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65.77% Life As Hikigaya Hachiman / Chapter 390: [390] Perfect Dish

Kapitel 390: [390] Perfect Dish

Chapter 390: Perfect Dish

Having divided the fermented dough into four pieces, Hachiman added vegetable juice for coloring, resulting in four colors: white, green, black, and red.

With the dough prepared, Hachiman began preparing the fillings.

Sea cucumber, shark fin, abalone, scallop, crab, shrimp, squid, and flounder.

These eight types of seafood were quickly processed by him, then separately cooked in eight pots.

During this time, Hachiman began weaving bamboo boats to hold the dishes.

With the fillings ready, it was time to make the buns. Each of the eight fillings was wrapped in dough of the four colors, with the characters (blue), (white), (vermilion), and  (black) imprinted on top, symbolizing the Four Sacred Beasts.

The buns, along with the bamboo boats, were placed into the steamer.

During this interval, Hachiman began preparing another type of bun.

Speaking of the "Four Sacred Eight Seafood Treasure Soul Buns," one cannot fail to mention another type of "bun," the "Golden Smile."

In "Chuka Ichiban," when he faced off against Luo Kong in a cooking duel, he drew the topic of "buns." While Luo Kong used the thousand-year-old "Shu Han Old Dough" to make the Bai Luo family's ancestral dish, "Four Sacred Eight Treasure Seafood Soul Buns," he countered with the deep-fried buns, "Golden Smiling Bun," resulting in a tie.

Although Hachiman believed that the "Golden Smiling Bun" probably tasted better than the "Four Sacred Eight Treasure Seafood Soul Buns," its novelty factor, combined with the protagonist's treatment, warranted the tie.

With his current culinary skills, which were likely on par with or even stronger than Liu Maoxing's later skills, replicating a "Golden Smiling Bun" wouldn't be difficult.

Soon, buns with "smiling faces" appeared in Hachiman's hands.

However, he didn't rush to fry them. Instead, he took down the steamed "Four Sacred Eight Treasure Seafood Soul Buns." Just as he was about to lift the lid of the steamer, a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

Squinting his eyes, Hachiman could see faint golden glimmers through the small holes of the steamer.

Is it... actually glowing?!

This took Hachiman by surprise. Despite having reached the pinnacle of his cooking module long ago, he had never made a glowing dish before.

His surprise didn't go unnoticed by Erina and the others, who looked at him with curiosity.

"Hachiman-kun, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just a little unexpected situation. But I suppose it's a good thing," Hachiman hesitated to say.

After all, a glowing dish should be the epitome of perfection.

Carefully holding the steamer, Hachiman approached the dining table.

Seeing his actions, everyone couldn't help but feel puzzled.

"Onii-chan, what's wrong with you?"

Taking a deep breath, Hachiman's face showed a serious expression.

"What's about to happen might seem a bit magical, but don't be afraid."

Upon hearing this, Senzaemon smiled.

"Don't worry, Hachiman, I've seen it all. There's nothing that could scare me."

Gin and the others nodded as well. Besides the young people present, they had all experienced major events. Why would they be afraid?

"All right, don't blink, because it's time to witness a miracle," Hachiman said, pausing for a moment before reaching out to lift the lid covering the steamer.

As the cover was removed, a golden light burst forth from the steamer.

"What is this?!"

"It's... glowing!"

"How can a dish glow?!"

...

Seeing this golden light, even Senzaemon and the others, who had just said "there's nothing to fear," couldn't help but express their astonishment.

If they were surprised, let alone Erina and the others.

The girls were all dumbfounded, questioning their existence.

Meow meow meow?

Did I just see that?

Is the dish actually glowing?

But being experienced individuals, Senzaemon was the first to react, quickly asking Hachiman, "Hachiman-kun, what's going on? Why is the dish glowing?"

The others also perked up their ears, wanting to hear Hachiman's explanation.

However, this time they were disappointed, as Hachiman himself encountered the phenomenon of glowing dishes for the first time.

"I don't actually know. This is the first time I've encountered a dish that glows," Hachiman admitted.

"But I read about it in an ancient book. Legend has it that in a distant ancient kingdom across the sea, over a hundred years ago, there were dishes that emitted light. It was considered the epitome of culinary perfection."

"In other words, a glowing dish signifies that the dish is perfect."

Scratching his head, Hachiman had to resort to the explanations he read in "Chuka Ichiban."

"Perfect dish..."

Senzaemon muttered to himself, and the next moment, his expression suddenly became excited.

"Mana... Mana... A perfect dish can surely save Mana"

Mana?

Upon hearing this name, Hachiman raised an eyebrow.

If he remembered correctly, Mana, as mentioned by Senzaemon, was his daughter, the sister of Soue Nakiri, the wife of Azami Nakiri, and also the biological mother of Erina, one of his soon-to-be mothers-in-law...

Mana Nakiri.

Hachiman's prospective mother-in-law and Erina both possess the same "God Tongue."

The "God Tongue" is indeed an enviable talent, but at the same time, it's also a curse.

It was because of the "God Tongue" that Mana Nakiri developed anorexia, becoming tired of eating mediocre dishes and relying solely on nutrients to sustain her life.

In the later stages of the original story, she appeared as the ultimate final boss.

In the Moon Banquet Hall, she tasked Erina and Soma Yukihira with creating a dish that had never been seen on Earth before.

In fact, the entire plot of "Food Wars" is just a setup, a scheme devised by Senzaemon to save his daughter and granddaughter.

He gathered geniuses from all over the world at Totsuki Academy, having them compete against each other, all in the guise of nurturing the strongest chefs to save his family.

Similarly, Azami Nakiri had his own method of trying to save his wife and daughter.

Upon hearing his own mother's name, Erina's expression also became excited.

"Grandfather, are you saying that this dish can save Mom?"

"If what Hachiman-kun says is true, then it must be possible," Senzaemon's emotions were somewhat stirred at this moment.

However, Soue Nakiri appeared unusually calm at this moment, holding down his father's trembling shoulder, and spoke in a low voice.

"Father, let's wait a moment. Before concluding it's a perfect dish, let's taste it first. You know, we don't have many chances to try it out on Mana's side."

Upon hearing this, Senzaemon also calmed down and nodded.

"Then let's taste this 'perfect dish'!"

With that, he picked up a red bun and placed it in his mouth.


Kapitel 391: [391] Soul Bun and Laughing Bun

Chapter 391: Soul Bun and Laughing Bun

Taking a bite of the red bun imprinted with the character (vermilion), Senzaemon paused for a moment. Then, he eagerly devoured the small bun in a few mouthfuls, followed by picking up the white bun imprinted with the character (white), then the green bun imprinted with the character (blue), and finally, the black bun imprinted with the character (black)...

Seeing this scene, everyone was somewhat surprised.

Given Senzaemon's current status and experience, he wouldn't typically eat in such a ravenous manner. What was happening today?

Could it be that this plate of buns was truly a perfect dish?

After wolfing down the four-colored buns, Senzaemon's face, which had previously shown some excitement, oddly calmed down.

Closing his eyes slowly, as if savoring something, he remained silent for a while.

It was uncertain how long it lasted, perhaps a minute, or maybe five, but Senzaemon reopened his eyes and looked at Hachiman in front of him.

"Hachiman-kun, what is the name of this dish?"

"This dish is called 'Four Sacred Seafood Eight Treasure Soul Buns,'" Hachiman replied with a smile.

"Soul Buns... Indeed, the dish lives up to its name," Senzaemon murmured to himself.

However, upon hearing the name of the dish, Alice raised a question, "Huh? Buns? But aren't these dumplings?"

"Hehe, 'mantou' is an ancient term, originally referring to buns. Later, it evolved to include versions without fillings. For convenience, the unfilled ones are called 'mantou,' while those with fillings are called dumplings," Hachiman explained with a smile.

"In fact, the origin of mantou has a little story. Legend has it that after Zhuge Liang captured Meng Huo seven times and returned victorious, on his way back, when passing a big river, the sky suddenly darkened, the wind howled, and huge waves surged, making it impossible for the army to cross the river."

"Zhuge Liang consulted Meng Huo, who said that the river was notorious for being cursed, with vengeful spirits haunting it. To cross the river, sacrifices of forty-nine human heads were required."

"Unable to let his soldiers perish in a foreign land, Zhuge Liang devised a plan. He instructed the army's chefs to use beef and mutton to make dumplings, shaped like human heads, by wrapping them in dough and steaming them in bamboo steamers. After a ritual, they threw these 'dummy heads' into the river as substitutes for the sacrificial offerings."

"As expected, after the ritual, the river calmed down, and the army crossed smoothly. Zhuge Liang named this food 'mantou,' which later evolved into the term 'mantou' we use today."

After listening to Hachiman's explanation, Alice's eyes seemed to sparkle with admiration.

"Hachiman-kun, you're amazing! You even know about such legends."

However, after hearing the story, Senzaemon hesitated before asking, "So, Hachiman-kun, about this dish..."

As if anticipating his question, Hachiman nodded.

"That's right. The legendary inventor of this 'Four Sacred Seafood Eight Treasure Soul Buns' is said to be a descendant of the army chef who served under Zhuge Liang."

Upon hearing this, everyone was amazed. They hadn't expected this dish to have such a profound history.

With that in mind, they each picked up a bun and took a bite.

"Mmm, mine is filled with sea cucumber."

"Mmm... tender and juicy, this must be abalone filling."

"The shark fin is soaked in broth, dancing in my mouth."

"Sea cucumber, abalone, shark fin, scallop, crab, shrimp, squid, and flounder—all top-quality seafood dried goods, from soaking to stewing in a clay pot until juicy filling is made, the entire process is flawless. It's amazing."

"Not only the fillings, even the dough is perfect, soft like a sponge, it's simply a delight! And there's a refreshing bamboo fragrance on the dough, is it because of the bamboo boats?"

...

Although they praised the deliciousness of the dish, the faces of everyone were remarkably serene, giving off a sense of calmness and tranquility.

"These buns... truly amazing. After eating it, even the excitement from seeing the glowing dish just now has been calmed," commented Gin.

Joichiro nodded, but also expressed some curiosity, "Yeah, it's strange. We've eaten so much, yet we don't feel full at all. Instead, there's a very comfortable feeling. How did they manage to do that?"

"The secret lies within this dough," Hachiman said with a slight smile, explaining, "The eastern green represents sourness, the western white represents sweetness, the southern red represents spiciness, and the northern black represents bitterness."

"According to the theory of Yin and Yang in traditional Chinese medicine, kneading these four flavors into the dough, along with the freshness of the seafood filling, the bamboo fragrance from the bamboo boats, and so on, can help balance the Yin and Yang energies in the body."

Listening to Hachiman's words, the girls felt a bit dizzy. Simply put, this dish seemed to have medicinal properties.

However, Senzaemon was different. As the head of the Totsuki Corporation, which originated from the culinary world, he was quite knowledgeable about various medicinal theories and could naturally understand what Hachiman was saying.

"I see, so you've utilized the theory of Yin and Yang harmony from traditional Chinese medicine? The Four Sacred... Eight Treasure... Soul Buns... truly a perfect dish."

But upon hearing Senzaemon's words, Hachiman shook his head. "Grandpa Senzaemon, actually, this dish hasn't reached its ultimate form yet."

"Huh? But didn't you say that the dish emits golden light, indicating that it's reached perfection?" Erina interjected, puzzled.

Hachiman nodded at first, then shook his head. "While this dish is indeed my current pinnacle, the recipe itself hasn't reached its peak."

"The most important ingredient in this 'Four Sacred Seafood Eight Treasure Soul Buns' is the aged dough. Although the piece of dough I used today, aged 500 to 600 years, is already quite rare, it's still far from sufficient."

"It is rumored that the family who created this dish possesses a thousand-year-old dough that has been passed down since the Shu Han period. If I could use that, then this dish would truly reach its peak."

"Unfortunately, the last descendant of that family who possessed the thousand-year-old dough disappeared without a trace a hundred years ago, and perhaps the 'Shu Han Old Dough' has also vanished by now."

Since they hadn't watched "Chuka Ichiban," Hachiman decided to freely embellish the story with details from the show.

Upon hearing his words, everyone exchanged glances. A dough passed down from the Shu Han period? That would mean it has a history of over 1,700 years!

Over 1,700 years! Just thinking about it evoked a strong sense of history.

"Alright, let's not dwell on that. Let's continue," Hachiman said, smiling. "After tasting the historical dish just now, I'm sure everyone's feeling quite heavy. So, next, I'll make sure to lift everyone's spirits."

With that, he returned to the cooking station and started frying something in the oil.

The sound of sizzling oil filled the room, and soon Hachiman was carrying a plate of golden-yellow spherical objects to the table.

"Welcome to try the 'Golden Smiling Buns.'"

Looking at the dish in the plate, Senzaemon hesitated. "Hachiman-kun, are these... fried buns?"

"Yes, exactly, fried buns. And I believe they will offer everyone a unique experience," Hachiman said, brimming with confidence.

Upon hearing his words, Senzaemon raised an eyebrow and looked at the golden buns with "smiling faces."

As soon as he picked one up, he heard a crisp laughter coming from it.

"Hehehe... hehehe..."

"What's going on? Where is this laughter coming from?"

The sudden laughter startled everyone. Following the sound, Senzaemon looked at the bun in his hand, uncertain.

"Is... is the bun laughing?"

As if to confirm his suspicion, Senzaemon gently squeezed the bun again, and once more, he heard the laughter coming from the smiling "mouth" of the bun.

Seeing this, everyone became intrigued and began picking up a bun to squeeze and listen to the laughter.

The laughter echoed in the cooking room, creating an atmosphere of amusement.

"Hahaha, what an amusing dish. But what's most important is the taste. Let's give it a try."

Senzaemon laughed heartily a few times before biting into the bun, and the others followed suit.

As they bit down, the laughter grew louder, making it seem like they were eating and laughing simultaneously, creating a rather amusing scene.

Hearing this infectious laughter, the emotions that had been calmed by the "Four Sacred Seafood Eight Treasure Soul Buns" were once again stirred.

A feeling of happiness surged in their hearts.

Dessert, dessert, signifies lighting up the heart.

After all, with cuisine, it's all about enjoying it with happiness.

-----------

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