食戟のソーマ 22 [Shokugeki no Souma 22] Quotes

“... If I am correct...
... the secret to this sauce is honey and balsamic vinegar ."
"Got it one, sir! Both ingredients have a mild sweetness that adds a layer of richness to the dish. The tartness of the vinegar ties it all together, ensuring the sweetness isn't too cloying and giving the overall dish a clean, pure aftertaste.
The guide told me that Hokkaido bears really love their honey...
... so I tried all kinds of methods to add it to my recipe!"
"Is that how he gave his sauce a rich, clean flavor powerful enough to cause the Gifting? Unbelievable! That's our Master Yukihira!"
Something doesn't add up. A little honey and vinegar can't be enough to create that level of aftertaste. There has to be something else to it. But what?
"...?!
I got it! I know what you did! You caramelized the honey!"
CARAMELIZATION
Sugars oxidize when heated, giving them a golden brown color and a nutty flavor.
Any food that contains sugar can be caramelized, making caramelization an important technique in everything from French cooking to dessert making.
"I started out by heating the honey until it was good and caramelized. Then I added some balsamic vinegar to stretch it and give it a little thickness. Once that was done, I poured it over some diced onions and garlic that I'd sautéed in another pan, added some schisandra berries and then let it simmer.
After it had reduced, I poured bear stock over it and seasoned it with a little salt...
The result was a deep, rich sauce perfect for emphasizing the natural punch of my Bear-Meat Menchi Katsu!"
"Oho! You musta come up with that idea while I was relaxing with my cup o' chai! Not bad, Yukihira-chin! Not bad at all! Don'tcha think?"
"Y-yes, sir..."
Plus, there is no debating how well honey pairs well with bear meat. The Chinese have long considered bear paws a great delicacy...
... because of the common belief that the mellow sweetness of the honey soaks into a bear's paw as it sticks it into beehives and licks the honey off of it.
What a splendid idea pairing honey with bear meat, each accentuating the other...
... then using caramelization and balsamic vinegar to mellow it to just the right level.
It's a masterful example of using both flavor subtraction and enhancement in the same dish!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 22 [Shokugeki no Souma 22]

“ The spicy tingle that prickles at the nose is from the alkaloid piperine that's present in abundance in black pepper!
Together with the pyrazine that develops when paprika powder is heated, the two aromas meld together and form the strong base of the dish's overall scent!
The primary herbs used to ameliorate the gamy smell of the bear meat is thyme! The strong, herby scent of thymol- the active component of thyme- beautifully erases any stink the meat had!
Then, uh... there's the cayenne and the oregano... and... uh...
The oregano, and...
"Aaaah! I can't! I just can't!
Anytime I try to think, my mind just screams that it wants more!"
Exquisite!
Every last wisp of the bear meat's scent has been transformed into a powerfully savory flavor!
The delicate complexity of the fragrance and the deep layers of the umami flavor... there is no denying it.
"This dish...
surpasses Soma Yukihira's."
"I rubbed the bear meat with salt, my Cajun spice blend and other spices. I made sure to wrap it in a nice, thick coat of batter when I fried it up too.
Plus, when I marinated it before battering it, I used plenty of juniper berries in the marinade. I ground them in a spice grinder first to really bring out their scent.
Waves of juicy flavor so rich and refined that they even have a hint of sweetness to them should gush out of the bear meat with every bite.”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 22 [Shokugeki no Souma 22]

“Hey, Berta? Remember how I said he looked kind of scruffy and rough at first?"
"Yeah. It looks like we were wrong, Cilla."
Dangerous and wild men unafraid to take big risks are sooo hot! ❤️”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 22 [Shokugeki no Souma 22]

“The core of the fragrance Hayama is trying to build...
... is Jeneverbes."
"Jene... verbes?"
"That means juniper berries!"
JENEVERBES (JUNIPER BERRIES)
Perhaps the only spice derived from a conifer, juniper berries have been used as a spice as far back as ancient Egypt. They have been found in multiple pharaohs' tombs, including King Tut's.
In the Middle Ages, juniper berries were added to distilled malt wine to make Jenever, the direct predecessor to gin.
The berries have a piney tang that, as they mature, gains citrusy sweet notes and a fresh herby scent, making it a spice with a complex and layered aroma.
"Add milk and flour to bear stock to make a thick and creamy roux, and then let it simmer.
When it has turned fragrant and golden brown, add the seasonings and spices...
... to make a perfect, fragrant gravy to adorn my fried bear!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 22 [Shokugeki no Souma 22]

“I used honey from the Amur Cork Tree !"
"Amur Cork...?!"
AMUR CORK HONEY
The Amur Cork tree is a member of the citrus family. Honey made from its flowers has a clear sweetness to it, with underlying hints of bitterness.
Depending on the weather and what other plants are growing nearby, there are years when no honey can be collected from the trees, making Amur Cork Honey one of the rarer, more expensive varieties of honey available.
"Most common honeys would have the thick, mellow richness necessary to adequately accentuate the flavor of bear meat. However, when paired with the strong savory punch of the Menchi-Katsu hamburger steak, that thick and sticky flavor would be too much, making the overall dish taste heavy and cloying.
Not so in the case of Amur Cork Honey! The hints of astringency in its aftertaste match perfectly with the flavor of the bear meat, and it prevents the sweetness from becoming too cloying. In fact, it's astounding how beautifully the two flavors go together!
Not only did Soma Yukihira discover a potent ingredient in honey, he was also diligent enough to think through its weaknesses and search for ways to refine his dish even further!”
― Yuto Tsukuda, 食戟のソーマ 22 [Shokugeki no Souma 22]