Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country

Chapter 643 - 591: Recreation Across Millennia, Vegetarian Hangover Ice

Today is a bit hot, especially with so many people at the competition venue, the temperature is even higher, making this cool, refreshing dessert very appropriate.

Others brought out typical Western ingredients like eggs, sugar, and gelatin sheets, but Wang Fan took out Jing Rice, stone algae, and ginger flower, things that seemed unrelated to desserts, making him stand out from those around him.

And when these items were placed by the stove, Wang Fan inevitably became the center of attention again.

Fortunately, he was already used to this situation for so long, or else being constantly watched by so many people would make it uncertain whether he could finish his work properly.

Stone algae are the main ingredient for making agar, suggesting that as early as a thousand years ago, or even earlier, our ancestors were already using agar.

While Wang Fan was busy, the eyes of the three judges frequently focused on him.

"He should be the most well-known among the contestants, right?"

"Yes, but his fame mostly comes from cooking, though he has made some desserts, they’re not many."

"We really have too few outstanding participants that we can find, I saw only about a dozen new faces, let’s hope they can surprise us."

The expressions of the three judges were somewhat solemn, as ever since this competition was organized, they had lost too miserably, giving them a feeling of having no face to see the elders of Jiangdong.

Naturally, the French team was quite the opposite of them.

Rather than a competition, it was more like a tour, as compared to those Huaxia contestants, their strength was a notch higher.

The team leader, Durand, was a pastry chef from a three-star Michelin restaurant, facing these Huaxia contestants was an absolute dimension-reducing strike.

However, even when he faced Allen, he could only hang a flattering smile.

Allen was not just a chef, he was also the owner of several Michelin restaurants and an absolute titan in the French dining industry. Offending him meant you could hardly mix in the French dining industry afterward.

Allen seriously said to Durand, "Durand, you must take this competition seriously, because the Huaxia team has an incredible chef participating. If you don’t take it seriously, you could easily lose to him."

Durand confidently said, "Don’t worry, Chef Allen, the Huaxia team’s level can only be apprentices here, we will definitely not lose."

Although Allen was a boss, what he liked most was still being called a chef, which was no secret in the circle.

Allen shook his head: "Do not underestimate that guy, as on our restaurant’s website, there are still photos of delicious desserts made by that guy on the page."

Durand was shocked at heart, food photos on the home page? Are there truly such impressive figures in Huaxia?

But thinking about the competition format which has always been in place, he calmed himself: "Don’t worry, even if he’s amazing, can he really beat 10 of us alone?"

Allen nodded, although Durand was a bit arrogant usually, he wasn’t wrong. Even as awesome as Wang Fan might be, he couldn’t possibly take on 10 people alone? This wasn’t a movie shoot.

"Just be careful yourselves. If by accident you lose the competition, beware lest I throw you all into the Seine River."

...

At this point, the competition arena had entered the middle stages, and some of the simpler dessert processes had gradually taken shape.

Cakes, tiramisu, beautifully crafted large donuts, and other classic desserts had already appeared on many cutting boards.

Wang Fan seemed to have the slowest progress of anyone here. Not only was nothing taking shape, but he hadn’t even started yet.

He was boiling stone algae in his pot, while he held a small knife and food-grade silicone in his hands, crafting molds one cut at a time.

For fairness, this competition prohibited the preparation of special molds in advance; if used, they must be made on site.

By the time Wang Fan’s molds were almost done, the stone algae was finally cooked.

This dessert, according to "Mountain Home’s Pure Offerings," was to be made with winter plum, but of course it couldn’t be found in this season, so after listening to Wang Fan’s request, Zhuo Qianqian recommended another flower - ginger flower.

"The ancestors in the Song Dynasty loved incorporating flowers into cooking, and Southern Song poet Yang Wanli once wrote ’Storing snow water to brew spring chill, dining with honey-dipped plum flowers bathed in dew.’ The reason I think ginger flowers can be substituted is mainly that this ancestor also said ’autumn water cold fish white with brocade scales, ginger flowers fragrant with the sharp taste.’ So these two flowers surely can be substituted for each other based on this ancestor’s words."

Wang Fan truly felt the regret of having insufficient knowledge at that moment.

Ginger flowers were easy to find, and upon finding them, they just felt intensely fragrant and invigorating, suggesting they would definitely be excellent in dishes.

The cooked stone algae water was filtered with cheesecloth, and Wang Fan cautiously poured it into the newly made molds.

When the molds were two-thirds full, the ginger flowers, along with chopped orange peel, orange flesh, and ginger powder, were placed into the molds, filling the remaining space with the liquid.

When the molds cooled down, Wang Fan placed them in the refrigerator.

"Boss Wang’s production process seems so strange and totally different from others."

"Certainly can’t understand, it’s like he just cooked something weird, carved something weird, then put in something weird, and weirdly finished it."

"Could Boss Wang have given up?"

The competition site was observed by audiences who, although they couldn’t make desserts, certainly could taste them!

Additionally, since there was excitement to partake in, why wouldn’t they join in?

"According to the law that the stranger the move, the higher the damage, what Boss Wang makes is surely going to surprise everyone."

The process of others amounted to desserts gradually forming, where the audience could clearly see each step, from batter to cake to frosting, from biscuit crumbles to tiramisu, each step being crystal clear.

Yet Wang Fan merely cooked, carved, and placed something discreetly, with no one knowing what he made, if it looked good, or tasted good. It seemed like a product with nothing but curiosity, naturally sparking more discussion. Everyone grew increasingly curious as to what kind of magic potion Wang Fan was hiding.

Fortunately, as time for production increasingly dwindled, much like moments before a grand prize reveal, everyone was filled with anticipation over what Wang Fan stored in the fridge.

Estimating the time, Wang Fan took out three small bowls, then retrieved the molds from the refrigerator.

Not only the spectators but even the judges and other contestants focused their eyes on Wang Fan’s hands.

Wang Fan gently opened the molds and with a slight wrist flick onto the bowls, an Ice Crystal Flower softly landed therein.

"???

"Wow?"

"With such a peculiar motion, he made something that at a glance feels like I can’t afford to eat it?"

"Could he use magic?"

As the item Wang Fan created landed in the bowl, and the others could discern its true appearance, amazement continuously arose in waves.

In the brownish-red bowls, there was a translucent delicate flower, with the distinct contours of petals and gorgeously splendid golden-yellow stamens in the center!

Its impeccable appearance instantly amazed everyone present.

The three judges exchanged glances, seeing the excitement on each other’s faces, and didn’t need to discuss its flavor or texture. Just from appearance, this dessert definitely didn’t lose to those made by the French masters!

"If I’m not mistaken, this should be the Vegetarian Hangover Ice from the Song Dynasty, right? I didn’t expect this young man to have recreated this dessert."

"It’s probably not the original Vegetarian Hangover Ice, looks like it’s been modified, but this modification appears very successful."

"If this Vegetarian Hangover Ice has excellent taste and texture, this competition might yield a good result, hmm? Why are you two looking at me like that?"

"Who do you think you’re looking down on by saying that? The ancestors paid much more attention to eating than we do, so this must taste amazing."