Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　"That guy can completely imitate his opponent's cooking by conducting a thorough investigation of them."

　"Not only that, he can also improve and enhance it, creating an 'advanced version' that is a step above the original dish of his opponent."

　"That ability is too abnormal. The opponent can improve the dish and basically take it to the next level. If you don't have a strong ability to adapt, it will be difficult to beat him."

　When Subaru Mimasaka's special abilities were mentioned, the girls started discussing it, and a hint of fear flashed across their faces.

　Imagine if their opponent was Subaru Misaku, would they be able to defeat him?

　By imitating his opponent's daily life, he synchronized his thinking with the opponent's, and combined this with his own experience, thus taking his opponent's cooking to the next level.

　"Let nature take its course. We should trust Hisako; this is also a test for her."

　It is. ”

　Bai Yuan gazed at the sky and spoke slowly.

　Compared to them, Hisako Niito, who is Subaru Mimasaka's rival, should be under more pressure.

　·

　·

　"Lady Erina, how are you feeling?"

　Hisako Niito, her eyes filled with anticipation, presented the carefully prepared dish to Erina Nakiri, awaiting her reply.

　However, what I received was a slight shake of the head and meticulous suggestions for improvement: "The overall flavor is a bit monotonous. You can add some chili peppers to enhance its spiciness and make the flavor more full and complex."

　Faced with Subaru Mimasaka's formidable ability to replicate dishes, Hisako Shinomiya did not hesitate to seek help from Erina Nakiri.

　She could imagine that Subaru Mimasaka was currently tracking her daily life, trying to imitate her personality and replicate her cooking. But he certainly never imagined that he would be asking Erina-sama for help!

　"Have you finally decided on a dish for your 'steamed cuisine' theme?" Erina Nakiri asked.

　"It's decided! I'll make this medicinal steamed chicken."

　Hisako Niito spoke with determination, several steamers displayed before her, filled with various dishes she had recently been diligently researching. To prevent her opponents from easily replicating her creations, she had carefully prepared multiple alternatives, waiting to choose the best one before the competition.

　"Steamed chicken with medicinal herbs? Indeed, this dish is the most complete and tastes the best."

　With my assistance, dealing with a mere Mimasaka Subaru is more than enough.

　Erina Nakiri nodded in agreement. This medicinal steamed chicken was the most delicious of the dishes, reaching the level of a near-specialty dish.

　Although Hisako Niito only has the skills of a first-class chef, she had a week to prepare, and with her assistance, this result is quite normal.

　"Now that I've made the decision, I'll stay up a little later tonight and use the rest of the time to continue perfecting this dish. Let's see if we can reach the threshold of the premium grade."

　Although it is a near-superior grade dish, it is actually quite far from superior grade. Only by eliminating all the flaws can it become a superior grade dish!

　"Well, before that, I'd like to try replacing the aluminum foil used to wrap the steamed chicken with lotus leaves."

　Hisako Shinto looked at the steamer next to her. The medicinal steamed chicken was wrapped in tin foil, perfectly locking in its aroma.

　She chose aluminum foil because of its excellent heat conduction and insulation properties, but for this dish, aluminum foil can only be considered a mediocre ingredient.

　Therefore, she plans to replace it with lotus leaves.

　"How about replacing the aluminum foil with lotus leaves? That would indeed be a good idea."

　In Traditional Chinese Medicine, lotus leaves possess multiple benefits, including relieving summer heat and dampness, strengthening the spleen, and invigorating yang. Wrapping ingredients in lotus leaves before steaming allows the medicinal properties to infuse into the food. I remember when I was sick, you even made me porridge with lotus leaves; you told me all this back then.”

　Erina Nakiri's voice carried a hint of nostalgia. She had been taken very well in by Hisako Shinoto. Their relationship was less like that of mistress and servant and more like that of sisters, with Hisako being more like her older sister.

　"Yes, lotus leaves have many benefits. Wrapping food in them before steaming can add a unique aroma. However, there are some drawbacks, namely, poor sealing and easy breakage, which chefs need to be careful about."

　Hisako Niito smiled and nodded.

　Using lotus leaves is a double-edged sword. Fortunately, it is summer now, and the lotus leaves are growing well and of high quality, making it the best time to use them in cooking. Otherwise, it would be difficult to make this dish.

　"Then you should try it. Although the taste should be pretty good, you still need to have a good idea of ​​what to expect and see if there's anything that can be improved."

　"Ok!"

　Upon hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Hisako Shinoto nodded emphatically, focused her attention on the kitchen counter, and began to work diligently.

　"The Spice-Making Cloud Hand!"

　Slaughter young hens less than one year old, remove feathers and internal organs, pat dry the surface moisture, add a spoonful of salt, two spoonfuls of cooking wine, two spoonfuls of light soy sauce, and a spoonful of sesame oil, and use a special technique to knead the flavors in.

　This move is also a unique skill in the world of dark cuisine. Although it is a relatively simple move, it still took her half a year to learn it.

　This trick allows the ingredients to absorb flavor quickly, saving a lot of marinating time, and it's also Hisako Shinto's secret weapon!

　Even if Subaru Mimasaka managed to deduce what kind of dish she was going to make by following her life, it would be useless if his skills weren't up to par.

　Although there is enough time for the cooking competition, it is difficult to allow a young hen to fully absorb the flavors from head to toe without letting it rest for a day and a night.

　If this step isn't handled well, even if the subsequent steps are the same, the taste will be significantly worse. You could say it's inherently flawed.

　Subaru Mimasaka loves to imitate, right? Well, she'll use advanced techniques to make it impossible for him to imitate! No matter how he tries, it'll taste worse than hers!

　"You're getting more and more skilled at this trick."

　Watching the young hen quickly absorb the flavors, Erina Nakiri exclaimed in admiration.

　Bai Yuan taught her these techniques openly, and she learned many practical tips, such as how to quickly dissect medium to large animals and what special techniques to use when sprinkling spices...

　But what she most wants to master is the Silver Chopsticks Ten Pot Return, but unfortunately, due to a lack of talent, she is still stuck in the initial stage.

　"Hehe, thanks to Teacher Bai Yuan."

　Hearing Erina Nakiri's words, Hisako Shinomiya smiled sheepishly, then, thinking of Shirobuchi who taught her this move, a look of something else flashed in her eyes.

　He showed a hopeful expression.

　The other person just casually revealed a little bit of knowledge, which was enough for her to study for more than half a year. I really don't know how he mastered so many techniques. He is a genius!

　While thinking, his hands kept moving.

　Line the bottom of the steamer with lotus leaves, then cover it with ginger slices. Next, place the marinated young hen on top, along with codonopsis, red dates, angelica, goji berries, dried longan, astragalus, and four spoonfuls of clear chicken broth.

　Wrap the dough in two layers of lotus leaves, then tie it with straw to secure it. Place it in a preheated steamer and steam for 30 minutes.

　The moment the steamer was opened, a rich aroma wafted out, causing the two to involuntarily squint their eyes, their faces filled with happiness.

　"Lady Erina, please try it."

　He tore off the chicken leg from the hen and handed it to Erina Nakiri. Erina, seeing this, didn't hold back and took a bite.

　The next moment, Erina Nakiri's eyes widened, and a look of surprise appeared on her face, clearly unexpected about the taste of the dish.

　Chapter 199 The Reasons for the Defeat

　The medicinal steamed chicken, after being wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed, exudes a unique aroma that is both fresh and rich.

　The delicate fragrance of lotus leaves and the rich, mellow flavor of medicinal cuisine permeate each other, giving this traditional delicacy a natural and graceful appearance, adding a touch of otherworldly charm.

　"The medicinal steamed chicken wrapped in tin foil has a richer and more direct flavor, and the chicken is more tender and juicy. However, it lacks the fresh aroma and visual appeal of lotus leaves."

　Savoring the flavors on her tongue, and comparing the two options—tin foil and lotus leaf—Erina Nakiri slowly offered her evaluation, saying that both have their own merits.

　"The effect of tin foil can be achieved by adjusting the heat, but the fragrance of lotus leaves cannot be provided by tin foil, so let's use lotus leaves instead."

　"That's what I think too. Lotus leaves are more versatile and add new flavors to dishes. They complement other medicinal herbs better."

　Hearing Hisako Shinto's words, Erina Nakiri nodded, clearly agreeing with her decision. The problem with the tin foil could be solved by temperature control, and in comparison, using lotus leaves was more beneficial than harmful.

　"Then let's keep experimenting. If we keep trying, we'll eventually find the perfect temperature!"

　"I called someone to send chickens over."

　·

　·

　Between the moon and the sky.

　Seeing that Mimasaka Subaru had prepared the exact same ingredients as him, Hisako Shinoto showed no surprise. On the contrary, the judges on the stage couldn't help but frown as they looked at the menus handed to them by the people below.

　"Did both of these contestants choose steamed chicken as their dish?"

　Hinako Inui spoke softly, in a slightly probing tone.

　"That kid seems to have always been good at replicating other people's dishes in the previous competitions."

　Kakuzaki Taki had clearly heard about it beforehand, and her brows were now furrowed in disapproval. Although there was no explicit rule against imitating others' cooking, such behavior was certainly unpleasant.

　"How did he do that? Did someone leak his opponent's recipe to him beforehand? Come to think of it, something similar happened in the last match."

　Fuyumi Mizuhara's face was full of curiosity. She was genuinely puzzled, as it would be difficult to replicate the recipe so accurately unless one had obtained it beforehand.

　In addition, someone in the previous match used the opponent's dish to create a dish that could counter the opponent, which made her suspect that Totsuki might have been hollowed out by parasites, involving some kind of shady deal.

　"No matter the reason, it's really shameless to do something like this. If it weren't for the fact that the rules don't say it's forbidden, I would really want to betray him."

　Kakuzaki Taki couldn't help but mutter to herself, her face showing a hint of malice. She hadn't expected this kind of situation to occur in Totsuki's competition.

　"Judging from the girl's composed demeanor, she was clearly not afraid of the other party using this ability. In other words, she was not surprised and had prepared a way to deal with him."

　"If we had known earlier that the other party had this ability, we would have made preparations in advance. I just don't know what method she would use to counter it."

　The judges were discussing it animatedly.

　On the field, Hisako Shinto and Subaru Mimasaka's movements were almost perfectly synchronized, which made the audience hold their breath and look shocked.

　"Although it's not the first time I've seen this, Subaru Mimasaka's ability is truly outrageous. The two of them followed the exact same steps, without the slightest difference!"

　Looking at the scene before her, Ryoko Sakaki was shocked. Although she had expected it, she still couldn't help but feel her heart pound when she actually saw it.

　By simulating daily life, one can master the other person's cooking skills. But what about everything else besides cooking? Has the other person mastered everything as well?

　It's chilling to think about! It sends shivers down one's spine.

　"It even replicated the use of lotus leaves! Could it have also copied Lady Erina? That's an unfair ability!"

　Noticing that Subaru Mimasaka was taking out freshly picked lotus leaves from the cooking basket, Hisako Shinomiya frowned, a chill creeping into her heart.

　Using lotus leaves was something she discussed with Lady Nakiri Erina yesterday. It wasn't originally part of the dish, but she actually copied it too.

　"Next, here are the areas I'll improve!"

　Feeling the disdainful or fearful gazes around him, Mimasaka Subaru broke into an exaggerated smile, then... (The sentence is incomplete and ends abruptly.)

　Chinese yam and white poria were added as well.

　In addition, he added honey and lemon juice when marinating the chicken to enhance its sweetness and refreshing taste.

　After adding the medicinal herbs, quickly wrap the chicken in lotus leaves, and then wrap it in tin foil on the outside to retain the fragrance of the lotus leaves while locking in the freshness of the chicken.

　After completing these steps, Subaru Mimasaka immediately placed the chicken into the preheated steamer, while looking provocatively at Hisako Shinto, who was kneading the chicken to infuse it with flavor.

　Little did he know that all his actions were being observed by Hisako Shinto, and he was even more unaware that the way Hisako looked at him was as if he were a clown.

　"Improving the precision of cooking is definitely better than constantly adding new ingredients."

　In the audience, Bai Yuan couldn't help but laugh when he saw this scene. He had already figured out Hisako Shinto's idea: to remain unchanged in the face of all changes.

　Being adaptable is great, but wouldn't it be even more interesting to create dishes that far exceed the limits of your opponent's ability to replicate, based on your solid skills?

　In a sense, it is a manifestation of strength.

　"Aren't we going to make any changes?"

　On the other side, Mimasaka Subaru kept a close eye on Shinoto Hisako. After noticing that the other party had not changed at all and that her expression was not flustered, he fell into deep thought.

　"Fine, let me show you how big the gap is between us. Why should incompetent people like you be able to gain Teacher Bai Yuan's favor?!"

　After a moment's thought, Mimasaka Subaru understood Hisako Shinoto's idea and immediately laughed in anger.

　If Teacher Baiyuan used this method to deal with him, he wouldn't say anything, because his level was indeed much lower than Teacher Baiyuan's.

　But Hisako Shinoto, he imitates everything she has done since entering school, including being taught by Hakubuchi and having her cooking improved by Erina Nakiri.

　It could be said that he knew everything about Hisako Shinto, who was just an ordinary first-class chef.

　At this moment, he is Hisako Shinto, Hisako Shinto is him, and when combined with Subaru Mimasaka's culinary experience, the result is the true face of the improved and innovative dish!

　Right now, this guy dares to look down on him like this, daring to challenge the combination of Hisako Aragaki and Subaru Mimasaka with only Hisako Aragaki's strength.

　How could this not make him furious!

　Time passed slowly, and soon the steamed chicken in the steamer was ready. The fresh aroma of lotus leaves and steamed chicken wafted around, making both the judges and the audience swallow hard.

　"Herbal Steamed Chicken - Advanced Version, please enjoy."

　The steamers containing the medicinal steamed chicken were placed one by one in front of the judges, and Mimasaka Subaru gestured to them in a rather gentlemanly manner.