欧宝娱乐

“It wasn't natural talent that had shaped him into his present self. What he had done was simply think, make attempts, and learn from past failures. Anyone could do that, but it wasn't that easy. People were never willing to assess him properly, since that would mean they admitted that they had never struggled and make attempts.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 13 [Shokugeki no Souma 13]

“ This dish... it's sweet-and-sour pork but with black vinegar. In fact, you could call it "Black Vinegar Pork." The glossy black of the vinegar was used to great effect in the plating, giving the dish a classy and luxuriant appearance. But the moment you put a bite in your mouth... fresh, vibrant green tea explodes in a sea of invigorating green. It is extravagantly delicious.
Chef Kuga's Sweet-and-Sour sauce includes not just black vinegar but also balsamic vinegar as well as Chef Mimasaka's smoked soy sauce! It destroys the traditional boundaries of sweet-and-sour pork, creating a dish that's rich, tangy and savory while erasing the pork's thick greasiness to push the taste of the green tea to the forefront!
He has completely succeeded in taking the green tea leaves and making them the centerpiece of his dish!
But the point most worthy of attention...
... is that this sublime taste experience wasn't created using solely Chinese-cooking techniques.
It shows an equally deft use of traditional French techniques!"
"What the... French?!
But isn't he supposed to be a purely Sichuan-Chinese chef?!"
"Yes, yes. I'm gonna explain, so quiet down and listen up, 'kay? See, there's another secret y'all don't know.
That sweet-and-sour sauce? I based it on Sauce au Vinaigre Balsamique. That's a balsamic vinegar sauce used in a whole lot of French recipes."
"Aha! Now I see. So that's where it came from!
French Vinaigre Balsamique sauce is a reduction of balsamic vinegar and Glacé de Viande!
It has a light tanginess and thick richness, which must have boosted the deliciousness of the sweet-and-sour pork into the stratosphere! ”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 27 [Shokugeki no Souma 27]

“Father...
this Institute, which you have denied with all of your might...
... is the place where I've lived, grown and been reborn.
I have become a different chef...
... a different person!
"All right! Time for the clincher, don'tcha think? You've already swiped a ton from me, so why not finish the job?
Go on and say it!"
"You can't be serious?! Must I?"
"C'mon! Who else could close this out but our Captain? Do it!"
"Ugh. Fine. If you insist."
"THE WINNER IS...
THE RESISTANCE!"
"HAPPY TO SERVE!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 30 [Shokugeki no Souma 30]

“I just let the apples soak up the roses' scent."
"You what?!"
"This takes a teeny little while to do, but... first, you take the petals off the damask's and wash them gently. When you've washed a whole big fluffy pile of petals... you dump them all into a big pot of water! Let that boil down, and you get a sweet, pink rose syrup!
While that was reducing, I lightly heated thin apple slices in an extract I made from boiled apple peels. Then I poured the rose syrup over them and let them soak for 30 minutes. That way the delicate pink color and sweet scent of the roses gently seeped into the apples.
Just boiling the lot of them together into a mush like a barbarian is hardly royal, you know.
An elegant and relaxing bath in rose-scented water. That is much more fitting for the Queen of Roses. If I had to give a name to perfect my new dessert, I'd call it...
The Queen's Apple Tart!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 28 [Shokugeki no Souma 28]

“Her sense of artistry reached even as far as her plating and presentation...
arranging her tarts in a woven basket like a bouquet of flowers.
The sight of her bringing them to us was like a scene straight out of a fairy tale!
Yes... she too...
is like a character straight from fantasy.
A fairy godmother who casts her spells on ordinary ingredients...
... turning them into beautiful and delicious princesses of food!
All who take a bite of her apples...
... fall under her spell...
... and are transported into a land of dreams!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 28 [Shokugeki no Souma 28]

“I see bacon, green peppers, mushrooms... those are all found in Napolitan Spaghetti. I guess instead of the standard ketchup, he's used curry roux for the sauce?
The noodles look similar to fettuccini."
"Hm. I'm not seeing anything else that stands out about it. Given how fun and amusing the calzone a minute ago was...
... the impact of this one's a lot more bland and boring..."
W-what the heck? Where did this heavy richness come from? It hits like a shockwave straight to the brain!
"Chicken and beef stocks for the base... with fennel and green cardamom for fragrance! What an excellent, tongue-tingling curry sauce! It clings well to the broad fettuccini noodles too!"
"For extra flavor is that... soy sauce?"
"No, it's tamari soy sauce!
Tamari soy sauce is richer and less salty than standard soy sauce, with a more full-bodied sweetness to it. Most tamari is made on Japan's eastern seaboard. "
"That's not all either! I'm picking up the mellow hints of cheese! But I'm not seeing a single shred of any kind of cheese in here. Where's it hiding?"
"Allow me to tell you, sir. First, look at the short edge of a noodle, please."
?! What on earth?!
This noodle's got three layers!"
"For the outer layers, I kneaded turmeric into the pasta dough. But for the inner layer, I added Parmesan cheese!"
"I see! It's the combination of the tamari soy sauce and the parmesan cheese that gives this dish its incredible richness!"
"Yeah, but wait a minute! If you go kneading cheese right into the noodles, wouldn't it just melt back out when you boiled them?"
No... that's why they're in three layers! With the cheese in the middle, the outer layers prevented it from melting out!
The deep, rich curry sauce, underscored with the flavor of tamari soy sauce...
... and the chewy noodles, which hit you with the mellow, robust taste of parmesan cheese with every bite!
Many people are familiar with the idea of coating cream cheese in soy sauce...
... but who would have thought parmesan cheese would match this well with tamari soy sauce! ”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 7 [Shokugeki no Souma 7]

“ A storm of fruity sweetness!
A concerto of seafood and herbs!
And a fragrant duet of thick lamb mousse and creamed root vegetables!
All three glasses present their own colorful tableau that unfolds across your tongue!
"Though each glass maintains a clear and unique flavor profile...
... from creamed raw sea urchin to smoked scallop mousse- the perfect accenting layer is always slipped into the perfect place.
It's like a gorgeous richly colored show of mousses is dancing in my mouth!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 34 [Shokugeki no Souma 34]

“There is such a thing as "live" cooking. Instead of chefs cooking in a kitchen and bringing a complete dish to the waiting customer... the chefs cook out on the floor where the customer can watch them perform.
Good performances heighten anticipation for the dish... and entertain the customer by showing them how contrasting ingredients come together.
"Wooow! Look at how many he's doing at once!"
"He's crazy fast!"
"Cool..."
Soma has put on a flamboyant show...
... to capture the hearts of his customers!
Not bad! Who would have thought he'd turn his own skills...
... into a performance to turn the situation around.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 5 [Shokugeki no Souma 5]

“Fresh seafood stock made from shrimp and crab...
It's hot and spicy- and at the same time, mellow and savory!
Visions of lush mountains, cool springs and the vast ocean instantly come to mind! She brought out the very best flavors of each and every ingredient she used!
"I started with the fresh fish and veggies you had on hand...
... and then simmered them in a stock I made from seafood trimmings until they were tender. Then I added fresh shrimp and let it simmer... seasoning it with a special blend I made from spices, herbs like thyme and bay leaves, and a base of Worcestershire sauce. I snuck in a dash of soy sauce, too, to tie the Japanese ingredients together with the European spices I used. Overall, I think I managed to make a curry sauce that is mellow enough for children to enjoy and yet flavorful enough for adults to love!"
"Yum! Good stuff!"
"What a surprise! To take the ingredients we use here every day and to create something out of left field like this!"
"You got that right! This is a really delicious dish, no two ways about it. But what's got me confused...
... is why it seems to have hit him way harder than any of us! What on earth is going on?!"
This... this dish. It...
it tastes just like home! It looks like curry, but it ain't! It's gumbo!"
Gumbo is a family dish famously served in the American South along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. A thick and spicy stew, it's generally served over steamed rice. At first glance, it closely resembles Japan's take on curry...
but the gumbo recipe doesn't call for curry powder. Its defining characteristic is that it uses okra as its thickener. *A possible origin for the word "gumbo" is the Bantu word for okra-Ngombu.*”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 31 [Shokugeki no Souma 31]

“Tender poached egg. Creamy mashed potatoes. And the thick layer of hot, melted cheese!
Those are all incredibly delicious, but what takes the cake is the roux! It's been made in a VICHYSSOISE style!"
VICHYSSOISE
Boiled potatoes, onions, leeks and other ingredients are pureed with cream and soup stock to make this potage. It's often served chilled.
Its creation is generally credited to Louis Diat, a French chef at the Ritz Carlton in New York, who first put it on the hotel's menu in 1917.
"Amazing! It looks like a thick, heavy dish that would sit in the stomach like lead, but it's so easy to eat!"
"The noodles! It's the udon noodles, along with the coriander powder, that makes it feel so much lighter!
Coriander is known for its fresh, almost citrusy scent and its mildly spicy bite. It goes exceptionally well with the cumin kneaded into the noodles, each spice working to heighten the other's fragrance.
AAAH!
It's immensely satisfying!"
"I have also included dill, vichyssoise's traditional topping. Dry roasting the dill seeds together with the cumin seeds made a spice mix that gave a strong aroma to the roux."
"Hm! Fat noodles in a thick, creamy roux. Eating them is much the same experience as having dipping noodles.
What an amazing concept to arrive at from a century-old French soup recipe!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 7 [Shokugeki no Souma 7]

“... If I am correct...
... the secret to this sauce is honey and balsamic vinegar ."
"Got it one, sir! Both ingredients have a mild sweetness that adds a layer of richness to the dish. The tartness of the vinegar ties it all together, ensuring the sweetness isn't too cloying and giving the overall dish a clean, pure aftertaste.
The guide told me that Hokkaido bears really love their honey...
... so I tried all kinds of methods to add it to my recipe!"
"Is that how he gave his sauce a rich, clean flavor powerful enough to cause the Gifting? Unbelievable! That's our Master Yukihira!"
Something doesn't add up. A little honey and vinegar can't be enough to create that level of aftertaste. There has to be something else to it. But what?
"...?!
I got it! I know what you did! You caramelized the honey!"
CARAMELIZATION
Sugars oxidize when heated, giving them a golden brown color and a nutty flavor.
Any food that contains sugar can be caramelized, making caramelization an important technique in everything from French cooking to dessert making.
"I started out by heating the honey until it was good and caramelized. Then I added some balsamic vinegar to stretch it and give it a little thickness. Once that was done, I poured it over some diced onions and garlic that I'd sautéed in another pan, added some schisandra berries and then let it simmer.
After it had reduced, I poured bear stock over it and seasoned it with a little salt...
The result was a deep, rich sauce perfect for emphasizing the natural punch of my Bear-Meat Menchi Katsu!"
"Oho! You musta come up with that idea while I was relaxing with my cup o' chai! Not bad, Yukihira-chin! Not bad at all! Don'tcha think?"
"Y-yes, sir..."
Plus, there is no debating how well honey pairs well with bear meat. The Chinese have long considered bear paws a great delicacy...
... because of the common belief that the mellow sweetness of the honey soaks into a bear's paw as it sticks it into beehives and licks the honey off of it.
What a splendid idea pairing honey with bear meat, each accentuating the other...
... then using caramelization and balsamic vinegar to mellow it to just the right level.
It's a masterful example of using both flavor subtraction and enhancement in the same dish!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 22 [Shokugeki no Souma 22]

“The typical smell from skin-on pork belly is completely erased by the spices used. All that reaches the tongue... are the mild sweetness of the fats and the zesty richness of the curry!"
"It's amazingly delicious!"
"After I parboiled, seasoned and pan seared the pork belly... I braised it in a mixture of oyster sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and other seasonings.
I gave it its fragrance with star anise, ginger and Sichuan pepper."
Strange. The meat is incredibly heavy and filling...
yet this dish is so easy to eat! Why?
"IT'S THE RICE!
Now I see! She mixed a dash of rock salt and Sichuan-peppercorn oil into the rice!
The refreshing scent and tongue-tingling flavor of the peppercorn oil ameliorates the oiliness of the fats...
... but its spiciness makes you want another bite of the sweet meat... it's a chain reaction!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 7 [Shokugeki no Souma 7]

“The key to this risotto is Japanese peppers of all things?!"
"It's sharp, refreshing aroma highlights the mellow body of the cheese... while making the eel's umami flavor flash like an explosion!"
"And that one key ingredient that quietly ties it all together...
... is garlic!"
"Garlic?! In traditional Japanese cuisine?! That's almost unheard of!"
"Those are special smoked garlic chips a junior of mine made. They were smoked using wood from a walnut tree, which is known to emphasize seafood flavors well. By lightly crushing those chips and sprinkling them on as a topping, I added a pleasantly crunchy texture to the dish.
But the most critical feature of my dish... is that I broiled the eel using the Kansai region Kabayaki style. Unlike the Kanto region style, there's no steaming step. Leaving all that oil in gives the eel a more fragrant aroma with a heavier texture and stronger flavor...
... meaning it pairs much more naturally with a flavor as powerful as garlic. *Steaming the eel makes much of its natural oil seep out, leaving the flesh light and fluffy.*
But what makes these chips so extraordinary... is that they're infused with Ibusaki's earnest passion and the pure sweat of his helpers, Aoki and Sato. There's no way they could not be delicious!"
"Ew! Don't say they're infused with sweat! That's gross!"
"This much alone is already an impressively polished gourmet course. What's in store for us in that teapot?"
"That is eel-liver broth, my lady. I dressed the eel's liver and then sautéed it in olive oil with some smoked garlic chips. Then I poured the sake Sakaki and Marui made over the top and let the alcohol cook off before adding bonito stock to make a broth. It matches beautifully with the cheese that Yoshino and Nikumi made, creating a soft flavor with a splendid aftertaste.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 25 [Shokugeki no Souma 25]

“ Each bite is a tidal wave of savory, fatty eel juices...
... made fresh and tangy by the complementary flavors of olive oil and tomato!
...!
It's perfect!
This dish has beautifully encapsulated the superbness of Capitone Eel!"
"Capitone specifically means 'Large Female Eel'!
It's exactly this kind of eel that is served during Natale season from Christmas to New Year's.
Compared to normal eels, the Capitone is large, thick and juicy! In fact, it's considered a delicacy!"
"Yes, I've heard of them! The Capitone is supposed to be significantly meatier than the standard Anguilla."
*Anguilla is the Italian word for regular eels.*
"Okay. So the Capitone is special.
But is it special enough to make a dish so delicious the judges swoon?"
"No. The secret to the Capitone's refined deliciousness in this dish lies with the tomatoes.
You used San Marzanos, correct?"
"Ha Ragione! (Exactly!)
I specifically chose San Marzano tomatoes as the core of my dish!"
Of the hundreds of varieties of tomato, the San Marzano Plum Tomato is one of the least juicy.
Less juice means it makes a less watery and runny sauce when stewed!
"Thanks to the San Marzano tomatoes, this dish's sauce remained thick and rich with a marvelously full-bodied taste.
The blend of spices he used to season the sauce has done a splendid job of highlighting the eel's natural flavors as well."
"You can't forget the wondrous polenta either. Crispy on the outside and creamy in the middle.
There's no greater garnish for this dish."
*Polenta is boiled cornmeal that is typically served as porridge or baked into cakes.*
"Ah. I see. Every ingredient of his dish is intimately connected to the eel.
Garlic to increase the fragrance, onion for condensed sweetness...
... and low-juice tomatoes. Those are the key ingredients.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 25 [Shokugeki no Souma 25]

“ Out of all of the meats you can get from a cow...
... the tail meat has the most gelatin!
Season the oxtail with salt and pepper, dust it with flour and sear it in a frying pan to give it a good color, and then set it to simmer until it's good and tender.
That way, by the time it has thoroughly soaked up the demi-glace sauce...
... all of the sticky gelatin in it will have begun to melt out...
... giving the meat a decadently chewy and gooey texture!
That, together with the demi-glace sauce, creates a much richer taste experience.
He found a way to give his dish a more powerful, full-bodied flavor without getting rid of the white miso!
That was Hisako's idea!
Oxtail does not come close to the famously luxuriant texture of turtle meat, of course...
... but the gelatin it does contain is perfect for a beef stew! ”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 11 [Shokugeki no Souma 11]

“EGGS BENEDICT
It is made up of a poached egg, cheese, bacon and other ingredients on top of a muffin and seasoned with tangy hollandaise. It is one of the more traditional breakfast dishes served in North America.
However, Eggs Benedict alone can hardly be called an original dish.
Where's the surprise?
Still, faced with such beauty...
... I can't help but want to take a bite.
AAAH!
A perfectly poached egg so soft it melts on the tongue. The refined tang of high-quality hollandaise sauce. Crispy, salty bacon and a sweet, soft muffin! All of these together wrap the tongue in an exquisite harmony of deliciousness!
Wait, no. That isn't all.
There is a greater depth to the flavor than that. But from what?
Hm? What is that golden powder I see?
AH!
Karasumi!
You've sprinkled karasumi on the muffin! *Karasumi: Dried mullet roe. It is considered a delicacy in Japan*
I see! Karasumi is made of roe, which are fish eggs! It was the salty delicacy of the karasumi mixed with the richness of the egg yolk...
... that created such a deep and robust flavor!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 4 [Shokugeki no Souma 4]

“ The seafood is so fresh it is otherworldly! Their rich umami flavors swirl together in my mouth like a whirlpool!
The pike is transcendental fresh, yes? It's tender and fatty and melty sweet!"
"I'm impressed he had the strength to cram this much powerful umami into a single dish! So refined, yet utterly savage. Ryo Kurokiba has reached a new pinnacle!"
"That looks sooo good!"
"But still, do all Japan pike have this much flavor in season?"
"Good point. Not all do.
How did he manage to create this strong of a flavor while using hardly any seasonings?
Hm?
Wait... it's faint, but I smell hints of a refreshing scent. A scent that is not seafood!"
"It is the fragrance of herbs."
"Exactly! I added a pat of this to the dish!"
"Aha!
Herb butter!
Finely chopped herbs and spices are mixed into softened butter...
... and then wrapped up and chilled in the refrigerator for a day to allow the flavors to meld."
"I stuck a pat of homemade herb butter into each wrap right before I put 'em in the oven. Baking on low heat made the butter melt slowly...
... allowing its richness to seep into every nook and cranny of the entire dish!"
Both flavor and fragrance have the punch of an exploding warhead! What an impeccably violent dish!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 12 [Shokugeki no Souma 12]

“This wrap! It's made of rice!
Now I get it... it's a variation on a Bánh Xèo!"
B?NH X?O
Literally meaning "Sizzling Cake," it is a Vietnamese rice-flour pancake.
The batter is made from rice flour, water, coconut milk and other ingredients and is then spread thinly and fried like a crepe.
Once cooked, ingredients like pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts are folded inside.
I see the concept behind this dish now!
It's mixing piping-hot rice with juicy fried chicken!
Fried chicken and rice have always been a golden combination.
Here they've recreated that in a form that's easy to eat on the go and just as delicious.
And they even managed to do it in an innovative and eye-catching way!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 5 [Shokugeki no Souma 5]

“ He seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper and mustard, and then grilled it to absolute perfection in clarified butter! The light coating of panko is toasted to a beautiful golden brown. Its crunch delightfully highlights the chicken's tender juiciness.
"But what takes this dish's flavor and elevates it to a whole other level... are the tiny crumbles of Boudin Noir blood sausage you added during the grilling step!"
"That's right! The Poussin Chicken had just been butchered, so I took a little of its blood and mixed it with some pork blood... to whip up my own special blood sausage! That gave the dish some real punch, don'tcha think?"
"B-but that shouldn't even work!
Blood sausage has such a powerful flavor it should have overwhelmed the more delicate Poussin Chicken...
but that chicken flavor is still undeniably the centerpiece of this dish!"
"That's from the fat. See, I didn't just grab some of the chicken's blood. I siphoned up some of its fat too. With this special injector here."
Animal fat is just as jam-packed with richness and body as blood! A little dollop of that keeps the chicken balanced as the center of the dish while deepening its overall flavor!
Not only that, he used the chain carving knife to add innumerable delicate hidden cuts in the chicken. Thanks to those, the flavors of the chicken, the sausage and the sauce all meld together seamlessly, creating a cohesive overall experience.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 34 [Shokugeki no Souma 34]

“Unlike Japan, Italy's cuisine has long centered on meat dishes.
In their home province of Tuscany, duck, rabbit, and even boar would be served in the right season.
I suspect that is how they learned how to butcher and dress a duck.
The breast meat was glazed with a mixture of soy sauce, Japanese mustard, black pepper and honey to give it a strong, spicy fragrance...
the perfect complement to the sauce.
Duck and salsa verde.
They found and enhanced the Japanese essence of both...
... to create an impressive and thoroughly Japanese dish!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 3

“At first glance, it looks like some kind of ice cream...
...!
It isn't sweet. I see.
It's salmon ice cream, but made without sweetener."
"He made salmon into ice cream?!
But how?!"
"The Cryogenic Grinder."
"Ah! That's Alice Nakiri for you. Got it in one guess.
I pureed some salmon with a blender and then froze the resulting paste, putting it through the Cryogenic Grinder.
The high-powered blades of the grinder minced the paste into a fluffy and silky soft ice cream.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 19 [Shokugeki no Souma 19]

“That was certainly a case of snowballing momentum. Who would've thought he'd succeed being that far behind?"
"True. This particular assignment was designed to test one major skill...
the ability to expect the unexpected.
How well the student could envision exactly what sort of dish would be necessary...
... for a buffet-style hotel breakfast was the key to success.
But there is another skill...
one of the most important for a chef to have in a kitchen, where anything can go wrong without warning...
the ability to respond and adapt to any situation at will. Soma handicapped himself with his choice of dish, but by adapting to the situation, he overcame that deficit brilliantly."
"He's a little rough around the edges, but he seems like a promising talent.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 5 [Shokugeki no Souma 5]

“How delicious! Layer upon layer of exquisitely delicate sweetness blooms in the mouth like the unfurling petals of a flower! And it's different from the cake Sarge presented in one very distinct way!"
?!
The flavors explode not like a bomb but a firecracker! What a silky-smooth, mild sweetness!
"How were you able to create such a uniquely beautiful flavor?"
"See, for the cake, I used Colza oil, flour, baking powder... and a secret ingredient...
Mashed Japanese mountain yam!
That gave the batter some mild sweetness along with a thick creaminess. Simply mashing it instead of pureeing it gave the cake's texture some soft body as well.
Then there're the two different frostings I used! The white cream I made by blending into a smooth paste banana, avocado, soy milk, rice syrup and some puffed rice I found at the convenience store. I used this for the filling.
*Rice syrup, also called rice malt, is a sweetener made by transforming the starch in rice into sugars. A centuries-old condiment, it's known for being gentle on the stomach.
*
I made the dark cream I used to frost the cake by adding cocoa powder to the white cream."
"I see. How astonishing. This cake uses no dairy or added sugar. Instead, it combines and maximizes the natural sweetness of its ingredients to create a light and wonderfully delicious cake!"
"What?!"
"He didn't put in any sugar at all?!"
"But why go to all that time and effort?!"
"For the people patiently waiting to eat it, of course.
This cake was made especially for these people and for this season.
When it's hot and humid out... even if it's a Christmas Cake, I figured you'd all prefer one that's lighter and softer instead of something rich and heavy.
I mean, that's the kind of cake I'd want in this weather.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 34 [Shokugeki no Souma 34]

“The sparkles that came from the firecracker are coffee crumbles!"
Originating in Ireland, Crumbles are a baked dessert generally consisting of fruits topped with a crumbly crust. The crumbly mix can be made with rolled oats, crushed almonds and even crushed coffee beans!
"How refreshingly tart! I can taste a faint hint of grated tangerine zest. Its fruity flavor pairs exceedingly well with the mildly sweet, clean flavor of the cake. And the hidden piece of the puzzle that ties them both together...
... is this cream that's coating the outer layer of bark!"
"Man, you catch on fast! That's right. That's another variation on the cream I used as a filling for the center of the cake. I used that dark cream and thinned it into a brown cream that would melt at room temperature."
"Oho! How clever. The crumbles, while sweet and delicious, tend to have a very dry and, well... crumbly texture. Not so with this cake."
The brown cream brought just the right amount of moisture to the crumbles... enough to prevent them from being dry but not so much that they lose their crispy crunch. Plus, it firmly ties the flavors of the crumbles and the cake itself into one harmonious whole!
Now I see.
"That must be the other reason why you chose not to use any dairy or added sugars in the cake!
Either would have overwhelmed the coffee crumbles! But you wanted to emphasize their delicate flavors... the light flash and sparkle of their tartness and bitterness!"
"Refreshing at first, with a full body... capped off with a flash of invigorating bitterness!"
"This is a gem of a dish that will captivate everyone, young and old!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 34 [Shokugeki no Souma 34]

“They pop in the mouth, just like salmon roe! But inside...
... is the savory saltiness of seaweed!"
"Those pearls are seaweed?!"
But how?!"
"Delicious! Not only is the pop of the pearl a fun texture, the salty, savory flavor of the seaweed melts seamlessly with the rice! I can barely stop myself! It's an addicting combination!"
"Wait... how do you know that technique? Those pearls are seaweed extract gelled into a spherical shape. The only way to do that is by using a calcium-chloride bath and an alginic-acid gelling agent!"
"What the heck?!"
"That's food science!"
"Yukihira pulled a page from Alice Nakiri's own book!"
"I've experimented with this stuff before, y'know. When I was a little kid, anyway."
"Wha-?! But that's-"
"Convenience store Dagashi Candy?!"
"Dagashi?! What's that?"
Both chemicals are on the ingredients list!
"It's what's called an educational candy. Kids play with that to learn how to make their own jelly pearls. I had a blast with it when I was little. I made lots of different stuff."
"Dad, look! I made miso pearls!"
"Aha ha ha! That's great! Now don't let any of the customers see that."
"You can get both alginic acid and calcium chloride at any pharmacy. I used those, along with some seasoned seaweed extract and a little bit of ingenuity...
... to make these savory seaweed bombs- my own spin on the traditional seaweed bento!"
"That's right! There were some educational candies in that pile of sweets he got from the kids yesterday!"
"The transfer student used a food-science trick?"
"And it was one he got off of a package of children's dagashi candy?!"
"Hmm? What's this? I see something that looks like okaka minced tuna hiding inside the rice..."
Mmmm! It's dried tunatsukudani!
This, too, earns full marks for flavor! And its smooth, juicy texture is a wonderful contrast to the pop of the seaweed pearls!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 9 [Shokugeki no Souma 9]

“This broth! How can it be this rich and mellow?! It's just creamy enough to go perfectly with the noodles too! And this savory flavor! It's so deep and expansive!"
"I grated some potato and added it to the stock. That's what's giving the broth its creaminess.
Believe it or not, the potato is another vegetable that contains the umami compound glutamic acid.
That compound seeped out into the broth, giving it it's rich and savory flavor.
Plus, I only grated the potato roughly, so there are still little beads of potato in the broth, giving the texture some interesting highlights."
"But what about this topping? What is it?!
Hnngh! I knew it! Imo-Mochi Potato Cakes! They're soft and chewy on the inside and crisp and crunchy on the outside!"
Imo-Mochi Potato Cakes are another Hokkaido specialty.
Made with potatoes and potato starch, they're a popular treat with tourists.
The heavy, chewy potato cakes soaked in the creamy broth are a pleasing textural contrast...
... to the light and sleek udon noodles while also giving the dish an extra sense of fullness and satisfaction!
"Unbelievable.
It's almost as if this one dish...
... contains all the expressions of a potato possible in cooking!"
"Exactly! Y'see, this dish---"
"This dish uses all facets of the Irish Cobbler Potato, accenting its starch, its unique texture and its umami goodness.
In fact, it can be considered the ultimate in potato-noodle dishes!”
― Yūto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 21 [Shokugeki no Souma 21]

“ This hollandaise sauce that's been generously drizzled over the whole dish... I can taste yuzu kosho and soy sauce in it.
That's a decidedly Japanese twist on a typically very European sauce!
The heavy savoriness of thick sliced pork grilled to a crusty golden brown...
... balances perfectly with the briskly tart Shio Konbu seaweed and shiso leaves mixed into the rice!
Then there's the centerpiece of his dish, the tempura egg! It's crispy on the outside and delectably soft and gooey on the inside!
Instead of freezing it, he must have poached the egg before deep-frying it this time!
The whites are unbelievably tender, and the soft-boiled yolk is so creamy you might not believed it's cooked!
To batter and deep-fry a poached egg that delicate without crushing it...
... you'd need skill and a touch bordering on the superhuman!
Just how much has he trained?! How hard has he practiced...
... to make this single dish?!
"Sure does take you back, doesn't it? This Eggs Benedict.
I switched the muffin out for some seasoned rice, a family-restaurant staple.
Then there's the poached egg that I deep-fried. Pork chops for the bacon. Japanese-style hollandaise sauce.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 36 [Shokugeki no Souma 36]

“I can smell fennel, lemongrass and cinnamon. But there's something more... something that ties those three spices together. What is this powerful aroma underneath it all?
"'Holy basil'! And he used fresh leaves!"
Holy...
... basil?
"It's a spice native to Southeast Asia and sacred to the Hindu religion. Just one whiff of it...
... sends a refreshing sensation throughout the entire body. In Ayurvedic medicine, it's even considered an elixir of life!" *Ayurveda is the name of Hindu traditional medicine in which proper diet plays a large role.*
"Really? What an amazing spice!"
"However...
... holy basil rarely makes it to Japan while still fresh! It should be nearly impossible to procure!
How on earth did you get it?!"
"Oh, that? We raise it year-round for our seminar. And how do we cultivate it? Well... that's a trade secret."
"What?! He raises his own uber-rare spices?!"
"That's the Shiomi seminar for you."
""Shiomi"? They must mean Professor Jun Shiomi, the academic expert on spices!"
"Man, this scent is not just powerful, it's addictive! But that's not the only thing going on in this dish. There's something else, something that spurs you on to the next bite...
tartness? Yogurt!"
"Good guess, Yukihira. Holy basil is so strong it can easily overpower all other spices if you aren't careful. But adding in yogurt mellows it out."
Not only that, the spices he used have the curcumin compound, which is known to aid the liver in detoxifying the blood. That together with the lactic acids in yogurt increases how well the body absorbs it!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 8 [Shokugeki no Souma 8]

“This texture...
you used an aspic."
"Bingo! Those golden cubes under the egg...
are a chicken aspic!
So what's an "aspic"? Easy! It's a jelly made from the chilled broth of gelatin-rich meats and fishes.
I simmered chicken wings in bonito broth seasoned with saké and light soy sauce. This drew the chicken's natural savory flavor and gelatin into the broth. I quickly chilled the resulting broth until it gelled, and then cut it into small cubes."
"It was the aspic he was making in that enormous pot."
"Sprinkle the cubes over piping-hot rice... and the rich chicken aspic will melt and coat the egg curds with a "ploop"!"
I see. In other words... the aspic is really a thick, rich and savory chicken soup! The full-bodied and salty flavor of the aspic broth... brings out the soft, mild sweetness of the egg curds perfectly. Not only that, each bite is a heaven of fluffy smoothness.
In every way, the aspic is emphasizing and magnifying the deliciousness of the eggs!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 1

“I see prawns, mussels... a whole host of seafood!"
"Don't forget the perfectly ripe tomatoes and the bottle of olive oil.
Aah, I get it. It seems he is making Acqua Pazza."
ACQUA PAZZA
A local delicacy in Southern Italy...
... Acqua Pazza is a simple yet gourmet dish of poached white fish mixed with a variety of other ingredients.
Traditional ingredients include olive oil, tomatoes and shellfish.
"Compared to many other poached or simmered dishes, it uses relatively few seasonings. Because it's so uncomplicated, the quality of the ingredients themselves comes to the forefront. It's the perfect dish to show off his superhuman eye for selecting fish."
"Not that Acqua Pazza itself is a poor choice...
... but the centerpiece of the dish must still be the pike!
Yet the ingredients he's chosen have distinct flavors that demand attention. Won't simmering them all together drown out the flavor of the fish?"
"True! It would be a waste of an in-season pike to-
Wait..."
"Exactly.
Precisely because it is in season, the pike's flavor won't be drowned out.
Instead, it has the potential to become the base of the entire dish!
It's a recipe only someone with great confidence in their eye for fish could have chosen for this competition.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 12 [Shokugeki no Souma 12]