"So it went on, endless research and practice, and before we knew it, two days had passed."
For two sleepless days, Xia Yu was terrified by Zhu Qing’s madness, which differed from her usual playful deanor. The elder, once obtaining the recipe, showed the fervor of a demoness engrossed in supre secret techniques, their aura quite similar.
"Tequila? We tried several brands, none of which worked. Dragon Palace Tequila carries notes of vanilla and citrus, which seem superfluous. Royal Tequila is too aged, its vanilla notes too rich—equally unworkable!"
Zhu Qing crossed out a list of tequila brand nas in her notebook.
"The rest, Bordeaux Tequila, Dobel Master Tequila, even the top-tier 11-year-aged tequila—with its elegantly accumulated sophistication and exquisite quality—feels as superfluous as the ugly duckling within the dreamy aura of ’Rainbow Fruit’. Too superfluous, much too superfluous!"
The small table in front of them was piled with various bottles of liquor, so colorful like works of art, so elongated like white porcelain.
To conduct the research and practice, the kitchen was transford into a liquor store for two days, with maids moving wine to the point of numbness daily.
Eventually, tequila as a whole category was discarded.
"Brandy won’t work either!"
Xia Yu looked up and sighed deeply.
Being narrowly defined, brandy is made from fernted wine, so typically brandy is grape brandy, though other fruits like apples or cherries can also be used.
And as Zhu Qing had pointed out, the fresh scent of tequila was like the ugly duckling against the dreamy aura of the ’Rainbow Fruit’, not to ntion liquor directly fernted from fruit.
It was only today that Zhu Qing and Xia Yu realized—
To make wine from Rainbow Fruit juice, one must either follow the normal brewing path with extended ferntation.
Or, use the Speed Brewing thod and blend with other liquors, but this other liquor must be non-fruit based and have no clashing aroma or flavor with the Rainbow Fruit juice.
"Bamboo leaf green liquor won’t work either!" Zhu Qing shook her head.
"Nor will absinthe..."
Xia Yu swirled the wine glass in his hand with a slightly darkened look, put it down, and then picked up another clear glass, focusing on the greenish liquid inside, gently slling the slight sweet nausea emanating, "This ti it’s mint liquor!"
Mixed with diluted Rainbow Fruit juice.
He sipped the blended liquor slowly, his tongue rolling around in his mouth.
After a long pause, Xia Yu quietly put down the glass.
"Still no good!"
Outside the kitchen.
Dojima Yin and Saito Chiyokuro had, unbeknownst to anyone, positioned themselves in front of the window, peering inside intently for a long ti.
Ding!
Another batch of maids rang the doorbell, carrying in boxes of sealed bottles.
Withdrawing his gaze, Dojima Yin sighed, "Which batch is this now?"
"Who knows."
Saito Chiyokuro stared at the pair of frenzied culinary researchers inside. Xia Yu aside, because the ssiness of a young boy wasn’t so obvious, but Zhu Qing, having not grood herself for two days and nights, looked rather rough to outsiders, giving off a madwoman vibe.
"Ha-ha!"
Dojima Yin emitted a refreshing laugh, "It seems Miss Zhu is also serious this ti!"
In the previous phase of the competition, Zhu Qing behaved detachedly.
"Xia Family has only sent this Lin Chef here... Honestly, I’m quite curious to know at what level she stands in the pyramid of Lin Chefs," said Saito Chiyokuro.
Dojima Yin was about to join the conversation when a maid hurried over to inform them of a visitor.
Soon after, Xia Yu received a notification and ca out of the kitchen.
Upstairs in the hallway, a female chef awaited.
"Reiko?"
Xia Yu encountered her, imdiately surprised, awakening the pensive proprietor’s frown. Awakened, the proprietor who had just been thinking about a recipe gave a slight smile and stated her purpose, "I’m here to ask for so water."
"Ask for water?"
Linking it to the topic of "alcohol", Xia Yu understood. At this point, Liangzi Lina added, "I’m brewing and need so of the clear mountain spring water from your store, could you give so?"
"No problem!"
Without saying more, Xia Yu checked his phone for a flight from Sapporo back to Tokyo, booked two privileged tickets through the event’s official channel, inford Zhu Qing, and imdiately accompanied Liangzi Lina back to Tokyo.
He also needed the special water from the store’s tank.
At night, the Yuchuan Sisters noticed the sudden lighting of their store and ca hand in hand, only to encounter the two collecting water in the kitchen.
Nodding to them, Xia Yu looked at the proprietor, "How is it?"
The proprietor had brought a porcelain bottle with her. She pulled the cork, a unique aroma of alcohol wafted out, and Xia Yu watched in surprise as she tasted the water from the store’s tank with a bowl, her face brightening as she poured the water into the bottle.
Then, she shook the porcelain bottle back and forth with both hands.
"Want to try?"
asked the proprietor.
"You’ve brewed it in just two days?" Xia Yu said incredulously.
At his words, the proprietor’s expression seed slightly embarrassed, a subtle change that Xia Yu observed, feeling quite intrigued.
"Then let’s try!" He nodded, and the proprietor rummaged through the kitchen, moving several sets of drinkware onto the table but shaking her head, not quite satisfied. Seeing this, Xia Yu turned to the Yuchuan Sisters and instructed, "Go to the branch store and bring over a set of Japanese sake drinkware."
"Make it three sets!"
the proprietor emphasized.
"Then three sets."
Three sets of black, rustic pottery drinkware were arranged on the table, ancient-looking and filled with Zen vibes.
Yet, the proprietor poured alcohol into each of the three Japanese sake pots - one was placed casually, another was put into a rustic ceramic container used for warm-water heating of sake, and the third into a clean little basin where the Yuchuan Sisters had added finely crushed ice.
Such ticulousness made Xia Yu even more curious.
First, picking up the room temperature pot, the proprietor served the sake, quiet and elegant, with the delicate lifting of her pinky adding a hint of allure not usually seen.
She gently passed him a black stoneware cup.
The faint aroma of sake reached his nose.
Xia Yu took it and drank. The beverage did not possess the clean finish of a distilled spirit, the taste was not particularly llow; it was very light, with such a low alcohol content it was almost imperceptible, "Sake?"
He had pretty much confird it when he slled the aroma, and tasting it now left no doubt.
Rice!
The flavor of rice pervaded his mouth, and it was hard to imagine that sake, made with polished rice, could have a refreshing hint of fruit, a slightly sour-sweet taste that wasn’t cloyingly sweet.
Upon first taste, Xia Yu fell in love with it.
"This quality ... it must be at least Daiginjo, right?" Xia Yu was secretly astounded.
Daiginjo is not just a na of a sake but a unique grade exclusive to Japan, like A5 beef, it sits at the very top of the pyramid.
One shouldn’t underestimate this traditional wine made only with rice and koji; its complex, refined process and the splendid flavor of the finished sake, left Xia Yu, a self-proclaid foodie, baffled.
Hmm?
After swallowing the sake, warmth spread throughout his body, Xia Yu looked surprised, and the proprietor actively served him another drink. He drained it in one gulp – a strange warmth began gathering inside him...
His vision blurred.
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