Food Wars!: God's Tongue is no match for me.

Spanish paella is a dish with a story.

The common misconception in China that authentic Spanish paella is undercooked is completely unfounded.

In Valencia.

Whether at home or in a restaurant.

The standard for seafood rice is definitely that it should be springy, not undercooked.

In other words, it's cooked thoroughly inside and out.

The Italian risotto, though sticky and chewy, has a firm center, which is a unique feature.

To explain "half-cooked," it means that the rice still has a hard, white core, like Italian risotto.

Because electric rice cookers and earthenware pots are not commonly used in Europe, the rice cooked in them does not have fully gelatinized starch, resulting in uneven, dry, and hard rice. In China, this might be considered undercooked, but it is actually fully cooked.

all in all.

Authentic seafood rice.

It requires Spanish short-grain rice, saffron, and red paprika.

……

Saffron.

It originated in the Mediterranean region, Asia Minor, and Iran.

During the Ming Dynasty, it was transported from India to China, hence the name saffron, which has a unique fragrance.

In fact, saffron was considered equivalent to gold as a spice in many historical periods.

In recent years.

Saffron from Iran.

The price is 1,000 to 1,500 euros per kilogram, and a five-gram pack retails for about 100 to 150 yuan.

961 AD.

Saffron was introduced to Catalonia, Spain by the Moors.

It wasn't until the 15th century that it was widely cultivated in gradually independent Spain, and it was recorded as an important food ingredient during the Renaissance.

Currently.

La Mancha is a major saffron-producing province in Spain.

It is reported that the price is more than double that of the Iranian-made ones, and the quality is also significantly improved.

……

Valencia.

As the birthplace of paella, it is also one of the saffron producing areas.

However, it played a more important role in history as a saffron trading market.

It's quite interesting that the Moors were Muslims, and after they invaded the Iberian Peninsula, many of the indigenous people were forced to convert to Islam. Well, they couldn't make ham and sausages anymore.

Then the Moors introduced rice from the East to Spain via the Silk Road, along with a lightweight, slightly larger pot, which is presumably the precursor to the paella pan used for making seafood paella.

The word Paella didn't exist until around the 19th century.

The recipe for paella also originated in Valencia in the early 20th century.

so what.

The birth of Spanish paella.

This is inseparable from its history of colonization.

During the Age of Exploration, Columbus brought sugarcane to the Caribbean and chili peppers back to Spain as a substitute for black pepper.

At that time, the climate in Europe was not suitable for growing sugarcane, nor could it produce spicy spices, so sugar and pepper were extremely expensive.

Of course, chili peppers were not as important to Spain and South America as sugarcane, but later, they became an indispensable flavor in Spanish cuisine.

They love chili peppers and use them in all sorts of dishes.

Spain's famous smoked paprika is made from peppers harvested in October and November each year.

After drying, it is slowly smoked with oak or elm wood for two weeks, then ground and cleaned before being ground into a fine powder with a stone mill.

It is very popular in Europe and America because of its unique flavor and consistent output quality.

……

There are many people who already know this story.

Originally, seafood rice did not contain seafood.

In China, what we call seafood rice is called Paella in Spain, which means frying pan. The version that later became world-famous is the one with seafood.

In the early 20th century, Valencia was a cargo port with few fishing grounds, so seafood was not cheap.

As a common dish, seafood paella is unlikely to contain any seafood.

in contrast.

There are various relatively inexpensive vegetables, as well as wild rabbit meat and snails.

It's something the public likes to add.

That's right.

It's just ordinary.

It's just a mixed rice dish that can be made all over the world.

Later, the nobles continuously improved the paella, adding wine and seafood, which transformed it into a refined delicacy.

It's very similar to the story of Porter to Stout, which originated from the beer of English dockworkers, which was taken by nobles to exchange for a drink.

……

at this time.

Nakiri Managi's silver spoon hovered above the plate for the third time.

The golden grains of rice, dyed with saffron, gleamed with an oily sheen under the warm light.

This is a masterpiece prepared by a renowned Spanish chef over 72 hours:

The sauce is made with new rice delivered directly from the paddy fields of Valencia, blue lobsters caught daily from the Mediterranean, and sherry vinegar aged in the cellars of a century-old Seville winery.

The moment Anne lifted the lid of the copper pot, the entire banquet hall was filled with the aroma of rosemary and lemon leaves.

The tremor of the "tongue of God" begins with the first bite.

The moisture content of the rice is precisely controlled at 78%, a golden ratio determined by Antonio through 12 laboratory-level tests.

however.

In Managi's sense of taste.

Each grain of rice tastes as if it has been soaked in too much seawater, the salty and fishy flavor exploding on the tip of the tongue.

She seemed to see herself curled up in a medical pod in Tokyo's Minato Ward, feeling the cold touch of nutrient solution being injected into her veins through a catheter.

This physiological aversion stems from her gradual aversion to food many years ago, to the point of feeling nauseous!

……

at this time.

She closed her eyes, savoring the moment.

Thanks to the power of her divine tongue, she was able to quickly analyze all the secrets of this seafood risotto, which brought together all the exquisite ingredients.

First of all.

It has a rice grain structure.

Spanish short-grain rice, with a 0.3 mm thick layer of seafood broth gel on the surface, containing a complex of 27 amino acids.

The seafood used, including blue swamp crayfish, has an umami resonance due to the inosinic acid in blue swamp crayfish and succinic acid in clams, but the excessive use of bonito flake extract leads to taste overload.

At last.

It involves the use of various spices.

The 0.01 gram of saffron extract should have been the finishing touch.

However, due to the oxidation reaction with lycopene, it produces a faint metallic taste!

……

"Because they fear my divine tongue."

"That's why, in this dish, the pursuit of perfection is excessive, but the result is that one falls into the trap of perfectionism."

Managi's throat.

A wave of bitterness washed over me.

She recalled how, 20 years ago at Totsuki Culinary Academy, her father, Senzaemon Nakiri, had demonstrated "perfect balance" to her using half-melted chocolate:

When the sweetness exceeds a certain threshold, the human brain's pleasure center will trigger a rejection response.

now.

This is a seafood risotto dish.

This is the embodiment of the paradox!

Then, when she took her second bite of rice, Managi seemed to understand something even more clearly.

Bright red shrimp, plump mussels, and tender squid rings adorn the dish, like treasures generously bestowed by the sea.

The vibrant green of the basil leaves and the golden yellow of the saffron intertwine, adding a unique charm to this dish.

……

Can't help but.

Managi leaned forward slightly.

Gently bring the risotto closer, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and try to capture every subtle aroma.

However, for some reason, a faint fishy smell quietly emerged in this mixed fragrance, like a cunning fox, silently darting through her olfactory world.

She frowned slightly, a hint of doubt rising in her mind.

But I quickly comforted myself, thinking that perhaps it was just the natural smell of the seafood, which would become wonderful after cooking.

Pick up the silver spoon again.

Gently scoop up a small mouthful of rice and put it in your mouth.

At first, the soft, sticky rice and the fresh, delicious seafood complemented each other perfectly.

however.

As chewing progresses.

The fishy smell grew even stronger.

Like a surging tide, it quickly overwhelmed all other flavors.

Managi's brows furrowed tightly, and a slight churning sensation began to rise in her stomach.

She forced herself to endure the discomfort and took another bite, trying to convince herself that it was just a taste illusion. But this time, the fishy smell became even more pungent, mixed with a faint, almost imperceptible sour and rotten smell!

……

quickly.

Her throat began to tighten.

A strong urge to vomit followed me closely, quickly spreading throughout my body.

At this moment, Managi's face turned as pale as paper, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

at last.

She put down the spoon in her hand.