Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 254 Losing Money to Gain Popularity, Judge Cao, you can't possibly not recognize these two. (First Update)
What? Butterfly pea flower is a prohibited ingredient? Are you kidding me? I just drank it yesterday and you're telling me it's prohibited?

[You might not be familiar with the name butterfly pea flower, but it's also known as "blue butterfly" or "butterfly blue" in some places. It's a type of herbal tea, so you're probably familiar with it now!]

【??? I've drunk it before, and many people online use it. How is that against the rules? Are you just making trouble for no reason?】

[I just checked, and the most recent news item is about a merchant who used this to make tofu pudding a year ago, was reported, and fined 2000 yuan.]

[They only fined 2000 yuan. It doesn't seem like a big problem, otherwise their license would have been revoked long ago.]

I just asked a friend about it, and it's really strange. It's not in traditional food guides, nor in new ones, but it's not listed as prohibited from sale either. It's like it's been forgotten.

[This simply means the person who created the catalog hasn't had time to update it yet. Even Shennong had to taste hundreds of herbs; there's no rule that it's created in a day!]

This is a bit troublesome; they're halfway across the line, and it's hard to defend themselves if they're reported. But do chefs really read the regulations every day?

[How could I possibly read the regulations every day? I'm a food science student, and I only found out about this today.]

There are bad guys among the crowd! They can't stand Xia Ming being in the lead, so they're pulling some dirty tricks!

Not only were netizens unaware that this product was on the edge of the gray line, but even Yin Shengjiang himself was seeing the complete standard for this ingredient for the first time.

It's worth noting that butterfly pea flowers are used very infrequently in cooking, especially in Chinese cuisine.

This is due to its inherent nature.
Compared to other ingredients, the most unique property of butterfly pea flowers is that they can quickly and easily produce a natural blue pigment.

With just a simple brew, the water in the cup turns blue, and it's cheap and clear enough.
Because of this characteristic, butterfly pea flowers are often used in alcoholic beverages to mimic the atmosphere of the ocean or a starry sky.

However, because blue can easily affect the dining mood of Chinese diners visually, and its properties are not absolutely stable (see Blue Cola Chicken Wings for details, do not search for it when eating), it is not commonly used in traditional Chinese cuisine except for a small amount in pastries.

As Tan Zhifeng walked towards Xia Ming's kitchen, his brows furrowed slightly.

"Xia Ming's recipe most likely came from the internet, because it's used all over the internet, so that's usually not a factor."

"Moreover, this is a gray area to begin with, and strictly speaking, the selection of ingredients in the menu is also problematic."

Tan Zhifeng felt that Xia Ming was being wronged because an ingredient that was subject to negligence in supervision had to bear the risk of being eliminated, which was clearly unfair.

He had already decided that if it was confirmed later that Xia Ming had used "butterfly pea flower", he would immediately apply to the Chefs Association for a thorough investigation of the recipe database.

"I believe that even if Xia Ming loses this round, he will definitely be able to advance smoothly!"

Unlike the others, Tan Zhifeng had watched Xia Ming grow up on the show. He knew that Xia Ming's limit was not "Hua 5". He even thought that if things went smoothly, Xia Ming could enter the "Chef's Cup" by taking the last chance.

"So we absolutely cannot let him collapse here because of this."

Just as Tan Zhifeng was preparing to protect Xia Ming at all costs, Bai Susu, who was standing to the side, showed a hint of struggle in her eyes.

In his opinion, Xia Ming must have used "butterfly pea flower". After all, to obtain such a clear blue color, besides "butterfly pea flower", the only other options are "gardenia blue", "phycocyanin", and "Huito (Southern Eagle Tropical Fruit) extract", which China can only import.

Gardenia blue is a national standard food additive and is one of the natural pigments. The price of edible grade gardenia blue is 8 times that of butterfly pea flower blue, but the effect is not much different.

Phycocyanin is also a national standard food additive. It is essentially an algae extract, and its price for edible grade is more than 30 times that of butterfly pea flower extract.
Using "Gardenia Blue" seems very convenient, but here's the problem.
The food warehouse is not a supermarket; it contains food ingredients such as oatmeal, baking powder, yogurt powder, and prebiotic powder.

However, it doesn't use food coloring. After all, this is a Level 5 exam, and in China, even pastries use natural coloring.

For example: pumpkin yellow, purple sweet potato purple, grape skin red, dragon fruit red.
The original color of the ingredients is more than enough to satisfy the needs of Chinese cuisine, so there is not much need to add food coloring.

As for the "blue orange syrup" that people sometimes see, that's even more impossible.

Because it is an artificial coloring, although it is safe to use in moderation, it will never appear in food storage.

"Only the 'flower tea' from the beverage section can satisfy all of Xia Ming's needs."

Bai Susu gritted her teeth.

She hasn't figured out whether Xia Ming and Xia Yitian are actually related, so her stance sometimes seems a bit wavering.

"We'll see how things go, and at worst, we'll say a good word for him."

Just as Bai Susu was thinking, the judges arrived in front of Xia Ming's kitchen.

After a few gentle knocks, the door slowly opened.

Looking at the judging panel standing in front of him, Xia Ming's eyes revealed a clear hint of doubt.

"Aren't these the judges? Why are they all here? Is there such a thing as inspection during the competition?"

Seeing Xia Ming's expression, Yin Shengjiang blinked, then took out the documents and explained his purpose.

“We received a report that your lemonade may contain substances that are not food products. So we came to investigate.”

Xia Ming looked puzzled upon hearing this.

"Substances that are not food? Impossible! My ingredients are all taken from the food supply store; you can't possibly put anything illegal in there!"

Yin Shengjiang's eyebrows twitched, and he was about to explain when Cao Fujun spoke first.

"Whether it's against the rules or not, we'll find out once we go in."

"Some things may be useful, but different uses will lead to different evaluation criteria."

"If the chef doesn't have extensive knowledge, he might use the wrong ingredients without even realizing it."

Xia Ming glanced at Cao Fujun with interest, then stared at Bai Susu for a moment before stepping aside.

"Then come in."

As the judges entered, Xia Ming led them to the area where he was preparing lemonade.

Looking at the blue and purple jellies already in the cup, and then at the half-finished "butterfly pea flower tea" next to him, Yin Shengjiang's heart sank slightly.

Cao Fujun didn't care about any of that. He grabbed the half-empty teacup and questioned Xia Ming.

"Do you know what's in here?"

Xia Ming nodded.

"Butterfly pea flower tea—have you never tried it?"

When Cao Fujun heard Xia Ming mention the butterfly pea flower, his smile widened even more.

Whether I've drunk it or not is unimportant; what's important is whether you know any of the taboos associated with it.

Xia Ming nodded.

"Butterfly pea flowers can accelerate blood expansion and promote blood circulation, which may stimulate the uterus, so pregnant women should not drink them."

When Cao Fujun heard Xia Ming only mention the pregnant woman, a hint of contempt flashed in his eyes.

"I'm afraid it's not just pregnant women. If it's just pregnant women, how do you explain that cup of hot water?"

A fleeting look of confusion crossed Xia Ming's face before he feigned composure and replied.

"I put ice in my lemonade. Is it okay if she can't drink it because she's on her period?"

"I'm afraid there's more than just ice!"

As he spoke, Cao Fujun put the "butterfly pea flower tea" aside and then picked up a glass of lemonade that was not yet filled on the table.

"The blue and purple hues in this jelly, aren't they all from butterfly pea flowers? I think you're not worried about the ice being bad for customers, but rather that customers on their period might feel unwell after eating 'butterfly pea flowers'!"

Xia Ming's eye twitched slightly, then he called out "Xiao Dou".

"Xiaodou, tell Judge Cao whether butterfly pea flower actually affects menstruation."

Since Xiaodou is an AI, it naturally couldn't perceive the tense atmosphere on site. It only needed to do a quick search to arrive at a conclusion.

It is not yet certain that butterfly pea flower will definitely affect menstruation.

Upon hearing Xiaodou's description, Cao Fujun laughed instead of getting angry.

"Don't rush to prove the connection between butterfly pea flowers and menstruation. The main reason we're here is because butterfly pea flowers themselves are used improperly!"

"Xia Ming, as a chef, do you know what it means to openly use ingredients that do not comply with the rules during the exam?"

Xia Ming's face was already showing signs of panic.

"I said I didn't. What evidence do you have to prove that I used butterfly pea flower in my lemonade?"

Cao Fujun smiled and glanced at Yin Shengjiang beside him.

"Old Yin, look at your attitude! You won't admit it even with the evidence right in front of you. Don't you understand what you should be doing now?!"

Yin Shengjiang's face twitched. Cao Fujun acted too quickly, and he couldn't intervene in front of the live stream viewers.

Now they are being forced to make a statement.
He understood what Cao Fujun meant. Although Xia Ming didn't admit it, the Culinary Association couldn't let the students continue to drink this lemonade.

Therefore, even though he knew that drinking the lemonade would not cause any problems, he still had to notify the banquet hall to ask the university students to wait for the results.

We also need to take some samples for random checks.
Of course, if it is stopped, the matter will be moved from a preliminary investigation to the public stage.

If a false accusation or inaccurate investigation occurs, someone will need to take the blame. Master Yin Shengjiang is still alive, so he's not afraid to take the blame; he's just a little sorry for Xia Ming right now.

"What was originally a minor matter has been blown out of proportion by the competitors and 'Cao Fujun,' and I just don't understand it. What exactly does this guy dislike about Xia Ming?"

He could tell that Cao Fujun was deliberately targeting Xia Ming because of his bad relationship with Tan Zhifeng.

But he didn't expect Cao Fujun to go this far.

Now that the matter has been laid bare, Yin Shengjiang is no longer representing just himself. For the sake of the Chefs Association's impartiality, he has to notify the banquet hall, no matter how unwilling he is.

And randomly select several samples.

Viewers in the live stream also noticed the current tension.

This guy surnamed Cao is really sticking to his guns and trying to escalate the situation!

[Essentially, Xia Ming was too young and inexperienced. He accidentally stumbled and gave someone leverage over him!]

If this is announced, Xia Ming has a high chance of being disqualified from the competition. Although it won't affect his next exam, his reputation will definitely be damaged.

[These people who reported this have gone too far. They can't even compete with others in cooking and running their businesses, so they resort to these underhanded tactics?]

[I strongly protest! Xia Ming shouldn't be blamed for this; the staff responsible for selecting the ingredients should be thoroughly investigated!]

[Yeah, I took it from your library. If there's a problem, you're half responsible!]

Just as netizens were making a huge fuss, staff placed an emergency notice in the banquet hall.

The college students were initially enjoying the lemonade and taking pictures, thinking it was quite good, but when they suddenly discovered there was a problem with it, they were completely baffled.

"Oh, we don't recommend drinking it for now. We'll wait for further investigation. What happened? Did you add ice to the water?"

"Dude, are you serious?"

"What else could it be? We can't possibly use leftover lemons from the previous day! What, are you trying to imitate that too?"

"You know what, it really could be leftover lemon from the previous day, otherwise I can't think of anything else in this drink that could be investigated."

"Oh no, I just drank it all! Do I need to get my stomach pumped?"

"Girl, it shouldn't be that bad. If it were already confirmed, the notification wouldn't just be telling us to postpone it."

Just as everyone was completely confused, the staff found Gu Xiaorui.

Because she was the first to receive the cup, she held great significance for the investigation.

So even though she had already drunk more than half of her lemonade, the staff still took some away from it.

Watching the staff member's retreating figure, Gu Xiaorui was completely baffled. She had just been praising Xia Ming's lemonade to Deng Yu, saying it tasted like the sea, but she never expected to encounter this situation the next second.

For a moment, she didn't know whether she should open Xia Ming's "two-color yellow croaker jelly" and eat it.

After thinking for a moment, Deng Yu decided to remain cautious and asked Gu Xiaorui to wait a little longer.

"Personally, I think the chef is fine, but we don't know the specifics of the investigation. Anyway, the lid hasn't been lifted yet, the air conditioning hasn't dissipated, and your 'Dazzling Napoleon' hasn't been served yet."

"Let's wait and see how things go before making any plans."

"Gou - Kitchen"

Xia Ming sat to one side, watching the staff's actions on the big screen, and lowered his head even further.

In Cao Fujun's eyes, this action was a sign that Xia Ming was feeling guilty.

"Now you know what fear is, huh?"

Seeing Cao Fujun's smug look, Tan Zhifeng finally couldn't help but speak up.

"The results aren't decided yet, so don't judge the contestants with prejudice from the start!"

Cao Fujun, however, felt absolutely certain of success.

"No conclusion? I doubt it. Besides butterfly pea flower tea, is there anything else on this table that provides a blue hue? Even if there is, what about purple?"

"I know you think highly of Xia Ming, but as a judge, you can't be biased!"

Upon hearing this, Tan Zhifeng's temple throbbed slightly.

Is it biased?

How could Cao Fujun have said that?
Everyone in the live stream could see that Cao Fujun's stance was completely skewed, yet he still had the nerve to say such things!

It's just that the point of the report was too tricky; otherwise, Tan Zhifeng would have slapped him long ago instead of indulging him like this!
Cao Fujun felt quite relieved to see Tan Zhifeng wanting to lash out but unable to.

The suffering that had been suppressed for so many years was released at this moment, giving him a sense of triumph and exhilaration.

Just as he continued his aggressive approach, Xia Ming, who had his head down, coughed twice.

"Judge Cao, since you accuse Judge Tan of being biased, you must be very fair!"

Cao Fujun snorted at Xia Ming's words.

He felt that Xia Ming was like a duck about to die, and in the end, all he could do was to subtly mock him in this way to express his dissatisfaction.

"Of course! Being a judge means being fair!"

Xia Ming remained silent for a moment, then slowly stood up from his chair.

"Since Judge Cao is so fair, I will speak the truth."

"My lemonade contains absolutely no butterfly pea flower extract."

"I will not use any ingredient that goes beyond the rules! Because that is a chef's responsibility!"

As Xia Ming spoke, his voice gradually grew louder, and by the last sentence, there wasn't a trace of regret on his face.

Seeing Xia Ming suddenly become energetic, Cao Fujun chuckled.

"That sounds nice, but I'm afraid they'll show their true colors soon enough."

"Otherwise, tell me, if you don't use butterfly pea flower extract in this jelly, what else could you possibly use but phycocyanin?"

"You're pricing it at 3 yuan? You're losing money!"

Upon hearing Cao Fujun's words, Xia Ming suddenly burst into laughter.

"I knew Judge Cao had a good eye! He could tell the difference between 'phycocyanin' and 'butterfly pea flower' at a glance. His previous actions were probably intentional, just to demonstrate the Chefs Association's impartiality!"

"???"

Hearing Xia Ming's words, Cao Fujun was full of questions.

What is this "phycocyanin"?
Are you kidding me? That stuff costs over ten yuan a gram. Using it to make lemonade would be a huge loss!

Just when he thought Xia Ming was putting on a brave face, he saw Xia Ming walk to the stove, open the cabinet underneath, and take out a very small bag.

"Natural blue pigments are really hard to find, after all, it's a food database, and it's mostly made of ingredients."

"After searching the whole area, I only found a 'Baking Powder Combo Pack' in a corner of the condiment section next to the medicinal cuisine section. The pack included six colors, and coincidentally, it also contained 'phycocyanin.' They're selling this set for a fixed price of 168 yuan. Judge Cao, don't you think the price is a bit high?"

Cao Fujun's expression changed instantly when he saw the small bag in Xia Ming's hand.

"Impossible. With this dosage, you simply cannot make blue jelly."

Xia Ming nodded.

"Yes, so I had no choice but to buy three portions. I managed to make a blue color. Didn't Judge Cao notice that my blue is a bit light and very transparent? There was nothing I could do; dark blue requires too much raw material, and I couldn't make it myself."

Upon hearing Xia Ming's words, Cao Fujun's body instantly trembled.

"Are you kidding me? What are you pretending for at a time like this? You spent hundreds of points to buy ingredients just to sell a 3-yuan lemonade?"

Xia Ming nodded with interest upon seeing this.

"That's right, attracting customers always costs money, and even the best wine needs advertising!"

Cao Fujun didn't care about Xia Ming's profit or loss at this moment. He knew that if Xia Ming hadn't found the problem, given his performance just now, it would have been Cao Fujun's turn to be in trouble.

He's nothing like Yin Shengjiang.

Other people's master is just old, but he's still alive and well. His master, on the other hand, has already passed away!
"Absolutely impossible. Okay, even if you bought the blue one at a high price, what about the purple one? Purple can't just fall from the sky."

Just as Cao Fujun continued to press for answers, Xia Ming quietly took out two kinds of ingredients from the vegetable basket next to him.

"Judge Cao, you can't possibly not recognize purple sweet potatoes."

"And purple cabbage, right?"

(End of this chapter)