Chapter 231 - 231 Taste
At this point, it was already nearing noontime. The sun was shining overhead, fragrant scent wafting in the surroundings, the hunger in their bellies couldn’t help but stir.
With a leap, Yang Ye landed on the high platform.
Even though he was standing in the middle of the two stoves, his gaze was always locked on Qiao Xiaomai’s side from the corner of his eyes.
When he was sitting down earlier, he could only smell the aroma, but he couldn’t see what Qiao Xiaomai was doing, which was killing him with curiosity!
“The dishes are prepared by both young ladies, come on, let’s introduce what’s been made,” he said and looked at Qiao Xiaomai, “Miss Qiao, you go first.”
Qiao Xiaomai answered and announced the name of the dishes she had cooked.
Upon hearing this, Yang Ye gently sniffed subconsciously. Braised Pork, Pickled Cabbage, Fish and Pig’s Feet Soup, and cucumbers were nothing extraordinary, what intrigued him were the Sweet and Sour Pork and that cake.
Especially the cake, the amalgamation of the milky aroma and sweetness had him fixated.
He took a deep breath to suppress the hunger pangs inside him and then turned his attention to Bai Zhi, “Princess, your turn to introduce.”
Bai Zhi watched him salivating and clenched her fists, she gritted her teeth and introduced her dishes one by one.
When she was talking, her eyes were scanning the judges. Her gaze was icy.
She was a princess; she didn’t need to say anything; one expression was enough.
If they were not afraid of retaliation, they could write Xiaomai’s name directly.
“Alright, both of the young ladies have finished introducing. Now, the judges will begin tasting the dishes.” Yang Ye spoke and snapped his fingers, thereafter ten maids were ushered in.
The maids held dainty little plates in their hands.
There were ten judges in total, so they needed to split each dish into ten portions.
“First taste Miss Qiao’s Braised Pork.” As Yang Ye spoke, the pot of Braised Pork was distributed into ten plates and placed in front of the judges.
The judges included Yang Ye, President Gu, Mrs. Gu, Shopkeeper He, Shopkeeper Zhou, Jiwaiju Chef, Zuixian Building Chef, Fan Jia, and two students from prestigious families.
As it was close to noontime and the aroma was so intoxicatingly rich, even those who were not that hungry felt their stomachs growling due to the tempting smell.
The judges, after seeing the beautifully colored Braised Pork on the white plates, unconsciously swallowed their saliva and started tasting with their chopsticks.
Yang Ye didn’t leave the high platform, he stood there with his plate, eating with a contented expression on his face.
He didn’t get to savor the dish properly last time because he was annoyed by Qiao Xiaomai’s refusal, but this time he intended to devour it all.
There were still more than a dozen pieces left in the pot!
Moreover, it seemed as if Qiao Xiaomai’s culinary skills had improved. Was it his imagination?
Of course not, President Gu also felt it tasted better than last time.
The other people hadn’t tasted Qiao Xiaomai’s Braised Pork before, but it didn’t affect their judgment. They had thought the dish would be greasy, but, unexpectedly, they found it to be quite refreshing and appetizing.
Yes, beneath the flavor of its richness, there was a hint of freshness. They finished eating the two pieces in one go, but didn’t feel greasy at all.
Amazing!
“Next is Princess’s Sea Cucumber Stewed with Bamboo Shoots Chicken.” Yang Ye, lingering on the taste, licked the corner of his mouth and signaled the maids to serve the plates.
The judges had all tasted sea cucumber before, a delicacy from the sea and quite delicious.
Bai Zhi’s cooking skills were superb; the dish of sea cucumber, bamboo shoots, and chicken were perfectly fused together, the color, aroma, and taste were all top-notch.
This was a universally acknowledged delicacy.
Only when compared to Qiao Xiaomai’s Braised Pork, it seemed to lack a certain refreshing fragrance.
Then came the second dish.
Qiao Xiaomai served sour and spicy fish, and Bai Zhi served Clear Stewed Bear Paw.
The sour and spicy fish had no hint of fishiness, just rich and harmonious sourness and umami. Of course, there was also an indescribable refreshing taste.
As for the bear paw, it was a top-class delicacy. After being cooked by Bai Zhi, the flavor was very tempting.
However, compared to Qiao Xiaomai’s dish, it seemed to lack something..