Free Web NovelChapter 669: Chapter 602: Thousand-Layer Pastry? Your Opponent Is 200,000 Threads! (Part 2)
"Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter. It’s quite rare to see judges reluctant to eat in a dessert competition."
"All I can say is that what Boss Wang created isn’t really something meant to be eaten. It’s more intricate than a figurine; how are people supposed to eat it?"
"Exactly, I completely understand the judges’ dilemma. If it were me, I might not have the heart to eat it either, but seeing their conflicted and tearful expressions, I can’t help but want to laugh hahaha."
Wang Fan stood there without a hint of anxiety. The more time they wasted now, the more time he had to rest, which was advantageous for his upcoming matches.
Moreover... he sneakily glanced at Sofia, and a mischievous grin spread across his face.
Puff pastry is crispier when eaten after being taken out from freezing, and desserts taste sweeter when the temperature drops. But this theory only applies if they’re consumed immediately. If the judges delay a bit more with his creation, Sofia’s French mille-feuille might just end up getting soggy?
If that happens, it won’t be crisp at all, hehehe.
Allen found everything about Wang Fan displeasing now. Seeing the smile on his face, he suddenly remembered they were still in competition, and the creation of their competitor was still being ignored by their group.
If this delay continued, it would really become pointless to compete.
"Let me do it, hey ha!"
Allen, giving himself a pep talk, decisively shattered the Awakened Lion Fortune Rabbit pastry with a spoon under everyone’s regretful gaze.
"What a waste!"
"Did he actually dare to do it?"
"Barbarian!"
"Curse him to always be out of toilet paper when he needs it and to never have socks and underwear!"
Allen knew some would curse him for breaking the rabbit, but there was no other choice. Besides him, the other two wouldn’t dare to do it; in the end, would they rely on looks to decide the winner?
"Crack."
The spoon broke the rabbit, the crisp cracking sound echoed, and the once cute little rabbit shattered into several pieces.
Allen, seeing it through, scooped up the rabbit’s lion head with his spoon and stuffed it into his mouth.
Chen Guomin and the other judge glanced at Allen with helpless shakes of their heads, then each took a piece and put it into their mouths.
"Crunch... crunch..."
There’s no doubt about the crispness of Chinese pastry; the moment it enters the mouth, tiny crumbs fall apart, and each bite on the teeth produces an incredibly crisp sound.
Allen bit down, piercing the crispy outer shell, only to be surprised by the soft tenderness inside.
As he chewed gently, the smooth, soft filling delivered a delightful sweetness to his taste buds.
Lotus seed paste, red bean, is that the freshness of spinach? This should be the sweetness of pumpkin...
The tongue carefully savored the blended flavors, combining the best of numerous ingredients, making this piece of pastry sweet but not cloying, aromatic yet not overwhelming, with every bite offering different layers of taste dancing on the tongue.
Hmm?
Allen paused for a moment, starting to focus more on the sensation on his tongue.
It felt like there were countless thin threads there; he could clearly sense their presence, but as he tried to taste them further, he was surprised to find they had transformed into sweet syrup.
Crispy, soft, and with that unique thread-like texture, Allen was deeply immersed; this was a unique taste he’d never experienced even after decades in the industry.
At this moment, Chen Guomin already thought of Wang Fan as a rising star in Chinese pastries, a general among chefs.
This young man shouldn’t be called a future star, because right now, he’s strong enough to stand at the top of the pyramid.
This wasn’t just his thought; it was a fact proclaimed by the pastry in his mouth.
The key points of a pastry are four: crispy outside, soft inside, distinct layers, non-greasy oil, and a good appearance.
There’s no need to mention the appearance; he even thought that across the country, few could compete with Wang Fan on this. The uniquely crafted Awakened Lion Fortune Rabbit shape could even spark a craze.
No need to mention the other three aspects; every bite chewed in the mouth clearly testified to how precisely Wang Fan controlled it.
Perfect!
Apart from these two words, Chen Guomin couldn’t think of any other way to describe it.
He glanced at the other plate still covered, knowing that even if the French pastry chef was very skilled, there was absolutely no chance of victory today.
Sofia clenched her teeth, realizing from the expressions of the three judges that her likelihood of winning was slim today. But she hadn’t given up; she firmly believed that her dessert, crafted with all her heart, could turn the tide.
Sometime later, the lid on the French mille-feuille was lifted.
The custard under the pastry was still rich, perhaps even more so than before.
"Crunch..."
A table knife sliced through the pastry, still producing a charmingly crisp sound. Wang Fan’s ears twitched slightly, and a meaningful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
His hearing was sharp enough to detect the slight difference between Sofia slicing the pastry earlier and the judges now.
The pastry had gotten slightly soggy!
Just a bit, so slight that an untrained person might not notice.
But these three judges were absolutely professionals.
Chen Guomin, although specializing in Chinese desserts, was familiar with Chinese pastry getting soggy. Even the slightest change wouldn’t escape his taste buds.
Allen, being a French culinary god, was certainly no title to be taken lightly. Without extraordinary taste buds, it would have been impossible to reach his level.
The two of them immediately raised their eyebrows the moment the pastry entered their mouths.
As for Felix, he didn’t even taste it; he was still wholeheartedly enjoying Wang Fan’s pastry.
Though he already knew the outcome, Allen still sighed inwardly.
The fourth one!
The young man named Wang Fan had already consecutively defeated four members of their French pastry team!
"Sof... Oh, my dear Felix, haven’t you eaten enough? Aren’t you afraid your teeth will rot with all this sweetness? Give me a piece!"
Allen was about to give his commentary when he caught Felix, like a bottomless pit, devouring Tang Wangfan’s pastry. He was immediately anxious.
Such an incredible dessert was a first for him, and he was looking forward to enjoying it thoroughly after this round. But seeing Felix, it seemed those few crumbs would hardly last till the end!
Felix confidently replied, "My dear Allen, with you and Chen not eating, I thought you didn’t like it. You know me; I’m not someone who likes to waste food."
Their conversation was clearly transmitted to the audience through cameras and microphones, instantly causing those who understood English to burst into laughter.
Simultaneously, a feeling of "pride" began to grow in their hearts.
See? This is our Huaxia dessert, passed down for thousands of years, almost causing two supposedly world-class chefs to fight over a piece!
Never tasted it before, have you? Never seen it?
Wait, huh?
It seems I haven’t seen or tasted it myself either!
The audience, coming to their senses, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. They wanted to say foreigners lacked taste, but then realized they themselves had never tasted it...
It’s quite embarrassing!
"So, now I want to ask, where can I buy the same kind of pastry from Boss Wang?"
"I wanted to mock these foreigners for never having had fine food, only to discover that this domesticated pig here hasn’t had any either; it’s truly a sad story."
"I have tasted Dragon Beard Sugar in the Great Border, but I’ve never seen the Awakened Lion Fortune Rabbit. By the way, Boss Wang is a son-in-law of our Great Border."
"Dragon Beard Sugar is a specialty of Anqing."
"We have it in Sichuan, you can find it in Chengdu, no need to go out of town, but can anyone recommend where to find the Fortune Rabbit?"
"Forget about buying it; even if you manage to get one, it won’t taste the same. Do you really think anyone can replicate Boss Wang’s skills?"
