Time slowly passed, and one by one, the applicants passed the assessment, while many were also eliminated. Soon, one hundred ninety-nine spots were filled, but Hoshino Sora became nervous.
There were seventy-two people still being assessed, and Shiina Mahiru was one of them. This last spot had already eliminated twenty-three people, becoming the spot with the highest elimination rate.
"You can do it, Mahiru!"
Looking at Shiina Mahiru, whose forehead was beaded with sweat due to nervousness, Hoshino Sora also became nervous.
Everyone around him, except her, had successfully passed the assessment and become a member of the Oriental Academy. If she were left behind, Hoshino Sora was afraid she wouldn't be able to bear the blow.
Shiina Mahiru clearly understood this and accelerated her movements. She was making a Tiramisu, because Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon also had the meaning of piling up words!
Of course, what she made was not an ordinary Tiramisu, but a special modified version of Tiramisu from the Dimensional Restaurant, and she also incorporated the element of flowers, referencing Erina Nakiri.
"Examiner, I have finished my dish."
Clenching her fists, Shiina Mahiru nervously looked at the examiner who had just announced 'death' to the previous contestant.
Because there was only one spot left, the selection standards had invisibly increased significantly, seemingly wanting to choose the most outstanding one among this group, which was the fundamental reason for everyone's failure.
"Tiramisu? It's the same idea as the twelfth person eliminated for this spot. There are a dozen people here making Tiramisu. Layered Tiramisu can indeed express the meaning of piling up words, but this dish is too ordinary! There's no novelty at all."
Looking at the dish Shiina Mahiru brought out, the examiner said quite speechlessly. Although this dish indeed fit a certain meaning of the theme, it was truly too common.
The taste was all the same, showing no innovation whatsoever! Besides fitting the theme, it had no other advantages.
"Please taste it! My Tiramisu is different from what they made, and it will definitely satisfy you."
Hearing the examiner's words, Shiina Mahiru made a firm gesture to invite. Although she was very nervous, she showed no intention of backing down.
This dish contained her everything! Even if she ultimately failed the assessment, she at least wanted the examiner to taste it, so she could die with a clear understanding!
"Not quite the same? Is it because you added some petals? Many of the candidates before you also added petals, but the color in the middle is quite novel, actually red and pink."
Looking at the tiramisu in front of Shiina Mahiru, the examiner chuckled, at least three people shared her idea, but none of them truly stood out.
Simply adding petals to tiramisu, while it does change the texture and taste, the degree of change is limited; ultimately, these candidates did not truly utilize the element of "flower," but merely accumulated it.
However, this approach further matched the meaning of 'wind, flower, snow, and moon,' both being a mere piling up of unused words, but this cooking method was clearly insufficient to pass the assessment!
Looking at Shinohiru's eager eyes, the examiner stopped speaking. Since she was so confident in her dish, he would taste it. Anyway, it would just be that same flavor...
As the tiramisu entered his mouth, the examiner's eyes instantly widened, and the spoon in his hand fell onto the silver-white plate. An unparalleled deliciousness burst forth in his oral cavity.
Ordinary tiramisu is layered with coffee-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, eggs, and cocoa powder, with each layer imparting a rich texture and unique flavor.
The deliciousness of tiramisu lies in its texture; this dessert, with multiple layers, has exceptionally distinct levels, combining various elements such as biscuits, petals, coffee, cheese, and eggs.
Upon the first bite, one first feels the slight bitterness from the coffee-soaked biscuits, followed by the dense and delicate texture of the mascarpone cheese and meringue mixture.
Finally, accompanied by the release of a rich coffee aroma, the entire tiramisu slowly melts in the mouth, forming a rich and satisfying, unique experience!
This is a perfect combination of sweetness and slight bitterness; the coffee and cocoa powder in the tiramisu bring a slight bitterness, while the eggs and sugar add a sweet taste.
Moreover, the tiramisu in front of him clearly reduced the amount of sugar used, replacing it with essence extracted from flowers, which was then combined with egg whites using a special distillation method to form a special meringue.
This also made the center of the tiramisu appear in a different color. Shiina Mahiru used roses and peach blossoms; their textures and flavors are similar yet different, allowing one to perceive the distinction between them without it being too strong.
This was also the fundamental reason why Shiina Mahiru chose these two flowers to make tiramisu. Secondly, their colors are similar; a combination of bright red and pink has a very ambiguous feel, making people involuntarily associate it with places of pleasure.
The combination of these elements, with their resounding words, interpreted a complete 'wind, flower, snow, and moon' to them, better than any previous contestant's combination, truly starting from the theme!
Although the cooking technique was still a bit immature, and the dish's flavor was not the best on site, this pragmatic spirit and comprehension ability were definitely first-class at Oriental Academy!
"You passed.
All those who did not pass, please disperse. Try again next year. The competition venue will be locked in one hour. All students who passed the assessment, please proceed to the conference hall now."
Looking at the young girl with expectant eyes in front of him, the examiner smiled and informed her that she had passed the assessment. Given the talent she displayed, if she didn't pass, most of the other contestants on site would have to be eliminated!
"Not bad, this grand finale truly gave us a surprise!"
His gaze fell on Shiina Mahiru. Looking at the simple-smiling girl below, a white-bearded old man nodded in satisfaction. He had noticed her a long time ago; she was indeed a good prospect.
Even under the pressure of only one spot remaining, she meticulously perfected every inadequacy in her cooking process, immediately correcting errors that occurred and not carrying them into the subsequent dishes.
With such a disposition, a little cultivation would make her a great talent. He would have to find a way to contact her later to see if he could take her as a disciple.
Thus, in more than ten years, another formidable chef would emerge from Oriental Academy!
"Old Principal."
"Hello, Old Principal."
"Hello, future of Oriental Academy."
The white-bearded old man did not go to the audience seats. He just stood silently at the back of the audience, on the rooftop, overlooking the entire scene. Yet, even so, he was seen and recognized by many people.
He politely responded to those who greeted him warmly, but as more and more people noticed him, he chose to leave to avoid causing a commotion.
As a titan in the culinary world, he rarely appeared in public, because every time he did, it would cause his admirers to gather around, leading to traffic congestion.
This was not what he wanted to see.
"Should I also go to the conference hall?"
Looking at the disappointed contestants leaving the competition venue, and recalling what the examiner said before leaving, Hoshino Sora had such a thought, after all, strictly speaking, he was also a newly admitted student.
Thinking of this, Hoshino Sora silently got up.
Even if he had no business in the conference hall, his wives were all inside, so he might as well go and spend time with them.
Soon, Hoshino Sora left the audience seats, leaped down, and followed the crowd of newly admitted students who had passed the final assessment to the outside of the conference room.
At this time, the conference room was full of people, chatting with each other, their expressions filled with excitement. Hoshino Sora did not rush in, but observed from outside the room for a while.
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