CHAPTER 693: CHAPTER 692: RED OIL DUMPLINGS (PART 1)

Red Oil Dumplings!

As the fiery sauce poured onto the plate, Xingping’s Red Oil Dumplings were complete.

Red Oil Dumplings are a common dish on the menu at Chinese Restaurants, belonging to Sichuan cuisine within the major Chinese culinary traditions, characterized generally by thin skins, tender meats and a spicy, aromatic chili oil broth.

Thus, to make authentic Red Oil Dumplings, there were two key elements—

The dumplings themselves.

And the soul-enhancing red oil broth.

The number of spectators was large, among them Chinese tourists and gourmets knowledgeable about Chinese food. At first glance at Xingping Chuangzhen’s plate of Red Oil Dumplings, they started giving thumbs up.

Dumplings arranged in a circular formation, small in size, light in weight, with a thin layer of dough that acted like a crystal screen, encapsulating the filling and faintly emitting a meaty aroma.

Just glimpsing these shiny dumplings in the red oil broth made the onlookers salivate, their eyes broadcasting intense signals of appetite—

Wanting to eat!

But the professionals, which included some industry chefs and top students from Far Moon, merely glanced at the dumplings a few times, then stared intently at the circles of floating red oil broth.

Relying on their keen sense of smell, they could tell just by the scent.

This red oil broth was extraordinary!

"Not the traditional red oil broth!"

Posing as a reporter, Chen Yang had already blended into the perimeter of the crowd. He deliberately avoided Lei Zhe, standing at an angle out of his line of sight, and it wasn’t long before he stopped walking as the spicy aroma wafted from the inner circle. The strong, enchanting scent took him by surprise, "Traditional red oil sauce mainly uses red soy sauce and red chili oil mixed together, with sugar, minced garlic, and chopped green onions added depending on the chef’s preference and the guests’ taste..."

However, in the scent that diffused through the air, apart from the spicy fragrance of red soy sauce and red chili oil, Chen Yang also detected hints of sourness and sweetness.

This mix of aromas swirling around his nose, Chen Yang became addicted, inhaling deeply—

"Sour, sweet, spicy, and richly fragrant!"

He internally appraised it.

"Spices!"

"This red oil broth must contain classic Chinese spices, otherwise the flavor wouldn’t be so rich, full-bodied, and lingering!"

Chen Yang concluded, and squeezed through the crowd to move closer to the inner circle to catch a stronger whiff and confirm his judgment.

At this moment.

The closest to the stall and the Red Oil Dumplings was undoubtedly Lei Zhe.

On the surface, he appeared the same as when he had left Kogama Restaurant, but an observant person could spot the faint sweat trails under his hairline, showing signs of spreading.

To achieve this with just aroma was a significant success.

To know, not even Koga Shoji’s extreme spiciness had managed to draw a single drop of sweat from Lei Zhe.

Therefore, as a cuisine that triumphs through spiciness and hooks diners with its heat, Shuchuan cuisine’s failure outright in Koga Shoji’s case was undeniable. But Xingping Chuangzhen’s Red Oil Dumplings had touched upon a threshold of success!

On the outskirts.

Koga Shoji, leaning against the gate at a higher step, watching this scene, wore a complex expression on his face.

"Come, have a taste—"

In the silent crowd, a refreshing young voice, full of vitality, spoke.

It was Xingping Chuangzhen, who for the third time within a quarter hour, extended an invitation to taste his dish to a Lin-level chef who had come with ill intentions.

Hearing this, Koga Shoji covered his face with his hand, scolding him as reckless, yet inside he felt a hint of admiration.

Kobayakawa Ryodan and Tiqie Helinai also looked at him with slightly astounded eyes.

"Is this the spirit of a chef?"

A Far Moon student said, recalling the address at the opening ceremony from the Far Moon Commander—that 99% of you exist to refine that 1% of gems.

Now, they saw in Xingping Chuangzhen the unique sparkle of a "Generation of Jades"!

Lei Zhe suddenly burst into laughter, his admiration evident in his eyes no longer hidden.

As everyone turned to look at him, his laughter ceased, and he stared at Xingping like a formidable bear standing on two legs, his entire persona exuding a dangerous aura, "This is the third time!"

"Three strikes!"

"If you can’t satisfy me," I’m sorry, but I’ll have to give you a lifetime of bad reviews!"

"That’s the shackle I, Lei Zhe, place upon you!"

"Unless someone can defeat me and prove their worth, this shackle cannot be broken!"

Lei Zhe’s words exuded an air of superiority.

Tiqie Helinai gritted her teeth, furious at the sight of someone causing a ruckus in her territory. Normally, any top chef would have had the person kicked out, rather than reluctantly hosting them.

The Far Moon ’Academy Festival’ was hosting Lin-level guests for the first time!

Logically, with Far Moon Kingdom’s status in the Japanese food industry, even Lin Chefs wouldn’t dare to act so boldly, saying it represented the national food industry’s face was an understatement.

But thinking of the colossal entity behind Lei Zhe, Tiqie Helinai felt a wave of helplessness.

The Culinary Association, a dragon entrenched in the West, had recently forced the IGO to retreat progressively from the Eurasian continent.

Moreover, when it came to national matters, the Japanese government had long become a subordinate of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region. Only the culinary world had managed to somewhat hold its ground in recent years.

Lei Zhe himself represented the will of the Culinary Association and the United States.

Face-stepping?

Dare you resist?

That’s probably what imperialist thought feels like.

"Eat, you should enjoy the cuisine while it’s hot!" Xingping Chuangzhen, unlike Tiqie Helinai, wasn’t burdened with such thoughts and greeted again.

Lei Zhe coldly took the chopsticks handed to him and picked up a delicate dumpling.

He opened his mouth and swallowed it whole.

As expected!

Instantly, the spicy chili oil was overwhelming.

But within the spice, a rich aroma that made his tongue tremble emerged—spiciness isn’t a flavor, but richness is, and this aroma blended with classic Chinese spices. Lei Zhe immediately identified the structure of the spices—

based on cinnamon and star anise, the faint sweetness derived from this!

That hint of sourness was crafted by vinegar.

Then the core element—

Sesame oil, also known as sesame oil!

Lei Zhe’s forehead began to sweat, and his usually stern face gradually softened.

"Boom!"

The gates unbreachable by mere spiciness were easily conquered by a strange mix of sour, sweet, and intensely rich flavors.

The scorching desert stretched endlessly.

Thirsty and sweating profusely, Lei Zhe stood on a sand dune.

His entire body scorched by the sun.

Thud!

He fell to his knees. Since the awakening of his gourmet cells, his tongue and mouth had never experienced such severe pain; he clutched at his neck.

The sound of footsteps approached, and a desert youth with a goatskin bag stood before him, "Do you desire it?"

"Give me—"

He roared, snatched the goatskin bag, pulled out the stopper, and started frantically gulping down water.

Cough, cough!

The pain on his face did not ebb; his expression twisted even more.

"Ah!"

A loud cry.

What slipped smoothly into his mouth was not water but a red oil slurry that whizzed through his throat and plummeted into his intestines, his entire body as if impaled by a spear of flames.

"Heh, heh, heh..."

Heavy breathing ensued.