From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Why has the National Cook-Off become the most convincing national cooking competition?
One of the key points is that every chef participating in the national competition must complete all the steps of a dish by himself.

Even in the first national competition, many main ingredients, auxiliary ingredients and seasonings had to be prepared by the participating chefs themselves.

Now it is the third session. With the development of the domestic economy, the organizers and sponsors have been able to contact a lot of sponsors.

Therefore, it can provide a better competition environment for the participating chefs.

Almost all the main ingredients, auxiliary ingredients and seasonings needed by various chefs can be provided at the competition site.

And we also provide chefs with the best ingredients.

But one thing has not changed.

That is, chefs participating in national competitions still have to prepare the ingredients for each dish themselves.

In national competitions, it is not like the master chefs are in the kitchen, but there are many kitchen helpers and apprentices preparing the ingredients.

Every participating chef must start with slaughtering and cleaning.

This includes the soups that the chefs use, which they also have to prepare themselves.

To cook soup, you first need to prepare the ingredients needed for cooking.

A wide variety of materials are provided on site.

Everything is available, including old chickens, old ducks, and bones for making soup.

However, the chickens, ducks, geese, fish and shrimps provided by the venue are all alive.

In other words, every chef must slaughter and clean the chickens and ducks himself to make soup.

This is also why, when selecting Shandong cuisine chefs, the chefs are asked to kill chickens and fish by themselves.

The national competition also gave each chef a full day to prepare the ingredients.

So after the chefs exchanged ideas on cooking at the banquet, they immediately started preparing ingredients for their individual competitions the next day.

In order to provide the chefs with enough space to prepare ingredients, the hotel even provided a huge venue.

This allows chefs participating in the national competition to prepare ingredients together in a more spacious space.

Today's preparations are completely different from those made the day before the banquet.

The preparations for the banquet cooking exchange the day before were made by chef groups from all over the country.

It is said that there is strength in numbers.

When a group of people prepare materials together, the work assigned to each individual will not be so hard.

Today, all participating chefs will prepare ingredients for their individual competitions.

No one could possibly have help.

Everyone can only handle all the processes by themselves.

This is also an all-round test of the comprehensive strength of every participating chef in the national competition.

There are more than 300 chefs participating in this competition.

The scene of more than 300 chefs killing chickens and fish and preparing ingredients together is quite grand.

China Central Television, Shanghai Television and Hong Kong Television also cooperated to film the chefs' preparation process for the competition.

Although it was not a live broadcast, the on-site filming was still quite careful and meticulous.

It is considered to be a careful record of the entire preparation process of the participating chefs.

On the day when there was no live broadcast of the competition, the TV station also edited and broadcast the banquet cooking exchange and preparation process, as well as some interviews with chefs during the live broadcast time.

This national competition was broadcast live and promoted throughout by three TV stations, especially China Central Television.

It has attracted nationwide attention and discussion.

Most people in the country have already regarded watching the national cooking competition as a pastime after their daily work.

So even if there is no game, I will still watch it in front of the TV.

Seeing that what was being broadcast was the previously recorded preparation process, as well as some interviews with chefs, naturally many people found it equally interesting.

For example, when interviewing some chefs, I asked them if they had ever thought about becoming the top scholar?
The chefs’ answers were also very interesting.

Some chefs are more modest and say they have never thought about becoming the top scholar.

Some chefs said they had thought about it, but after coming here and seeing that everyone was very good, they felt they might not have a chance.

There are also chefs who are very confident and say that they come to the national competition just to win the top prize.

Then chefs from different places will also gain support from audiences around the world.

Audiences from all over the world hope that the chef from their region can win the top prize, or at least be among the top ten chefs.

More people still hope that through the television broadcast of the national competition, people from other places can learn about some of the unique delicacies of their hometowns.

After watching the live and recorded interviews.

Many people also know most of the chefs in this class.

Among the chefs who have left a deep impression on everyone, Feng Zhengming must be one.

On the one hand, Feng Zhengming's second fish in the first game really surprised everyone.

Whether in terms of creativity or cooking techniques, Feng Zhengming can be said to have achieved a comprehensive crushing victory.

On the other hand, after the banquet was cooked yesterday, Feng Zhengming disappeared. It was only later that people found out that he was too tired and went back to his room to sleep.

There is no live broadcast of the game today. Among the recorded preparations and interviews broadcast, there is also an interview with Feng Zhengming.

This interview was recorded yesterday when Feng Zhengming was interviewed by reporters after waking up and having breakfast.

Through this interview, many people have a deeper impression of Feng Zhengming.

Everyone found that Feng Zhengming was a very straightforward person.

Even when being interviewed in front of the camera, he behaved quite naturally.

He really just says whatever he wants to say.

Feng Zhengming's frankness naturally won the appreciation of more people.

Of course, many people still hope that Feng Zhengming can defeat the chefs in Hong Kong and become the top winner of this national competition.

Judging from the current points, it seems that Feng Zhengming is the only one who has the best chance of becoming the top pick.

For many mainlanders, it is absolutely impossible to let a chef from Hong Kong win the top prize.

As long as the top prize is won by a chef from the mainland, they may not care where he is from.

It was also the day when Feng Zhengming and other participating chefs were preparing ingredients for their individual competitions.

Accompanied by his third uncle and Luo Qing, Grandpa Feng boarded the train heading south to Shanghai.

Feng Jiandong paid for it and bought a sleeper ticket through his connections at Luo Qing Railway Station so that his old father could have a more comfortable journey.

Grandpa Feng got on the train and sat in the sleeper car, but he still couldn't help but blame his youngest son.

"Why did you spend the extra money on the sleeper ticket? We can just sit in the hard seat."

Feng Jiandong said quickly, "Dad, we have to sit on the train for a day or two to go to Shanghai. It will be too hard if we don't buy a sleeper berth. You are old and can't stand that kind of hardship."

I know my father won't be satisfied just by saying this.

Feng Jiandong went on to say: "Besides, Xiao Luo is a woman, and it would be too messy on the hard seat side, and it would be inconvenient for her."

Sure enough, Grandpa Feng looked at Luo Qing, his future granddaughter-in-law.

He also agreed to take the sleeper berth.

Luo Qing was still somewhat concerned about Feng Zhengming's situation.

"Grandpa, Third Uncle, what do you think Zhengming is doing now?"

Grandpa Feng smiled and replied, "He should be busy preparing ingredients for the upcoming competition. In the national competition, the chefs have to prepare the ingredients themselves. If you want to cook well, you have to prepare the ingredients first."

Uncle San immediately said, "That will be no problem for Zhengming. Zhengming is very good at preparing ingredients."

Grandpa Feng immediately asked, "What do you think is wrong with him?"

This question stumped Feng Jiandong. He thought about it, smiled bitterly and said, "It seems that we can't do without him." The old man was obviously very satisfied with this answer.

"Zhengming is a good kid. His abilities were honed little by little from the grassroots level during his years in the kitchen of Yanxilou."

Feng Jiandong said: "It really took a lot of effort to practice it."

Just as the father and son were chatting about Feng Zhengming.

The person sleeping on the bunk above them suddenly leaned his head down.

"Grandpa, are you talking about Chef Feng who participated in the national competition?"

Grandpa Feng nodded: "Yes, we are talking about him."

Hearing this, the person on the upper bunk on the other side also stuck his head out.

"Chef Feng Zhengming is the best young chef in Shandong cuisine right now."

This statement was recognized by many people in the car.

"Yes, Chef Feng is really amazing."

"It looks like everyone watched the live broadcast of the national competition."

"Hahaha, of course I watched it. Yesterday's game was really exciting."

"How could yesterday's performance be as exciting as the first game? During the first game, Chef Feng made two amazing dishes."

“The first competition was really exciting. The two dishes were cooked very well by the chefs on site.”

"But yesterday was also very exciting. The dishes we cooked yesterday were all very classic dishes, and they are dishes that are served at banquets in various places."

"But the dishes yesterday were so classic, many of them are common."

"Yes, the first game is still the best. The dishes made by those chefs are all things I have never seen before."

When we heard it on the train, everyone instantly joined in the discussion.

Feng Jiandong looked at his father and laughed with Luo Qing.

It can be seen that everyone is quite concerned about the National Cooking Competition.

Especially this year, it was the first time that live broadcast was used.

Naturally, it gives everyone a more intuitive impression.

It gives everyone a lot more to talk about after dinner.

As the train started, many people on board continued to discuss.

Everyone watched each dish in the competition on TV and discussed each chef’s performance.

Then everyone expressed, which chef do you support the most?
And the final topic is naturally brought up: who will become the top scorer in this session?

Of course, since the train starts from Quancheng, most of the people taking the train are from Quancheng, or Qi and Lu.

So I definitely support more Shandong cuisine chefs.

Moreover, many people have watched the Shandong cuisine chef selection competition before.

Everyone is familiar with the chefs who participate in national competitions.

The majority support Feng Zhengming.

For a young and capable chef like Feng Zhengming, everyone hopes that he can become the top winner of the national competition.

"Chef Feng is definitely the top pick this time."

"That's right, Chef Feng is so capable."

"I think so too. I know Chef Feng's cooking skills. I've tried his dishes at Huiquanlou and they were really delicious."

"When Chef Feng participated in the selection, his cooking skills were already on display. He went to the national competition with the goal of winning the first prize."

"Yes, Chef Feng is really amazing. It's not right for him not to win the first prize."

I heard on the train that most people thought Feng Zhengming should get the top spot.

Grandpa Feng was naturally very happy to hear this.

This shows that Feng Zhengming is still capable in everyone's mind.

Luo Qing was also happy for Feng Zhengming that his abilities were recognized by so many people.

At the competition hotel, Feng Zhengming and other chefs were busy preparing ingredients.

Everyone needs to prepare well for the upcoming game.

You need to prepare all kinds of ingredients to make three dishes.

The most important things are still oil and soup.

Feng Zhengming needs to prepare two kinds of oil: scallion oil and scallion and pepper oil, and also needs to prepare broth.

In addition to oil and soup, he also needs to prepare some abalone sauce because he is going to cook abalone.

As for the abalone sauce, Feng Zhengming specifically consulted Cantonese and Hong Kong chefs.

Because in addition to the national competition, it is also an opportunity for chefs from all over the world to communicate with each other.

Therefore, Cantonese and Hong Kong chefs also gave Feng Zhengming a set of more popular abalone sauce recipes.

Feng Zhengming naturally did not dislike it. He knew that every chef’s abalone sauce must have some secret recipes based on the popular version.

Feng Zhengming naturally would not dig into the details of this matter.

There is a basic recipe that is enough for him.

After all, abalone can only be regarded as a supporting role in Feng Zhengming's dishes, and cannot be regarded as the protagonist of his imitation bear paw dish.

According to the popular abalone sauce recipe, Feng Zhengming prepared all the ingredients.

Part of it naturally needs to be fried.

The other part is not fried but stewed directly in the pot.

After boiling, remove the foam and then wash it.

Then transfer it to a casserole, put all the ingredients into the casserole, and add some abalone, and stew it in the casserole for a long time.

Fortunately, the organizers provided enough stoves.

Otherwise, like Feng Zhengming, he needs to cook soup, make abalone sauce, and prepare scallion oil and scallion and pepper oil.

Having a single stove might be a bit difficult for him.

Similarly, chefs from other regions are also very busy.

You need to prepare the required materials.

The preparation of oil and soup are the two most important things for chefs before cooking.

Of course, chefs in different regions prepare ingredients differently.

Even if they are all Shandong cuisine chefs, there will be some small differences in what they prepare.

This again involves a little trick of every chef.

Why does the same dish taste different when cooked by different chefs?

In fact, this is just a slight difference in the materials used.

Many times, just adding one spice can make the taste of the whole dish completely different.

This aspect is more of the personal experience of different chefs.

Since there was no one to help on site, the preparation process was really hard for the chefs.

The chefs are quite busy just slaughtering chickens, ducks, geese and the like.

However, judging from the situation on site, the chefs who can come to the national competition are all master chefs from all over the country. They have very strong basic skills and can handle the materials very well.

But even though they were all master chefs, after a whole morning, they could only prepare a small part of the food.

Many chefs had to watch over the soup pots on the stove, and the hotel arranged for someone to deliver lunch to them. (End of this chapter)