Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　"It's summer now, the perfect time for ice cream, but this isn't your ordinary ice cream, it's my improved and created version of micria!"

　Soma Yukihira's voice was filled with excitement as he introduced the ice cream, or more accurately, the micelli, to the judges.

　"You call it rice ice cream, so that means it's made from rice, right?"

　Although it looks no different from ordinary ice cream, if you bring your nose close, you can indeed smell an incredibly rich aroma of rice, proving that it's made with rice. The aroma is truly intoxicating!

　Hinako Inui was the first to notice the unusual nature of the dish. Although it was also as white as snow, the ice cream in front of her seemed to have a yellowish tint.

　So she leaned her face forward and then shook her head vigorously, and a rich aroma of rice immediately filled her nostrils.

　"Rice ice cream? Rice ice cream? That's quite creative."

　Upon hearing Hinako Inui's explanation, the people present became interested, looking at the bowl in front of them with curiosity in their eyes, clearly seeing it for the first time.

　"I wonder what it tastes like. I've never heard of rice being used as a staple food to make ice cream before. Today has really broadened my horizons."

　Mizuhara Fuyumi looked at Miki in front of her with a subtle expression.

　Mango, watermelon, and blueberries are arranged on a plate of pure white rice ice cream, releasing their own sweetness and adding both color and flavor.

　But if that's all there is to it, it's just a rice-flavored ice cream, somewhat creative but nothing special, and winning the competition would be nothing short of a pipe dream.

　but...

　Seeing Soma Yukihira's calm and composed demeanor, the judges couldn't help but feel more expectant and had more confidence in him. It seemed that there was something more to this Michelin-starred dish.

　We'll have to wait until we taste it to find out exactly what it is.

　With that in mind, the judges observing the cooking no longer hesitated, picked up the spoons that Soma Yukihira had prepared for them, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in their mouths.

　The moment the tongue touches the rice ice cream, a rich rice aroma spreads, accompanied by an indescribable, incredibly mellow flavor.

　With his eyes closed, Dojima Gin felt as if he were in a rice paddy, with the autumn wind blowing, the sunlight falling on the earth, and the rice stalks rustling.

　"This feeling is like going back to my childhood..."

　The golden rice stalks evoke a sense of home, as not everyone is born in the city, especially in earlier years when many families lived in the countryside.

　There aren't many things in the countryside, but what's most memorable are probably the bright starry sky and the golden rice paddies.

　The children played in the rice paddies. The summer sun was scorching and the air was thick with heat, but the scene was lively. They chased and played naked in the fields, enjoying their childhood to the fullest.

　"I'm curious, how did you make this? How could you create such a delicate flavor and such a smooth texture?"

　Because most of his attention was focused on Wang Jing and he didn't observe Yukihira Soma much, Kakuzaki Taki asked in confusion after tasting a bite of the dish.

　Pour milk into a pot and cook the rice until done. Use a blender to blend it into a smooth paste. Let it cool naturally and then freeze it in the refrigerator.

　Place the frozen milk rice cereal in a large bowl, add the cream in two batches at a 1:1 ratio, and then add one-tenth of the condensed milk...."

　"You added rice wine to it."

　Yukihira Soma spoke eloquently about his cooking, while Kikuchi Sonoka's voice rang out at the same time, revealing the secret to its rich flavor.

　"It must have been added. The aroma of rice wine isn't overpowering; instead, it blends perfectly with the taste of the rice ice cream, bringing a subtle alcoholic kick."

　At this moment, Dojima Gin's voice also rang out. He also tasted the rice wine in it. Although it was very light, it was the finishing touch to the whole dish.

　The rich aroma of rice wine and the sweetness of rice ice cream intertwine to create a unique flavor.

　On top of the rice ice cream are fresh seasonal fruits. These fruits do not overpower the flavor; instead, they add a sweet and sour taste to the rice ice cream, creating a striking contrast with the mellow aroma of the rice wine.

　"Even rice probably never imagined that it would one day become ice cream, and that it would surpass ordinary ice cream in both texture and taste."

　Hinako Inui's voice was teasing as she scooped a spoonful of rice ice cream into her mouth, her face full of enjoyment.

　"Indeed, before tasting it, I didn't expect anyone to serve such a dish in this competition. It is a bold innovation that makes the most of rice, changing its form without changing the taste."

　Dojima Ginjō Bowl

　He scraped the last bit of Michelin chili clean and put it in his mouth, saying these words. The lingering taste of Michelin chili made him squint his eyes comfortably.

　Indeed, there is nothing more satisfying in the world than eating a bowl of ice-cold rice ice cream in the summer!

　If so, I'll eat two bowls!

　"Miqilin, using this method to express 'rice,' what a troublesome fellow."

　Watching the highly praised Mi Qilin, Wang Jing, who was not far away, muttered to herself, then turned her gaze to the judges, looking forward to their final scores.

　"I'm so conflicted..."

　"The two little ones each have their own strengths in cooking, making it difficult to make a direct comparison."

　"Moreover, both contestants offered their own interpretations of the theme and created dishes that perfectly integrated the theme. Each of them is an absolute talent!"

　"Ahhh!"

　After both sides finished tasting the dishes, the judges did not rush to give scores, but instead spoke one after another, deeply conflicted.

　The reason is simple: both dishes are excellent and perfectly suited to the theme, so they can't quickly determine who wins.

　"In that case, let's vote."

　In this situation, the best approach is to vote, with the minority obeying the majority. This is also why competitions have an odd number of referees.

　"Gudu."

　"What should I do? I feel even more nervous than the contestants above me."

　In the audience, Yoshino Yuuki held Sakaki Ryoko's hand, held her breath, and her body trembled slightly with excitement, looking both expectant and nervous.

　"Relax, we're not the main characters in this competition. It doesn't matter who wins, there's no need to be so nervous."

　Sensing the somewhat complicated emotions of Yoshino Yuuki beside her, Sakaki Ryoko raised her hand and pinched her cheek, saying in a slightly teasing tone.

　Not only them, but everyone in the room was focused on the screen, waiting for the final vote from the five judges.

　Both sides have taken the theme of rice to the extreme, and there's nothing to criticize. Now it's up to the judges to decide which one they prefer.

　At this moment, Dojima Gin and the others also had conflicted expressions on their faces. They hesitated greatly when looking at the two buttons in front of them. In the end, they could only close their eyes and savor the dishes made by the two of them, to appreciate the excellent parts of them, before finally making up their minds and giving their answers.

　3:2

　The result appeared on the big screen.

　Soma Yukihira wins and advances!

　"Sure enough, I still crave desserts in the summer."

　Kikuchi Sonoka smiled as she watched her chosen opponent win.

　"But the rich flavor of Eight Treasure Rice, after steaming, is all infused into the rice, undoubtedly the best expression of rice! Why not choose it?"

　Kakuzaki Taki frowned slightly. She admired Wang Jing's eight-treasure rice, so she voted for her, but she didn't expect that even with her vote, there would only be two people voting for her.

　"Eight Treasure Rice is too old-fashioned. I don't even know how long it has been around. It has no creativity at all. Although it has been improved, it is still basically the same. Compared to that, I still prefer the innovative micelli."

　Mizuhara Fuyumi stated that compared to Wang Jing's Eight Treasure Rice, she still prefers the sweet and fragrant rice ice cream.

　"Eight-treasure rice has a long history and profound cultural heritage. Its flavors are rich and diverse, and I personally quite like it."

　Dojima Gin also spoke highly of the Eight Treasure Rice, preferring the more traditional version to Yukihira Soma's innovation.

　"Creativity is a chef's sharpest weapon. Chefs who lack creativity will be eliminated sooner or later. Michelin deserves to win!"

　At this moment, Hinako Inui also spoke up, expressing her opinion, which was the real reason why she cast her vote for Soma Yukihira.

　The importance of creativity to a chef is self-evident; only with abundant creativity can one expand the boundaries of the culinary world!

　"Great!"

　After confirming his victory, Soma Yukihira clenched his fist, raised his arm in celebration, and smiled broadly, making no attempt to hide his excitement.

　"We've finally made it to the semifinals! It wasn't easy. It looks like if we win two more matches, we can have another chance to compete against Teacher Bai Yuan!"

　Soma Yukihira glanced at the judges' panel, then at the audience, and took a deep breath. From now on, he would just play it safe and aim for victory!

　"I...lost?!"

　The crowd erupted in cheers as they watched the final score on the big screen.

　The one who was most affected was Wang Jing, who stood opposite Yukihira Soma. She had given it her all, but why was the result still disappointing?

　Two judges chose her, which proves her cooking is not bad. It's a pity that only two judges chose her; if there had been one more, she would have won!

　"Congratulations on advancing to the semifinals."

　Fortunately, Wang Jing is a person who can take things in stride. She won't be discouraged or cry because of the lost bread. She quickly accepted the reality of her failure and reached out to Yukihira Soma.

　"Thank you, your cooking is also very good."

　Soma Yukihira nodded, exchanged a few more pleasantries with him, and then turned and strode towards the audience seats and the Polar Star Dormitory.

　Today's victory was achieved so smoothly thanks to the intense research he had been doing in the past few days; he was even adjusting the proportions of the Michelin star anise this morning.

　Fortunately, the final result was gratifying.

　Turn rice into ice cream and create a unique dessert.

　This idea originated from Yoshino Yuuki.

　He witnessed the entire process of making a tub of chocolate-flavored ice cream at Polar Star Dormitory, so he tried it out and finally won the competition!

　"Yukihira made it to the semifinals, that's amazing, he couldn't even beat you when he came here."

　Seeing Soma Yukihira coming down from the competition field and walking towards them, Ryoko Sakaki couldn't help but mutter a comment under her breath, her voice filled with emotion.

　It's worth noting that when Soma Yukihira first came to Polar Star Dormitory, he couldn't even beat Yuuki Yoshino, yet now he's made it into the top four.

　Chapter 192 Huang Mei and Liu Yu

　"Yes, even though we're all working alongside Teacher Bai Yuan, it seems we haven't grown as fast as him. He seems to have suddenly become so strong..."

　Yoshino Yuuki's voice was filled with sighs.

　Thinking back to their recent match, where Soma Yukihira fought her to a standstill using only cheap duck meat bought from the supermarket.

　With meticulous preparation and the selection of the finest ingredients, victory seems only natural.

　After all, he has the ability to do so.

　"Is this the difference between geniuses and ordinary people...?"

　Ryoko Sakaki muttered to herself, her voice tinged with resentment.

　She didn't even make it into the official competition, and she didn't even have a chance to be eliminated in the first round. It has to be said that the gap between people can sometimes be quite large.

　"No matter what, we are already very lucky to have Teacher Bai Yuan by our side to teach us. We have a much higher starting point than others."

　Yoshino Yuuki is easily satisfied. After all, she has learned a lot from following Bai Yuan and her cooking skills have improved significantly.

　That's good. Keep up the current pace, grow slowly, and one day you'll become a towering tree, someone who can shelter others from the wind and rain!

　"Indeed, I've been a bit too greedy."

　Ryoko Sakaki sighed and looked towards the arena. Sojiro Yukihira was walking towards the area where the Polar Star Dormitory was gathered.

　Following Bai Yuan's side, her future achievements would definitely be high. She understood this perfectly well, but she still felt a little uncomfortable.

　Talent is something that sometimes really doesn't make sense!

　the other side.

　After the match ended, Wang Jing returned to the audience and sat down next to Liu Yu.

　"Take a rest if you're tired."

　Liu Yu gently said to her, "Let her rest her head on my shoulder," and Wang Jing naturally leaned her head on his shoulder as well.

　"I've never seen rice used to make ice cream before. To be honest, this is the first time I've ever seen it. It's such a bizarre dish."

　With a hint of helplessness and sarcasm in her voice, Wang Jing felt a faint sense of loneliness as she watched the audience gradually leave the venue after the match ended.

　"I've already lost, you can't lose too!"

　As if she had thought of something, Wang Jing suddenly raised her head, looked seriously at Liu Yu's face, and said in a slightly coquettish tone.

　She has already lost; if the other side loses too, they will be completely wiped out.

　"Don't worry, I've done a lot of training for today's dishes!"

　She didn't explicitly say she would win, but the strong confidence in her words unconsciously inspired people to have faith in her and feel that she couldn't possibly lose.

　"Ok!"

　A slightly teasing voice reached her ears, and Wang Jing nodded emphatically. She had never doubted Liu Yu's abilities.