Black Forest.
Also known as Teutoburg Forest.
Located in the mountainous region of Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany.
Due to its vast forests covering a continuous mountainous area 160 kilometers long from north to south and 60 kilometers long from east to west.
From a distance, it looks like a dark, dense mass, hence the name Black Forest!
Here, everywhere are towering, straight fir trees, and the total area of the forest mountains is nearly 6000 square kilometers.
At the same time.
The Black Forest is also a tourist destination in Germany.
Famous for cuckoo clocks, Black Forest cake, Black Forest ham, honey, and pork knuckle.
…
Speaking of German desserts.
One must mention the century-old Black Forest cake, and there are different theories about its origin.
Some believe that it was inspired by the local women's traditional dress.
The black skirt is like chocolate, the red pom-pom hat on their head resembles cherries, and the white shirt is imagined as whipped cream.
Many also believe.
The Black Forest cake originates from the black chocolate on the cake's surface, which looks like a dense, dark forest.
Of course.
There is another view.
Kirschwasser, a crucial ingredient in Black Forest cake, is a specialty of the Black Forest.
But this view, in Chu Yang's opinion, is somewhat inappropriate, because the true protagonist of Black Forest cake is not the liquor, but the fresh and abundant cherries!
…
Legend has it that whenever cherries are in season.
Besides making surplus cherries into jam.
When making cakes, farmers' wives would generously stuff cherries one by one into the cake layers, or meticulously decorate the cake's surface with them.
And for the whipped cream used in the cake, a large amount of cherry juice would be added.
As for.
Making the cake base.
Cherry juice and kirschwasser would also be added to the batter to add a hint of fragrance to the Black Forest cherry cake.
All in all.
Inside and out of the Black Forest cake.
Almost every step of its creation is inseparable from cherries!
…
Whether it's gourmet food.
Or one's own sense of taste.
Both of these are strongly subjective, and no one can make an objective, fair evaluation!
But WGO executives, as professionals, must certainly surpass ordinary people in their skill.
Moreover.
They must stand at the pinnacle.
Some people rely on a naturally good tongue, eating and boasting their way to great fame, for example: Nakiri Mana.
She possesses the God's Tongue, which allowed her to quickly become a WGO Special Executive Officer!
Others come from the catering industry, having wielded a ladle for half their lives, finally becoming seasoned veterans, the most typical examples being First-Class Executive Officers Decora and Kuragi.
Before they became WGO executive officers.
They had already made a name for themselves in the culinary world, and were widely recognized as world-class chefs within the industry!
…
Although there are still gaps in everyone's true tasting standards.
What enables these terrifying monsters to transcend mere gourmands and become WGO executive officers ultimately relies on three ultimate questions of the culinary world:
1. What is this dish?
2. How was this dish made?
3. What are the flaws of this dish, and how can it be made more delicious and flavorful?
Hmm!
When facing these questions.
It's not about silently repeating them hundreds or thousands of times in your mind while tasting the dish to automatically awaken and finally transform into a WGO executive officer!
The so-called marvel of application lies in the mind.
It relies on daily training and continuous exploration of cuisine!
…
"Excellent!"
"Your understanding and perception of cuisine seem to be above Annie's and theirs!"
Mana, upon hearing Chu Yang's analysis, couldn't help but be excited.
When it comes to food criticism, no one is absolutely right, even she, with her God's Tongue ability, finds it difficult to achieve, even when she can completely identify a dish's flaws.
However.
As a qualified executive officer.
First, one must have correct taste bud "three views," which are:
The View of Right and Wrong.
The View of Digestion.
The View of Expression.
…
The View of Right and Wrong.
This is a correct understanding of food, being able to discern the aesthetic and essence of food.
The View of Digestion includes one's own immune system and one's tolerance for sour, spicy, bitter, umami, and salty flavors.
As for… the final View of Expression.
Simply put, what you eat, you must be able to describe its color, aroma, taste, and the five complex flavors to the outside world. You cannot pretend to be confused when you understand, nor can you make things up.
Ultimately, when a person has professional and objective evaluation standards, and can be recognized by a sufficient number of people, and finally profoundly influence them, then they are qualified to be called a WGO executive officer!
Evidently.
Chu Yang can already do this.
And from the results, he has done far better than Annie, Decora, and Kuragi!
…
"Oh!"
"You really are a monster."
"I once suspected if you also have the God's Tongue?"
"Otherwise, there's no way to explain how the dishes you make can conquer Lady Mana!"
Annie shrugged, her expression slightly complex.
It was clear that she was genuinely impressed by Chu Yang's performance.
"Alright!"
"Chu Yang, you can take off your blindfold now!"
Finally, she came to Chu Yang's side and said softly.
As the blindfold slowly slipped, like the first ray of sunlight piercing through the morning mist, it gently brushed over Chu Yang's eyes.
Almost instantly, the world began to reappear before Chu Yang's eyes in a whole new light.
Light!
No longer suppressed and dim.
But a brightness, a joy of continuous progression.
…
A chef.
Is not necessarily an executive officer.
But an executive officer is definitely an excellent chef.
Being able to eat and taste are just basic qualities of an executive officer; what truly creates the difference is culinary skill.
"Chu Yang, here's a lottery box."
"Inside the lottery box are five slips, each representing one of the five crucial stages in cooking a dish: ingredient selection, knife skills, heat control, seasoning, and plating."
"So, the third challenge will assess one of these five stages!"
Annie brought over the prepared lottery box and explained to Chu Yang.
Chu Yang merely nodded upon hearing this.
Afterward, he took a few steps forward and decisively drew a slip from the box.
As the slip slowly unfolded, a faint scent of ink wafted, and a word was written on it in flowing script:
Knife Skills!
Yes, the test was knife skills!