to transform raw ingredients into exquisite and beautiful dishes.
It must be processed through various beautifying knife techniques.
Moreover, to become an excellent professional chef and create beautiful and exquisite dishes, one must master various beautifying and shaping knife techniques, which is:
Knife work!
…
As a chef, there are two fundamental skills.
One is heat control.
The other is knife work.
This is also reflected in many stories and movies.
Meticulous knife work can give ingredients a unique and ultimate beauty, achieving a perfect unity of taste and appearance.
The Tartar chef in "New Dragon Gate Inn," with his superb knife work comparable to Pao Ding dismembering an ox, could, in a dazzling display, instantly turn either a pig or a person into a skeleton, which was astonishing!
And in the Tang Dynasty of the Heavenly Dynasty, there were already records of chefs' superb knife work: "minced fish flying on golden plates as white as snow," "silent and fine, flying."
Using a fast knife to cut fish.
Making fish slices as thin as cicada wings, floating onto the plate like snowflakes.
How could such a scene not make one yearn for it?
It's no exaggeration to say.
Knife work, as the core skill of traditional cuisine, can represent a chef's prowess.
Especially ultimate knife work, it's more like profound martial arts, only after decades of sharpening can one wield the knife as one pleases.
…
"Seemingly simple knife ups and downs."
"But to truly achieve flexible knife handling, proper weight in cuts, and a distinct rhythm, it really takes some effort!"
"Chu Yang."
"I really didn't expect."
"Besides your unparalleled knife work, you also have quite an artistic talent yourself!"
Naojiri Mana said, then dragged her frail body slowly to the tofu sculpture.
Familiar!
Novel!
Two emotions brewed in her heart.
Especially her heart was beating wildly, each pulse accompanied by an uncontrollable joy and excitement, surging endlessly in her chest.
The carving in front of her.
Every line was very smooth.
So delicate that even the changes in light and shadow between strands of hair were captured vividly.
So, Mana couldn't help but reach out, her fingertips gently touching the cold yet warm surface of the tofu, feeling the effort and emotion Chu Yang poured into it.
"Why?"
"Did he carve me so perfectly?"
"Can a pitiful person like me… can I really still be loved?"
Mana quietly asked herself in her heart, then a gentle smile curved her lips.
…
Undoubtedly.
Chu Yang also performed excellently in this knife work-only assessment.
A chef with high culinary skills does not necessarily mean their knife work is excellent, especially in the field of molecular gastronomy.
But!
A chef with good knife work.
Their cooking standard will definitely not be bad.
Of course, the so-called knife work doesn't mean everyone has to carve lifelike figures out of a small piece of tofu like Chu Yang!
Instead, it means that in the design of a dish, whatever shape the chef needs, they can achieve it through extreme processing of the ingredients.
For example.
A good Japanese chef will make full use of a fish.
When filleting, they won't damage the structure of the fish fillet, and the fish bones after the meat is removed should be translucent.
If the knife work is poor.
The meat is not removed cleanly, and the necessary parts are not processed, then no matter how good the cooking skills or how noble the ingredients, it's useless.
Many people ignore the preliminary preparation when cooking, only to rush to wash and cut ingredients when it's time to add them; this is a sign of poor culinary skill!
…
"Alright, next is the final hurdle."
"Instval, Charme, and Lantabi all fell at the final assessment, thus failing to be promoted to First-Class Executive!"
"Despair is when something seems within reach, yet so far away!"
"However."
"For you, Chu Yang."
"I think this should be the easiest assessment!"
"I guess you've already figured it out, the final assessment is for you to satisfy us three… oh no, four examiners with one dish!"
Annie looked deeply at Chu Yang, who had passed three consecutive stages, and chuckled softly.
"In the end, it still comes down to cooking!"
Scratching the back of his head, Chu Yang finally understood why the Special Class Executive, his adoptive mother Naojiri Mana, was also present for this assessment.
It turned out she was there for this final assessment, hoping to taste the dish he prepared!
…
Afterward.
Chu Yang, ready, stood before the kitchen counter.
He wore a well-fitting chef's uniform, spotless white, with a neatly tucked collar and cuffs, exuding professionalism and meticulousness.
The light cast on his slightly tilted profile outlined his resolute and handsome features and focused eyes.
"What dish should I make?"
"Is it Golden Open-Mouth Smile, or last time's Rainbow Porridge, or the time before that's Comet Fried Rice?"
"Huh?"
"All the ingredients here are at my disposal…"
"I've got it, I'll make this dish!"
Then, Chu Yang's eyes gleamed, and he began to busy himself at the kitchen counter.
…
Four Deities.
Generally, they are the four great divine beasts in the ancient Chinese mythology system!
The Four Auspicious Spirits are not actually divine beasts, but rather deities, also known as the Four Symbols.
A good Feng Shui layout.
Incorporates the Five Elements and directions into the Four Beasts, which is "Vermilion Bird in front, Black Tortoise behind, Azure Dragon on the left, White Tiger on the right."
The Earth revolves around the sun, and the stars in the sky change with the seasons.
The Four Symbols are among the 28 constellations in the sky.
At the turn of winter and spring, the Azure Dragon appears.
At the turn of spring and summer, the Vermilion Bird rises.
At the turn of summer and autumn, the White Tiger emerges.
At the turn of autumn and winter, the Black Tortoise ascends.
The Four Divine Beasts not only represent the four seasons but also the four cardinal directions: east, south, west, and north, guarding the four directions and ensuring peace.
At the same time, the Four Divine Beasts also correspond to the four seasons and the Five Elements:
Eastern green for wood.
Western white for metal.
Southern red for fire.
Northern black for water.
Central yellow for earth.
Furthermore, in the book "Huainanzi," it was once mentioned that the Yellow Dragon, one of the Five Dragons, namely Yinglong, resides in the center and is the chief of the Four Beasts.
The so-called celestial numbers are: Azure Dragon on the left, White Tiger on the right, Vermilion Bird in front, Black Tortoise behind.
Therefore, one can know the order of the sun and moon by being in the shade of the hall, and know the cold and heat of the world by seeing the ice in the bottle.
And the dish Chu Yang is about to prepare will contain four colors: green, white, red, and black, corresponding to the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, respectively.
Hmm, it also symbolizes the four tastes: sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy.