Sizzle! Sizzle!
When fresh beef is grilled at high temperatures on the grill, it makes a "sizzling" sound.
A drop of rich fat began to slowly drip along the grain of the beef.
Finally, the unique aroma of the meat entered her nostrils, stirring up all the gluttonous worms hidden deep within her heart.
When the time was finally ripe, she quickly picked up a piece of beef with her chopsticks and took a small bite.
Fresh!
Fragrant!
Tender!
Smooth!
These textures and flavors instantly surged and danced in her mouth, reaching all the way to her stomach.
Cooking food with water or oil was considered a luxury in ancient times; frying, stir-frying, and deep-frying were even more advanced technologies.
However, only grilling meat was something primitive people knew how to do.
They only needed to bring food close to the fire, let the flames "lick" it, and eat it once it was cooked.
At the Izakaya, although there was a rule that customers could order whatever they wanted, the most popular dish was probably grilled meat.
…
"Is this the place?"
Mito Ikumi, holding a hand-drawn map, looked up at the Izakaya in front of her.
She was originally entrusted by Erina to handle the Gaijin-fan Research Association incident.
However, Yukihira Soma suddenly appeared, and she was forced to agree to a Shokugeki match the next morning!
Afterward, she felt very uneasy, always thinking that it would be difficult for her to win against Sōma with her own strength.
So, after much thought, she could only follow the address given by Hisako Arato and come to the Izakaya alone at night.
"Mmm mmm!"
"This is… the smell of grilled meat?"
"I can't believe such a small Izakaya can grill beef so fragrantly; I can smell it from outside."
"Perhaps Hisako was right; I can gain something here!"
Mito Ikumi, who specializes in meat dishes, had extremely low resistance to this meaty aroma.
Soon, her eyes showed a hint of expectation, and she unconsciously pushed open the door and walked inside.
"Welcome!"
"This is Izakaya; please find a seat anywhere."
"Our shop has no signature dishes; if there's anything you want to eat, you can tell me directly.
As long as I have the ingredients or can make it, all your requests can be fulfilled!"
Looking at the bronze-skinned girl, Sosuke was certainly stunned.
For some reason, ever since he started running this Izakaya, it seemed to have been constantly linked to Totsuki Academy, with Far Moon students coming to eat almost every day.
Of course, from the original plot, Mito Ikumi had not yet experienced the Gaijin-fan Research Association incident at this time.
Her identity was still a subordinate of Erina.
Therefore, thinking of this, Sosuke felt somewhat relieved!
"That's truly a strange ordering rule."
Mito Ikumi, who chose a seat and sat down, felt surprised upon hearing the rules here.
If it were regular customers like Erina, Alice Nakiri, Rindo, etc., they would already be accustomed to it.
But for Mito, as a new customer, everything in this Izakaya was so unique and unfamiliar to her.
"Here!"
"jasmine tea."
Soon after she sat down, Sosuke enthusiastically handed her a cup of flower tea.
"Thank you."
Facing the sudden situation, Mito Ikumi was momentarily stunned.
But then, feeling a bit thirsty, she eagerly picked up the steaming flower tea, blew on it a few times to cool it, and couldn't help but take a small sip.
The taste was like a spring breeze caressing her face, bringing the romance of a floral fragrance.
Good jasmine tea requires not only good jasmine flowers but also good tea leaves.
It was soft and refreshing on the palate, like a melodious piece of music gently echoing in her mouth, with a persistent and mellow aroma dancing on her tongue.
Gradually, Mito Ikumi's entire being calmed down!
And she grew to like this unfamiliar Izakaya even more.
Finally, she slowly opened her eyes, glanced at the grilled meat on the neighboring diners' tables, and asked curiously, "Shopkeeper, the beef you use here doesn't seem to be a5 grade beef, does it?"
"As you can see, it's all ordinary beef bought from supermarkets and nearby meat markets."
Sosuke, hearing this, did not deny it.
…
Every country has different classifications for beef quality.
For example, in the Americas, beef quality grades are based on marbling and physiological maturity, which is age, and are divided into eight grades:
Prime!
Choice!
Select!
Standard!
Commercial!
Utility!
Cutter!
Canner!
In Australia, beef is determined by marbling, flavor, and aroma.
It is basically divided into 9 levels, with M9 being the highest level.
Later, they brought Japanese cows to Australia for breeding and introduced American Angus cattle for cross-breeding, cultivating Australian wagyu with advanced feeding techniques!
Its deliciousness far exceeds the current M10, M11, and M12 grades.
As for the classification of beef in Japan, it is divided into 15 grades based on edible ratio and marbling.
The edible ratio is divided into three grades: A, B, and C, while the marbling grade is divided into 1 to 5 levels, meaning it is divided into a total of 15 grades: A1 to A5, B1 to B5, and C1 to C5.
A5 is the highest grade, and its marbling is so fine, like cold frost falling on the surface of the beef, hence its beautiful name, "frost-dropりbeef" (shimofuri gyuniku, frosted beef).
…
Normally, excluding the ingredient rewards given by the system, Sosuke rarely used a5 grade beef.
The reason is the same as why he rarely makes high-end dishes: the Izakaya's target audience is primarily common people.
If a5 grade beef were used, the price would certainly deter a segment of customers!
"It's truly unbelievable."
"Using ordinary beef can still make so many people like it."
Upon learning that the beef at the Izakaya was all bought from outside meat markets and supermarkets, Mito Ikumi was somewhat surprised and also a little disappointed.
After all, her family runs a beef business, especially the highest grade a5 grade beef, which she had eaten so much of in her life that she felt like throwing up!
Now, to make her eat a dish made from ordinary beef here, it was inevitably a bit difficult.
"Cooking, you see!"
"While ingredient quality is important, the chef's skill is paramount."
Sosuke said calmly, probably seeing through Mito Ikumi's thoughts.
"I… I know that, of course."
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