Reborn in Japan as a Chef God
Chapter 461 - 460: The Miraculous Rice-Washing Water

Chapter 461: Chapter 460: The Miraculous Rice-Washing Water

"The extra ingredient, a stroke of genius!"

At this moment, those tasting the revised version of the seafood chowder, a saying popped into their heads.

"Squid!"

Sekiya Takashi nervously muttered to himself, his forehead veins throbbing.

"Why!"

He held his head, in disbelief. "When I was creating the ideal recipe, I also tried adding many seafood ingredients. Squid, cuttlefish, even octopus, but why did all my additions end in failure? The extra ingredients not only failed to enhance the umami of the soup, but also introduced off-flavors, disrupting the harmony of ’Flagfish Fins’ and ’Imperial Kelp’..."

Dojima Yin and Tiqie Zongwei had now opened their eyes, looking sympathetically at the crazed Sekiya Takashi.

Thinking of their own ideal recipes being so boldly and drastically altered, and moreover, that these alterations were true improvements...

At this thought, the giants all broke out in cold sweats down their spines.

It was like questioning their own lives!

"The secret lies in the many small adjustments made."

Xia Yu said.

He held a clean squid tentacle in his mouth, plucked it with his hand, chewed on it, and waited until the giants and the staff on site had all turned to look at him before he continued, grinning:

"The fish fins, when seared, may lose some of their umami, but the aroma is enhanced, not just a little, and I’m sure you all tasted that aroma in the chowder, didn’t you?"

The group nodded.

The main ingredient, once seared and then stewed, indeed gave the chowder a rich, lingering aroma, which simply marinated fish fins could not provide.

"In my view, a dish embodies simple arithmetic of addition and subtraction," Xia Yu chuckled lightly, meeting Sekiya Takashi’s stiff gaze. "Hey, hey, don’t look at me like that, I’m serious!"

"Seared fish fins represent subtraction. I cut away some of the freshest taste of an ideal fish fin, and then there was room for addition. So I filled it in with squid."

Undoubtedly, the original fish fins were the most delicious.

Unfortunately.

The ultimate flavors of Fantasy Ingredients too overpowering, Xia Yu actually viewed a pot of chowder through a "Spice Inequality" framework.

Freshness has its limits, as the saying goes, "too much water will overflow."

Simply put, it’s like filling in ingredients within a fixed circle.

The Flagfish fins took up the major part, Imperial Kelp occupied another third, so the space left for other ordinary seafood ingredients to shine was less than a third.

As Xia Yu explained this, the giants felt like doors in their minds were flung wide open.

"Ah!"

Dojima Yin slapped his forehead, laughing at his own foolishness and slowness.

"This is reverse thinking!" he said, "We are used to maximizing the flavor of Fantasy Ingredients but never thought that besides mastering and constraining their flavors, we should also apply simple math calculations, to add or to subtract!"

Sekiya Takashi stepped back, his face turning pale.

"Subtraction, subtraction?"

"And the kelp?" he trembled, staring at Xia Yu, "Why has the Imperial Kelp become so crisp, so refreshing and tasty?"

Hearing this, Xia Yu smiled.

"I actually really like a cold dish, ’Spicy and Sour Kelp Strips.’"

He continued with a smile: "In that dish, the kelp strips are crisp and tasty. The key is to steam the kelp with water separation and to soak it in rice-washing water."

"Mr. Sekiya certainly doesn’t know that rice-washing water is really quite magical. It can be used to wash dishes, remove the fishy smell from cutting boards, and if you soak iron kitchen utensils like knives, spatulas, and ladles in concentrated rice-washing water, it can prevent rust..."

He paused.

Xia Yu said: "And it’s not just kelp. Dried bamboo shoots, dried fish, and many others, are much easier to rehydrate and clean if soaked in rice-washing water, and then they become easy to cook thoroughly!"

He emphasized the words "cook thoroughly."

Sekiya Takashi’s face reddened, and he clenched his fists.

The titans all cast their inexplicable glances at Sekiya Takashi.

"So that’s it!"

Tiqie Eriina’s eyes lit up as she listened, "I was wondering why the two types of kelp tasted so different in texture and flavor after being simmered, turns out there was a serious issue with Mr. Sekiya’s handling of ’Mitari Kelp’. Could it be that the kelp wasn’t fully soaked before being added to the soup for boiling?"

Xia Yu decided not to get into further detail, as doing so would involve delving into the secrets of the "Spice Inequality."

"Anything else?"

Sekiya Takashi clenched his teeth.

"Ah, that’s it."

"That’s it?"

Sekiya Takashi’s eyes blazed, "Earlier you pointed out at least ten flaws, and now you’ve only mentioned two!"

"The rest aren’t important, these two areas have major issues!"

Xia Yu waved his hand dismissively, his gaze shifting to Keiru Kuushou, who had been stunned. As the organizer of this private food duel, he quickly regained his composure.

"General!"

Keiru Kuushou looked toward Tiqie Xianzuowen, and upon seeing a slight nod, raised his voice to announce, "The victor of the food duel is Instructor Xia Xia Yu!"

Kikuchi Musashi opened his mouth but then noticed the cameras set up not far away, his face turning an ashen hue.

An arrow once shot cannot be recalled.

He had lost, suffered an undeniable defeat!

Kasuga Shigeru looked very displeased, while the other titans fell silent, lost in the shock of Xia Yu’s critique of Sekiya Takashi’s ’Life Menu’. As footsteps echoed away, they watched the young Instructor’s silhouette walking towards the gate against the evening glow, their eyes filled with an indescribable admiration.

Was it just a fluke?

It certainly did not seem so.

It seemed they, too, could "learn" from the young Instructor and see if their ideal recipes and life menus were truly perfect.

Even one or two titans looked at the silent Sekiya Takashi with envy in their eyes.

Sekiya had lost, but he hadn’t been utterly crushed. At least he had gained something from his defeat.

Tiqie Xianzuowen nodded at Keiru Kuushou.

So, the head of Far Moon Food Duel Administration took out a transfer document and said to the surrounding titans, "Due to the special nature of this food duel, everyone needs to sign, please oblige!"

Kasuga Shigeru and Kikuchi Musashi reluctantly signed the document last.

Snap!

Finally, with the General’s seal stamped, the document became effective.

...

In the parking lot, Xia Yu waved goodbye to the Yuchuan Sisters, who had brought him ingredients; their efforts were greatly appreciated.

"Wait, wait a minute!"

Xia Yu turned and started walking towards the ’Lunar Pavilion’, but Tiqie Eriina came running up from behind, panting, her cheeks flushed with the scent of sweet sweat, her breath captivating.

"Don’t you want your spoils?"

Giving him a roll of her eyes, Eriina handed him an envelope.

"Deed, transfer contract, it’s all in here, the board unanimously signed."

"From now on, that farm is severed from Far Moon, are you satisfied, Instructor Xia?" Eriina said sullenly, "You’ve won, and we Tiqie Family have borne the loss."

Indeed, no matter how you put it, the Tiqie Family held firm control over the majority of Far Moon’s shares.

In a certain sense, the land was more than half owned by the Tiqie Family.

"Huff—"

Holding the thick envelope in his hands, Xia Yu breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "Next time, it won’t be as easy to fool those titans. If we face off with our ’finishing move’ dishes for a decisive victory, what are my chances of winning?"