Shokugeki: Start with an izakaya, making everyone cry

time.

Slightly, back a little bit.

After Caiba Chaoyang left the three-star dessert shop, at that moment, a sense of failure that she had never felt before suddenly pressed on Erina's heart like a heavy boulder.

Her eyes gradually lost their former luster, as if shrouded by an invisible haze, and the light gradually dimmed.

Simultaneously.

That soft but tough body.

This strong body that had supported her through countless challenges and struggles now seemed to have been suddenly drained of all its strength and collapsed without support.

Slowly.

Almost, he fell backwards powerlessly.

Then, Erina collapsed to the ground in front of everyone's stunned eyes.

At this moment, the ground felt extremely cold, piercing her skin through her clothes, but it was not as cold as the biting chill in her heart.

The sounds around me began to become blurry.

The noise of the crowd, the smell of food, everything was moving away from her, leaving only her own rapid and heavy breathing echoing in her ears.

……

"Hui...Miss, are you okay?"

Seeing this, Hisako became anxious and quickly came over to help Erina up.

"fine!"

"I'm just a little tired."

Erina spread her hands helplessly.

She raised her palms upwards, as if seeking a little comfort from the world, but she knew deeply that she was helpless and no one could solve her problem.

Like Si Yingshi, Kobayashi Ryodou, Dojima Gin, Shinomiya Kojiro and others, she underestimated the strength of the late-night cook. Although she was defeated without a fight, she was somewhat unwilling to accept it, but she was more afraid of the uncertainty of the future!

however.

next moment.

She became determined.

She knew that she was in a mess now, but that didn't mean it would be like that forever.

"It seems that it is difficult for us to compete with the late-night cooks with our strength alone. The only one who has hope, no, the only one who can defeat all the late-night cooks is Zhang Fan!"

Finally, Erina just said this lightly.

……

night.

Step into this cozy izakaya.

It’s like traveling through a bustling city and arriving in a small world full of stories and warmth.

The air is filled with layered aromas, interweaving into an intoxicating symphony for the senses.

First of all, there is the irresistible aroma of sake, which gently lingers on the tip of the nose, bringing a hint of tipsy temptation. Sake is as clear and transparent as spring water, and its aroma is elegant and long-lasting, as if it can wash away the dust of the soul!

Plum wine, on the other hand, has the sweetness of fruit and the mellowness of wine.

The perfect blend of the two exudes a pleasant fragrance that makes people want to take a sip and feel the unique charm.

Followed by.

The aroma of food also rushed into the nose.

Each of them is unique, yet they coexist harmoniously, constituting a feast for the taste buds.

The aroma of grilled fish, with the slightly smoky flavor of charcoal and the deliciousness of the fish, allows people to see the tender and juicy fish meat under the golden and crispy skin, waiting to be savored.

The fresh sashimi on sushi exudes the freshness of the ocean and the sweetness of fish. Every bite is a tribute to the sea.

In addition, there are hot snacks such as:

The fried golden chicken nuggets have a crispy skin on the outside and juicy inside, overflowing with fragrance.

Or that bowl of hot ramen, the soup is rich but not greasy, the noodles are chewy and elastic, paired with fresh barbecued pork and green chopped green onions, every bite is full of happiness!

Although it has undergone two or three upgrades and renovations, the area of ​​this izakaya is still not very large.

however.

The aroma of wine and food are always intertwined, creating an indescribable warmth and comfort.

People sit together, drink from their glasses, chat and laugh, enjoying this rare relaxation and freedom. Here, time passes very slowly, making people forget the busyness and fatigue of the day and just want to immerse themselves in this beauty.

At the same time, it also makes people forget the fear brought by late-night cooking these days!

……

At this moment.

The former commander-in-chief, when talking about Senzaemon, was drinking beer alone in silence.

A cup of golden beer with fine foam was gently placed in front of him.

The delicate foam is as light as clouds, slowly dissipating in the air, leaving behind delicate lines. When you open the bottle cap, a fresh malt aroma hits your nose, like a summer afternoon breeze, carrying the fragrance of the fields.

As soon as I took the first sip of beer, the cold liquid instantly activated every taste bud.

The sweetness of malt and the light bitterness are intertwined, just like the ups and downs of life, leaving people with endless aftertaste.

"call!"

"What a pleasure."

Senzaemon sighed, reeking of alcohol.

After that, he set his sights on Zhang Fan and said with a smile: "Zhang Fan, why don't you go to Totsuki Academy to comfort my granddaughter Erina?"

"I heard that she was defeated without a fight by the leader of the late-night cooks, and her mentality was close to collapse. After returning to Totsuki, she locked herself in her bedroom and was sad all by herself!"

"Ugh!"

"She is the commander-in-chief of Totsuki."

"But after all, she is just a little girl of 16 or 17 years old."

……

"hehe."

"I've competed with late-night cooks."

"They are a bunch of gamblers who put their own lives at risk. Just based on that ruthlessness, most chefs in the cooking world can hardly stand up to them."

"It's reasonable for Erina to lose to them."

Zhang Fan said calmly.

In fact, there was one thing he didn't say in front of Senzaemon.

According to the original story, Erina, who possesses the divine tongue, is definitely stronger than Saiba Chaoyang. And with his accidental time travel, Erina's life has been directly changed, causing her potential to be developed ahead of time!

So, logically speaking, just like the previous Nakiri Azusa coup, Erina should be able to solve this late-night cook incident by herself.

however.

The Butterfly Effect.

It not only affects Erina, but also affects Saiba Chaoyang.

Under the planning of Managi Nakiri, he arranged in advance for late-night cooks to invade Japan's catering industry.

As a result, he was like raising a Gu, constantly absorbing the power of a large number of elite chefs such as Saiba Shiroichiro, Dojima Gin, Shinomiya Kojiro, Tsukasa Eiji, etc., which improved his own strength to the point where even Erina couldn't beat him!

"Ah."

"I just happened to buy some bamboo fungus recently."

"How about I make you a dish of Longjing Bamboo Fungus first?"

Retracting his thoughts, Zhang Fan continued to talk to Senzaemon.

"it is good!"

"Thank you."

Senzaemon nodded in response.

……

Speaking of bamboo fungus.

In many people's minds, the first thing that comes to mind is the fresh and fragrant young shoots of bamboo.

Well, this is a very common misconception.

In fact, bamboo fungus is also known as bamboo fungus, bamboo ginseng, bamboo statue, net fungus, fairy cage, etc. It is a kind of cryptogamous fungus that parasitizes on the roots of dead bamboo and belongs to the fungi kingdom.

Its shape resembles a grid-like umbrella, with a delicate white mesh skirt at the top of the stem that spreads from the cap downwards, like a girl's gauze skirt.

Therefore, bamboo fungus also has many elegant names with poetic meaning, such as "Snow Skirt Fairy", "Mountain Treasure Flower", "Fungus Flower", "Queen of Fungi" and so on.

There are more than a dozen species of bamboo fungus in nature, but there are only four types of bamboo fungus that people can eat daily, namely:

Long skirt bamboo fungus.

Short skirt bamboo fungus.

Thorn-supported bamboo fungus.

Red-topped bamboo fungus.

They can be found in the south of China, the three northeastern provinces and Southeast Asia.

Due to its rich nutritional value and delicious taste, bamboo fungus has been listed as one of the "Eight Delicacies of Grasses" along with Hericium erinaceus and Tremella fuciformis since ancient times.

The so-called eight delicacies of grass.

It refers to the eight precious ingredients in the ancient Manchu-Han banquet in China.

The earliest knowledge of bamboo fungus should be attributed to the note novel "Youyang Zazu" by the Tang Dynasty novelist Duan Chengshi.

It states: "In the Yanxiang Garden of Emperor Jianwen of Liang, in the tenth year of Datong (544 AD), a mushroom sprouted out of the bamboo forest. It was eight inches long, with a black head like a chicken's head, and a stem like a lotus root. It was hollow inside, with a white skin and a slightly red root."

Therefore, in ancient times, bamboo fungus has always been a tribute to the court, and only royal members can eat it.

Until recent decades.

With the advancement of science and technology and the development of artificial breeding technology, large-scale production and cultivation of bamboo fungus have been achieved in more and more regions in China.

It has gradually moved from being a precious food ingredient monopolized by the rich and powerful to becoming a popular ingredient with strong commercial and market appeal.

In addition to the Longjing bamboo fungus soup in the Manchu-Han banquet and the hibiscus bamboo fungus soup in the state banquet, the processing of bamboo fungus has gradually become a homely dish. Recipes such as bamboo fungus and konjac chicken soup, bamboo fungus spare ribs, fried bamboo fungus meat rolls, and homemade gravy stewed bamboo fungus eggs have begun to be seen everywhere.

……

time flies.

Zhang Fan, who is making Longjing bamboo fungus, is taking the final step.

He took out a bottle of wine, opened the cap, and immediately a pure and subtle fragrance overflowed. The wine in the bottle was as clear and transparent as a mirror.

The air was immediately filled with the aroma of wine. With just a sniff, one felt as if one was drunk. There was no greasy sweetness, no throat-piercing alcohol, only a faint fruity aroma, a slight sourness, but also a mellow body.

He first gently opened the lid of the bowl, and the aroma of the Longjing bamboo fungus that had not yet taken shape immediately filled the entire pub.

Hard to imagine.

Such a dish is actually still an unfinished semi-finished product?

Then a stream of sake was poured into the bowl and poured over the Longjing bamboo fungus.

So much so that, in that brief moment, the person who mentioned Senzaemon's brain almost short-circuited: "Huh? This is..."

……

Actually, to be precise.

The Manchu-Han Banquet did not originate from the palace, but is the official cuisine of the Jiangnan region.

The Longjing bamboo fungus dish we just made is a soup dish in the Manchu-Han banquet.

Longjing bamboo fungus belongs to Zhejiang cuisine.

The main ingredient is bamboo fungus, the taste is fresh, the cooking process is steaming, and it is of advanced difficulty.

The main ingredients are dried bamboo fungus, and the side ingredients are fish paste, peas, soaked hair algae, cooked ham, rapeseed, bean sprouts, and egg white.

Obviously, the ingredients needed are also very ordinary, but as a stream of sake slowly flows down, an unusual Longjing bamboo fungus is born.

Remove fishy smell.

To taste.

Perfume.

Increase the tender, moist and smooth taste.

The effect of sake was immediately brought to its fullest extent at this moment.

This kind of sake in particular is clear and transparent, with a pleasant aroma, pure taste, mellow and refreshing. Its sour, sweet, bitter, astringent and spicy flavors are harmoniously balanced. The alcohol content is above 15%-17%. It contains a variety of amino acids and vitamins, and is a nutritious beverage.

"OK, my Longjing bamboo fungus is finally done."

Zhang Fan took a deep breath and said.

But when it comes to Senzaemon over there, he couldn't help but reveal a greedy expression.

"So."

"I'm not welcome."

After saying that, he couldn't wait to taste it.

Although bamboo fungus was listed as a tribute to the palace, this ingredient always has a very strange smell before it is processed, a bit like the smell of soap or detergent.

Moreover, if it is left for a long time, it will have a sour taste.

But as long as you soak it in clean water first to remove the odor remaining during processing, it will become fragrant and delicious.

……

Distinguish the quality of a dish.

Often you can tell the difference after taking the first bite.

Nakiri Senzaemon took only a small bite and stood there like a piece of wood, staring blankly at the Longjing bamboo fungus in front of him in disbelief.

In this situation, it seemed that I simply couldn't believe my taste buds. It was like a bolt from the blue. I was completely captivated by this Longjing Bamboo Fungus.

After holding it in for a long time, he finally slapped his hand on the table and praised, "Delicious!"

"It has a complete shape, a long and even skirt, a light yellow color, a fragrant smell, and a delicious taste. Bamboo fungus is a very difficult ingredient to handle. After all, this ingredient itself has a strange taste."

"But the Longjing bamboo fungus dish you made, Zhang Fan, tastes so delicious."

"What's going on?"

"Is it because of the sake? Removing fishy smells, enhancing flavors, and adding fragrance, isn't that what sake does?"

"No, I'm afraid it's not that simple."

"The minced fish slices in the bowl, this... is impossible, why... would this happen?"

……

The chef's approach often determines the characteristics of the dish.

Fish paste is made by removing the skin and bones of the fish and mincing the fish meat. Therefore, among many dishes, those made with fish paste are the most delicate in operation, complex in process and exquisite in finished product.

Although with the development of cooking technology, today antlers have been widely used in high-end banquets and general banquets.

But the incredible thing is that Zhang Fan actually broke away from the previous dull and outdated methods, and the fish paste he made became more delicate and smooth in taste, white in color, and beautiful in shape.

There is no doubt that from the selection of raw materials, knife processing, water mixing, to adding salt to tighten the texture, product shaping, cooking and plating...

Every step.

Every detail.

Zhang Fan is always able to be flawless and there is no flaw at all.

Correct!

This is the strength of Zhang Fan!