Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 220 - 219: Ice and Fire

Chapter 220: Chapter 219: Ice and Fire

Cold!

This was the initial information Xia Yu received as he took a deep breath of the cooking’s aroma, feeling a faint chill in his lungs.

Without a doubt, it was the "Jet Black Rice" grown in cold regions that created such a refreshing taste.

His heart shuddered fiercely.

Then came the bursting heat!

The seafood rice, just taken out of the oven, steamed intensely.

The originally red sauce had nearly dried out, completely adhering to the jet-black rice grains, indistinguishable from each other.

Scallops, shrimp, squid strips, anago chunks.

These seafood ingredients, like gold and silver mines on a parched red land, were treasures in themselves, quietly waiting to be discovered and mined by the taster.

"Bang!"

The sound of the door closing startled Xia Yu, who was lost in the irresistible flavors.

Turning around, he saw that Liangzi Lina had closed the door and left, clearly intending to avoid any suspicion.

Dojima Yin watched her leave, then turned back with a faint smile and said, "Give it a try—"

He handed a clean spoon to Xia Yu.

Without hesitation, Xia Yu took the spoon, scooped up a full spoon of the black and red mixed seafood rice from the plate, and swallowed it down without caring about the heat.

Boom!

Deliberately avoiding seafood ingredients like scallops and shrimp, he only scooped up the rice.

But the moment it entered his mouth, it felt as if he was standing on the crater of an erupting volcano, a scalding lava capable of corroding him completely burst forth from beneath his feet, just at that moment, icy winds from the Arctic Ocean howled around him!

The lava devoured everything below his waist, while his upper body was entangled by piercing cold winds.

A clash of ice and fire!

"Is this the ultimate secret of ’Valencia Baaiya’?"

Xia Yu felt a tremor in his spirit.

The Jet Black Rice itself carried an extreme coldness, which was the flavor of a Special Grade Ingredient.

And Dojima Yin’s cooking didn’t weaken this flavor but instead perfectly integrated it into one dish.

Speaking of "fire," one must mention the final baking step.

Now Xia Yu understood the meaning of baking, a process intending to draw out the excess moisture from the dish, allowing the Jet Black Rice to stop cooking at eighty percent doneness, creating a crispy and aromatic texture when chewed.

He scooped up another spoonful of seafood rice, this time deliberately choosing a seafood ingredient to taste.

As his teeth bit down,

The shelled, meat-only scallop squirted a juice full of umami, filling his mouth and complementing the refreshing taste of the Jet Black Rice.

"Absolutely exhilarating!" Xia Yu gasped in shock.

The scalding sensation of eating it hot made him feel as if the scallop were dancing on his tongue.

A sudden shiver ran through him, a chill air surged up from his throat. The door to the ultimate subtly opened at that moment.

But Xia Yu couldn’t care less about anything ultimate; he kept his head down and ate, finishing a whole plate of seafood rice in mere minutes.

"How was it?"

Seeing him silently wipe his mouth with a napkin, Dojima Yin asked with a hearty laugh.

"Ice and fire, then... the umami!" Xia Yu revealed a hint of excitement in his eyes, "This recipe suits me perfectly!"

Upon hearing this,

Dojima Yin laughed and said, "Exactly! I specifically picked a recipe that would suit you, and it seems you are very satisfied!"

"More than satisfied!"

Xia Yu’s mind burst with inspiration.

As for flaws in the recipe, it relied too heavily on heat to build flavor. If it were up to him, he could capture the essence of fire, the soul of it, and elevate the dish to a whole new level!

Glancing at the closed kitchen door, Dojima Yin continued, "You probably thought of this too, ’Artichokes’ and ’Black Rice’ are a golden combination... but don’t overlook the role of ’Saffron.’ Although it’s a costly spice and only a small amount is used, it nicely softens the overly rich sweetness of the ’Black Rice.’"

"As for the spice structure, the broth is just the beginning. Adding ’Spanish Paprika’ during the stewing process is the secret to creating a diverse flavor!"

"You know about ’Spanish Paprika,’ right?" he asked, his tone implying scrutiny.

"Of course!"

Without hesitation, Xia Yu responded, "It has a rich texture with a slight smoky taste, it’s not spicy, and importantly... it has strong coloring power!"

"Right, the coloring power!"

Hitting the nail on the head, Dojima Yin applauded in admiration, "The black and red appearance of this seafood rice is meticulously refined, where the ’red’ is rendered by both ’Spanish Paprika’ and ’Saffron.’ Both spices are indispensable!"

"The principle is similar to your ’Flame Dragon Roll Fish Fin Sausage,’ using spices for coloring!"

Since it was a teaching moment, Xia Yu was not shy with his doubts and consulted Dojima Yin on the spot, who, free from official duties, sat down and explained everything in great detail.

Outside the kitchen.

Liangzi Lina leaned against the wall in the hallway, resting her eyes.

At that moment, irregular footsteps approached from the other end of the hallway.

"Main General Liangzi!"

A few members of the Polar Star Dormitory greeted nervously.

Opening her eyes and scanning Tanaka Hikari, Shen Liangzi, Sen Tian Makoto, Yoshino Yuuki, Xingping Chuangzhen, and a few other boys trailing behind, Liangzi Lina’s eyes flickered with curiosity, "The dinner is over, aren’t you going back to your rooms to rest?"

The bold Yoshino Yuuki glanced at the kitchen door and said, "We came to see Instructor Xia!"

"To see him?"

"Right!" Yoshino Yuuki exclaimed in irritation, "At the dinner, wasn’t the supply of Divine Dragon Dumplings too limited? We got only one each, we specifically came to protest!"

Protest?

Liangzi Lina chuckled, watching the indignantly ponytailed girl. "Shouldn’t you rather call it begging?"

The direct remark made Yoshino Yuuki, the few girls behind her, and Xingping Chuangzhen who had followed, all look embarrassed.

"There are some more ’Ascending Dragon Dumplings’ in the hotel kitchen, I’ll take you there." Liangzi Lina glanced again at the unopened kitchen door. In a good mood tonight, she decided to take a group of students with her.

Moments later.

Xia Yu and Dojima Yin emerged from the kitchen one after the other.

"Go forth and spread your inspiration!" Patting Xia Yu’s shoulder, Dojima Yin’s mouth curved into an expectant smile, "I’ve already given you the recipe, feel free to alter it, but if it results in a creation, you must notify me, the originator, immediately!"

Watching Dojima Yin leave, Xia Yu didn’t rush off, instead, he stood in the empty corridor, resting his chin in thought, repeatedly recalling the details of Dojima Yin’s cooking.

"System: New recipe found. Would you like to record it?"

"Record it!"

"ding!"

"’Valencia Baaiya’: A purple recipe incorporating the Fantasy Ingredient ’Black Rice.’ The host can try utilizing ’Bursting Flame’ and ’Spice Equation’ culinary techniques to elevate the recipe."

"Current recipe’s potential—Special Grade One Star."

Sorting through the recipe data in his mind, Xia Yu nodded thoughtfully feeling energized.

It looked like returning to Tokyo would mean secluded-like practice again.

According to Dojima Yin, ’Black Rice’ wasn’t hard to acquire. Xia Yu was planning on how to unlock this Fantasy Ingredient through the system when the task bar refreshed.

"System: New mission!"

"[Ascension of a Special Grade Recipe]."

"Hint: Try improving a Special Grade Recipe that matches well with your ’Valencia Baaiya.’ Start by ascending it to ’Special Grade Two Stars’ level!"

"Reward: ’Black Rice’ unlocked and permanently free."