The Peach Banquet

"What a wonderful 'Cow Hair Puff Pastry'!" Zhang Hu, a food critic from the Chen Character Number, exclaimed. He brought the peach to his mouth, but when his teeth touched the fuzz, he didn't experience the crisp texture that ordinary pastries should have.

To be precise, it's a feeling of spreading subtly and gradually.

The fine downy hairs gently break upon touching the lips, scattering in the mouth and releasing a fragrant taste with a subtle astringency.

Astringency is not a taste, but a tactile sensation similar to spiciness. However, compared to the "pain" of spiciness, astringency is a dry feeling caused by the removal of moisture.

After being gently fried in oil, the fine, flaky crust easily absorbs moisture. As it squeezes out the saliva that overflows in the mouth due to the aroma of peaches, the true flavor unfolds on the tip of the tongue.

The incredibly light and airy texture spread throughout Zhang Hu's mind, completely shattering the initial thought that it wasn't crispy. The aroma, the taste, the delicacy—it was absolutely crispy!

As you bite down, the delicate, two-millimeter-thick layer of fuzz is torn apart, and the slightly resilient peach skin breaks open. Then, a rich flavor bursts forth, but it doesn't feel scalding hot; instead, it has a refreshing and sweet taste.

The sweet, sour, salty, and savory flavors swept over the taste buds, creating a strong contrast with the previous light and sweet taste that was highlighted by astringency. This cleansed the Dim Sum the overly heavy dessert and forcefully opened up one's appetite. Even the judges who had just tasted several banquet dishes had a strong desire to eat again.

After sipping the appetizer soup, I put the peach skin, which wrapped around a ring of "fruit flesh," into my mouth. The peach skin had two layers: the outer layer was a flaky crust as fine as cow hair, while the inner layer was smooth and delicate, like the pancakes of a roast duck. The moment I bit into it, it wrapped the "fruit flesh" together, forming a perfectly sized "dumpling."

The noodles are made with a seafood broth carefully simmered with bonito flakes and kelp, and topped with shrimp pieces crushed with the back of a knife. Far from being overshadowed by the gushing sweet and sour broth, the noodles actually highlight the exotic charm of a tropical island.

Chew slowly, and as the savory and chewy texture develops, the flavor of the gluten begins to emerge. Kneaded with profound Internal Force, the gluten is chewy and elastic, comparable to real tendons or beef tendons. Before being wrapped with fillings, it is baked once, and with continued chewing, it becomes more and more fragrant, making it hard to swallow.

After savoring this unique first bite, even the most discerning judges couldn't resist taking a second bite. However, after the previous discussions about its deliciousness, this second, more rustic chewing offered a completely different experience.

The first bite creates a contrast between the dry and wet textures of the Cow Hair Puff Pastry and the appetizing soup. However, the second bite, with the "peach" having absorbed all the soup, instantly clears away any lingering taste in the mouth.

The lingering aftertaste of the Cow Hair Puff Pastry, combined with the texture of gluten and shrimp paste, offered a completely different experience from before. The difference was as obvious as the difference between drinking the soup of Crab Roe Soup Dumplings and eating the filling of Crab Oil dumpling.

Although the tasting process is relatively complicated, the peach is only about the size of a fist. After a few bites, the flat, round peach is reduced to a small, purple-veined pit.

But no one underestimates this grape-sized peach pit, because it is undoubtedly a carefully crafted food!

The attentive judges held the peach pit, observing the Masterful Creation knife work, while the quick-witted ones had already snapped open the crisp, roasted shell with a crunch.

The rich sauce oozes from the peach pit, and the sweet and sour salad dressing mixed with the crunchy peach pit keeps the sweet flavor alive while also filling the dry mouth caused by the previous tasting.

The slightly astringent taste that had been lingering in my mouth was filled in by the sauce, and the roasted vegetables burst with a unique deliciousness as I chewed them.

Dried goods can acquire a wonderful flavor that far surpasses that of fresh goods through drying. Feng Xue used her magical skills to transform these ordinary thick lettuce leaves into top-quality crisps that absorb the flavors of various dried goods.

But the story of this peach didn't end there, because a tiny "peach kernel," no bigger than a grape seed, was eventually "found" within the sauce.

The peach kernels were very chewy and bouncy, covered with a layer of tasteless gelatinous substance, making it impossible to taste the core inside. But when you crush them with your teeth, a strong sour taste suddenly bursts in your mouth.

Saliva kept flowing, washing away the remaining sauce and aftertaste. But after the intense sourness, a new flavor spread through the mouth. Even though there was no food left in the mouth, that taste lingered in the memory for a long time.

The entire room fell silent. Whether they had eaten or not, or had only eaten halfway, no one spoke. Even the contestant who had initially been indignant about the sudden troublemaker shut his mouth after being given a peach and squatted in front of his own kitchen counter, becoming withdrawn.

The viewers in the Live Broadcast Room were even more anxious. When watching food shows, most people are mentally prepared to see delicious-looking food but not be able to eat it. However, scenes like this, where the color alone is enough to make people unable to resist the urge to eat, still make people feel a strong sense of resentment.

What's even more outrageous is that the people who were originally responsible for explaining what the taste was now all holding the peach with blank, lost expressions, as if they had been hit by a collective amnesia spell. They didn't utter a single word, making it feel like hundreds of worms were crawling all over you. In the blink of an eye, all the Live Broadcast Room were filled with this madness.

However, what they didn't understand was that all the judges were struggling with their decision.

Because these peaches far exceeded their expectations.

It is Dim Sum, a soup, a fish, a meat, a salad, a dessert, and also a beverage. But overall, no one can deny that it is a complete main course.

This tiny peach embodies the form and flavor profile of all dishes. If that were all, it would be fine, but the key is that, regardless of the type of dish, none of the similar dishes they have tasted so far have surpassed it.

It's like a bug in the system; it's just a huge plate of peaches, but anyone who comes here has to admit that it's the most lavish, delicious, and creative feast they've ever had.

Peach Banquet!

This is the real Peach Banquet!

With these peaches of immortality, the Peach Banquet no longer needs any extra dishes. Dragon Liver Phoenix Marrow, or even the Jade Pool Immortal Brew, would all seem superfluous in the face of these peaches.

Everyone understood the outcome, but no one dared to speak up.

Because speaking out is tantamount to throwing the entire Culinary World's reputation to the ground and trampling on it.

But remaining silent is just as effective.

And so, only silence remained.

Human taste is very interesting. Eating when you have a dry mouth tastes completely different from eating after drinking water. Moreover, some foods taste delicious even when you drink water after eating them.