Who gave this heretical practitioner permission to cook?

Chapter 34: The Choice Delivered by Bodily Instinct – The Taste Hunt Begins!
"It smells so good. When I was backstage, I could smell the aroma even through the cracks in the ceiling."

As dish after dish was placed in front of the judges, Xie Tingfeng, sitting in the front row, exclaimed in admiration.

Hearing Xie Tingfeng's words, Zheng Yongqi and Zhang Yong nodded in agreement. As it was approaching lunchtime, the judges were all hungry and their mouths watered at the aroma. They couldn't wait to go out and check on the situation.

But the competition wasn't over, so naturally there was no food. They just endured it until now. When Nicholas Tse sat back down, he could hear several judges' stomachs growling.

That's normal, because according to the competition rules, the judges today have to eat at least six dishes, with the intervals between dishes being about two and a half hours.

So it's understandable that some people only eat a little bit in the morning to try out the food.

At that moment, after the dishes were served, he immediately began searching for the aroma that had captivated him.

"Is this fried pork cutlet on the left, served with three sauces? Smells... Hmm, it smells pretty good, but it shouldn't taste like this."

"Oh, this on the right is 'Beef Tartar,' but it must have been modified a bit. Hmm, it doesn't smell like this."

Looking at the two dishes on the table, Nicholas Tse was momentarily confused.
"This isn't it, and this isn't it either. Could it be that the aroma we smelled wasn't served?"

Just then, his gaze fell on the soup in the small bowl in front of him. As he wondered if this was the soup he was looking for, the loudspeaker started playing again.

"Alright, now all 100 dishes are laid out in front of you judges. What you need to do now is to choose any dish according to your own preferences and habits and start the tasting."

"After you have finished tasting both dishes, you can press the two buttons on the right side of the table. These represent the two dishes on your left and right sides respectively."

"Alright, those are the rules. Everyone can start enjoying yourselves now!"

As the host finished speaking, many people, like Nicholas Tse, took the bowl of soup from the left corner.

It's important to understand that the aroma affected more than just Nicholas Tse. When the judges couldn't find the source of the aroma in the two dishes, they would naturally focus on the remaining items.

At this moment, almost half of the judges picked up their soup bowls. With a gentle wave of their hands, the thin layer of lard was spread out, and the aroma exploded like a bomb in the judges' noses. In an instant, a look of pleasure appeared on the faces of these judges.

"This is it!"

Nicholas Tse nodded repeatedly at the small bowl in front of him; the aroma was indescribable to him.

If he had to put it into words, the bowl of soup in front of him was like a magic potion, constantly stimulating his nerves on a physiological level and making his body urge on its most primal desires.

Drink it

If this weren't a live-streamed variety show, he might have subconsciously wondered if something else had been added to the soup.

Zheng Yongqi and Zhang Yong, who were standing nearby, shared the same idea. As chefs and restaurant founders, their craving for this aroma far exceeded that of ordinary people.

It's important to know that whether a dish will leave an impression on diners is often determined from the moment it's served.

Aroma and presentation can both influence a diner's judgment of food.

However, the above situation mostly occurs in Western restaurants, because for temperature considerations, Western restaurants often cover the food to ensure temperature control.

That means the aroma and presentation of the food appear to the diners almost simultaneously.

However, Chinese cuisine does not follow this rule. While also controlling temperature, Chinese chefs prefer to calculate the serving time within the entire course of the dish, using this method to ensure the final temperature and taste of the food.

Because food is transported uncovered, its aroma is often perceived by diners before the food itself. A good Chinese dish can even stimulate a diner's taste buds solely through its aroma, before the food has even been seen.

This is why many small restaurants place their kitchens at the front of the table. The aromas produced by the food are the best advertisement, constantly stimulating the taste buds of passersby and helping them make choices, guiding them into the restaurant.

Therefore, aroma is an indispensable part of Chinese cuisine.

That's why everyone raised their soup bowls without prior arrangement.

At this moment, Zheng Yongqi, who was standing to the side, narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Wow, this is so nice! I can't resist, I need to take a sip."

As he spoke, he put the "Five-Road Mixed Soup" to his lips and took a small sip. As the soup entered his mouth, the first thing he tasted was a faint pepper flavor.

Then came a rich, fatty aroma that awakened him from the depths of his soul, followed by a pleasant, complex taste. A slight sourness with a barely perceptible sweet aftertaste flowed through his mouth, warming his taste buds.

He was starving, and the drink made him feel hungry. In an instant, his mind was hijacked by an instinct called "hunger".

Even more deeply affected than Zheng Yongqi and Zhang Yong was Xie Tingfeng in the middle.

Compared to the two chefs and founders, he has an additional identity: a celebrity. As a public figure, maintaining a certain physique and style is essential. Therefore, he differs from the later judges in that...
His daily meals are specially designed by a nutritionist, with strict control over the amount of carbohydrates.

After Xia Ming's soup awakened his hunger, his eyes widened when he saw the golden, crispy fried pork chop, still steaming.

Without much hesitation, he picked it up with his chopsticks.

Upon first tasting it, he didn't dip it in any sauce and ate it plain. His first reaction was that it was tender. Thanks to the talent of the banquet graduate student, the quality of the fried pork chop was well preserved inside and out. The crispy outer layer brought a flaky texture, while the juice inside highlighted the freshness of the meat.

In particular, the meat is infused with the harmonious flavors of spices, which further enhance its natural taste.

Nicholas Tse finished a two-finger-wide fried pork chop in just two bites, and then paired it with a sip of mixed offal soup. He felt that carbohydrates were the most delicious thing in the world at that moment.

After enjoying it for a while, he tried three different sauces with the fried pork cutlet.

The "black sauce" is on the sweeter side, perfectly matching the taste of the central coastal region of China.

The "yellow sauce" is on the salty side, which suits the salty and sour taste of northern China, as well as the sweet and spicy flavor.

The "red sauce" has a complex spiciness, which suits the taste of Sichuan, Chongqing and surrounding areas. People in areas that prefer dry and spicy flavors should also be satisfied with this sauce.

Although Nicholas Tse is from Hong Kong, he has a strong palate and loves spicy food. The red sauce perfectly suited his taste, and with the fried pork chop, he finished off the small amount of sauce in no time.

After he had eaten and drunk his fill, Nicholas Tse realized how big a pork chop he had just eaten.

"As a judge, I need to evaluate the contestants' dishes as a whole, including things like carbohydrate control. Special cases should be treated specially!"

His idea basically represented the opinion of all the judges. Even if some people didn't pick up the soup at the beginning, they quickly joined in after smelling the aroma coming from their neighbors.

Apart from a few judges who were clearly raw food enthusiasts, everyone else unanimously chose to start with the fried pork cutlet.

Inside the competition venue, Xia Ming saw the judges eating and drinking and revealed a subtle smile.

This taste-based hunt targeting Chen Xiaodong's team is now unfolding perfectly in the direction he envisioned.
(End of this chapter)