Chapter 1243: Suspected of Having Absolute Taste Perception

Chapter 1243: Chapter 1243: Suspected of Having Absolute Taste Perception

"We also face limitations, otherwise, I wouldn’t only be telling you now; I would have mentioned it long ago," Guo Wenbo explained.

"Although we can determine the theme beforehand, it’s only a day in advance," Guo Wenbo explained, "Even though there are no organizers supervising on-site, they still have ways to ensure we comply."

"Because the major categories are determined by them. For example, if they choose soup dishes, then we have to select a dish from a specific country’s cuisine from the soup menu," Guo Wenbo said.

"And this major category will only be given to us the day before the competition to prevent us from researching and rehearsing the dishes too early," Guo Wenbo said.

Shang Heyue rolled her eyes: "Those foreigners are quite shrewd."

"You’ve been brainwashed by those positive thinking narratives," Yu Yingyan said with a smile, "Saying foreigners have high professionalism and do things methodically—actually, they’re quite sharp."

"I know, but they can’t even get their calculations right," Shang Heyue continued, rolling her eyes.

"So just consider them fools," Xu Aoliang interjected.

Shang Heyue: "..."

Everyone laughed.

After they laughed for a while, Guo Wenbo said, "The International Chef Association gave us the category of soup this time."

"From there, I discussed with Teacher Ye and decided to choose Japanese cuisine," Guo Wenbo said.

"Among the countries closest to us, Japanese cuisine is relatively varied. As for Korean cuisine, their ingredients are nothing more than a few kinds: kimchi, spicy sauce, bean paste, and mixed pastes with onions, apples, and pears. As for fried noodles, it’s considered Chinese by them, which makes the definition vague and may cause unnecessary trouble."

"In terms of soups, there’s mostly miso soup, kimchi soup, ginseng chicken soup, etc. These basically don’t escape the fundamental flavors," Guo Wenbo said, "They’re too simplistic and not innovative enough for competition."

"In Southeast Asia, they are closer to the three India-related countries, the flavors are somewhat analogous. Western cuisine, as former colonies, give them certain advantages."

"So, after much consideration, we decided on Japanese cuisine. Firstly, their culinary culture is influenced by us, with many similarities. Though their flavors are mild, the ingredients are flexible for adaptation. Moreover, the three India-related countries favor curry and masala, which are intensely flavorful and stimulating. Throwing a mild dish at them might catch them off guard despite no weak contenders at this competition," Ye Huasong said with a smile.

Hua Ciyue nodded: "Korean cuisine is also primarily spicy; although different from Indian spicy, it’s still rich, which might be easier for them to handle."

"Alright, that’s the topic," Guo Wenbo said, "You have a day to prepare. Tomorrow at 9 AM, gather here, and the competition officially starts at 10:30."

"By the way," Ye Huasong added, "In tomorrow’s competition, each team selects three individuals to compete personally. It’s a best-of-three format, so put serious thought into it. Gather here at 5 PM today, and Teacher Guo and I will taste your dishes to decide which three will compete tomorrow."

"Any other questions?" Guo Wenbo asked.

Ye Fei asked, "Who’s judging tomorrow?"

"The judges will be their mentors. They’ll bring three mentors as judges for a blind selection. You don’t need to worry about fairness," Guo Wenbo said.

"During the event, our staff will act as waiters, serving the dishes to the mentors. Dishes won’t be labeled with who made them; the tags with chef names will be hidden under the bowls," Guo Wenbo explained.

"As such, even though they are mentors, they won’t have prior knowledge of the topic, so their selected competitors can’t practice ahead, making it impossible for them to determine who cooked the dishes."

"The International Chef Association set the rules to maintain fairness to the utmost extent. We have the advantage of receiving the topic first for practice, so the judges can’t be from our side; they must be from theirs," Guo Wenbo explained.

"Can’t the International Chef Association directly appoint people as judges?" Ba Zhekai frowned.

Ye Huasong laughed, "Did you forget the sort of character the people sent by the International Chef Association had during the Changping Competition?"

At this, Ba Zhekai was stumped.

He really had forgotten.

"Because of that incident, President Zhao and the principal have been discussing with the International Chef Association, suggesting not letting them interfere in any of our evaluations again," Ye Huasong said.

"Moreover, those from the International Chef Association might seem like they’re from a third party, but no one can guarantee whether they might have connections with either team. Plus, if the attacking team has no advantage, they’ll have opinions too."

"After all, we’re not only defenders but also attackers," Ye Huasong explained, "So this likens to a balance-reaching method."

"Also, you have to have confidence in our principal," Guo Wenbo mentioned Zhao Guoxian, smiling for once, "He is an acknowledged genius chef, suspected to possess absolute taste."

Ye Fei heard this and showed a surprised look.

Zhao Guoxian also has absolute taste?

That’s still the first person she’s encountered with the same absolute taste.

Moreover, although he’s her uncle-in-law, she never knew this.

"Suspected?" Ye Fei asked.

"Because it’s never been confirmed. But indeed, up to now, the principal has never been wrong in identifying ingredients in a dish," Guo Wenbo explained.

"Having him here, he can definitely pinpoint the habitual usages of our team members," Ye Huasong said, "Because even with innovation, everyone has some personal habits that are hard to shake."

"You might not have noticed, but the principal sure can. It’s like someone’s label," Ye Huasong said.

Ye Fei nodded, it truly was.

She discovered that she also had her own habits.

She had her own preference for certain ingredients.

Unsure if this could be considered her label.

A chef, once successful, famous, can call their habits a label.

Otherwise, it’s just habits.

Ye Fei thought, she could only still call it a habit now.

After all, those who’ve tasted her cooking are just those close to her; it hasn’t expanded to the broader diners.