Souma Yukihira Quotes

“This wrap! It's made of rice!
Now I get it... it's a variation on a Bánh Xèo!"
BÁNH XÈO
Literally meaning "Sizzling Cake," it is a Vietnamese rice-flour pancake.
The batter is made from rice flour, water, coconut milk and other ingredients and is then spread thinly and fried like a crepe.
Once cooked, ingredients like pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts are folded inside.
I see the concept behind this dish now!
It's mixing piping-hot rice with juicy fried chicken!
Fried chicken and rice have always been a golden combination.
Here they've recreated that in a form that's easy to eat on the go and just as delicious.
And they even managed to do it in an innovative and eye-catching way!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 5 [Shokugeki no Souma 5]

“ Out of all of the meats you can get from a cow...
... the tail meat has the most gelatin!
Season the oxtail with salt and pepper, dust it with flour and sear it in a frying pan to give it a good color, and then set it to simmer until it's good and tender.
That way, by the time it has thoroughly soaked up the demi-glace sauce...
... all of the sticky gelatin in it will have begun to melt out...
... giving the meat a decadently chewy and gooey texture!
That, together with the demi-glace sauce, creates a much richer taste experience.
He found a way to give his dish a more powerful, full-bodied flavor without getting rid of the white miso!
That was Hisako's idea!
Oxtail does not come close to the famously luxuriant texture of turtle meat, of course...
... but the gelatin it does contain is perfect for a beef stew! ”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 11 [Shokugeki no Souma 11]

“That was certainly a case of snowballing momentum. Who would've thought he'd succeed being that far behind?"
"True. This particular assignment was designed to test one major skill...
the ability to expect the unexpected.
How well the student could envision exactly what sort of dish would be necessary...
... for a buffet-style hotel breakfast was the key to success.
But there is another skill...
one of the most important for a chef to have in a kitchen, where anything can go wrong without warning...
the ability to respond and adapt to any situation at will. Soma handicapped himself with his choice of dish, but by adapting to the situation, he overcame that deficit brilliantly."
"He's a little rough around the edges, but he seems like a promising talent.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 5 [Shokugeki no Souma 5]

“How were you able to complete this dish?"
"Easy! I used honey.
I rubbed it on the meat before we cooked it...
... and I added it into the seasonings afterward too."
I see! Honey is rich in proteinase, an enzyme that breaks down proteins. By using it as a rub on the tough cut of beef...
... he was able to tenderize it in a short period of time!
"But how did you know honey would do that?"
"When I was little, I read in a cookbook that pineapple juice could tenderize meats. But we don't often get the chance to buy whole pineapples.
So I experimented with stuff to see if anything else could do the same thing.
Of all of them, honey keeps the best and it's by far the easiest to use! ”
― Yuto Tsukuda, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 1

“ I can smell the pungent scent of garlic and soy sauce coming from the eggs...
... almost as if they had been grilled!
But... the eggs are still raw!
How could he...?
It was then! When he slid the eggs across the heated oil in the skillet in that quick flip. Was that enough to infuse the raw egg with all the flavor of the seasonings?!"
"?! Wait, you can do that?"
"Heck no! If you're even the slightest bit too slow, you end up with a skillet full of half-cooked scrambled eggs."
"I've got about one second to cram all that flavor into the raw egg. And to do that, cheapo bland eggs are a better choice than high-end eggs with a strong flavor.
Can you even imagine it? All that thick, raw egg...
... practically bursting with the flavor of sesame oil, garlic, and roasted soy sauce.
Go on, try a bite. Then you'll understand.
Don't let it get cold.
DIG IN."
The scent of garlic and roasted spring onion...
So heavy, it's just this side of being so much you could choke.
The thickness of it all strokes the tongue.
With each bite...
... the roasted soy sauce mixes with the rice...
... while the raw egg...
...slides slickly down the throat.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 1

“ It starts with chicken thigh meat cut into big, thick chunks. They're then set to marinate for the morning in a Nikumi- Original Marinade featuring soy sauce and cayenne pepper.
"Breading done."
"Thanks!"
"Man, the smell of this chicken deep-frying is so good, it's making me hungry!"
"Is it done yet? I wanna eat!"
After the chicken breast has been fried not once but twice...
... it, along with lettuce leaves and other leafy herbs...
... is all wrapped up in our special, freshly cooked wrap!
Some of our "Secret Chili Sauce" (which has a dash of Thai Nam Pla in it for flavor)...
... and a sprinkling of fresh cracked black pepper top it all off! ”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 5 [Shokugeki no Souma 5]

“What a wallop of rich, full-bodied flavor! Tangy spiciness is flooding in my mouth! This ain't no sweet tea cake!
Ankimo?!
It's filled with ankimo monkfish liver!"
"Yep! You've got it in one. This here is a special little dish I made...
I dub it THE ANKIMONAKA GUTS SANDWICH!"
"Wait a minute. There were no rice wafer shells or batter in the ingredient trucks! How could you make a monaka sandwich?!"
"Easy enough to make your own with a little cornstarch and shiratama rice flour. Squeeze some batter between two muffin molds- like these- bake them, and voilà! You have your own instant rice wafers. It's a pretty delicate operation, though, so you've gotta be patient and careful.
As for the filling, I started out by trimming and deveining some monkfish liver, then I salted it to remove its fishiness.
Next, I whipped up a broth of bonito stock seasoned with soy sauce, sake and sugar and then simmered the liver.
I pressed it through a strainer until it was a nice, smooth paste and mixed in my handmade Shichimi red pepper blend.
After that, all that was left was to stuff the rice wafer shells with it and serve!"
Light, crispy wafers and thick, sticky monkfish-liver paste! Those two and the mountain yam he mixed in with them make for marvelously contrasting textures! And their flavors! The sharp spiciness spreads its addicting tingle through my entire mouth!
He struck the perfect balance between the savory umami of the bonito stock and the salty soy sauce too...
Which makes the tangy spiciness of his red pepper blend stand out all the more!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 33 [Shokugeki no Souma 33]

“See, for the Kuri Kinton chestnuts, I used prepackaged boiled sweet potatoes!
I simmered them in some orange juice and then mashed them until they were smooth.
Normal Kuri Kinton use gardenia fruit to give the chestnuts an orange color, but I swapped those out for sweet potatoes and orange juice...
... making mine more of a Joke Kuri Kinton!
The rolled omelet is made of egg and Hanpen fish cakes I found near the Oden ! I blended it all in a food processor with some salt and sugar before cooking it in an omelet pan.
Red-and-White Salad! Seasoning regular salad veggies with salt, sugar and vinegar turns them into a Red-and-White Salad! Salting the veggies ahead of time draws out moisture, making them crispier and allowing them to soak up more sweet vinegar.
Checkered Prosciutto Rolls! I just wrapped some snack-cup precut carrot and daikon sticks in prosciutto strips and voilà! A little honey and mustard dabbed inside the prosciutto works as a glue to hold it all together.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 33 [Shokugeki no Souma 33]

“What luxury ingredient will it be this year?
Matsutake mushrooms?
"Returning" Skipjack?
Fresh soba?"
"IT'S MACKEREL PIKE!"
"Really? Pike?!"
"Umm... that's kind of a letdown, to be honest. They're such common fish..."
"Not so fast, folks.
It is true that throughout Japanese history, pike was viewed as a common fish that only the peasantry ate. But recently, high-class restaurants have begun serving it...
... and it now appears on the menus of restaurants across the world. It has become an unspoken representative of the Fall Fishing Season.
A dish that uses pike in some way...
... is the theme for the final round of this year's Fall Classic!"
"Mmm, pike! The first thing that springs to mind is yummy salt-grilled pike!
The crispy skin... the hot, succulent meat... the savory smell of its juices...
A dollop of grated daikon radish on top, and it's yum, yum, yum!"
"It's been showing up on sushi menus recently too. That's a general ingredient for you. You can do tons of stuff with it."
"As you all know, pike can be used in a wide variety of dishes. But strangely enough, this one ingredient...
... has connections to all three of our contestants.
A pike..
... with its fatty meat is known for its robust fragrance.
It is a prized ingredient in seafood dishes across the world.
And it has a long history of use in what is viewed as common cuisine!"
"Oho! It has facets that appeal to all three chefs."
"That means it's an ingredient that can play to each of their strengths!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 12 [Shokugeki no Souma 12]

“How delicious! Layer upon layer of exquisitely delicate sweetness blooms in the mouth like the unfurling petals of a flower! And it's different from the cake Sarge presented in one very distinct way!"
?!
The flavors explode not like a bomb but a firecracker! What a silky-smooth, mild sweetness!
"How were you able to create such a uniquely beautiful flavor?"
"See, for the cake, I used Colza oil, flour, baking powder... and a secret ingredient...
Mashed Japanese mountain yam!
That gave the batter some mild sweetness along with a thick creaminess. Simply mashing it instead of pureeing it gave the cake's texture some soft body as well.
Then there're the two different frostings I used! The white cream I made by blending into a smooth paste banana, avocado, soy milk, rice syrup and some puffed rice I found at the convenience store. I used this for the filling.
*Rice syrup, also called rice malt, is a sweetener made by transforming the starch in rice into sugars. A centuries-old condiment, it's known for being gentle on the stomach.
*
I made the dark cream I used to frost the cake by adding cocoa powder to the white cream."
"I see. How astonishing. This cake uses no dairy or added sugar. Instead, it combines and maximizes the natural sweetness of its ingredients to create a light and wonderfully delicious cake!"
"What?!"
"He didn't put in any sugar at all?!"
"But why go to all that time and effort?!"
"For the people patiently waiting to eat it, of course.
This cake was made especially for these people and for this season.
When it's hot and humid out... even if it's a Christmas Cake, I figured you'd all prefer one that's lighter and softer instead of something rich and heavy.
I mean, that's the kind of cake I'd want in this weather.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 34 [Shokugeki no Souma 34]

“The sparkles that came from the firecracker are coffee crumbles!"
Originating in Ireland, Crumbles are a baked dessert generally consisting of fruits topped with a crumbly crust. The crumbly mix can be made with rolled oats, crushed almonds and even crushed coffee beans!
"How refreshingly tart! I can taste a faint hint of grated tangerine zest. Its fruity flavor pairs exceedingly well with the mildly sweet, clean flavor of the cake. And the hidden piece of the puzzle that ties them both together...
... is this cream that's coating the outer layer of bark!"
"Man, you catch on fast! That's right. That's another variation on the cream I used as a filling for the center of the cake. I used that dark cream and thinned it into a brown cream that would melt at room temperature."
"Oho! How clever. The crumbles, while sweet and delicious, tend to have a very dry and, well... crumbly texture. Not so with this cake."
The brown cream brought just the right amount of moisture to the crumbles... enough to prevent them from being dry but not so much that they lose their crispy crunch. Plus, it firmly ties the flavors of the crumbles and the cake itself into one harmonious whole!
Now I see.
"That must be the other reason why you chose not to use any dairy or added sugars in the cake!
Either would have overwhelmed the coffee crumbles! But you wanted to emphasize their delicate flavors... the light flash and sparkle of their tartness and bitterness!"
"Refreshing at first, with a full body... capped off with a flash of invigorating bitterness!"
"This is a gem of a dish that will captivate everyone, young and old!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 34 [Shokugeki no Souma 34]

“Aah, I know what this is! It's a sformato! A soufflé-like Italian dish similar to a Japanese egg custard."
Thinly sliced onions sautéed to sweet tenderness in heavy cream and melted parmesan cheese...
... and a beaten egg and melted butter steamed into a fluffy soufflé. That's what the white side is- a cheese-flavored Sformato Soufflé!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 34 [Shokugeki no Souma 34]

“What an unbelievably refined flavor! And so lusciously gooey you could just faint! The salty, sticky turtle broth seeps through the mouth... melding beautifully with the salty savoriness of the butter and cheese! Together, they lap at your tongue in silky, decadent harmony!
"How on earth does this work? What makes the flavor of the turtle fit so well with the cheese?
Hm? What's this where the two layers meet?"
"You have a keen eye, sir. That's a mix of chopped nuts and seeds- walnuts, peanuts, sesame seeds...
...and...
...."
"Kaki no Tane Snack Crackers?!"
Those crackers! Soma used those the very first time Takumi challenged him!
After lightly toasting them to bring out their aroma, I mixed them into the layer between the sides of my Sformato. Of course, this was after I used my Mezzaluna...
... to chop them all into the perfect size of about 0.1 mm each!
"Heyo, Human Food Processor!"
"I see! The toasted Kaki no Tane Crackers bring just enough aromatic astringency to erase the smell of the fish and dairy...
... functioning as a sort of bridge to tie the two distinct flavors together!
Not only that, their crunchiness adds a fun, contrasting texture while not being filling at all!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 34 [Shokugeki no Souma 34]

“ I boiled potatoes until they were hot and fluffy...
... and then kneaded in diced mushrooms, which are fibrous and soak up fat easily.
Then I wrapped the whole mixture up in thick-cut bacon and set it to roast!
The heat caused the fat to render out of the bacon, leaving its crispy and crunchy...
... while the potatoes soaked up every last drop of the savory pork fat!
Crispy on the outside...
... juicy on the inside.
Together they create a savory and sensual taste experience! ”
― Yuto Tsukuda, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 1

“What a wonderful crunch!
And yet the char's meat was still hot and deliciously juicy!
The breading perfectly contained inside its protective shell the savory flavor of the fish!
The Kaki no Tane Crackers came already seasoned...
... so the breading itself had a solid, delicious taste.
And the dipping sauce is perfect! The Ki no Me mixed with Tamago no Moto is wonderfully light and fluffy!"
*Ki no Me: The young leaves of the Japanese pepper plant. Clapping one in your palm crushes the leaf's cells, releasing a distinctive scent.*
TAMAGO NO MOTO.
Mayonnaise without the vinegar, it is simply egg yolks and vegetable oil whisked into a creamy consistency.
It's often used to bring ingredients together or to add flavor to a dish.
Some salt and minced Ki no Me adds an overall refreshing taste to the fish...
... erasing any oiliness and giving it a refined flavor.
"That wonderfully smooth creaminess hiding between the crispy crunchiness of the breading really spurs the appetite!
The breaded and deep-fried mountain vegetables on the side cannot be ignored, either.
They provide an eye-pleasing contrast when arranged side-by-side with the deep-fried fish. "
"Soma, where on earth did you get the idea for this?"
"In Japanese cooking, there's a type of tempura called Okakiage, right?
When deep-frying things, use crushed-up Okaki Rice Crackers instead of panko to give the dish some uniqueness and kick.
I made this at home once long ago with my dad. "
"And that gave you the idea to use the Kaki no Tane Crackers in place of the Okaki Rice Crackers?"
"Yep!
I call it the Yukihira Style Okaki-
YUKIHIRA STYLE OKAKI-NO-TANE-AGE CHAR!"
"You just slapped the two names together!"
On one hand, Takumi Aldini maintained a broad version that did not overlook potential ingredients, such as the duck.
On the other, Soma Yukihira's rare ability to think outside the box...
... led him to create a dish that no one else even expected!
Neither was intimidated by the time constraints or the limited ingredients.
They instead focused on what they could do to create their dish.
That is the spirit of a true professional!
Hee hee! This is hardly the first time I've given this assignment. And students have made deep-fried items before... without breading.
But he is the first one to find a way to present to me fish that is both breaded and deep-fried!
The char, in season this spring...
... is snuggly wrapped in a protective shell of Kaki no Tane Cracker breading. ”
― Yuto Tsukuda, Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma, Vol. 3

“This rich pork flavor, which lands on the tongue with a thump...
It's Chinese Dongpo Pork! He seasoned pork belly with a blend of spices and let it marinate thoroughly...
... before finely dicing it and mixing it into the fried rice!"
"What? Dongpo Pork prepared this fast?! No way! He didn't have nearly enough time to simmer the pork belly!"
"Heh heh. Actually, there's a little trick to that.
I simmered it in sparkling water instead of tap water. The carbon dioxide that gives sparkling water its carbonation helps break down the fibers in meat. Using this, you can tenderize a piece of meat in less than half the normal time!"
"That isn't the only protein in this dish. I can taste the seafood from an Acqua Pazza too!"
"And these green beans... it's the Indian dish Poriyal!
Diced green beans and shredded coconut fried in oil with chilies and mustard seeds... it has a wonderfully spicy kick!"
"He also used the distinctly French Mirepoix to gently accentuate the sweetness of the vegetables.
So many different delicious flavors...
... all clashing and sparking in my mouth!
But the biggest key to this dish, and the core of its amazing deliciousness...
... is the rice!"
"Hmph. Well, of course it is. The dish is fried rice. If the rice isn't the centerpiece, it isn't a..."
"I see. His dish is fried rice while simultaneously being something other than fried rice.
A rice lightly fried in butter before being steamed in some variety of soup stock...
In other words, it's actually closer to that famous staple from Turkish cuisine- a Pilaf!
In fact, it's believed the word "pilaf" actually comes from the Turkish word pilav.
To think he built the foundation of his dish on pilaf of all things!"
"Heh heh heh! Yep, that's right! Man, I've learned so much since I started going to Totsuki."
"Mm, I see! When you finished the dish, you didn't fry it in oil! That's why it still tastes so light, despite the large volume and variety of additional ingredients.
I could easily tuck away this entire plate!
Still... I'm surprised at how distinct each grain of rice is. If it was in fact steamed in stock, you'd think it'd be mushier."
"Ooh, you've got a discerning tongue, sir! See, when I steamed the rice...
... I did it in a Donabe ceramic pot instead of a rice cooker!"
Ah! No wonder! A Donabe warms slowly, but once it's hot, it can hold high temperatures for a long time!
It heats the rice evenly, holding a steady temperature throughout the steaming process to steam off all excess water. To think he'd apply a technique for sticky rice to a pilaf instead!
With Turkish pilaf as his cornerstone...
... he added super-savory Dongpo pork, a Chinese dish...
... whitefish and clams from an Italian Acqua Pazza...
... spicy Indian green bean and red chili Poriyal...
... and for the French component, Mirepoix and Oeuf Mayonnaise as a topping!
*Ouef is the French word for "egg."*
By combining those five dishes into one, he has created an extremely unique take on fried rice! "
"Hold it! Wait one dang minute! After listening to your entire spiel...
... it sounds to me like all he did was mix a bunch of dishes together and call it a day!
There's no way that mishmash of a dish could meet the lofty standards of the BLUE! It can't nearly be gourmet enough!"
"Oh, but it is.
For one, he steamed the pilaf in the broth from the Acqua Pazza...
... creating a solid foundation that ties together the savory elements of all the disparate ingredients!
The spiciness of the Poriyal could have destabilized the entire flavor structure...
... but by balancing it out with the mellow body of butter and soy sauce, he turned the Poriyal's sharp bite into a pleasing tingle!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 36 [Shokugeki no Souma 36]

“The moment I put it in my mouth and bit down...
... an exquisite and entirely unexpected flavor exploded in my mouth!
It burst across my tongue, rushed up through my nose...
... and rose all the way up to my brain!"
"No! It can't be!"
"How is that possible?! Anyone with eyes can see there's nothing special to that dish! Its fragrance was entirely inferior to Asahi's dish from the get-go!"
"That there. That's what it is. I knew something wasn't right."
"Asahi?"
"Something felt off the instant the cloche was removed.
His dish is fried rice. It uses tons of butter, soy sauce and spices.
Yet it hardly had any aroma!"
"Good catch. The secret is in one of the five grand cuisine dishes I melded together...
A slightly atypical take on the French Oeuf Mayonnaise. ."
"Ouef Mayonnaise, or eggs and mayonnaise, is an appetizer you can find in any French bistro. Hard-boiled eggs are sliced, coated with a house-blend mayo and garnished with vegetables.
Though, in your dish, I can tell you chose very soft-boiled eggs instead.
Hm. Very interesting, Soma Yukihira.
He took those soft-boiled eggs and some homemade mayo and blended them into a sauce...... which he then poured over his steamed rice and tossed until each and every grain was coated, its flavor sealed inside!
To cook them so that each individual grain is completely covered...
... takes incredibly fast and precise wok handling over extremely high heat! No average chef could manage that feat!"
" Whaaa?!
Ah! It's so thin I didn't notice it at first glance, but there it is, a very slight glaze!
That makes each of these grains of rice a miniature, self-contained Omurice!
The moment you bite into them, that eggy coating is broken...
... releasing all the flavors and aromas of the dish onto your palate in one explosive rush!"
No wonder! That's what entranced the judges. That sudden, powerful explosion of flavor!
"Yep! Even when it's served, my dish still hides its fangs. Only when you bite into it does it bite back with all it's got.
I call it my Odorless Fried Rice.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 36 [Shokugeki no Souma 36]

“ Wait a minute...
that dish.
I've seen it before!
It's the Tempura-Egg Rice Bowl he served me before!
"Now, I've made two servings of this. One for you, of course, Book Master.
The other one... how about you taste it, Nakiri."
"Yukihira?"
"Don't confuse this for the dish I served you that other time.
See, that old dish wasn't enough to make you say it was good...
... so I've been secretly working on some new twists I could add to it.
Eat!
Erina Nakiri!
Dig in. I call it my Soma-Style...
... Eggs Benedict over Rice...
... fit for a Queen.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 36 [Shokugeki no Souma 36]

“ This hollandaise sauce that's been generously drizzled over the whole dish... I can taste yuzu kosho and soy sauce in it.
That's a decidedly Japanese twist on a typically very European sauce!
The heavy savoriness of thick sliced pork grilled to a crusty golden brown...
... balances perfectly with the briskly tart Shio Konbu seaweed and shiso leaves mixed into the rice!
Then there's the centerpiece of his dish, the tempura egg! It's crispy on the outside and delectably soft and gooey on the inside!
Instead of freezing it, he must have poached the egg before deep-frying it this time!
The whites are unbelievably tender, and the soft-boiled yolk is so creamy you might not believed it's cooked!
To batter and deep-fry a poached egg that delicate without crushing it...
... you'd need skill and a touch bordering on the superhuman!
Just how much has he trained?! How hard has he practiced...
... to make this single dish?!
"Sure does take you back, doesn't it? This Eggs Benedict.
I switched the muffin out for some seasoned rice, a family-restaurant staple.
Then there's the poached egg that I deep-fried. Pork chops for the bacon. Japanese-style hollandaise sauce.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 36 [Shokugeki no Souma 36]

“This broth! How can it be this rich and mellow?! It's just creamy enough to go perfectly with the noodles too! And this savory flavor! It's so deep and expansive!"
"I grated some potato and added it to the stock. That's what's giving the broth its creaminess.
Believe it or not, the potato is another vegetable that contains the umami compound glutamic acid.
That compound seeped out into the broth, giving it it's rich and savory flavor.
Plus, I only grated the potato roughly, so there are still little beads of potato in the broth, giving the texture some interesting highlights."
"But what about this topping? What is it?!
Hnngh! I knew it! Imo-Mochi Potato Cakes! They're soft and chewy on the inside and crisp and crunchy on the outside!"
Imo-Mochi Potato Cakes are another Hokkaido specialty.
Made with potatoes and potato starch, they're a popular treat with tourists.
The heavy, chewy potato cakes soaked in the creamy broth are a pleasing textural contrast...
... to the light and sleek udon noodles while also giving the dish an extra sense of fullness and satisfaction!
"Unbelievable.
It's almost as if this one dish...
... contains all the expressions of a potato possible in cooking!"
"Exactly! Y'see, this dish---"
"This dish uses all facets of the Irish Cobbler Potato, accenting its starch, its unique texture and its umami goodness.
In fact, it can be considered the ultimate in potato-noodle dishes!”
― Yūto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 21 [Shokugeki no Souma 21]

“Mmm, pike! The first thing that springs to mind is yummy salt-grilled pike!
The crispy skin... the hot, succulent meat... the savory smell of its juices...
A dollop of grated daikon radish on top, and it's yum, yum, yum!"
"It's been showing up on sushi menus recently too. That's a general ingredient for you. You can do tons of stuff with it."
"As you all know, pike can be used in a wide variety of dishes. But strangely enough, this one ingredient...
... has connections to all three of our contestants.
A pike..
... with its fatty meat is known for itsrobust fragrance.
It is a prized ingredient in seafooddishes across the world.
And it has a long history of use in what is viewed as common cuisine!"
"Oho! It has facets that appeal to all three chefs."
"That means it's an ingredient that can play to each of their strengths!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 12 [Shokugeki no Souma 12]

“Man, that Divine Tongue thing really is a pain in the butt."
"Huh?"
"Seriously, when the tiniest things are wrong with your dish...
... she'll let that thing wag until you wanna rip it out by the root.
But when it comes to saying what she really wants to say...
... to the person who really needs to hear it? It doesn't budge an inch.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 35 [Shokugeki no Souma 35]

“Separate pots of simmering French and Italian soup stocks...
Bowls of various Chinese spice blends...
Trimmed and marinating lamb shanks, a common ingredient in Turkish cooking...
And the foundation of all Indian cuisine- toasting the starter spices!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 35 [Shokugeki no Souma 35]

“I've noticed you seem awfully preoccupied with the princess of late. Do you even realize the situation you're in? I wouldn't let myself get distracted if I were you."
Twitch
"Distracted? What, are you kidding? I've been looking at no one but you this whole time!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 35 [Shokugeki no Souma 35]

“ The cumin and cardamom I used in testing worked great with curry...
... but they were too sharp for the stew.
After trying lots of stuff, I settled on the heavy and mildly sweet flavor of cloves...
... and some black pepper to give it just a little bit of bite!
"Oh, I get it! Cloves will help highlight the mellow yet deep flavor of the sauce!
That he rubbed only salt and pepper on the oxtails themselves makes sense too.
If he dusted them with cloves, that would give them too much flavor, making them stick out from the rest of the dish. "
"Look! Now he's dicing some vegetables!"
"Is he going to simmer those with the stew as well?"
That combination of vegetables- a Matignon!
He really did think this through!
MATIGNON
Celery, carrots and onions are minced and then sautéed with diced ham or bacon in butter, white wine or Madeira wine.
Meant primarily to impart its sweetness onto other meats or fish, Matignon is more commonly used as a bed on which other things are cooked as opposed to being served in its own right.
Yet another thing that will preserve the gentle flavor of the dish while still giving it impact.
This stew he's making now...
... is going to taste better than the one he made only last week by an order of magnitude! ”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 11 [Shokugeki no Souma 11]

“Someone you want to cook for more than anyone else.
Someone special.
Someone you want to dedicate the best food you've ever made to...
forever.
I think that special someone...
"I'm home! How ya been, Nakiri?"
"Welcome home.
Well?
I made time in my busy schedule to be here, Yukihira. Don't you have anything else to say to me?"
Oh yeah, sure. Thanks.
You won't believe this recipe, though. It's amazing!"
"Sheesh. It's always recipes with you."
But... it's strange.
Somewhere along the line...
...I've come to look forward to tasting your dishes...
To look forward...
... to seeing you.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 36 [Shokugeki no Souma 36]

“With standard pot stickers, the filling is enclosed in a wheat-dough wrapper. But with these, the filling is stuffed into a chicken wing.
"Stuffed chicken wings. You can call 'em chicken-wing pot stickers too.
So you made some stuffed Satsuma Jidori chicken-wing pot stickers, eh, Yukihira?"
"You got it! First, you remove the two long bones inside the wing...
Then you stuff the filling in the cavity they leave behind and fry 'em up! That's the basics of a stuffed chicken wing."
"Mmm! I can smell their savory aroma from here. What's in the filling?"
"Well, there're the basics, like ground pork, chives and cabbage. I added some diced pork jowl too.
Oh! And shiitake mushrooms. That's the important part.
See, chicken meat has inosinic acid in it, and shiitake mushrooms have guanylic acid. Both of those are umami components.
Together, they magnify each other, giving the dish a richer flavor.”
― Yūto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 17 [Shokugeki no Souma 17]

“The mellow cheese melds together seamlessly with the chicken in the pâté...
And by serving it warm instead of chilled, far from ruining the firmness of the meat, the moistness of the chicken has instead come alive!
Not only that, the flavor of the porcini sauce is hardly overwhelmed. In fact, it now has a complex and intriguing taste to it!
This is still a rough idea with plenty of room for improvement, but the promise is there.
By deliberately matching powerful taste with powerful taste...
... they are actually magnifying each other!"
"Well? Whaddaya think, Erina-chi? Is it good? Hm? Hm?"
"Nope, the greasiness of the pork came out too strong. It's made the whole thing taste too heavy."
"Yeah, but I'd still like to retain the pork's richness somehow!"
"Are you all experimenting with another dish? Oh! Both chicken and pork? That combination won't do at all.
You can't simply add more and more things, you know. Remember, less is more."
"Hang on. How about we add some kind of tartness to it?
Isn't there something that can keep both the chicken's umami and the pork's richness while zapping the greasiness of it all?”
― Yūto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 18 [Shokugeki no Souma 18]

“Chestnuts have always been an ingredient that goes well with gamy meats. And in French cuisine, chestnuts are often seen in combination with venison.
But the mildly sweet flavor and tender texture of these sweet chestnuts makes them melt in the mouth! That flavor combined with the smoky aroma of the charcoal grilling, makes the juicy meatiness of the venison stand out in stark contrast!
This flavor isn't something that could be created with regular chestnuts.
It's a deliciousness made possible precisely because he chose to use sweet chestnuts!
"He minced some of them and added them to the sauce as well! Doing that spread their mild sweetness throughout the whole dish!"

Soma's Chestnut Sauce
Starting with a base of Fond de Veau (a brown stock usually made with veal), he added a cinnamon stick, orange zest and minced sweet chestnuts and then set the sauce to simmer.

"Wait a minute. How odd! Charcoal grilling usually adds a unique and very distinctly bitter taste to ingredients. A taste that is decidedly outside the canon of French flavors!
Yet this dish has taken that bitter taste and somehow made it fit seamlessly! Is there some secret to it?!"
"That would be the coffee."
"What?!"
"Coffee?"
"Yep! You guessed it! That's the Divine Tongue for you.
One of the things I learned at Master Shinomiya's restaurant is that cacao goes really well with game meats. I've never used cacao much, though, to be honest...
So instead I grabbed some instant coffee! The bitterness of coffee is similar enough to pure cacao that it paired up nicely with both the charcoal grilling and the gamy venison...
... resulting in a deeply rich and astringent flavor that's perfect for a truly French sauce. I added both coffee and chestnuts as secret ingredients to my sauce!
This is a Yukihira Original and a brand-new French dish. I call it...
... Charcoal-Grilled Venison Thigh with Chestnut Sauce."
In formal Japanese cooking bowl dishes, such as soups and rice bowls, are constructed from four elements: the main ingredient, the supporting ingredients, the stock and the accents.
Similarly, the French dishes are constructed from three different parts balanced in harmony: the main ingredient, the sauce and the garnishes.
But this dish... this is eccentric and novel and entirely unconventional while still remaining undeniably French!
It's almost as if it's a nugget of flavor found only by cracking and peeling away the shell of common sense...”
― Yūto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 20 [Shokugeki no Souma 20]

“The outer wall of meat was already extravagantly delicious...
... but now it's as though a mellow yet aromatic geyser of savory umami flavor has suddenly burst through!
Ah!
There, between the layers of meat! Some sort of thick juice is seeping out!"
"Yep! I've boiled down some meat stock and seasonings to make an extra-thick Jellied Consommé!
Right before serving, I used a special cooking injector to inject it into various spots in the meat layer. As you eat, you stumble across it unexpectedly, giving the dish sudden, intriguing changes of flavor!”
― Yūto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 30 [Shokugeki no Souma 30]