Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country

Chapter 642 - 591: Recreation Across Millennia, Vegetarian Hangover Ice

The competition site.

Wang Fan was thinking that the 21st century is really all about efficiency. It seemed like just yesterday he was researching how to make desserts, and today it’s already the qualifying round.

However, he found this competition to be much more harmonious compared to other competitive events. Maybe people who like sweets and making desserts tend to have more gentle personalities?

Everyone who knew each other gathered together to share their recent culinary insights and even recommended some brands of ingredients to one another, unlike the cutthroat nature of other industries.

Moreover, across the venue, young people were in the majority. There were lots of people around his age, giving the event a very youthful vibe.

"Boss Wang?"

"You actually came?"

While Wang Fan was observing others, naturally, others were observing him. Being in the same culinary industry and all being young, everyone was naturally paying attention to him, this particularly notable figure.

"Boss Wang doesn’t make that many desserts, but the pictures others share clearly show his extraordinary skills."

"We lost too badly. If it were just an individual competition, it wouldn’t matter, but this contest carries the names of both China and France. Losing too badly would be embarrassing for our country, so we hope Boss Wang can have a stunning performance and help us save face."

"But it’s also impossible to easily secure a spot. I’m definitely going to bring my full strength to the competition. If I knock him out, he can’t blame me."

They’re all young, and they’re all top figures in the industry. Although they don’t particularly care about winning, they have a competitive mindset, especially because Wang Fan isn’t really one of them. They can’t let him underestimate them, right?

Currently, it’s the internal selection, and the French pastry masters don’t need to come, but Allen, the judge, arrived like the center of attention.

When he saw Wang Fan, his eyes lit up, and he walked briskly toward him with a smile on his face.

"Oh my dear friend, it’s so good to see you here."

Allen’s Chinese was becoming increasingly fluent. After speaking, he opened his arms and gave Wang Fan a big hug.

"I know the etiquette of Huaxia. Old friends meeting require a hug. How does it feel? Isn’t it touching?"

Wang Fan hugged Allen back with a mix of amusement and exasperation, thinking to himself, "Touched, my foot! As a judge, why are you getting so chummy with a contestant? What will the others think?"

However, he was probably overthinking it. The news of him being the head chef at Allen’s restaurant had spread far and wide. How could those who make Western desserts not be aware?

If it were an earlier competition, they might have worried about whether such a relationship would disadvantage them, but now they only wished that Allen would favor Wang Fan during the contest.

Allen, in great spirits, wrapped his arm around Wang Fan’s shoulder and said, "Since you left, several old friends have often asked me about you. If you’re interested in being the head chef again, they’d be willing to pay handsomely to try the Huaxia cuisine you make."

Wang Fan shook his head and said, "I don’t have plans to go abroad for now."

"Oh my dear friend, you’ve actually refused such a sincere invitation from me. In tomorrow’s competition, I’ll definitely make things difficult for you."

Wang Fan was amused by the old man’s words: "I didn’t expect you to even know what ’making things difficult’ means. Seems like you’ve put in quite the effort."

After catching up, Allen didn’t linger long. He had other commitments, and tomorrow was when he should officially make an appearance. Today, he was here just to catch up with Wang Fan. Despite the age difference, Allen really appreciated Wang Fan’s serious attitude towards making food, which felt like a friendship that transcends age.

After this interlude, the registered contestants entered the venue one by one. After the host introduced the judges, the competition rules, and the evaluation standards, the competition officially began.

To put it simply, the rule is to make a dessert of any theme within two hours. The judges will score based on appearance, taste, and texture. The top ten scorers will participate in tomorrow’s China-France Dessert Showdown.

The competition format is similar to others, but this time there’s a slight change. Desserts that feature a Huaxia-inspired appearance or style will receive bonus points. After all, what’s national is also international. We can’t always have foreign influences coming in; encouraging our own culture and achieving cultural export is the original intention of holding this contest.

Once the contestants started, the entire venue was filled with a sweet aroma.

Wang Fan scanned the scene, and the hundred or so participants were almost all Western pastry chefs, which was obvious from what they laid out on their tables, although it’s unclear if any of them might also incorporate Chinese elements into their designs.

Two hours isn’t particularly long, and many desserts take more time to prepare. So, Wang Fan didn’t waste any time and started his work.

Although he was confident in his abilities, he wouldn’t underestimate anyone in the world because this is aimed at a showdown with France. If he got eliminated in the qualifiers, Wang Fan would feel he had let down his girlfriend’s effort in researching materials.

Give it his all!

Based on the materials he had reviewed, historical desserts were most exquisite from the Tang and Song Dynasties. There were various desserts in the Tang Dynasty’s imperial banquets.

The Song Dynasty also had many desserts. Even in the Qingming River Painting, there were stalls selling desserts and the earliest deliverymen.

Today, Wang Fan decided to make a dessert from the Song Dynasty—Vegetarian Hangover Ice.

This dessert comes from Lin Hong’s "Mountain Home’s Pure Offerings" in the Song Dynasty. Hangover Ice refers to Crystal Cuisine, similar to jelly. The extremely popular Japanese yokan and raindrop cake were actually our ancestors’ leftover games.