japanese cuisine also has two dimensions.

One is the food of the common people to fill their stomachs, and the other is the gourmet food that represents high-end cuisine.

The staple foods are just these few: curry, ramen, soba noodles, udon noodles, tempura, conveyor belt sushi, pizza, beef bowls, and coffee toast for breakfast...

Ah!

These foods.

They're all pretty much the same, ranging from tens to hundreds of yen.

Limited by the availability of ingredients, the price isn't too high, which is actually pretty much the same all over the world.

For a more mid-range option, there are various izakayas serving yakitori, yakiniku, Spanish cuisine, Italian food, etc., costing several hundred to over a thousand yen per person.

As for the high-class cuisine recognized by Erina Nakiri, such as:

Beijing cuisine.

Edo-mae sushi.

French cuisine.

Fine Italian cuisine.

That's a different story; it can be several thousand per person, with no upper limit!

A variety of high-quality ingredients, including Ise lobster, red king crab, premium Wagyu beef, various deep-sea fish, sea urchin, shark fin, sturgeon caviar...

Even chefs have to rack their brains and use all sorts of cooking methods and equipment.

It can be said like this.

Common cuisine and high-class cuisine are two different worlds.

……

all the time.

Erina is quite averse to commoner cuisine.

The reason for this situation is related to the extreme education he received in his early years.

From a young age, her father, Azami Nakiri, instilled in her the theory of "food feed," which meant that commoner cuisine was as inferior as pig feed and should be discarded.

But in Lin Xu's view, the tongue of God is the key factor.

This ability makes Erina Nakiri extremely sensitive to the flaws and shortcomings of dishes.

Over time.

She is particularly picky about everyday dishes!

After all, we have to admit that the techniques used in everyday cooking may not be perfect, or the ingredients may not be high-end enough.

Of course, there are other factors, such as:

The issue of self-esteem.

Whenever Lin Xu explains some common dishes in class and shows how to make delicious food with the simplest ingredients, Erina's reaction is always quite strong.

That's because Lin Xu's existence has shaken her confidence, which is centered on "pursuing perfection"!

In Erina's heart, she may have felt that the commoner's cuisine was beginning to threaten her status.

That's why she wanted to maintain her sense of superiority by "rejecting" others, but in the end she couldn't escape Wang Jingze's "it's actually good" principle.

soon.

She possesses the power of the God Tongue.