Food Stall: Customers Chase Me across the Country

Chapter 641 - 590: KOF Sweet Dessert Culinary Showdown (Part 2)

Zhuo Qianqian nodded, "I think so too. But from what the teacher said, it seems like we haven’t really won this kind of competition, and many of our entries are either a fusion of Chinese and Western or they’re purely Western desserts. The teacher might want you to showcase our Huaxia-style desserts."

"What? What do you mean by ’haven’t really won’? Are you saying our great Huaxia can’t win a small dessert competition?"

Upon hearing Zhuo Qianqian’s words, Wang Fan was a bit upset. Not wanting to participate is one thing, but not being able to win against foreigners is another.

Zhuo Qianqian immediately searched her phone for news reports: "Look, there have been three competitions in total, and we’ve lost all three." Wang Fan took the phone and started reading intently.

The report was quite detailed, including clear descriptions of the judges, the competition process, and the outcomes, along with the entries themselves.

But when he saw the Huaxia entries, his brow furrowed unconsciously.

It turned out that most of Huaxia’s entries were Western-style cakes and baking items, with neither the appearance nor the design showing much of any Huaxia element.

Professor Liu smiled slightly at Zhuo Qianqian’s response, as she had expected Wang Fan to participate.

Even though he seems indifferent and uncompetitive most days, there are times when he’s more zealous than anyone, especially when it involves foreigners.

She only learned about this competition a couple of days ago from Allen, possibly because of the constant losses, so the domestic media hasn’t covered it much.

Seeing her country lose three times in a row, Professor Liu was naturally displeased, so when she thought of Wang Fan and Zhuo Qianqian being in Chengdu, she naturally informed them.

It’s understandable why Huaxia would lose the competition. Desserts are mainstream in France, while in our country, we’ve been taught from a young age that too much sugar causes obesity and cavities, so few people delve deeply into desserts.

It was only later, with the influx of Western culture, that some people began learning to make Western bread, cakes, donuts, and other desserts.

Can Wang Fan make desserts?

Of course he can. Professor Liu even believes that there might be no one better in the country than him. Besides the desserts he makes publicly, there are many others shared with him by his little disciples through photos.

This guy has gone to great lengths to win over his little disciples, with an endless array of both Chinese and Western desserts dazzling to the eye.

Each one is exquisitely detailed, and judging by his little disciples’ reactions, they surely taste amazing too.

Having such skills should not be wasted just to woo girls; he should enter competitions to win honor for the domestic dessert world.

...

Boss Wang, the ultimate outdoor gourmet master, is coming to participate in this year’s Sino-French Dessert Competition!

The staff at the organizing committee were dumbfounded when they saw the application form!

But right after that, they were quite excited.

Even though the competition is mainly about exchange, since it’s a competition, there are always winners and losers. And every time, the victors have been the French team. Who can stand that?

But there’s nothing that can be done about it; indeed, their skills surpass ours.

It’s not even at the level of a black-box operation; it’s been sheer domination from start to finish.

And it’s said that a French chef god is coming as a judge this time, so our competitors might end up losing even more miserably.

But! That man has arrived!

Boss Wang hasn’t published many dessert pictures online, but each one is extraordinary and filled with Huaxia elements. If he comes, he’ll undoubtedly be a major asset for our side.

"Is Boss Wang really coming? I just love the lotus crispy cake he made before. With desserts of that caliber, we should have a chance to win, right?"

"National-style cakes are the best-looking, no argument."

"The peony crystal cake is the eternal god-tier. It’s so beautiful that it’s almost unreal, and it’s a fully Huaxia-style dessert. I think we can easily beat those French guys!"

"Yeah, yeah, with Boss Wang here, we definitely have a chance to win this time!"

"Boss Wang is invincible!"

"Boss Wang for the win!"

Compared to the staff’s confidence in him, Wang Fan was much more modest.

The French’s research and passion for desserts are indeed unparalleled, arguably the best in the world.

Trying to pass through and defeat opponent after opponent in the competition is incredibly difficult, so he’s studying diligently at this moment.

He’s not only looking at some classic French desserts but also reviewing various reports of desserts recorded by his ancestors.

"In the past, sugar was a luxury item, affordable only to wealthy families, a symbol of status and affluence. There are many records of desserts, but many data are incomplete or have disappeared entirely, making it extremely difficult to replicate them."

"Yes, but we still have to give it a shot. This kind of competition is most suited for showcasing our own desserts."

Zhuo Qianqian said worriedly, "But their competition format is somewhat harsh; it’s in KOF style."

"What does KOF style mean?"

Zhuo Qianqian explained, "In simple terms, each side sends out ten representatives, with one person from each team competing against each other. The loser is naturally out, while the winner can stay in the ring to face the next challenger from the opposing side until they are defeated, at which point another team member takes their place to continue the competition."

Wang Fan was surprised, "Is it that intense?"

Zhuo Qianqian nodded, "Theoretically, if the first competitor is strong enough, they could sweep through the entire competition alone."

Wang Fan chuckled, "Let’s not talk about anything else first. I’m afraid that person’s stamina wouldn’t hold up, right? They’d have to be a Super Saiyan to endure it."

Zhuo Qianqian, thinking of the dismal results from the past three years, said, "It’s not that I’m a worrywart, but if there’s no particularly strong participant this time, you might really have to go 1v10, Boss."

Wang Fan smiled wryly, "The way you’re saying it makes it sound like I’m jumping into a pit. Is there still time to withdraw?"

Zhuo Qianqian chuckled mischievously, "It’s too late. Boss, you’re a traffic magnet. The organizers are likely hoping to boost their reputation, and they’ve already posted news of your participation on their official website. Now there are a lot of people waiting to see you show off your skills."

"Alright then, I better get prepared quickly, or I might not even make it past the first round."

Surprising enough, Wang Fan closed his eyes, and the dessert descriptions he just learned about flooded his mind.

Sometimes, the way our ancestors documented things in such a minimalist fashion can drive you crazy. Even with a recipe, trying to recreate something based on just a snippet or two of description is like retracing the entire creative journey of that dessert.

Zhuo Qianqian saw Wang Fan deep in thought and didn’t disturb him, continuing to flip through various digital ancient books to find recipes for him, even helping translate them, exuding a strong aura of shared effort and support.

Zhuo Qianqian only explained half of the competition’s format. Before the PK with foreign friends, there is a round of domestic competitors’ competition. Domestic judges will score the desserts each participant makes, and the top ten will represent Huaxia to compete with the French team.

Our best performance so far was only eliminating three of their competitors.

Because of this, the organizers were even embarrassed to advertise their event, fearing that the more people knew, the more criticism they would receive.

The following morning, Zhuo Qianqian had to leave. The recipes she could find online were quite limited, so she planned to head to major libraries later to see if she could find more.

This is her boss’s first time participating in a competition, so naturally, he has to show his skills and style and win the championship. Adequate preparation is necessary.

"Take care, Boss. I’m leaving first. I’ll send over any suitable recipes I find and translate for you."

After bidding farewell to Zhuo Qianqian, Wang Fan resumed his retreat.

Old, new, all kinds of recipes switched back and forth in his mind.

Persimmon Yam Cake, Lotus Powder Cake from Dream of the Red Chamber, Jade Dew Balls from the Tail Banquet, Lychee Crisp Mountain from the Tang Dynasty cold dessert...

Looking at the ancestral delicious desserts recreated in his mind from these records, Wang Fan couldn’t help but marvel at how our ancestors truly knew how to enjoy life.

Just bringing these things from ancient times to the present day would definitely elicit gasps of "Whoa!"

Even for him, every time he recreated a dish in his mind, he couldn’t help but silently exclaim, "Whoa!"

Indeed, your ancestors are still your ancestors!