The sweet and sour pork ribs were ready.
Soaked in a clear, translucent sauce, they looked like they were draped in a reddish-brown coat, constantly shimmering with luster.
Although they didn't burst forth with dazzling light like the Reincarnation Spring Roll and Rising Dragon Dumplings before, the faint aroma of meat in the air still made Erina marvel!
Then.
That diner.
Aimed for the largest rib, picked it up directly with chopsticks, and put it into his mouth.
The sweet and sour taste instantly hit his stomach through his taste buds, and the crispy, tender ribs, amber and glistening, dry and moist, tasted even more crunchy, sour, and sweet!
The sticky, delicious experience lingered in his mouth, and then, paired with a bite of soft, sweet rice, the flavor was absolutely amazing.
As a result, that diner praised it repeatedly.
"I love it."
"I truly love it."
"Shopkeeper, only your sweet and sour pork ribs can make me like them!"
Listening to the diner's excessive praise, Sosuke, as the Shopkeeper, simply smiled faintly.
During this time, which diner wasn't excited, pleased, and happy because of his dishes?
So, he had heard such words so often that his ears were almost calloused.
However, seeing everyone genuinely loving his dishes in their hearts, he felt more or less gratified!
...
However.
For Alice, who was nearby.
This sweet and sour pork ribs dish had a deeper meaning.
It's important to know that rock sugar undergoes a caramelization reaction after being heated at high temperatures.
In the field of Molecular Cuisine, caramelization reactions are usually used to color, flavor, and change the shape of ingredients.
Originally, she thought that many traditionally prepared dishes wouldn't involve so many chemical reactions, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.
"Sosuke."
"How many chemical reactions are involved in your sweet and sour pork ribs?"
Finally, unable to suppress her curiosity, Alice Nakiri could only blink and ask Sosuke.
"Caramelization reaction."
"Maillard reaction."
"Esterification reaction."
Sosuke looked deeply at Alice, knowing that she, who was skilled in Molecular Cuisine, had somewhat radical views on certain concepts.
Therefore, he pondered for a moment and continued, "The preparation of sweet and sour pork ribs differs in Sichuan cuisine, Shanghai cuisine, and Zhejiang cuisine, but all are inseparable from three ingredients: sugar, vinegar, and cooking wine!"
"And its reddish-brown color, rich meaty aroma, and sweet and sour taste."
"All are closely related to the chemical reactions that occur between these ingredients and the pork ribs."
"From what you're saying."
"Are many traditional dishes actually full of the various chemical reactions found in Molecular Cuisine?"
Alice grew even more confused upon hearing this.
"Haha!"
"Molecular Cuisine."
"How many years has it been around to dare to challenge traditional cuisine?"
"This…"
Alice was momentarily speechless, unsure how to answer.
But thinking that she was the one who would carry the banner of "Molecular Cuisine" into the future, how could she back down on this question?
So, her mind raced, and then she retorted, "Sosuke, although Molecular Cuisine started very late, only a few decades ago.
"But for the ultimate expression of taste and sensation, Molecular Cuisine is unmatched by any other cuisine."
"At the same time, it also involves research in many other professions, for example, there's a chef in England who has been dedicated to researching how to imagine the taste of food just by hearing it!"
"So."
"I think in the next few years."
"Even decades, Molecular Cuisine will profoundly influence this culinary era!"
...
Molecular.
This word is very fashionable now.
Like molecular biology, molecular embryology, molecular medicine…
It seems that research in various fields must be crowned with the name "molecular" to appear sophisticated, and gastronomy is no exception.
Some so-called molecular disciplines are purely for show.
Molecular gastronomy, however, is apt.
It studies cooking and cuisine from chemical and physical perspectives, utilizing the latest various instruments.
It must be said that this is indeed the greatest change to the culinary world.
Chefs like Sosuke, who are passionate about traditional cuisine, often just want to make their dishes delicious, and rarely delve into deeper issues, which presents significant limitations.
For example:
Why does a salad rich in wine paired with too much vinegar become undrinkable?
Such doubts do not fall within the scope of culinary research.
And this phenomenon has nothing to do with cooking techniques; it's purely a chemical problem.
But a Molecular Cuisine chef who specializes in this problem will gradually figure out what's going on, and ultimately, using the results of his research, will drive the entire culinary world forward.
From this, it can be seen that Molecular Cuisine indeed possesses unique value and significance.
"Alice."
"Do you know how many forms white sugar takes during the heating process?"
"Three?"
"No, I remember it's like four."
Alice replied.
"Wrong."
"As far as I know, there are at least six."
"When the temperature reaches 100, small bubbles will begin to appear."
"Generally, at this state, it can be used to make syrup-based dishes."
"Between 110 and 120°C, it will present fine and numerous small bubbles, stickiness appears, and it can be drawn into threads, used for making frosted dishes."
"At 130°C, the viscosity continues to increase, and it can form a spherical shape."
"At 150°C, it becomes a hard but easily breakable plate shape; at 160°C, it turns into a light yellow caramel; at 180°C, it completely turns into a deep caramel color, and then the sweetness completely disappears!"
"Like these various different forms and effects produced when white sugar is heated at high temperatures."
"Actually, it's the destruction of the sugar's internal molecular structure. From a professional theoretical perspective, as you just said, it belongs to an isomerization reaction!"
...
A chef skilled in traditional cuisine.
Could actually surpass her, a chef from a Molecular Cuisine background, on the question of how many different forms white sugar takes during the caramelization reaction!
How could Alice not be even more surprised by this situation?
"Wow!"
"Why do you know so much?"
"Practice."
"Through continuous practice, and summarizing the experiences of predecessors!"
"In short, setting aside the essence, Molecular Cuisine actually doesn't have much difference from traditional cuisine."
"Much of the theoretical knowledge involved may have been applied very early in the field of traditional cuisine."
"Just like the cotton candy and candied hawthorns commonly seen on the streets and alleys of Tianchao, to some extent, they also belong to Molecular Cuisine!"
Listening carefully, Alice then fell into deep thought.
Her heart began to grow restless, like surging waves crashing against the shore.
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