Food Wars, My Dishes Don't Just Shine

"However, judging from how quickly Huihe and Bajiang made the noodles, it seems that this match should end very soon."

Watching Tomoe put the finished peach shortbread into the oven, and Tadokoro Megumi kneading the dough into one pointed bun after another, Yoshino Yuuki's voice carried a hint of吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to complain or criticize), while at the same time she felt a little excited.

At most another half hour.

The match is about to be decided!

"After this match, it'll be Erina and Alice next."

It's worth mentioning that your opponents are twins, who are said to have a special ability to communicate telepathically. Individually, they are just ordinary one-star chefs, but together they can consistently produce two-star special-grade dishes, making them an ace in the academy's arsenal.

Bai Yuan's voice also rang out at this moment. Thinking of Nakiri Erina and Nakiri Alice's opponent, an interested expression appeared on his face.

"Is it just a special grade two dish?"

We could easily crush them with any one of our players. Since that's the case, let's just have one person stay put and have the rest fight her.

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Nakiri Erina understood the strength of her opponent. Even if the two of them joined forces, they could only manage a Special Grade Two-Star dish. So, her eyes lit up as she spoke.

Compared to teaming up with Alice Nakiri to fight the enemy, she definitely prefers to fight alone. After all, their goal is to win, and there are no rules about how to win.

In other words, as long as you serve a dish that is better than your opponent's in the end, that's enough!

"Unfortunately, the organizers won't let you exploit such a bug."

On the one hand, the cooking competition is mainly for two people, and the competition time is usually half an hour. It requires the cooperation of both parties to make the dish.

On the other hand, pairs competitions require a division of labor; each person's contribution must be at least 30%.

Upon hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Hakugen bluntly poured cold water on them.

The reason the competition rules were set up like this is to prevent a genius with such strong abilities as her from participating in a doubles competition and defeating both of them single-handedly.

While it certainly showcases skill, having only one person compete in a doubles match is somewhat against the rules, so over time, the organizers revised the rules.

To prevent Erina Nakiri and the others from making mistakes and causing unnecessary trouble during the competition, Hakuen memorized all the rules while everyone was resting.

"Huh? How could this happen? What a pity."

Beside her, Alice Nakiri wore a regretful expression, clearly sharing similar thoughts with Erina Nakiri, both of whom died before achieving their goals.

"Stop trying to take shortcuts. You two should work together properly and think about how to coordinate to bring out your respective strengths."

This is not an opponent you can easily defeat; you wouldn't want to add this defeat to your illustrious resume, would you?

Seeing that the two Nakiri sisters were behaving this way, Bai Yuan curled his lip and raised his hand to yawn.

He worked late into the night with Tadokoro Megumi and others, and then got up this morning to prepare breakfast. He hasn't slept for more than ten hours.

Now all I have to do is wait for the match to end so I can take Alice and Erina Nakiri back to my room for a nap.

"Things will work themselves out when they reach the bridge." *2

Upon hearing Bai Yuan's words, Alice Nakiri glanced at Erina Nakiri beside her, who also looked over at that moment.

The moment their eyes met, they looked away again, and said in unison.

"Doesn't this show a pretty good understanding?"

Bai Yuan shrugged and made a sarcastic remark while watching the two perform, then turned his gaze to the stage.

At that moment, Bajiang's oven made a crisp "ding" sound, and he put on a pair of oven mitts as he took the peach shortbread out of the oven.

"Done! Black tea peach shortbread!"

As he spoke, Bajiang opened the oven, and an extremely rich aroma wafted out. Looking at the perfectly presented red tea peach shortbread in front of him, his expression was excited.

This time, the aroma is not as faint as that of black tea powder, which can only be detected by those with a super olfactory sense.

Even from a distance of several dozen meters, the aroma of black tea still wafted through the air.

"This tastes amazing! Combining black tea and peach shortbread is such a novel idea! I wonder how this dish will taste."

When the peach shortbread was put into the oven, it was a round ball, with a fingerprint pressed into the middle by Ba Jiang, leaving a groove.

As the oven temperature increased, the peach shortbread in the oven gradually softened, and cracks appeared on the surface, making it look like a spoiled dish.

After this process, the originally soft peach shortbread becomes crispy, and it crumbles when you bite into it. This is the traditional method of making peach shortbread.

"Mine is ready too!"

Just as Ba Jiang took the peach shortbread out of the oven, Tadokoro Megumi, who had been engrossed in cooking, finally breathed a sigh of relief and showed a satisfied expression on her face.

As soon as her voice appeared, it attracted the attention of a drone, which placed her and Ba Jiang's dishes on either side of the video for comparison.

"This is..."

"Actually, I wanted to complain earlier, is this supposed to be a small steamed bun?"

On the big screen appeared Tadokoro Megumi's dish: a steamer basket of small steamed buns, shaped like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, which looked very appetizing.

However, no matter how appetizing it is, it doesn't change the fact that it's just a basket of steamed buns.

"It's just plain cornbread, so incredibly disappointing. Do you really think this dish can beat mine?"

As Tadokoro Megumi's voice rang out, Tomoe also turned his gaze in that direction.

Upon seeing the bamboo shoot-shaped steamed buns in the steamer, his initial unease turned into a determined expression.

"That's enough to beat you."

Faced with Tomoe's provocation, Tadokoro Megumi did not retaliate much. Instead, she said in a cold voice, picked up her dish, and walked towards the judges' table.

"Then let's wait and see. I'm also curious to know how you're going to beat me with this basket of cornbread?"

Ba Jiang also picked up his dish. Because of his larger strides, he arrived in front of the judges first and presented his peach shortbread to them.

Because she was a step too late, Tadokoro Megumi could only stand behind her and wait.

However, she did not panic.

The moment the dish was finished, she knew she had it all figured out!

Chapter 419 Review: Tadokoro Megumi, Confident and Well-Prepared

"Please enjoy our traditionally made black tea peach shortbread."

Seeing the judges' curious expressions, Ba Jiang gave them a brief introduction, gesturing for them to proceed, his face subtly revealing anticipation.

“I made quite a lot, you can come and try some, that way you can see the difference between us.”

Seeing that Tadokoro Megumi had come up a step later than him, Tomoe brought over another plate with two pieces of red tea peach shortbread on it.

This was something he had prepared long ago, intending to let his opponent experience it so that he would understand the gap between them and back down.

"Then I won't stand on ceremony, I've also prepared my own dishes for you."

Upon hearing Tomoe's words, Tadokoro Megumi was taken aback, clearly not expecting that the other party had prepared a meal for her.

However, she reacted quickly, remembering that there were still some poorly shaped bamboo shoot-shaped steamed buns left in the steamer, so she raised her eyebrows and answered with undiminished confidence.

"It is an honor."

Seeing that Tadokoro Megumi was not to be outdone, Tomoe didn't say much. The food would naturally prove him right. After a simple greeting, he looked at the judges not far away.

As Ba Jiang's attention shifted, Tadokoro Megumi also picked up the peach shortbread that the other person offered.

Unlike traditional peach shortbread, which is golden yellow, it has a deeper caramel brown color. The surface naturally cracks after baking, creating a broken beauty.

When you bring it close to your face, the first thing you notice is the rich aroma of black tea on its surface.

It's not the ethereal aroma of tea, but a deep and warm complex fragrance brought out by roasting. If you close your eyes and listen carefully, you can smell bergamot, malt, and even a hint of caramel.

"If I'm not mistaken, you used Earl Grey tea, right? Besides the flavor of the tea itself, the citrus aroma is also very pronounced."

"That's right, I used Earl Grey tea."

No force is needed from the teeth; just a gentle touch and the peach shortbread will shatter into countless pieces upon entering the mouth.

It wasn't hard and crisp, but rather extremely crunchy, like the crisp sound of stepping on thick fallen leaves in late autumn, each piece incredibly light.

This crunchy sensation, accompanied by the delicate particles, melts quietly on the tongue, bringing an incredibly soothing experience.

After it becomes crispy, the slight astringency and unique mellowness of the black tea immediately become apparent.

Unlike overpowering flavorings, it lingers elegantly in the mouth, creating a perfect balance with the creamy aroma of butter and the sweetness of sugar.

The sweetness is enhanced by the tea flavor, becoming refreshing and not cloying.

The slight bitterness of the tea is gently enveloped by the sweetness, making it more palatable, with a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste. This complex flavor makes one want to explore it further.

"Using black tea powder to make peach shortbread is undoubtedly a brilliant idea. The aroma of tea effectively neutralizes the oiliness, bringing a sophisticated and mellow flavor."

As the peach shortbread entered her mouth, Lillian made a face like a cat being stroked on the back, while also swallowing all the remaining crumbs from her fingers.

The elegant aroma made her feel as if she were at a high-class tea party.

The surrounding area was filled with noble ladies, the courtyard was sunny, and a handsome butler was brewing black tea, filling the air with a rich aroma.

"The bitterness of the black tea perfectly balances the sweetness of the peach shortbread, and the combination of the two further enhances the flavor. Although it is only a small detail that has changed, it has made a world of difference in the taste of the peach shortbread, leaving one speechless!"

Antonio Bellucci put the red tea peach shortbread in his hand into his mouth, his voice filled with amazement.

This school exchange competition really surprises him every year, with innovative dishes emerging one after another, some of which are just as good as those served in high-end restaurants!

"This feels somewhat like a clever marriage between traditional Chinese pastries and Western black tea culture."

It retains the signature crumbly texture of peach shortbread while infusing it with the profound flavor of black tea, resulting in an exceptionally rich, sophisticated, and non-greasy taste that offers a novel and delightful experience.

Su Che's voice followed closely behind.

As he spoke, he put the peach shortbread in his hand into his mouth; this was the second piece of red tea peach shortbread he had eaten.

Because the food tasted so good, he had been eating the whole time without saying a word. But now that the two of them had finished their comments, he could no longer indulge in the food and spoke up.

"This flavor is truly intoxicating."

"I wanted to eat one piece and then another; I just couldn't stop!"

"Moreover, this red tea peach shortbread perfectly showcases the crispness of the pastry, which is quite rare."

The three judges all praised the black tea peach shortbread.

Upon hearing the judges' words, Ba Jiang's face broke into a victor's smile. He then looked at Tadokoro Megumi beside him and noticed that her face showed no sign of panic, but rather a look of determination.

Such an expression made Ba Jiang's heart skip a beat, and the smile on his face became somewhat stiff.

"What? How could this be! Didn't she eat the peach shortbread I gave her? If she did, how could she be so at ease!?"