Food Wars!: Delicious Food of the Heavens

"Please enjoy my dish, [Pissing Beef Balls]!"

Faced with Lin Yu's introduction, the judges seemed rather uninterested.

"Young man, we just had such a delicious grilled meat dish. Are you really sure you want to serve us a bowl of meatball soup?"

"And I just saw that the beef you used should be of the same quality as the beef that Mito used, both of them are top-grade marbled beef."

"But compared to Mito-san, who fully showcased the superior taste of this premium beef, you..."

The bald judge twitched his nose, sniffed the air, and found that there was no fragrance in it.

His mood immediately sombered.

Immediately afterwards, the bald judge glanced at the clear soup in the bowl and the few meatballs floating in it, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Even now, I still can't believe you actually minced up this quality beef haphazardly and made it into meatballs?"

The bald judge spoke slowly, his tone a mixture of shock and disdain.

"Isn't this a terrible waste!"

"I now seriously doubt your basic ability to handle and judge ingredients as a chef."

Faced with the judges' questions, Lin Yu remained calm and raised his arm, gesturing for the judges to look at the dishes on the table.

"Enough talk, just try it and you'll see."

"Hmph! Pretending to be profound!" the bald judge sneered.

"Compared to the [compound spice roast meat] I just received, its domineering and irresistible aroma immediately whetted my appetite."

Despite Lin Yu's reminder, the bald judge continued to ramble on.

"Your beef ball soup has no aroma at all."

"Hmph! We, who were invited to serve as judges for the Food Wars at Totsuki Culinary Arts Center, are all gourmets who have tasted countless delicacies. How could this bland and watery dish possibly tantalize my taste buds or arouse my desire to try it!"

The bald judge grew increasingly angry, slamming his hand on the table. "Kid, are you looking down on us?"

"It smells so good!"

Just as the bald judge was getting angry, the beautiful woman in a kimono sitting next to him let out a surprised exclamation.

There is a strong contrast between the two.

Hearing someone undermine him, the bald judge immediately became angry. He looked at the beautiful woman in a kimono sitting next to him and said in a blunt tone, "Hey! Is your nose malfunctioning? This beef ball soup is clearly watery and tasteless. How could you say that..."

Before the bald judge could finish speaking, a very alluring fragrance wafted through the air, causing his nose to twitch uncontrollably.

"What's that smell? It smells so good!"

The bald judge muttered something to himself, then seemed to realize something and looked at the soup bowl in the kimono-clad woman's hand with an incredulous gaze.

Although it was hard to believe, his intuition told him that the incredibly alluring aroma was coming from the soup bowl in the hands of the beautiful woman in the kimono!

As the beautiful woman in the kimono picked up a spoon and began to stir the soup in the bowl, the alluring aroma spread further, and the fragrance in the air became even more intense.

Like two invisible snakes, they slithered straight into his nose.

"How is that possible!"

The bald judge, smelling the fragrance in the air, was somewhat dumbfounded.

Although it was hard to believe, his own feelings made him blush with embarrassment at his earlier remarks.

"What's going on?"

"I didn't smell this fragrance just now!"

The bald judge was very puzzled, his face showing a bewildered expression, as if he had doubted his own sense of smell.

"I think it's the oily film on the surface of the beef broth."

The judge sitting on the other side, the young man in the suit who had been rather taciturn, finally spoke up.

"The surface of the beef broth has a layer of oil film that prevents heat loss and preserves the aroma of the dish."

The young man in the suit also picked up a spoon and began stirring the soup in the bowl.

As he moved, the oil film in the bowl was broken up and blended with the rich broth.

The aroma emanating from the bowl became even more intense, possessing an irresistible allure.

"The aroma of this beef ball soup will burst forth the moment you stir the oil film with a spoon."

The young man in the suit looked at Lin Yu with a questioning gaze, "Am I right?"

"That's right, Mr. Judge."

Feeling somewhat embarrassed by his earlier rude remarks, the bald judge asked sheepishly, "What special purpose does this oil film serve?"

"Of course it works."

Lin Yu began to explain.

"As the saying goes, 'one scalding makes three kinds of freshness,' this method helps to maintain the internal temperature of the beef balls, ensuring that they retain their best flavor before being tasted."

"Moreover, this oil film can also seal in the fragrance."

"I don't use plain water to accompany the beef balls, but rather a rich broth that I've simmered."

"Sauté the shrimp heads and shells in butter until fragrant, then add the scraps of beef and pork skin used earlier, along with garlic and white peppercorns, and simmer for a long time."

The three judges leaned closer to the stirred broth, took a gentle sniff, and nodded.

It actually has a rich beef flavor, along with the taste of butter and white pepper.

One sip and the intense umami flavor brought a sense of tranquility to the judges' expressions; it was so delicious it made their eyebrows fall out!

Seeing the judges' expressions as they drank the soup, Lin Yu smiled.

"Although it may not look very high-end, the umami substances contained in these ingredients will be extracted and turned into a delicious beef broth after being simmered."

"but......"

Lin Yu suddenly changed the subject, "I think that's not enough for the initial impact upon entry!"

"So I rendered some lard from the fat that I cut off from under the pig skin when I was processing it."

Lin Yu walked back to the cooking counter, took out a small bowl from under the counter, and showed it to the judges.

Inside was a lump of solidified, snow-white grease, which was the lard that Lin Yu had just rendered in his spare time.

"I used lard to create an oil film on the surface of the beef broth. This oil film not only adds a touch of umami and richness to the beef broth, but also seals in the aroma of the broth, keeping its umami flavor locked inside."

Lin Yu even took out a bowl of broth and gave a simple demonstration of the specific operating steps.

"That's why my dishes don't have a particularly strong aroma when they're first served."

"But when diners taste it, the aroma of the dish explodes like a bomb that has been building up its energy, the moment the oil film is broken up!"

Lin Yu swung his arms, first bringing them together in front of his chest in a "convergence" motion, then suddenly opening them outwards, simulating what he had just called a "bomb explosion".

"By creating this contrasting effect of first suppressing and then elevating the flavor, we bring diners a strong aroma experience."

"This is a little idea that I came up with on the spot."

Lin Yu looked at the three judges on the judging panel and smiled, "Don't you think that after something seems bland and tasteless before, this sudden change creates a striking contrast that's particularly impactful?"