The so-called glacier was actually a mountain of flesh.
He picked up a chopstick and took a sliver of meat as thin as paper…
"God, the meat is so intact!"
"Most importantly, the ice and meat separated, they weren't stuck together. This must have been frozen first and then placed there."
"Look, these paper-thin meat slices instantly softened in the sunlight! Now they look even more like silkworm spun silk!!"
"The meat slices are semi-transparent, faintly revealing a tender yellow… It’s truly the classic sashimi from Dili Shengxian!"
He lightly dipped it in some sauce, and the tender yellow fish meat was dyed a deep hue.
The sour and fresh sauce dripped along the grain of the meat, making one's mouth water.
Numerous judges tossed the meat into their mouths. Hundreds of pairs of eyes simultaneously narrowed, and expressions of enjoyment appeared on their faces.
The slightly cool, fresh meat entered their mouths, without any hint of fishiness.
As they chewed and the temperature rose, the meat seemed to come alive in their mouths.
Paired with the perfectly matched sauce and the petals of Ice Cliff Snow Lotus, the essence and profound meaning of the sashimi were perfectly highlighted!
"This… it feels like a fish is jumping in my mouth!"
"It's like being in a river… I can almost see a fish leaping out of the water!"
"This exquisite taste, could it be sea bream?"
Wu Zi said proudly, "That's right, it's sea bream, and it's the legendary Dark Gold Jiaji Sea Bream! A full 25 pounds!"
The Jiaji Sea Bream is a fish that lives in slow-flowing freshwater.
Its capture level isn't high, but it's extremely rare and seldom seen, making it the most 고급 among sea bream species!
The scales of the Jiaji Sea Bream are silvery white. At this stage, the Jiaji Sea Bream's taste is strong, slightly lacking in refinement, and can only be considered average.
As it ages, its scales go through stages of light pink, deep pink, blood red, dark red, and dark gold. Reaching dark gold signifies that the Jiaji Sea Bream has lived for over a hundred years.
Hence, it is called Dark Gold Jiaji Sea Bream!
Female Jiaji Sea Bream are enormous in size and have a coarse taste.
Only the small males can transform into dark gold, and 25 pounds is already a terrifying weight!
One must know that the price of fish meat of this caliber would not be less than a million!
"As expected of Dili Shengxian, which dominates the five rivers and six waterways of the northern desert, to be able to produce such a top-grade specimen!"
"I am truly impressed!"
"The first dish today has already reached such an extraordinary level!"
Wu Zi crossed his arms, unsurprised by the reactions of the judges.
For this dish, Dili Shengxian had spent an unknown amount of time and resources preparing.
The goal was to make a stunning debut in this competition!
With this dish, even the champions might not be out of reach!
Next was the scoring session. The judges fell silent, solemnly assessing in their minds.
The host, having calculated the timing, announced loudly, "Now, audience, let's witness today's premiere. Please, judges, reveal your cards!"
Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple…
No purple, no blue… The lowest grade was cyan, and there were very few of those!
Red: 1
Orange: 2
Yellow: 55
Green: 35
Cyan: 7
…
Cyan represented mediocrity, while green indicated appreciation, which was already a high evaluation.
Yellow meant that the dish could serve as a model for chefs, a very high form of affirmation!
As for orange, it meant the judges were completely captivated, representing a taste that one might only have a few chances to experience in a lifetime.
Red…
That was a legend, a myth, a… divine creation!
To give such an evaluation was a professional gamble for a judge!
The host shouted with excitement, "There are Reds and Oranges!!"
"The very first entry today has received such a high evaluation!"
"This will undoubtedly put immense psychological pressure on the contestants who follow!"
"In the history of the competition, the appearance of these two colors has always represented an astonishing masterpiece!"
One had to admit, the host's voice was incredibly captivating.
The atmosphere in the venue was pushed to its peak.
From the appearance, from the host's commentary, the audience could imagine how delicious this dish was!
No.
The audience could not even begin to imagine this taste!
…………
Compared to other chefs, the equipment of "Wine and Beauty" was far inferior.
No expensive cookware, no refined charcoal fire, no master chef's knives, no busy assistants…
But Zhang Wei's setup was equally impressive, with rustic clay pots lined up, two to three hundred of them.
At this moment, Zhang Wei was quite leisurely, reclining on a rocking chair, basking in the sun, like an old man watching a play.
"You seem very relaxed, sir."
Zhang Wei looked up, "Yun Shang Zhen Jun?"
"I observed you during the themed competition, and you had a lot of free time throughout. Compared to the busy people around you, you were quite extraordinary."
"Just stealing a moment of leisure amidst the busyness."
Yun Shang Zhen Jun shook his head, "Two hundred and fifty-six clay pots, each stewing something different! The sheer volume you can handle alone, and still have so much free time… I am truly impressed!"
"I've been handling ingredients for so long, and always been busy, so my hands are just a bit quicker. It's nothing."
Yun Shang Zhen Jun came to Zhang Wei's side and sniffed.
His brow furrowed with even more confusion.
"I can't even discern what ingredient this strong aroma is from! And the smell is neither the fragrance of meat, nor the sweetness of fruit, nor vegetables… It's as if countless seasonings were mixed together and processed haphazardly! What on earth is this?"
Zhang Wei chuckled, "If you're interested, I can leave a portion for you when I'm done. Although, it's my first time preparing it, so it might turn out badly."
"Your first time?"
"My first time."
Yun Shang Zhen Jun sighed, "Sir, you not only possess extraordinary talent, but your state of mind is also beyond the mundane. To dare to experiment with a new dish in a final competition of this level!"
"Are you praising me? I feel like you're calling me reckless."
"I did not say it directly."
Zhang Wei: …
Yun Shang Zhen Jun cleared his throat and said, "Sir, I still sincerely invite you to join my Yun Guo. I won't bore you with the benefits of power and wealth, and you can use any of Yun Guo's precious ingredients as you wish!"
Damn it!
He hit my weak spot right away!
It's hard to refuse you like this!
"Alas… I still want to be a slacker. I don't like feeling constrained!"
The glory and social status of a chef are not obtained out of thin air; they require shouldering a certain amount of responsibility. And this is precisely what Zhang Wei finds troublesome.
Once he enters it as a chef, like Tang Zhi Hun, he would have to be responsible for the entire organization.
Just thinking about it is troublesome.
Yun Shang Zhen Jun's face was full of regret.
"This… is my last invitation to you. Truly, it's such a pity."