Reborn in Japan as a Chef God

78: Chapter 78: The Blind Spot of Cooking Skills 78: Chapter 78: The Blind Spot of Cooking Skills Cod fish.

Just two simple words, an ingredient.

A female staff member stood on the stage holding the scroll, as Shinohara Shigetaro’s gaze swept over the startled Xia Yu, he spoke at the right time, “The main ingredient is fixed, but the form of the dish is unrestricted.

You can all flex your creativity.

The time limit is 2 hours!”

He appeared to be very approachable, but all the chefs present had tense expressions.

Fortunately, this group of quasi-two-star chefs had extensive on-site cooking experience.

If it had been a group of students, someone might have gone weak at the knees.

The examination hall fell into a brief silence.

Chefs and staff pouring in from outside quickly filled the audience seats, and latecomers could only squeeze in at the back, standing on tiptoe to watch.

If someone smoked or made noise, the staff would promptly stop them.

“Huh?”

In the audience, Hozoi Midori happened to glance at a nearby seat and was startled.

She rubbed her eyes vigorously.

Also in the front row, on her right, about seven or eight seats away, stood two girls.

One girl had slightly curly golden long hair and an excellent figure, while the other had medium-short purple hair, standing slightly respectfully beside the blonde girl.

Moreover, what assured Hozoi Midori of their identities was that they were wearing the Far Moon’s uniform skirts!

“What are Divine Tongue and that Niho Hizaki doing at the IGO Tokyo headquarters?” Hozoi Midori frowned secretly.

She didn’t have the same respect or adoration that other Far Moon female students had for Tiqie Helinai and Niho Hizaki.

The first seat of the Ten Masters of Far Moon was the goal and ideal that Hozoi Midori strived for, so Tiqie Helinai, who already held a seat, undoubtedly stood as an enemy blocking her path.

In the examination hall.

“Using the designated ingredient to make a dish, huh?”

Xia Yu quickly set his mind into motion.

The other chefs were in a similar state, each standing at a cooking station, lost in thought.

Thundering sounds of large wheels echoed as it reverberated through the venue.

Several burly staff members worked together to push a cart piled high with ice and ingredients.

“Fresh Atlantic cod ingredients have been delivered.

You can choose freely!” The female staff member with the scroll spoke into the microphone.

At this point, the nine chefs participating in the assessment all sprang into action, each striding forward confidently.

It wasn’t quite like the rush at a vegetable market, but a tense atmosphere quietly spread among the people.

Identifying and selecting ingredients were also part of the assessment!

Otherwise, the IGO wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to deliver fresh cod to the site.

Nine people surrounded the cart, their eyes sharp and scrutinizing, searching for their preferred cod in the cold, misty water.

Xia Yu was among them.

Truth be told, he was bewildered.

If it had been freshwater fish he often handled and cooked, he could talk endlessly, day and night.

However, cod was a marine species, primarily found in the cold waters of the North Atlantic, from Northern Europe to Canada and the eastern United States.

Currently, the main producing countries of cod are Iceland, Norway, Canada, and Russia.

Neon’s fishing grounds in Hokkaido could also catch cod, but the yield was not high.

The old man hadn’t let him handle cod often in recent years.

That’s because the menu at Xia’s cuisine shop didn’t include Chinese cuisine with cod as the main ingredient.

Xia Yu’s understanding of cod was scant, limited to surface knowledge such as its production areas.

Asking him to select the ingredients was truly a challenge.

Simply put, this exam question just happened to hit the blind spot and weak point of his culinary skills!

So, standing motionless in front of the cart, he became the focus of the camera on the giant broadcast screen above the venue.

Shinohara Shigetaro stared at the big screen, his expression slightly darkening.

“Mr.

Shinohara, is that young man the chef you specially took care of?” Dojima Yin was curious.

If he had undergone professional chef training and had sufficient cooking experience, he wouldn’t struggle to choose a cod.

Shinohara Shigetaro felt a bit embarrassed.

In Japan, the IGO and the Far Moon Lineage coexisted and competed.

Though reluctantly, Shinohara Shigetaro nodded, speaking in a deep voice, “I believe he can make a dish that satisfies us.”

“We’ll see.” Dojima Yin’s eyes flashed.

Liangzi Lina’s beautiful eyes remained on Xia Yu.

She didn’t watch the broadcast screen.

Seeing other chefs returning to their cooking stations with lively large cod one after another while Xia Yu stood like a statue, she finally began to frown.

The audience also started buzzing with discussions.

“What is that young man doing?

Two hours for cooking is quite tight!” A chef participating in a one-star assessment wondered.

“Still too young.

I don’t think he’s a student of Far Moon.

As expected, he encountered difficulties at the beginning stage of selecting ingredients.

And this is just the start.

There are many detailed aspects to handling cod.”

“Then there’s no need to watch any longer.

This young man will be the first to be eliminated!”

Hearing the voices coming from behind, Hozoi Midori couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

A blind spot!

Even she found it somewhat challenging.

Cod, a traditional Chinese cuisine seldom-used ingredient, coastal provinces had more exposure to such seafood, but overall, freshwater fish were the mainstream.

On the other side.

“Lady Eriina, he seems to be in trouble.” The purple-haired girl, Niho Hizaki, whispered behind Tiqie Helinai.

It was quite a coincidence today.

Not only had Dojima Yin come to the IGO Tokyo headquarters for discussions, but Tiqie Helinai had also arrived.

Already a two-star chef with the IGO, she was here specifically to apply for the three-star assessment, having waited in the venue’s lounge for a while.

The earlier broadcast piqued her curiosity.

The luxurious lineup of main examiners indicated someone notable was in the two-star test area, but what surprised Tiqie Helinai was that she met that annoying chef again!

“He hasn’t undergone professional chef training and has many blind spots in cooking.” Tiqie Helinai’s lips curled in a mocking smile.

“What does it matter that he’s Xia Qing’s grandson?

A self-taught rogue will always be a self-taught rogue.

He doesn’t even understand cod, the ‘dietitian of the dining table’!”

Tiqie Helinai’s words truly wronged Xia Yu.

Cod gained fame in Western Europe and could be compared to how dumplings in China, pork knuckle in Germany, or sushi in Neon became vehicles of cultural heritage.

Although this fish is found on the Pacific Coast, countries there generally show little interest in it.

This is because the texture of cod is coarse and its flavor mild, which doesn’t match the East Asian Pan-Chinese cultural circle’s appreciation for “umami.”

Therefore, there’s this odd phenomenon in the home country mainland, where domestic cod couldn’t gain popularity, and its price was even low, while imported black cod and silver cod had exorbitant prices.

Regardless of external discussions, Xia Yu found himself in a peculiar state at this time.

Chef God Space.

“System, show me all edible cod species!”

Xia Yu was raring to go, ready for an emergency crash course.