Food Wars!: Delicious Food of the Heavens

Chapter 89 Gentle

Kikuchi Yoko used chopsticks to pick up a piece of pork chop.

The soft touch from the end of the chopsticks surprised her. With just a little pressure from her fingers, a few drops of the pork's own juices flowed out from the gaps in the meat, sliding down the chopsticks and dripping onto the plate.

When Kikuchi Sonoka saw this scene, she was somewhat surprised, but her expectations were also greatly increased.

"Then let me give it a try!"

With great anticipation, Kikuchi Enka put the pork cutlet into her mouth.

"Hmm~"

"Tender and juicy pork!"

Kikuchi was surprised.

"What a mild and pleasant flavor!"

If the previous stir-fried beef with green peppers was about the extreme impact of high-heat stir-frying, it was about using fierce heat to violently bring out the flavor of the ingredients and forcibly controlling and blending the flavors of different ingredients.

So, the moment you put this apple stewed pork chop into your mouth, you feel an extreme sense of warmth and tenderness.

The pork chop is also incredibly tender and juicy.

Unlike the beef in the previous dish, it doesn't offer any resistance when chewed.

However, the pleasure of the pork being cut open by teeth in the mouth and then chewed in large bites, with the juices flowing freely on the tongue, is even more intense than the previous dish!

Kikuchi Yoko could tell that this piece of pork shoulder had been carefully pan-fried over low heat by the chef. The fat between the pork crevices had melted into liquid, turning into delicious juices that would be released when chewed, tantalizing the taster's tongue.

Kikuchi Enka continues to savor the fruit.

After the deliciousness of the pork, the refreshing taste of apple and longan emerges on the tongue.

When you close your eyes and savor the flavor, you can still feel a subtle sweet and sour aftertaste that permeates every crevice of this piece of pork.

The pineapple, which was involved in the entire process of marinating, frying, and stewing the pork, left a slightly sour and refreshing taste after being fully integrated with the pork, which made Kikuchi Enka's tongue and taste buds restless.

"ah...

""

Kikuchi Yoko felt her body go limp and let out a long, pleasant sigh.

The fusion of fruity and meaty aromas makes this pork shoulder, despite its relatively high fat content, taste completely non-greasy, only extremely tender, juicy, rich, and delicious.

Kikuchi Yōka then tried stacking the apple and pork at the bottom of the plate together and dipping them in sauce before eating.

The apples, cooked until soft and tender, are surprisingly well-matched with the juicy pork, all coated in a sweet, fruity sauce.

Kikuchi was pleasantly surprised; this wonderful combination brought her a unique and novel taste experience.

With great interest, she looked again at the outer edge of the plate, at the circle of thinly sliced ​​fresh apples.

She picked up two slices of apple, wrapped them around the pork, dipped them in the sauce, and put them in her mouth.

The fresh apple made a crisp "crunch, crunch" sound when chewed, and Kikuchi Enka's eyes lit up at the sound, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curving into a smile, and the look of surprise on her face growing stronger.

Fresh apples have a vibrant aroma, are crisp, juicy, and sweet, offering a completely different flavor compared to the soft and mushy boiled apples.

Kikuchi Sonoka narrowed her eyes slightly, a delighted smile appearing on her face, clearly liking this novel combination.

If the previous dish of shredded pork with green peppers was cooked with extreme heat, like riding a rocket, instantly elevating the diner's taste experience to its peak and giving them a thrilling, soaring sensation, then the dish was truly exceptional.

The mild-tasting apple stewed pork chops right now are like a hot air balloon that can float in the sky, gently leading diners to float quietly in the sky and leisurely enjoy the beautiful scenery of the sunset.

"Hmm~"

"Just as Lin Yu said, this order is indeed the best!"

Kikuchi Sonoka opened her eyes and looked at Lin Yu with a smile in her eyes.

"I'm glad you're satisfied, senior!"

Seeing Lin Yu's radiant smile, Kikuchi Sonoka teased, "But there's probably more to it than that, isn't there?"

Kikuchi Sonoka's eyes narrowed, and a look of reminiscence appeared on her face.

"Besides the aroma of pork and fruit, I also tasted a different flavor in this dish."

"However... although I can taste that there is something in this dish that I haven't tasted yet."

"but...

"7

Kikuchi Sonoka touched her chin with her fingers, looking puzzled, and said somewhat awkwardly, "Perhaps it just happens to be an area I'm not good at?"

"Although I am certain that there is a third category of ingredients with distinct flavors besides pork and fruit."

"The taste of this mysterious ingredient is somewhat familiar to me, but whenever I try to savor it closely and find the source of this mysterious flavor, the taste quietly disappears."

Kikuchi Sonoka smoothed her hair at her temples, her brows furrowed slightly, looking somewhat unwilling.

But after thinking for a while, Kikuchi Sonoka still chose to give up and looked at Lin Yu.

"Lin Yu, can you answer my question?"

Hearing Kikuchi Sonoka's question, Lin Yu immediately guessed what she meant by "mysterious flavor".

"Of course, no problem, senior."

Lin Yu smiled at Kikuchi Sonoka, then suddenly changed the subject.

"However, I personally think that Hisako is more suitable to answer this question than I am."

Before Hisako Shinto could react, Lin Yu gave her a hard shove from behind, pushing her forward a few steps to stand in front of Chika Kiku.

Seeing Hisako Shinoto, who had been suddenly pushed forward and looked somewhat flustered, Sonoka Kikuchi gave her a kind smile and asked, "Hisako-san, could you answer my question?"

Although the incident happened suddenly, Hisako Shinoto immediately suppressed her panic and glanced back at Lin Yu.

Lin Yu gave her a suggestive look.

Hisako Shinoto was unusually quick-witted at that moment. Through a brief exchange of glances between the two, she immediately understood Lin Yu's meaning.

This is to give her a chance to shine in front of her mentor.

"Okay, Kikuchi-senpai."

Hisako Shinto gave Lin Yu a subtle look of gratitude, then turned around and straightened up.

"The third type of ingredient you perceived was probably the medicinal herbs added when stewing the pork chops. That mysterious and unique flavor should also be the taste of the herbs."

"Medicinal herbs?"

Kikuchi Sonoka's tone was a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

"Yes."

Hisako Niito nodded confidently and slowly explained, "Dried longan, goji berries, dried tangerine peel, dried red dates, angelica, codonopsis, astragalus..."

'

"Adding these herbs to the dish can balance the flavors between the juicy pork and the refreshing sweet and sour fruit."

"Moreover, in medicinal cuisine, many medicinal herbs often share commonalities with spices."

"Besides their warming and nourishing medicinal effects, these herbs are also spices, possessing a unique aroma that enriches the overall flavor of this [Apple Stewed Pork Ribs]..."

Hisako Shinoto stood at the podium, speaking eloquently with a calm expression and confident tone.

Meanwhile, Kikuchi Sonoka, sitting opposite the podium, couldn't help but nod frequently, clearly agreeing with Hisako Shinoto's explanation, showing an expression of "I see, I've learned something new."

"Wow, there are so many fruit names!" Kikuchi Sonoka exclaimed unconsciously. "No wonder I had a vague sense of familiarity with them before."

"Yes!"

"In the world of traditional Chinese medicine, many medicinal materials actually come from fruits."

Hisako Shinoto nodded, speaking more and more fluently.

"Or to put it another way, these fruits are medicinal materials that are both food and medicine."

"I suppose this is the origin of the sense of familiarity that you mentioned earlier."

Kikuchi Sonoka listened intently, but Shinoto Hisako changed the subject, explaining further, "However, because the process from fruit to medicine often involves extremely long and complex processing, the final flavor will definitely change to some extent!"

"In addition, the addition of herbs with strong medicinal flavors such as angelica, codonopsis, and astragalus neutralizes the fruity aroma, which is why you couldn't taste it."

Hisako Niito breathed a sigh of relief after finishing her explanation. Her initial nervousness had long since subsided, and she felt a secret joy at having her knowledge demonstrated.

"Wow, Shinto-kun is amazing! He told me so many things I didn't know!"

Kikuchi clapped her hands, her gentle features now beaming with smiles as she looked at Hisako Shinoto with eyes full of satisfaction.

"I've learned a lot today, thank you for the explanation, junior."

Hisako Niito immediately became a little embarrassed, "You...you flatter me!"

"Don't be so nervous."

Kikuchi Yoko offered words of comfort in a gentle tone.

As the saying goes, everyone has their own area of ​​expertise!

"Medicinal cuisine is indeed not my area of ​​expertise, and there's nothing to be ashamed of in admitting that."

"Alright, let's continue the review."

Kikuchi waved her hand, indicating that Hisako Shinomiya didn't need to be nervous. Then, she smiled and picked up another piece of pork, putting it in her mouth to savor it carefully.

After swallowing the food in her mouth, Kikuchi Sonoka scooped up some amber-colored sauce from the bottom of the plate with a spoon and tasted it separately.

This time, Kikuchi Sonoka's expression was quite serious; she even closed her eyes and savored the taste very carefully.

After this focused tasting, Kikuchi Enka finally caught that peculiar, subtle flavor.

As she concentrated, the unique aroma of the medicinal herbs gradually became clear on the tip of her tongue.

"I knew I was right!"

Kikuchi Yoko opened her eyes, a confident smile playing at the corners of her eyes.

"The medicinal aroma in this dish, though not prominent, is indispensable!"

When he said this, Kikuchison Katoshi's tone was quite resolute.

Kikuchi Sonoka looked at Shinto Hisako, who had stepped back and was standing next to Lin Yu, then looked at Lin Yu beside her, and couldn't help but smile slightly.

"I've noticed that Lin Yu seems to be quite adept at balancing the flavors of different ingredients!"

Kikuchi Sonoka pushed her empty plate forward a little. "In this dish, if we say the pork is the main ingredient, its tender and juicy texture, along with its rich and delicious flavor, brings diners a strong sense of satisfaction!"

"Then the fruit is the finishing touch! It's the strategist who plans everything."

"The refreshing fruity aroma alleviates the greasiness of the pork, adding a refreshing sweet and sour flavor. The two different textures of apples bring a unique taste experience to the dish, even I felt a sense of novelty!"

"And the medicinal herbs added..."

Kikuchi Sonoka's tone gradually turned somber. "He's more like a recluse who doesn't flaunt his talents."

"The flavor of the herbs in the dish is very subtle, but it builds a bridge between the pork and the fruit. The warm and nourishing aroma of the herbs also makes the overall flavor of the dish more balanced and mellow."

"Although the three ingredients have different presences and functions, they coexist harmoniously on the plate, forming a stable and balanced triangle, ultimately creating the mellow flavor of this [Apple Stewed Pork Chop]!"

"Three main categories of ingredients, and more than a dozen kinds of materials."

"Each flavor and texture has its own merits, yet they are perfectly balanced; no single ingredient can be omitted!"

Kikuchi Sonoka looked up at Lin Yu, her eyes filled with amazement and emotion, but more than anything, a complex mix of feelings.

"Heh, truly... a master!"

Kikuchi Yōka picked up the last piece of pork shoulder, dipped it in the sauce, and put it in her mouth, letting out a satisfied sigh. Her eyes narrowed involuntarily, looking like a happy little kitten.

As the delicious aftertaste faded, Kikuchi Sonoka's eyes regained their clarity.

"Lin Yu, classmate."

Kikuchi Sonoka leaned forward, resting her elbows on the podium.

One arm supported her chin, while the other arm leaned forward at an angle. Kikuchi Sonoka's entire upper body was resting on the table, her head relaxed against the raised arm.

"After tasting two of your dishes, I not only failed to see your true skill, but my feelings have become even more complicated."

"I don't even know whether I should say, 'I'm increasingly impressed with you!' or 'I really can't understand you anymore!'"

As she spoke these words, Kikuchi Sonoka's posture was somewhat languid, and her beautiful figure was on full display with her movements.

But Lin Yu remained unmoved by the complex meaning in Kiko's tone, simply offering a gentle smile and softly saying, "Thank you for the compliment, Kiko-senpai."

Your praise will be a valuable source of motivation for me to move forward!

Lin Yu's smile, tone of voice, and posture were all impeccable, revealing no emotional fluctuation whatsoever.

This greatly disappointed Kikuchi Sonoka, who had been trying to observe his emotional changes, and she found it all rather boring.

Kikuchi Yoko glared at her, feigning annoyance.

"That glib-tongued junior!"

Kikuchi Sonoka clearly possessed a very pure and innocent aura, but for some reason, at this moment, Lin Yu felt that the pure senior in front of him had a charming and alluring quality.

He chuckled softly and said, "Regardless, as long as you think the food is delicious, that's all that matters!"