This was the final competition of the Yangzhou stop.
As in the previous rounds, once the host finished the opening remarks and explained the rules, the teams immediately threw themselves into preparing their dishes.
After two rounds of amateur competitions, each team had grown from a single captain to three members. According to the rules, the final presentation had to increase to three dishes as well.
Time was quite tight.
Today, Xu Yanxia and her team were making Braised Fish Head, Boiled Shredded Tofu, and Thousand Layer Oil Cake.
The Thousand Layer Oil Cake and Boiled Shredded Tofu were being prepared by her teammates Xiaoxian and Xiaoman, respectively. Aside from helping them keep an eye on things, she let them exercise their own creativity.
Seeing that the broth for the Boiled Shredded Tofu was already simmering and the second fermentation for the Thousand Layer Oil Cake was complete, she focused her energy on the main dish.
Of course, as a responsible captain, she didn't forget to teach her teammates the key points while she worked:
"This is our local specialty, the bighead carp. Its characteristics are a large head, thick meat, rich gelatin, and a relatively mild fishy smell. It is the most suitable for making this dish."
"After cutting off the fish head, slice it open from the jaw here, but make sure to keep the head intact and not split it in half."
"The gills are the main source of the fishy smell, so they must be completely removed."
...
"Wow, what a plump fish head! I wonder what masterpiece Director Xu and her teammates are going to present to us later?"
Seeing the host approach them for the routine interview, Xu Yanxia smiled and introduced, "Today, we are going to use the local premium bighead carp to bring you a dish of Braised Fish Head."
"Braised Fish Head is an authentic Huaiyang famous dish, and it's also a representative dish that has been served at state banquets!"
At the judges' table, Judge Qiao and the local special chef, Chef Li, also began to introduce it to everyone:
"That's right. In our traditional local banquets, this dish often appears as the grand finale."
"This dish requires eating fish without seeing bones. When making it, you have to remove every single bone from the entire fish head without destroying its integrity. It is a great test of a chef's knife skills and heat control."
"Being able to taste a state banquet famous dish, our judges are in for a real treat!"
The host immediately offered a complimentary remark, then went on to interview the next team, led by Jin Jiexiang, who claimed to be a descendant of imperial chefs.
"I wonder what grand dish Master Jin is going to bring us today?"
"Today, our main dish is Imperial Roast Duck," Master Jin introduced. "We are also using premium local lake ducks, prepared with a secret ancient palace recipe, hoping to let everyone taste the authentic flavor of the imperial court."
Saying this, he added in a conversational tone to his teammates, "In terms of difficulty, this dish indeed cannot compare to a state banquet famous dish like Braised Fish Head. But as the saying goes, do what you are capable of. Our specialty is imperial cuisine, so we just need to do a good job with the dishes from the imperial menu."
"..."
The host somewhat felt there was an underlying meaning in his words.
Before anyone could say more, they saw him turn to his two teammates again and say, "I am old, but you two are still young. When you have time, you should read more books. Nowadays, big restaurants and large enterprises have high requirements. You have to be a talent with both academic qualifications and skills like Director Xu."
As soon as he finished speaking, his two teammates immediately agreed.
One of them even asked Xu Yanxia, "Which school did Director Xu graduate from again?"
This scene caused Ye Shu, who was offstage, to frown.
"This old fox finally couldn't hold back!"
She whispered to Xiaozhen, who was also closely monitoring the situation on stage, "He's doing this on purpose to provoke Director Xu, afraid that she will perform well."
"Isn't that the truth," Xiaozhen also whispered. "There are only three teams left now, and he hasn't performed well in the last few rounds. Seeing that even Brother Song is about to surpass him, he's definitely getting anxious."
"And there are media present today."
Indeed, because the show was going to premiere this weekend, in order to build momentum, the production team had specially allowed the media to enter for this final round. Right now, several media reporters were watching from the sidelines.
If Xu Yanxia's performance was affected by that false report, one could only imagine how they would spread rumors again.
Both of them watched the stage nervously.
Fortunately, Xu Yanxia, under the spotlight, did not seem to be affected at all.
"I graduated from the Food Science Department of Huanong."
She answered Master Jin's assistant's question openly and generously, then placed the cleaned fish head into the pot to simmer at a low temperature, without any panic in her steps.
Instead, the host got an inspiration and interviewed her again, "Director Xu, I've actually always been curious. Has studying food science helped your culinary skills? Or rather, do you think experience or academic qualifications are more important for a chef?"
"That is a good question."
Xu Yanxia smiled and said, "In the past, constrained by social conditions, many people couldn't go to school and could only engage in various jobs that seemed unrelated to academic learning. But as long as you are willing to use your heart and mind, you can achieve results in any industry or position."
"Of course, conditions are better now. As long as we are willing to try, we can all get in touch with and understand knowledge related to food science."
"In the past, chefs cooked based on the oral and mental instructions of their masters, as well as the experience and lessons they accumulated over years. But now, by studying food science, we can more quickly understand some physical and chemical changes in food."
"For example, why does meat become tough when we boil it with too much heat for too long?"
"That's because proteins begin to denature and coagulate between 60 and 70 degrees Celsius. Excessive temperature or prolonged time will cause the proteins to over-contract and lose moisture. This is what we call protein denaturation."
"Another example, why is there an enticing charred aroma when searing a steak?"
"This is the result of amino acids and sugars undergoing a variety of complex reactions at temperatures above 140 degrees Celsius, producing hundreds of flavor compounds. This is the currently popular Maillard reaction."
"And why do we season soup at the very end when stewing? Why does a sweet and sour combination stimulate the appetite? Because high temperatures accelerate the volatilization of flavor compounds, and adding spices too early will lead to a loss of aroma. Sourness can enhance our perception of saltiness, and sweetness can neutralize spiciness. This is the interaction of taste."
As she spoke, she conveniently helped her teammate Xiaoman adjust the shredded tofu that was absorbing flavors in the broth, and continued, "By studying and understanding this professional knowledge, we can avoid the trial-and-error costs that chefs used to face over and over again. It also allows us to conduct rational and rapid analysis based on scientific principles when dealing with new ingredients and new techniques, thereby perfectly mastering the preparation methods of some new ingredients."
"So I believe that whether it's chefs or people from all walks of life who love cooking, if conditions permit, they can all learn some food science knowledge, which can help us make food taste better and eat healthier."
"Well said!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the host immediately led a round of applause. With a look of admiration, the host said, "Those words were truly profound yet easy to understand, allowing us to effortlessly grasp the relationship between food science and daily life. You really are a professional! An absolute authority!"
"Indeed,"
even the usually cautious Dr. Hui smiled and nodded, saying, "In fact, food science and our field of nutrition are inextricably linked. It also has a close relationship with our daily lives. If everyone has the time, I encourage you to learn more about it."
Judge Qiao then humorously remarked, "Well, as a veteran foodie, I will start thoroughly studying food science and nutrition from today onward. I'll strive to live a long, healthy life so I can eat even more delicious food!"
His words drew a burst of laughter from the audience.
