Food Wars!: Delicious Food of the Heavens

"bring it on!"

"Please enjoy our [Sweet and Sour Pork with Tofu]!"

After presenting the dish to the teacher, Lin Yu and Tadokoro Megumi naturally passed with high marks.

However, considering Tadokoro Megumi's earlier curiosity, Lin Yu still set aside a small bowl beforehand.

"Then I'll start eating!"

Tadokoro Megumi picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, and immediately showed an expression of delight on her face.

"Ah~"

Tadokoro Megumi let out a comfortable sigh.

"The meatballs were already delicious, but now with the addition of sweet and sour sauce, their flavor has been elevated to a whole new level."

"Crispy sugar coating, rich sweet and sour sauce, soft tofu, and piping hot broth."

"Ah! So delicious!"

"Gurgle!"

A strange sound rang out, and Lin Yu and Tadokoro Megumi looked back.

Mito Ikumi blushed slightly when she saw the two looking at her.

"What are you looking at?"

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

Mito Ikumi sighed, "Fine! I admit it's my fault, okay?"

Lin Yu laughed and said, "Weren't you looking down on vegetarians just now? Now you're craving something sweet?"

Seemingly having her true feelings touched upon by Lin Yu's words, Mito Ikumi chose to use a roar to cover up her embarrassment.

"What nonsense! I just didn't eat breakfast, so I'm hungry now. I'm not helping you."

Although she said that, Mito Ikumi's eyes kept glancing in their direction.

When Tadokoro Megumi thought of Mito Ikumi's words that had just slandered Lin Yu, an idea suddenly came to mind.

"Mito-san, please have a taste."

"After you've tasted it, you'll witness Lin Yujun's true culinary skills!"

Mito Ikumi wanted to refuse, but hesitated for a long time, her pride and appetite fighting fiercely in her mind.

In the end, appetite prevailed over pride.

She picked up her chopsticks and took out a tofu ball that looked like a crystal ball.

Beneath its crystal-clear, transparent shell, the vibrant red sauce inside seems to still be flowing, making it as beautiful as an exquisite crystal ball.

Mito Ikumi swallowed hard, an overwhelming hunger rising in her stomach.

want to eat!

Slowly, I put a tofu ball into my mouth. As my teeth snapped open the shell with a "crunch," a rich, sweet and sour sauce flooded my mouth.

The irresistible sour aroma assaulted her taste buds. As she continued to chew, the tofu, after being deep-fried, had a delicate yet firm texture. Coated in the sweet and sour sauce, it became more and more fragrant with each chew, and it even had a bit of a meaty texture!

A great river flowed before Mito Ikumi's eyes. The water was not clear, but rather a deep, rich red, thick and silky in texture, flowing past Mito Ikumi's feet.

Taking a deep breath, the strange, sour aroma enveloped Mito Ikumi like a pair of invisible hands, the gentle force feeling as if it were massaging her.

Taking a deep breath of the sour aroma in the air, Mito Ikumi's mouth began to secrete saliva uncontrollably, and her stomach seemed to become empty.

Mito Ikumi's appetite became rampant, and she grew increasingly anxious and uncomfortable.

The next moment, a tofu ball, emitting a rich, almost meaty aroma, entered her mouth.

The scalding broth burst in her mouth, the soft tofu slid down her esophagus and into her stomach, instantly filling her empty body and giving Mito Ikumi an unprecedented sense of fullness and satisfaction.

"Ah~"

Mito Ikumi let out a soft moan, her chopsticks reaching uncontrollably towards the plate.

Just a second before Mito Ikumi picked up the second dumpling, Lin Yu suddenly took the plate away.

"What are you doing!"

Mito Ikumi instinctively gasped in surprise.

"Would you like more?"

Lin Yu waved the plate in front of her, saying, "If you still want to eat, then you'd better show some respect and at least apologize for your previous words and actions."

"Huh? Why should I apologize?"

"You want to eat without apologizing? Dream on!"

Lin Yu turned to look at Tadokoro Megumi and said loudly on purpose, "Someone doesn't appreciate your kindness, Megumi. It looks like the two of us will have to finish this dish."

"Stop!" Mito Ikumi exclaimed in alarm.

After eating that tofu ball, her taste buds were completely awakened, and her appetite was urging her to eat a second one.

The feeling was like a mischievous kitten wriggling around in her stomach, making her extremely uncomfortable. She simply couldn't bear to watch the food that could alleviate this torment being devoured right before her eyes.

Lin Yu revealed a smug, wicked smile.

"What's wrong?"

Mito Ikumi hesitated for a moment, but finally said shyly, "Please let me try another piece."

"What did I say before?"

"I...I apologize, okay?"

"Is this attitude just so-so?"

"I apologize, I'm sorry! I promise, is that okay?"

Lin Yu put the plate back on the table, and couldn't wait to pick up a meatball and put it in her mouth. While chewing, she let out an alluring moan, and her body suddenly trembled.

"What exactly is this intoxicatingly sour aroma?"

Mito Ikumi was extremely puzzled.

"Even when eating marbled steak, my taste buds have never been this hungry, but now they've become this crazy."

Although Lin Yu's impression of Mito Ikumi was somewhat lukewarm due to her previous remarks, since she was now considered his "guest," Lin Yu decided not to hesitate to answer her questions.

"It's hawthorn!"

Mito Ikumi asked in confusion, "Hawthorn? What's that?"

Lin Yu continued to explain, "This is a fruit that originated in China. It has a strong sour taste, but also a mellow fruity aroma. It goes well with both tomatoes and meat."

"At the same time, hawthorn also has the effect of softening meat, aiding digestion and stimulating appetite, and can stimulate people's taste buds and promote appetite."

Lin Yu spread his hands. "I didn't really think there would be such a thing in this classroom. I just went looking for it on a whim, but I didn't expect there to actually be one. As expected of Totsuki Academy, they are very generous."

Lin Yu looked at Mito Ikumi. "I think the so-called competition you mentioned before is no longer necessary, right?"

"I'm not so foolish as to invite humiliation when I know I'm bound to lose."

Mito Ikumi shook her head, looking very disappointed.

"The outcome is decided. I know you've won."

"What I mean is: I already said there's no need to compete, so there's no winner or loser, and you don't need to take it so seriously."

Seeing Mito Ikumi acting so whiny, Lin Yu felt a little sorry for her, but on the surface he still complained in a helpless tone.

"No!"

Mito Ikumi's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

"What kind of person do you take me for?"

"I, Mito Ikumi, am not the kind of person who goes back on my word. Since I was the one who proposed the competition in the first place, I am not afraid, and I will not cheat just because the odds of winning are low."

Even if I lose, I will accept it calmly.

"You win!"

"I paid the price for my arrogance."

Listening to Mito Ikumi's fairly sincere words, Lin Yu's opinion of this hot-tempered girl changed.

Although he has a short temper and is not very forgiving in his words, he is at least upright in character.

"Okay, I accept it. Whether it's your apology or your admission of defeat," Lin Yu said.

Mito Ikumi thought for a moment before continuing, "Although we didn't agree on the stakes for the competition, I'm not a stingy person."

"I owe you a favor. If you ever encounter trouble or have any needs in the future, you can come to me, and I will do my best to help you."

After listening, Lin Yu rubbed his hair and said, "I hate trouble the most, so I generally don't like to bother others."

That's not how it's said.

Mito Ikumi clearly disagreed with Lin Yu's words.

"Since Lin Yu has come to Totsuki Academy, he must be striving to become a top chef, just like me and all the other students here."

"but!"

Mito Ikumi changed the subject, "To make a perfect dish, it's not enough to just hone the cook's skills."

"Or rather, it's not just that."

Mito Ikumi picked up a tofu ball with her chopsticks, placed it in front of her, and examined it carefully, somewhat lost in thought.

"A perfect dish requires skillful cooking, excellent ingredients, seasonings, and the right kitchenware..."

"There are too many things that can affect the quality of a dish."

"Just considering the ingredients alone, we have to take into account many different indicators."

"Let's take a piece of beef as an example."

"To determine whether a piece of beef has reached perfect quality, factors to consider include: the cut of beef, its freshness, the cutting method, the aging process, and the storage method..."

"We also need to consider the condition of the live cattle, such as whether they are fed grass or grain, their daily activity level, the environment of the cattle shed, and even the slaughtering method used to ensure that the cattle are happy and relaxed or tense and fearful..."

"These many details can affect the quality of a piece of beef."

Although Lin Yu wasn't particularly moved by what Mito Ikumi said, he was still quite impressed by her extensive and professional knowledge.