Excellent chef.
The most basic skill is knife work.
The quality of knife work can directly affect the taste and shape of a dish.
There's a saying in the industry: "slice beef and lamb horizontally, slice other meats diagonally." If you slice beef or lamb vertically, even the best chef won't be able to cook the dish well.
Some people might think, "it's just cutting ingredients, is there really so much to it?"
On one hand.
Many dishes aren't actually heavy on oil or spice; they pursue the original flavor of the ingredients.
Therefore, seasoning based on the ingredients becomes very simple, relying solely on the ingredients themselves and knife work.
And this seemingly small detail of knife work.
The difference it brings is even more evident with high-quality ingredients!
On the other hand, Chinese cuisine also has extremely high demands for knife work, for example:
Wensi Tofu!
Three-Set Duck!
Aside from the need for aesthetics and plating.
Some ingredients absolutely require extremely high-level knife skills to prepare well.
In Chinese cuisine, the processing of many ingredients can generally be done with a single knife: horizontal, vertical, diagonal, rolling cuts, etc.
A high-level knife technique needs to be honed through daily practice, just like the chrysanthemum tofu dish; it requires excellent and proficient knife work to cut it, making the tofu like silk and uniform in size.
Another example is sashimi, chilled salmon, etc., which all require diagonal slicing to achieve uniform thickness!
…
At this moment, following Chu Yang's instructions.
Annie had prepared a piece of soft, white tofu, a carving knife, and a basin of water for him.
Because only knife work technique was being tested, and nothing else, Chu Yang simply wanted to carve a piece of tofu to showcase his knife skills!
Hmm!
Food carving.
I imagine everyone is familiar with it.
Ordinary ingredients like pumpkins, radishes, cucumbers, etc., can be carved into lifelike works by a chef's hand.
However, tofu carving is considerably more difficult!
Firstly, tofu is fragile, so carvers usually choose to carve in clear water, which not only facilitates the removal of waste material but also uses the buoyancy of the water for support.
Then.
Also because it's not like other things.
During the carving process, if something goes wrong, you can quickly use glue or bamboo skewers to mend and modify it.
With tofu carving, if there's any mistake.
There's almost no possibility of correction; you can only give up.
…
Tofu carving generally includes floral, animal, fish and beast, and human categories.
Among them, human figure carving is the most difficult, and even experienced chefs often need several hours to complete it.
"Phew!"
"So… let's begin!"
Taking a deep breath, Chu Yang gradually calmed down, his gaze sharp.
Before him lay a piece of tofu immersed in water, appearing pristine white, like a blank canvas awaiting an artist's brush.
Then.
He no longer hesitated, bringing the knife down directly.
With each delicate and precise stroke he performed, this ordinary tofu began to transform.
Looking closely, Chu Yang first outlined the basic silhouette of a kimono, the lines flowing and elegant, looking very much like a garment gently swaying in the breeze.
And the soft, tender tofu became exceptionally pliable in his hands.
Every cut.
Perfectly trimmed away the excess.
Preserving the most exquisite shape.
His carving technique, and that cautious yet somewhat light knife work, instantly left Nagikiri Mana and the others stunned.
…
"How is that possible?"
"He actually carved a kimono's cherry blossom pattern on a piece of tofu?"
Decora covered her small mouth, astonished.
Tofu, as a soft and fragile food, is absolutely unsuitable for intricate carving, especially for mimicking complex patterns on clothing.
Smooth lines!
Symmetrical patterns!
And richness of detail.
These all require the chef to possess extremely high skill and patience.
And to achieve such high precision is undoubtedly a great test of a chef's knife work.
"Good heavens…"
"How many more things about him can overturn our understanding?"
Beside her, Kuragi was equally stunned.
…
Completely disregarding the surrounding commotion, Chu Yang continued to carve the details on the kimono.
As time slowly passed, the intricate patterns gradually appeared on the tofu, some delicate cherry blossoms, some fine ripples.
Every detail.
Expressed Chu Yang's exquisite knife work and his ultimate pursuit of "beauty."
Although.
The color of the kimono.
Could not be directly reflected on the tofu.
But Chu Yang, through the clever use of light and shadow, and the subtle changes in the tofu's own texture, still made the four executives present feel the vibrant, colorful brocade.
…
"Huh?"
"This image, could it… could it be Mana-sama?"
Annie, staring intently at the tofu in the water, quickly discovered something.
She saw Chu Yang begin to carve a lifelike image of a mature woman on the tofu.
Her face gentle.
Her eyes revealing a faint sorrow and resilience.
Perhaps in this person, one could see that kind of charm that has been tempered by time, yet still maintains its unique allure.
Her figure was very graceful.
The kimono with cherry blossom patterns tightly conformed to her body curves.
Displaying a mature yet elegant beauty to everyone present.
It was evident that Chu Yang also utilized the tofu's layers and some textures to create the softness of hair, the delicacy of skin, and the folds of clothing.
…
Finally.
When the last cut fell, the entire work was completed.
Chu Yang carefully lifted the tofu from the water and gently placed it on a nearby ceramic plate.
Beautiful!
Truly beautiful!
The lifelike kimono-clad mature woman instantly captivated everyone around her.
"Wow… it's so lifelike."
Annie blinked, looked at it, and couldn't help but sigh.
The pointed carving knife, meeting the soft and tender tofu, every cut was steady, precise, swift, and gentle, all in one fluid motion.
Indeed!
This light cut.
How many years of Chu Yang's sweat and perseverance did it condense?
Shallow carving, openwork carving, penetration carving… such knife work, such culinary skill, is a goal that many chefs can never hope to achieve in their entire lives.