In Sosuke's original world, there was a globally authoritative gourmet guide organization. Restaurants that received stars from it would often see their business boom instantly, with diners filling every seat!
Similarly, in the world of "food wars!: shokugeki no soma", there also exists an organization of the same type!
WGO, this is a world-class culinary association.
Because the concept of "cuisine is supreme" has been deeply ingrained in people's hearts, the importance, authority, and influence of the WGO Gourmet Organization in all aspects are, in fact, incomparable to the Michelin Guide of Sosuke's previous world!
Hmm! Currently, WGO only gives a maximum of three-star ratings to any restaurant worldwide.
However, the leap from zero to one star, from one to two stars, and from two to three stars is often a very deep chasm.
For many chefs, if their restaurants can be rated even the lowest one-star by the WGO Gourmet Organization in their lifetime, it would be enough for them to achieve great success!
Even Shinomiya Kojiro, the first person from Japan to receive the "Proust Pur Medal" in France after graduating from Totsuki, his current French restaurant, SHINO, is only a two-star establishment!
One can imagine how high the value of a three-star rating from the WGO Gourmet Organization is.
Conversely, if a restaurant has a high reputation and earns a lot of money, but once it loses its star rating, it will likely close down!
Every year, the WGO Gourmet Organization dispatches a group of "Gourmet Spies."
Their mission is to explore and evaluate restaurants around the world, and this group of people is collectively referred to as "Executives."
Generally, for the sake of fairness and to prevent the possibility of under-the-table dealings, Executives will conceal their identities when evaluating a restaurant, quietly tasting as ordinary diners!
However, nothing is absolute.
There are also some Executives who will directly reveal their identities and then give their reviews!
Regardless of the process, their evaluation standards are absolutely stringent.
It's not enough for a chef's dish to meet their requirements in terms of presentation, taste, texture, and cooking control to earn a star rating!
It also includes many other standards such as ingredient quality, restaurant profit and dining environment, staff service level and demeanor, the restaurant's unique features, innovation and creativity, and the price and value for money of the dishes!
In summary, WGO's selection criteria are absolutely comprehensive.
These standards aim to ensure that diners can enjoy high-quality cuisine and service in star-rated restaurants!
It is precisely because of WGO's rigorous selection standards and its collection of outstanding Executives that it is the most authoritative gourmet organization in the world!
"Without further ado," Annie said, "I'll start by tasting the dish your restaurant provides!"
With that, she fixed her gaze on the pan-fried golden and tender foie gras on the table.
Foie Gras means "Foie Gras" in French, and pan-fried is "Saute," so "Foie Gras Saute" is often seen as an appetizer in French restaurants.
Although Annie, as an Executive, has almost grown tired of dishes like foie gras in her life, this particular foie gras, pan-fried by Sonoka, seemed a little different, as if some extra ingredients had been added.
Therefore, without examining it closely, she directly used her knife and fork to cut a small piece of foie gras and began to slowly savor it.
Crispy!
Delicate!
Smooth!
More importantly, there was that melt-in-your-mouth sensation inherent to foie gras!
Only when heated to 35 degrees Celsius does the internal fat of foie gras begin to melt.
And although foie gras is delicate and smooth like butter, it has tendons and veins hidden inside that must all be removed before pan-frying.
The processing steps are very complicated, no less than preparing bird's nest, and thus it severely tests a chef's skill!
After a period of pan-frying, the inherent taste of the foie gras not only lacked the greasy sensation typically found in meat, but when paired with caramelized apples made with butter and brown sugar, it became even more fragrant!
As one of the world's three great delicacies, foie gras only needs to be carefully pan-fried over low heat to greatly stimulate one's appetite!
What's more, Sonoka also paired it with caramelized apples and balsamic vinegar sauce.
As a result, this particularly delicate and fragrant taste and texture made Annie almost want to exclaim.
"Excellent," she said.
"This foie gras."
"You used the most traditional method."
"On the surface, foie gras appears to be the most important ingredient, but the apples, caramel, and balsamic vinegar sauce also play a not-to-be-underestimated role!"
"First, the Fuji apple: 9 to 11% of this apple is monosaccharide, and its flesh is firm, making it sweeter and crisper than many other apple varieties."
"Therefore, it can neutralize the savory taste of the foie gras, achieving a sweet and palatable effect."
"At the same time, the fresh apple flavor can also enhance the texture of the foie gras, making the entire dish more delicious."
"Then, there are the caramel and vinegar sauces."
"When the sugar is cooked to an amber color, quickly add the apple pieces and pan-fry until both sides are slightly yellow, allowing the apples to fully absorb the caramel's aroma."
"As for the preparation of the balsamic vinegar sauce, you used a mixture of red wine vinegar, olive oil, honey, black pepper, and 13 other seasonings."
"Overall, this foie gras dish truly allows one to savor the richness of the foie gras, the sweetness of the apple, and the crispness of the caramel."
"Finally, when paired with the sweet and sour taste of the balsamic vinegar sauce, the texture of this foie gras dish becomes particularly distinct, and all the ingredients harmonize perfectly with the foie gras!"
Swallowing, Annie began to analyze every detail and preparation method of Sonoka's foie gras dish in front of her.
It's important to know that the selection of foie gras is simply extremely demanding!
First, the goose must be born in the spring, then subjected to "force-feeding" with a diet mixed mainly with wheat, corn, fat, and salt.
At least 1 kilogram of feed is stuffed daily for at least one month, until the goose's liver expands to a weight between 700 and 1000 grams, which is considered to meet the standard!
To make a comparison, the preciousness of foie gras can be equated to shark fin or sea cucumber in Chinese cuisine, or even surpass them!
Therefore, people often joke: The goose's liver is more expensive than the goose itself!
Clearly, this famous foie gras dish pushed the so-called "romance" of French cuisine to an unprecedented extreme.
However, even the most delicious foie gras didn't seem enough to satisfy this First-Class Executive of the WGO Gourmet Organization!
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