Chapter 216: Chapter 216: Mastering the Eight Major Cuisines

"This is impossible, the cleaver has been tampered with; how could it not have shattered after so many chops!"

Zhou Zheng was becoming anxious; he was mixing some soup base, and unconsciously scattered all of the seasoning into it.

Li Tai's breathing also became rapid involuntarily: "That cutting board is hollow and can't possibly withstand the force of chopping; how did he manage to cut the vegetables?"

The four of them instantly tensed up, their gazes all fixed on Chen Yu, just waiting for him to make a fool of himself.

According to the rules of the competition, if there was the slightest mistake with Chen Yu's equipment, he would be declared the loser.

But as time went on, Chen Yu became more and more adept, and his speed also kept increasing; on the cutting board, he had prepared ingredients for a total of seven dishes.

The four of them gave up any hope and could only bury their heads and concentrate on cooking their own dishes.

Not long after, a rich fragrance spread across the stadium, drawing the attention of everyone there.

Some members of the audience even couldn't help themselves and walked down from the stands, wanting to take a closer look.

"Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix!"

Chen Yu suddenly shouted, and then he presented a huge plate.

This dish is a classic in the Huizhou cuisine, made with over a dozen types of poultry and aided by hundreds of cooking techniques.

Various side dishes and meats were neatly arranged on the plate, forming a picture of the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, with the phoenix in the center looking dazzlingly colorful.

Especially, the mix of scents from the hundreds of cooking techniques used in this dish created an extremely unique aroma, making all the judges unable to resist.

When this dish was served, the judges quickly gathered around and eagerly took a bite.

"Delicious, so delicious! With one bite, the flavors of pigeon, chicken, duck, and goose meat blend together; it's incredibly tasty."

"What's this sauce made of? Taking a bite, I can taste several flavors evolving on my tongue."

...

These judges were some of the rare gourmands in Suzhou City, and their comments were enough to prove how delicious this dish was.

The spectators in the stands could hardly wait; they were dying to rush down for a taste.

The four opponents had no choice but to speed up the movement of their hands.

While Chen Yu was cooking, his knife skills and techniques were superior to theirs, and even the flames he used for cooking were much larger than typical gas flames.

They had also heard of the dish Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, a very difficult dish to prepare. To create it, one had to prepare ingredients and sauces half a month in advance, and most importantly, the knife skills during the cooking process were highly challenging.

Under circumstances where ingredients were ample, even the best chefs would need a full day to complete it.

But Chen Yu had used less than twenty minutes from start to finish.

Just as the four were filled with anxiety, Chen Yu took out another dish from the steamer.

"Drunken Fish in Scorched Rice!"

Anyone with a bit of culinary background would start upon hearing the name.

This dish is strictly speaking a Huaiyang cuisine, but it has been fused with Cantonese cuisine to form a new cooking method.

The rich aroma of fish had already captivated all judges, bringing them back from the intoxicating taste of Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.

At a glance, the dish seemed like a simple steamed fish, but upon closer inspection, one would realize that this fish was dissimilar to ordinary fish.

It actually had various characteristics of different fish.

The significance lay in the sheer size of this fish, which astonishingly weighed over twenty pounds.

One of the judges also hurried forward, eager to taste the dish without delay.

"It's incredible how more than twenty kinds of fish can be mixed together, yet each retains its own unique flavor, too perfect!" seaʀᴄh thё ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Not only does it preserve the individual flavors, on a certain level, it also blends them without any clash of tastes, a true masterstroke of genius!"

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...

Just these two dishes had already surpassed the understanding of Chen Tian and his peers.

The two dishes just prepared by Chen Yu could both be considered exquisite cuisine; if not well made, they would be nothing more than a jumbled mess, but if done right, they were a heavenly delicacy.

At this moment, they knew they were no match for Chen Yu; as chefs, once they had started a dish, they had to finish it.

All four mustered their courage to complete their dishes and lined up to present them to the judges.

Each of them made two dishes, totaling eight in all.

It must be said that these four were also top-tier chefs, and the dishes they made were of a world-class standard.

In another place, these eight dishes might be considered superb.

However, in front of Chen Yu, these eight dishes were just ordinary home cooking.

The judges had already had their expectations recalibrated by the previous two dishes and hardly had the interest to taste the eight dishes.

Instead, their gazes were locked onto Chen Yu.

According to the rules, Chen Yu alone had to make eight dishes; with only two presented so far, the anticipation for the remaining six grew.

Chen Yu did not disappoint the eager judges, and before long, the remaining six dishes were successively brought out.

"Jade Rabbit Adorning the Moon! Carp Leaping Over the Dragon's Gate! Drunken Sleep on the Battlefield, Laugh Not! Tramping Through Snow in Search of Bears! Lone Boat on the Clear River in Moonlight! Golden Dragon Stirring the Sea!"

The moment the six dishes were served, all the judges straightened up, staring intently at the six plates.

These dishes were mostly legendary, and together with the two served earlier, they could be said to embody the essence of China's eight major culinary traditions.

The judges didn't bother with formalities and hurried forward to taste them.

"To eat such dishes in one's lifetime is worth dying for!"

"I never thought someone on this earth could master all eight major cuisines simultaneously and bring out the essence of each."

"If I'm not mistaken, this 'Tramping Through Snow in Search of Bears' must have used a mix of pork and mutton to replace bear paws!"

"Jade Rabbit Adorning the Moon has a great name, and the dish is superb, it's rare to see rabbit meat cooked to this level."

...

In the tidal wave of compliments, even Chen Yu felt somewhat elated.

The other four sighed in resignation. By now, they were clear in their hearts that they might never be able to compete with Chen Yu in their lifetimes.

Just the first dish, the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, was enough for them to study for a lifetime.

Chen Yu didn't say much, but simply took out the contract they had signed earlier and placed it on the table.

"Although this competition originated from a challenge, I believe that chefs should get along amiably and avoid such life-and-death stakes. Moreover, this contest was merely an exchange of skills, and its outcome doesn't signify anything!"

As his words fell, Chen Yu directly took the life-and-death contract they had signed and tore it into pieces.