56 Unknown Cuisine
Note: I've changed Rindo from the last chapter to Sonoka. Sorry for the confusion.
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People!
When faced with the unknown,
They often feel fear, but also curiosity.
The essence of molecular cuisine is similar to conducting various chemical experiments in a laboratory; the raw materials used are no longer food, but a pile of chemicals! Then, through blending, processing, refining, separation, fusion, and other methods,
One can produce fish roe with a peach flavor, pearls with a wine flavor, soft and fluffy stones, chocolate-flavored screws, and eggs made with mango...
The appearance of these things often causes quite a sensation, even subverting people's understanding of the culinary world!
"In the end,"
"In the process of developing molecular cuisine, I deliberately pursue innovation."
"I often think that by using all theoretical knowledge and various advanced technical instruments, I can create many unique dishes in the world."
"In doing so, I can arouse people's curiosity and amazement about the unknown things!"
"However, the application of various technologies and knowledge in molecular cuisine is at most just a means."
"Alas!"
"I am such a fool."
"These years, I have actually overlooked the two most important things in cooking, which are taste and texture!"
Alice Nagiri, who had come to realize this, sighed deeply.
It cannot be denied that she has achieved amazing results in the field of molecular cuisine. But it is precisely because she has focused too much on the uniqueness of molecular cuisine that her own vision has begun to narrow, and it has become difficult to integrate her thoughts with traditional cooking methods.
From the fact that she was easily able to defeat Ryo Kurokiba, a trusted associate, in her childhood, but as she grew older, he surpassed her, it can be seen that her skills have stagnated in recent years.
In short,
She has encountered a bottleneck and has been unable to break through it.
Looking at the seemingly enlightened Alice,
Erina Nakiri's thoughts became somewhat complicated.
Thinking back, when she first came to the tavern, she was also captivated by Zane's three Western fast foods!
She also understood in her heart that as long as the ordinary ingredients were prepared well, they could also captivate the divine palate.
Clearly,
Zane has a kind of magic that can awaken every customer who is in confusion!
Perhaps it is for this reason that everyone admires him in their hearts, and even has a good feeling towards him.
"Any cuisine,"
"Emphasizes practicality."
"Alice, although your molecular cuisine is fancy, if it cannot satisfy the customers in terms of taste, what's the use?"
"In the end, it will only be a castle in the air, with the danger of collapsing at any time."
"Why do I never consider you as a rival? While the reason is the divine palate, the main thing is that your cooking, apart from being ornate and beautiful, has no real substance!"
Erina couldn't help but interject.
In her eyes, this so-called molecular cuisine is nothing more than a trick to deceive people!
Furthermore, the process of making it is much more cumbersome than many traditional dishes, and it even requires the use of some instruments and excessive attention to various factors such as duration, timing, temperature, and so on!
This kind of handing over the cooking work to machines and not doing anything oneself is simply a great insult to the professional ethics of chefs.
Therefore, she has always been very contemptuous of molecular cuisine.
"Erina,"
"What do you mean?"
When Erina evaluated her molecular cuisine in such a way, Alice was stunned on the spot!
Thinking of herself in the past, she had made a dessert cake for her to taste with great difficulty.
The result was that she behaved exactly like she does now, very disdainful, with the same attitude.
"Indeed,"
"You haven't changed at all."
"You always have to display a lofty queen-like appearance in front of others and despise various kinds of cuisine."
"Have you ever considered whether the noble cuisine you uphold can gain the tavernlic's recognition and affection?"
Finally, feeling quite unhappy, Alice turned her head away, speaking in a cold tone.
"I don't want to argue with you."
"Anyway, one day in the future, you and I will definitely have a Food War, and then we will decide the winner!"
Erina's gaze sharpened, and she said calmly.
"Don't worry, I will defeat you then."
Alice also didn't want to show weakness at this moment.
The two of them,
Although they both come from the noble Nakiri family,
But because of their different experiences, their personalities and the cooking philosophies they adhere to are also completely different.
Regarding cooking, due to the divine palate, Erina has always focused on taste and texture, especially emphasizing the characteristics and practicality of each ingredient.
Therefore, she looks down on low-grade commoner cuisine!
Alice, on the other hand, is different.
In fact, she is very inclusive and does not look down on any kind of cuisine.
Due to her background and the influence of molecular cuisine, she has no understanding of commoner knowledge and traditional cooking.
During the autumn selection match against Souma, she showed a face full of doubt upon hearing that a seaweed bento could be impressive. This clearly demonstrated her lack of knowledge and awareness.
It is precisely because of this shortcoming that her molecular cuisine always impresses when presented but fails to surpass others.
Yes!
That's right!
Erina truly looks down upon commoner cuisine.
But that doesn't mean she is completely ignorant of it.
On the contrary, in the entire Totsuki Academy, she probably knows more about commoner cuisine than anyone else.
Thus, it's likely that their perceptions are fundamentally different, so no matter how hard Alice tries, she is destined never to catch up to Erina!
A bottle of peach wine.
Although not very strong, its fragrant and sweet taste can travel far and wide.
At this moment, Sonoka, who hadn't left yet, couldn't resist smelling the aroma of the wine, then took a gentle sip in a moment of enchantment.
As she sipped, the light aroma of the wine instantly spread across her tongue and through her nostrils.
It felt like smelling peach blossoms with a touch less intensity and a little more elegance.
Perhaps the combination of the wine's aroma and peach blossoms made people feel refreshed and content, causing Sonoka to exhale a sigh of satisfaction.
Afterward, she opened her eyes and looked perplexed at the two Nakiri family young ladies beside her.
She found it difficult to understand why their relationship seemed troubled.
However, as a bystander, there wasn't much she could do to mediate, so she simply acted like a casual onlooker.
Following that, she engaged in conversation with Zane, saying, "Owner, you might be better off not running a tavern. With your wine making skills, you could definitely make a fortune by opening a winery!"
