Food Wars, my food not only glows!

　One by one, staff members came forward and left, distributing the red and green Tai Chi Osmanthus Red Bean Paste to the audience. The faint sweetness wafted through the air as the staff moved around, making people squint their eyes comfortably. Soon, Bai Yuan also received a portion of the dish.

　"This looks really good. Both the red beans and mung beans are very well prepared, and a thin layer of osmanthus flowers is sprinkled on top. It looks very appetizing."

　Yoshino Yuuki praised it, then picked up a spoon, scooped some into her mouth, and the addition of taro paste made the red bean paste even more dense and delicate, melting in her mouth and bringing a smooth enjoyment.

　"Traditional red bean paste has a rather simple texture, but with the addition of taro paste, the texture becomes richer, combining the grainy feel of red bean paste with the smoothness of taro paste."

　Bai Yuan nodded and offered his evaluation.

　"Red bean paste itself has a natural sweet aroma, which is further enhanced by the addition of dried tangerine peel, making it sweet but not cloying, and with a rich fragrance."

　Erina Nakiri closed her eyes, as if she were at the edge of the world.

　Red bean paste and mung bean paste transformed into two ribbons, wrapping around her body, while taro paste became a flowing white fairy dress, decorated with osmanthus blossoms.

　This ethereal feeling made her lips curl into an involuntary smile, and she felt exceptionally happy.

　"The first taste is the sweet aroma of red bean paste, followed by the refreshing fragrance of taro paste, and finally the refreshing aftertaste of dried tangerine peel lingers in the mouth."

　The addition of brown sugar and yellow sugar cubes not only increases the sweetness but also brings a caramel-like aroma, making the overall flavor richer.

　After quickly finishing the dessert in front of her, Liu Yu opened her eyes, a look of amazement flashing in them.

　The dessert, simmered in a large pot, actually possesses such a delicate flavor. This red and green yin-yang osmanthus red bean paste is definitely of culinary excellence!

　"Oh my god, this is so delicious! Is this the level of the Young Chef Competition?!"

　"That's amazing! And this is under limited conditions. If she were to give it her all, I wonder what kind of delicious food she could make!"

　"Ah! I finished it all in one go! Can I have another bowl?! I'll pay for it!"

　At the same time, I heard excited shouts from other audience members. At first, they were very quiet, but after realizing that everyone thought so, the voices suddenly became louder, as if they had found common ground.

　"Great! Xiaohui's desserts look very popular!"

　Hearing the noise around her, Yoshino Yuuki smiled, then drank the red bean paste in her bowl in one gulp before patting her tummy with satisfaction.

　"It's a pity, I still prefer it cold to hot. This Cantonese-style modified sweet soup should be served half cold and half hot, so people can choose."

　Bai Yuan put down the still-steaming bowl, feeling a little regretful.

　People with different preferences have different needs for sweet soup. Preparing only hot soup and not cold soup is undoubtedly a sign of inexperience.

　"It'll be less than half an hour, isn't that guy going to start blowing it up yet?"

　Erina Nakiri kept her eyes fixed on Zhu Yan and noticed that after finishing with the snowflakes, Zhu Yan stood still with her eyes closed, not moving for a long time.

　"They must be making preparations for a major battle."

　Bai Yuan glanced in her direction, sensing his state, and said these words.

　"The big one is coming."

　Alice Nakiri also spoke, her expression turning serious as she sensed a current of energy.

　"call..."

　Almost instantly, Zhu Yan on the stage opened her eyes, her amber eyes gleaming with a unique light, and her body moved quickly.

　Open the refrigerator, take out the previously prepared sesame and peanut balls, and then tap them with your hand to break them into small pieces but still have some connecting threads.

　Shake the chopsticks, dip the broken sesame and peanut balls into the egg white frosting, then drop them into the oil. Thirteen balls are cooked in one batch, quickly skimmed, and then scooped out.

　One serving is placed in a small dish. Once ten servings are collected, the bell will ring once, and the staff will distribute them to the audience.

　Although it's just a simple movement, it's incredibly entertaining at high speeds, and the movements are fluid and flawless.

　The audience was completely mesmerized, staring intently until the snow-white sesame and peanuts were served to them, at which point they snapped out of their daze.

　Because Bai Yuan and his group were positioned near the front, they also received a portion of snow-white sesame and peanuts.

　Looking at the dish, which remained wrinkle-free even after more than ten minutes, he nodded almost imperceptibly in approval. Then, he picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of the snow-white sesame peanuts, and put it in his mouth.

　Chapter 240 Tadokoro Megumi is actually a genius

　"As expected of a famous dish from Northeast China, the snow floss is made from whipped egg whites. After being deep-fried, the outer layer is crispy and light, melting in your mouth with a light egg aroma and a hint of sweetness."

　Furthermore, because flour and potato starch are added to the meringue, the snowflakes have a more delicate texture and a certain degree of elasticity.

　Erina Nakiri covered the edge of her cheek with her hand, her expression one of pure bliss. The moment she ate the food, she felt as if she were floating on a cloud, her whole body light and airy. This gentle feeling was wonderful!

　With a strange look in his eyes, he looked at the snow-covered sesame and peanut filling in front of him. After the snow-covered filling broke open, the sesame and peanut filling had a distinct grainy texture, and the aroma of nuts was slowly released in his mouth.

　"This snow-white sesame peanut dish is excellent in every aspect, and the snow-white part is particularly well-baked."

　but

　In terms of taste, I still think the red bean paste version is more delicious, because both the snowflake filling and the red bean paste are soft, and the combination of the two creates a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts.

　Although the sesame peanuts taste good, they are crispy and chewy.

　However, in terms of texture and flavor consistency, Bai Yuan still prefers red bean paste, because both are soft and taste better when paired together.

　Unlike the sesame and peanut filling, although Zhu Yan crushed the filling before wrapping it, the maltose used in the filling made it hard after freezing, so the texture doesn't taste very harmonious now.

　If he were the chef who made this dish, under the same conditions, he would cook the peanuts in milk, then crush them into a paste through a high-mesh sieve, and then add milk and glutinous rice flour to make them into soft peanut balls.

　This method preserves the soft texture of the red bean paste while also innovating and improving the dish by using peanuts.

　"Indeed, the red bean paste version is better. This one is too hard inside. It's okay to eat one or two, but if you eat too many, it will probably be very greasy."

　Beside her, Hojo Miyoko nodded in agreement. The reason a classic is called a classic is naturally because of its unsurpassable nature.

　Even though this dish has reached the level of a top-grade delicacy, it still cannot surpass the traditional snow-white red bean paste; they are fundamentally very different.

　"However, one thing is certain: although the texture of this snow-white sesame peanut is not as good, in terms of taste, it is much better than Xiaohui's."

　While some people may dislike nuts and therefore dislike sesame and peanut fillings, personal preference might lead them to choose Xiaohui's Red and Green Tai Chi Osmanthus Red Bean Paste, but based on biological instinct, most people would probably choose this Snowy Sesame and Peanut filling.

　Xiaohui, you're in danger now.

　Looking at the two people on the field, Bai Yuan spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, but it made the people around him tense up and look at Tadokoro Megumi with concern.

　Without him saying anything, everyone present could tell which dish was better and which was worse simply by tasting them, since the difference between the two was quite obvious.

　From the cooking time to the level of refinement of the dishes, Zhu Yan is superior in every aspect.

　The only oversight was that she used maltose to season the sesame and peanut filling, which made the filling too hard overall. Although she discovered this later and patted it with her hand to break the surface structure before coating it with cotton floss, it was too late to fix the problem.

　If she uses peanut milk as the filling and creates a soft peanut filling, then the dish will be perfect, and there will be no more debate about who will win.

　Why weren't we served any food?

　"Exactly! Are they not treating us like spectators?! Why do others have this but we don't?!"

　"This is outrageous! This is discrimination! I'm going to report you to the organizers!"

　Suddenly, a voice rang out not far away. Bai Yuan and the others looked over and found that most of the people speaking were the audience members in the back rows.

　There was only a bowl of red and green Tai Chi Osmanthus Red Bean Paste in front of them; the snow-white sesame and peanut filling had been completely gone before it was even served to them.

　Now they can only watch others enjoy it with envy, while they themselves are powerless to do anything but voice their protest.

　With less than five minutes left in the match, Zhu Yan stopped what she was doing and stood still, quietly waiting for the match to end.

　She didn't care about the argument in the audience. After all, she only had 600 customers. Even if the rest voted for Tadokoro Megumi, she wouldn't care. This showed that she had absolute confidence in her cooking!

　"Both contestants have finished cooking. Now, the audience will vote."

　Whichever side you support, place the spoon from the plate in front of her bowl; afterwards, a staff member will conduct a vote and tally the results.

　As the host's voice rang out, drones soared overhead, focusing their cameras on the audience and displaying their reactions on a large screen.

　"Compared to the so-called Tai Chi red bean paste, this snow-white sesame peanut paste is rarer and has a richer flavor with a noticeable difference in texture."

　Hardness isn't necessarily a bad thing; some people even like hard things. Even from a professional perspective, this kind of texture isn't considered good.

　"I also think the Snow Floss Sesame Peanuts are better, especially the outer layer of snow floss, which is beyond imagination. The taste is amazing. Even after being stored for so long, there is not a single wrinkle on the surface."

　"After all, it's a famous dish from Northeast China. I never expected to see it in Fujian. The idea of ​​combining sesame and peanuts is quite ingenious."

　"That final slap was the perfect finishing touch, perfectly softening the overly tough texture and transforming it into the just-right state it is now."

　"In that case, I'll cast my vote for..."

　The lively discussion rose up, drowning out the previous protests. Those who had tried the Xuemian sesame peanuts were full of praise for them.

　In contrast, Megumi Tadokoro's red and green yin-yang osmanthus red bean paste dish received almost no attention.

　The reason is simple: Guangdong is not far from Fujian, and the cuisine there has also deeply influenced Fujian.

　This red and green Tai Chi Osmanthus Red Bean Paste may look novel, but it's essentially just red bean paste, so it doesn't offer much novelty for people from Fuzhou.

　The result is that although people think it tastes good, they eat it so often that it naturally tastes inferior to snow cotton sesame peanuts.

　After all, it's not a revolutionary dish.

　Thus, the outcome is quite obvious.

　Watching the audience on the big screen put their spoons in...

　The child was placed on a plate of snow-white sesame and peanuts. Tadokoro Megumi clenched her fists, her lips turning pale from being bitten.

　Even though she already knew the answer, she still stared intently at the big screen. Only one in a dozen people placed a spoon in her bowl.

　After all, her cooking isn't bad.

　However, this number is far too small.

　Ten minutes later, the data statistics were completed, and the two support numbers appeared on the big screen.

　Megumi Tadokoro VS Zhu Yan

　523 votes: 546 votes

　"Congratulations to Zhu Yan for winning this match with 546 votes, a lead of 23 votes!"

　The host's voice rang out simultaneously, passionate and excited, announcing the final winner of the match.

　When Tadokoro Megumi saw the score, she lowered her head, her face filled with intense resentment, unwilling to accept being so thoroughly defeated.

　The two candidates' votes seem to be very close, but that's not actually the case. Zhu Yan only made 600 dishes, so only 54 people thought her red bean paste dessert was better.

　The actual score should be 10:1.

　The huge gap was hard for her to accept, but she didn't know what to say, so she could only remain silent.

　"We almost got turned around. Thank goodness, I should have made 650 servings."

　Looking at the numbers on the big screen, Zhu Yan wiped the sweat from her forehead, still feeling a bit shaken.

　Fortunately, there were only a little over 1000 people in the venue. If there had been 1200 people, she would probably have been in serious trouble.

　As for making other dishes? Her winning formula was snow-covered sesame peanuts, where she spent a lot of time on quality; she might not have been able to win with other dishes.

　This can also be considered a strategy.

　"However, the fact that she managed to steal more than fifty of my votes under these circumstances shows that this little girl is quite capable."

　More importantly, age...

　Although she won the match, Zhu Yan was not happy at all because her opponent looked too young, even younger than when she first appeared in the world and participated in her first formal competition.

　No one knows better than her what this means.

　"May I try your red and green Tai Chi Osmanthus Red Bean Paste?"

　Thinking of the name Tadokoro Megumi had just mentioned, Zhu Yan took two steps forward and approached her with a smile, asking for the Red and Green Tai Chi Osmanthus Red Bean Paste.

　Making sarcastic remarks before a match is meant to build momentum, but belittling someone after the match is rather inhumane. Zhu Yan would never do something so degrading; she genuinely came here to try Tadokoro Megumi's cooking.

　"Okay, I'll scoop it for you."

　Looking at the girl in front of her who had won against her and seemed completely at ease, Tadokoro Megumi felt her resentment grow stronger, but she still maintained her composure.

　"Thank you."

　Zhu Yan politely thanked Tadokoro Megumi for the red and green osmanthus red bean paste, and then took the bowl and began to enjoy it.

　The first taste is the smooth and sweet aroma of red bean paste, accompanied by the freshness of dried tangerine peel. Then, the fragrance of taro paste gradually emerges, bringing a unique fragrance and smoothness. As the red bean paste is swallowed, the citrus aroma of dried tangerine peel and the fragrance of osmanthus linger in the mouth, sweet but not cloying, leaving a lingering and unforgettable feeling.

　The simple red bean paste has been made to a superb level. If it weren't for the limitations of the raw materials, it could probably be made even more delicious. It's truly an incredible creation.

　"I have a question that might be presumptuous, and it's okay if you don't want to answer it: How old are you this year?"

　Zhu Yan looked at Tadokoro Megumi and asked her age, which was what she was most eager to know right now, as the other party was undoubtedly at the Special Grade level.

　"15, soon it will be 16."