Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　Chihiro Natsume nodded, took a sip of the soup, and a gentle warmth welled up inside her. Her body felt nourished, and an expression of enjoyment appeared on her face.

　Many people can't stand the smell of mutton, but without it, the mutton doesn't taste authentic. Therefore, a truly skilled chef should remove most of the muttony smell, retaining only a very small portion as part of the flavor.

　"The secret of stir-frying first and then simmering must be more than just this. This medicinal stewed mutton..."

　It not only brings out the rich and delicious flavor of the mutton itself, but also blends in the profound aroma and fragrance of various medicinal herbs. Together, they create a warm and nourishing aroma.

　On the far right of the judges' panel, a woman with old-fashioned glasses, gray hair, and a somewhat thin appearance spoke, her eyes carrying a hint of sharpness.

　After taking a bite of mutton, she could clearly feel her body warming up. It wasn't just the soup; the mutton itself was the true heart of the dish!

　"That's right, you're a real expert!"

　Most importantly, stir-frying makes the surface of the mutton firmer, preventing it from falling apart during stewing. This also allows the medicinal herbs enough time to release their flavor. If this step is omitted and the mutton is added directly, it's easy for the mutton to disintegrate during cooking.

　Furthermore, high-temperature stir-frying can induce the Maillard reaction, producing more flavor and aroma compounds, thus enhancing the taste and aroma of the soup and lamb.

　Hearing the words of the gaunt old woman, Hisako Shinoto suddenly felt as if she had met a kindred spirit, and began to talk on and on.

　Chapter 172 Three-Pepper Tomahawk Lamb Chops, the Boss's Taste!

　"As expected, this is truly an amazing dish. Herbal ingredients should have a certain off-flavor, but you cleverly neutralized it by utilizing the properties of the herbs, proving that you have a profound understanding of their medicinal properties."

　Looking at the beautiful young girl in front of her, the thin old woman seemed to see herself in her youth. Her voice was gentle and her demeanor was very tender.

　"My body is getting warmer."

　Beside her, Chihiro Natsume swallowed the mutton in her mouth, half-closed her eyes, and leaned lazily back in her chair, revealing an expression of enjoyment and comfort.

　Because it's summer now, and it's hot outside, the venue is air-conditioned.

　They were dressed very lightly on their way here, in short sleeves and midi skirts, and after sitting in their seats with the air conditioning on for two hours, they felt a little chilly.

　This bowl of eight-ingredient medicinal mutton soup effectively dispelled the chill.

　"This is my medicinal cuisine, Eight-Ingredient Stewed Lamb Soup!"

　Hisako Shinto extended her hand to the five judges in front of her, pointing her fingertips to the medicinal mutton soup, her voice carrying a hint of arrogance and haughtiness.

　"It really is boiling! The medicinal energy in my body is boiling!"

　As he savored the mutton in his mouth, steam rose from within him, and the Mediterranean man let out a sigh of admiration.

　"So delicious! The aroma of the mutton becomes even more intense with the support of the medicinal herbs, and the wonderful flavor that blends into the soup makes the taste... milder."

　"Because of the effects of the Eight-Ingredient Lamb Soup, every bite makes the body feel warmer."

　"That's right, medicinal cuisine strengthens the kidneys and replenishes qi, and I've heard it can also expel toxins from the body."

　The way the flavors were presented, and the balance of various flavors—the level of completion was simply too high! It doesn't look like a student's dish at all!

　The judges took turns commenting, while also savoring the mutton soup. After finishing the soup, they picked up pieces of mutton, greedily leaving not even a single bit of meat on the bones, until the bowl was licked clean before finally letting out a satisfied sigh.

　Chihiro Natsume wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

　"So, Hisako Shinto's score is..."

　With so many compliments, Kawashima Rei keenly sensed the judges' attitude, so she grabbed the microphone and started to liven up the atmosphere.

　The next moment, the score appeared on the large screen in the sky.

　18, 16, 17, 17, 19

　"87 points! Hisako Shinto scored 87 points!"

　Kawashima Rei couldn't hide the excitement in her voice. Looking at the equally excited crowd below the stage, she suddenly felt a surge of adrenaline.

　"We've reached the 80-point mark!"

　"As expected of a chef who has earned the approval of that God Tongue, he easily reached number one!"

　Meanwhile, the audience below the stage was engaged in heated discussions, their faces filled with excitement, even happier than if they themselves had won the election.

　However, Hisako Shinto didn't seem to care. She looked up and her eyes met Shiro's, and a smile appeared on her face the instant they met.

　It seems to be saying, "See? I did it."

　"Tsk, what's there to be so smug about? It's just that you have a good mentor. I could do that too!"

　In a dark corner, Nao Satsuka stirred the food in the pot, muttering to herself with her head down, her eyes filled with resentment.

　"Aqiu."

　Hisako Shinoto rubbed her nose, looked around, and looked somewhat puzzled.

　After finding nothing amiss, she left the competition venue, intending to prepare lunch for Lady Erina as usual, and also to bring a portion for Teacher Shirabuchi, who might be very touched.

　Anticipating that they hadn't had lunch while watching the match, and seeing the surprised expression on Shirayuki's face after receiving the food, Hisako Shinto's lips curled up, and her steps became a little more cheerful as she quickly disappeared from the match venue.

　"Hehehe, they didn't even take me seriously, hehehe, hehehe."

　After glancing at Hisako Shirato's dashing departure, Nao Satsuka stirred the dark purple, unidentifiable dish in the pot while muttering to herself in a damp, gloomy mood.

　"It stinks..."

　Those around her frowned upon seeing her like this, but since she was a woman, they couldn't argue with her and could only pray that the cooking would be finished soon.

　Meanwhile, at venue B.

　"Next up is Miyoko Hojo. So, how will the score be?"

　Yua Sasaki, holding a microphone, strode to the center of the venue. The camera projected her face onto the big screen, but her voice sounded somewhat uneasy.

　Although this wasn't her first time hosting, she always seemed like a complete novice, appearing very inexperienced and delivering her commentary in a stiff manner.

　17, 16, 16, 17, 18

　"It's out! 84 points! Currently the only one in Venue B with over 80 points, temporarily in first place!"

　Sasaki Yua's voice rose a few decibels, filled with excitement. She was the first contestant in Venue B to score over 80 points. How touching!

　I wonder how things are going with Kawashima-senpai.

　"Onions, carrots, cumin, Sichuan peppercorn powder, salt, etc., through clever combination and proportion adjustment, not only highlight the original flavor of the mutton, but also give the dish a unique spicy aroma."

　Ah! Even now, thinking back, I can still taste the sweetness of the onions, the natural sweetness of the carrots, and the savory flavor of the lamb intertwined.

　With her hands clasped together and slightly turned to one side of her face, Chihiro Orie's face showed a tremor, as if she was savoring the taste from just now, her brows filled with enjoyment.

　"Iron Fist Unrivaled, this stance is like a martial arts master wrapped in a fire dragon, Miss Iron Fist Fire Dragon!"

　As expected of the heir to a leading Chinese brand, this is a profound skill that rivals any man's... a single, decisive blow!

　The fat old man closed his eyes, imagining himself being kicked over by Hojo Miyoko. The enormous impact was truly shocking.

　"That's quite something, to receive such high praise. No wonder you were the guy who went to Guangzhou with the teacher earlier. But I'm not bad either!"

　As Hojo Miyoko descended from the judges' panel with an air of arrogance, Sakaki Ryoko's expression became serious and earnest. As Hojo Miyoko stepped down, Sakaki Ryoko carried her own dish up to her.

　"The sausages have had their tendons and impurities removed, retaining only the most nutritious parts. The ratio of lean meat to fat is just right, ensuring the sausages are tender and juicy while avoiding an overly greasy taste."

　The rich flavor in her mouth made Chihaya Orie's eyes widen, and then she clicked her tongue in amazement as she savored it.

　It looks like an extremely ordinary lamb sausage, but it tastes quite different!

　How strange...a subtle feeling.

　"You fermented the lamb using Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus beer, didn't you?"

　The plump old man looked at Ryoko Sakaki with a look of shock and complexity in his eyes, and said the key to why Chihiro Orie found the taste to be subtle.

　"The use of leavening agents will give sausages a unique sour and sour aroma during the fermentation process."

　Fermentation agents such as Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus beer not only help remove the muttony smell, but also give sausages a subtle sour taste and a wine aroma.

　This flavor intertwines and resonates with the savory taste of the lamb, ultimately creating an indescribably wonderful texture.

　The exquisite flavors on his tongue made the plump old man's tongue rejoice, while his eyes sparkled with appreciation, as if he were looking at a fine piece of jade.

　Putting everything else aside, the fact that she can use fermentation technology to enhance the taste and flavor of sausages proves that she is definitely an expert in this field.

　"That's right. I mainly use Lactobacillus plantarum and Pediococcus beer to ferment the mutton, and then bake it in the oven after fermentation."

　The flavor of the lamb sausages is further concentrated after baking, and I added spices such as garlic and pepper. These flavors blend with the flavors produced by the lamb and the leavening agent, effectively enhancing the overall taste of the sausages.

　Upon hearing that someone understood her cooking, Ryoko Sakaki's face lit up with joy, and she began to talk at length.

　"The meat is tender yet chewy, with a wonderful blend of sour and meaty aromas. This fermented mutton sausage is truly an unforgettable delicacy."

　After picking up another slice of sausage and putting it in her mouth, Chihiro Orie covered her face, her eyes filled with contentment.

　16, 15, 15, 16, 16

　With a total of 78 points, they ranked second in Group B.

　"call..."

　Looking at her score, Ryoko Sakaki breathed a sigh of relief, but soon looked at Miyoko Hojo with a complicated expression, and the other girl was also looking at her.

　I didn't expect that despite her hard work, she still didn't get 80 points.

　Therefore, although Hojo Miyoko's score of 84 points seems to be only 6 points higher, the actual difference is not small.

　I'll practice more when I get back!

　With this thought in mind, Ryoko Sakaki clenched her fists, her eyes filled with resentment.

　As a fellow student of Teacher Bai Yuan, she was unwilling to admit that she was inferior to others, especially since the other party was also a student of Teacher Bai Yuan.

　"Please enjoy our halal hand-pulled mutton."

　At the same time, Wang Jing, a transfer student, went up and placed a plate of mutton and a dish of minced garlic in front of the judges, while raising her hand to gesture for them to enter.

　"The contestant before me served hand-pulled mutton rice, and you served hand-pulled mutton. I thought they were about the same."

　But now that it's actually served, the difference is quite obvious; it's not what I expected.

　Comparing Hojo Miyoko's and Wang Jing's dishes, Sentawara Orie looked up at Wang Jing, her voice tinged with emotion.

　"That's right. First of all, the color. The former, the hand-pulled mutton rice, is red because it contains a lot of tomatoes. But this one, in the process of making it, only uses some spices to remove the muttony smell, so it looks very pure and natural."

　A tall, thin judge wearing glasses said, swallowing hard as he looked at the food in front of him.

　Although these two dishes differ by only one character, their aromas, colors, and textures are completely different.

　"Hand-pulled mutton is usually boiled in water with a small amount of seasonings to retain the original flavor of the mutton."

　It has a tender and juicy texture with a rich aroma unique to lamb. It tastes even better when eaten with minced garlic, salt and pepper, or special sauces.

　Hand-grabbed mutton rice requires stir-frying ingredients such as mutton, carrots, and onions first, and then adding rice and water to simmer together.

　The rice absorbed the aroma of the lamb and vegetables, becoming soft, sticky, and flavorful, while the lamb was tender and delicious, resulting in a dish with rich and layered flavors.

　On the big screen, Wang Jing spoke eloquently to the judges and the audience. She could cook both dishes and naturally knew the differences between them.

　Hand-pulled mutton rice is a dish invented later. The mutton used is mostly lamb ribs, while hand-pulled mutton uses the loin meat, which is obviously different.

　Before cooking, she considered making hand-pulled lamb rice, but considering that the theme was lamb, she chose hand-pulled lamb, which better brings out the flavor of lamb.

　"Let's try it first."

　Hearing Wang Jing's explanation, the judges exchanged glances and nodded. Then, to match the dish's name, Chihiro Orie picked up a piece of mutton, dipped it in minced garlic, and put it in her mouth.

　"Fresh garlic cloves are finely crushed into garlic paste, and then seasoned with appropriate amounts of salt, vinegar, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and other seasonings to create a unique flavor that is both spicy and refreshing."

　The spiciness from the minced garlic cleverly balances the greasiness of the lamb, while simultaneously bringing out its deeper umami flavor; the two complement each other perfectly.

　When you dip mutton in minced garlic and put it in your mouth, the first thing you feel is the spiciness of the garlic, followed by the rich flavor of the mutton.

　"Add a small amount of salt, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns and other simple seasonings to the water, then add the mutton. This simple seasoning can preserve the original flavor of the mutton to the greatest extent."

　After bringing to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer and cook until the meat is tender yet still chewy, with the fat melting away during the long cooking process.

　In this way, the meat will become even more delicious and juicy, achieving the perfect result!

　The tall, thin man next to him didn't dip the meat in minced garlic; instead, he grabbed a piece of mutton and put it in his mouth, closing his eyes to savor the taste of the mutton with his hands.

　It doesn't contain too many seasonings; it's mostly ingredients to remove the gamey smell.

　The dish perfectly brings out the original flavor of the mutton, making you feel as if you are in a fairyland!

　"This requires extremely high-quality mutton; only in this way can the deliciousness of the mutton be brought out. Your mutton must have been slaughtered this morning."

　"Open your eyes," the tall, thin man said to Wang Jing.

　"That's right. I ordered mutton from three mutton shops, but two of them thought I didn't know anything about it and tried to give me leftover meat. So I bought mutton from the third shop, which was freshly slaughtered that morning."

　"You're really lucky. If my sense of taste is correct, this must be a fat-tailed sheep from Xinjiang, China, which is perfect for making hand-pulled mutton."