It looks like the food is ready to be served. Let's start with Himlo-Keiji's side of the bargain.

The two of them have finished cooking, and at about the same time, the gourmet master sees this and tells them to bring in their father's food first.
In this cooking battle, the gourmet master had made an arrangement so that not only the judges, but also we could sample the food together.

This is the special mapo tofu. Please go ahead.

What was brought to our table, including the judges, was just a plain old bean curd. There was nothing special about it, and at worst, it had a very conventional appearance.

Hmmm. At first glance, it looks just like ordinary mapo tofu.

The smell is as good as any you've ever had.

Well, it doesn't look or smell much different, but that rating will change after one bite. Try it in your mouth first.

The gourmet masters' first impressions of the dish were met by my father, who asked for a first taste of the dish, and the mabo tofu he had made was carried into the judges' mouths as if he were responding to them.
The next moment, we, including the judges, stood up in unison and stared in amazement at the mabo tofu in front of us, as if we were looking at something incredible.

This is it!　How sweet and mellow it tastes!

When I had it before, some of the spiciness was too much for my taste buds, but this one doesn't have any of that!　I can't believe this is the same mapo tofu!

There was a rave review of the smooth sweetness of mapo tofu, the opposite of its spiciness.
What's that all about?　The spiciness of Mapo Tofu is one of its great flavors. It may be that it was made with a sweet flavor on purpose.
However, there is an elegant mellowness lurking in this dish that cannot be expressed in sweet mapo tofu.
You can be sure that this is not such a shallow preparation.

The secret is this.

After saying that, my father pulled out a piece of fruit that he had picked from his father's field.

Strawberry, then?

That's right, strawberries exist as a fruit even in this world, and they are produced by plant-shaped demons.
But the strawberries that my father made are from the earth, and they are sweet and easy to process, and the one made by them is in his other hand.

Yes, the jam made from these strawberries. This is the secret ingredient. Mixing this strawberry jam with Mapo Tofu gives it a deeper flavor, and above all, it makes it a mild dish that even those who don't like the spiciness can eat without worry.

All the judges, including me, were astonished when my father revealed it to them.
It was unexpected that he would use jam in a dish, and the exact opposite of that in a dish that is known for its spiciness, mapo tofu.
But as a result, the flavor was so intense that even those who don't like spiciness could eat the sweet mapo tofu without any worries.
In addition to the pursuit of taste, consideration was given to ensure that even those who do not like it can eat it.
This was truly a triumph of the unexpected that only my father, who knows all about Mapo Tofu, could have achieved.
Receiving the praise from all the judges, including us, my father quietly bows his head.

Then it's on to the tasting of Demon King Favnir's food.

Upon receiving the gourmet master's declaration, the waiting demon king brings the food.

This is the special Szechuan-style mapo tofu. Please enjoy the taste.

With that said, what came out of the open lid was a darker color of mapo tofu than my father's dish.
If my father's mapo tofu was a gentle shade of orange, this one was exactly as red as hot magma.
There was already a big difference in appearance, and the spiciness of the mapo tofu seemed to be palpable.

This looks like spicy Mapo Tofu.

...... Looks and smells like a tasty treat, but I'm actually not a fan of spicy food.

Szechuan style is the spiciest of the mabo tofu dishes. One of the judges hesitates, to which the demon king smiles like a mother nursing her child.

Don't worry. The spiciness of my "Mapo Tofu" is definitely a selling point, but I made it so that even those who don't like spicy food can eat it. Take a bite and feel cheated.

As my mother gently admonished us, we all put the bean curd into our mouths, including the judges.
At that moment, the spiciness we had expected was in our mouths, but it was harmonized with the sweetness that enveloped it. And immediately afterwards, a rush of flavor.

This is it!　What the hell is going on!

Spicy, yes, spicy, but within the spiciness there is a sweetness that neutralizes it!　And this taste ...... is not a fan of spicy food, but I can't stop myself from eating it!

The person who had been the most hesitant to eat earlier among the judges proceeded to eat without hesitation.
Of course, we too were devouring the mabo tofu that Mom had prepared one after the other.
You're going to be able to find out what you're looking for, and you're going to be able to find out what you're looking for.

What does this mean at ......

My father, who had also taken a bite of the mapo tofu my mother had prepared, had mentioned the question.
In response to that, my mother has been waiting for you to answer the question.

The trick I prepared this time is not the meat, soup, or seasoning for Mapo Tofu. What is the main ingredient in Mapo Tofu, is nothing else but tofu.

Saying that, mom took out a piece of tofu that she thought she used for mapo tofu.
But when we looked at the tofu, we were shocked.
Normally tofu would be white in color, but the one she took out had a slightly brownish color, just like the sesame tofu.

You used sesame tofu?　I hate to say it, but there is no better taste in sesame tofu than this: ......

No, it's not. This is not sesame tofu. The demon I used to make tofu is a peanut star.

The Falling Star. I've heard of that monster's name.
In fact, I've even grown one.
They are a type of legume that grows to become self-sustaining and harvest before and after they mature.
But as for the peanut butterflies, when they mature, the fruit pops up and the fruit inside is scattered around like a shooting star.


Because of this, it is considered a difficult demon to harvest for the average person, but the berries that have been popped out are truly exquisite. You can eat them raw as they are.
The taste is what is known as a peanut. In other words, this is a--

"Peanut Tofu. This is the tofu I used for Mapo Tofu.

The secret of this Mapo Tofu's deliciousness was revealed by her mother.

What is the secret of Mapo Tofu's taste, it is directly related to its spiciness. A delicious spiciness is the driving force behind a meal. However, it is a fact that some people do not like the spiciness. So I used peanut tofu. This tofu has a more refined sweetness than usual, which makes it both spicy and sweet.

Indeed, the spiciness of this Mapo Tofu spreads around the mouth immediately after eating it, but that is what stimulates the flavor and keeps you going, one after another.
The sweetness of the tofu itself, the core of Mapo Tofu, harmonized with the overall spiciness to enhance the mutual flavor.
Different flavors brought harmony to the dish, just like a watermelon with salt to accentuate its sweetness.

You cooked the mabo doufu for those who don't like spicy food, but the charm of mabo doufu is its spiciness. Suppressing the spiciness means losing the original flavor. A true "Mapo Tofu" is one that combines sweetness with spiciness without suppressing spiciness. You have neglected the original flavor of the dish in the pursuit of secret ingredient techniques.

The proclamation from my mother was the very word that addressed my father's culinary weaknesses.

"Sure,

And with a nod to that, the gourmet master talks about the essence of this culinary competition.

This cooking competition. No, as it was in the last cooking competition, the culinary competition in this world is not to be compared on the basis of simple goodness or skill. To begin with, the taste of a dish varies widely from person to person. The taste of a dish differs from one person to the next.

It's true.
I nodded at the gourmet master's statement.
There is the best food in the world, but how to judge it.
It will be different for each judge, and it can't be to everyone's taste.

Therefore, what we judge is the essence of the dish. That is to say, not only the taste and the cooking method, but also how to 'attract' a dish. And how to make the dish that only he or she can make. That is the criterion for judging.

It is a part that cannot be evaluated by simple taste, if you will.
Perhaps the one who expresses it is the winner.
And the gourmet master had implied that it would be the same in the upcoming cooking battles.

Hence, the winner of this battle was already decided.
Who was more interested in the flavor of mapo tofu?
Which was the dish that was not only about taste and deliciousness, but also full of their commitment.

The first round shall be decided by the Demon King's side, Demon King Farbenil!

With the gourmet master's proclamation, our first game came to a grinding halt.