Taki, Conquered!

"Every grain of rice." 

"Is cooked perfectly, with a chewy and fragrant texture, rich layers." 

"The perfect seafood rice, with a crispy layer of fragrant crust, the crispy texture when you take a bite, is extremely satisfying." 

"Moreover, the rice has absorbed the sweet juices of the seafood, soft and chewy with a subtle chewiness." 

"Paired with delicious scallops, clams, fresh shrimp, squid, and small yellow croaker, it's truly a feast exclusive to seafood cuisine!"

Having spoken, Taki seemed uncontrollable, quickly filled another mouthful of seafood rice and ate it swiftly.

For some reason, 

The taste of this seafood rice.

Made her feel very familiar yet so strange.

Beside her, her friend Sonoka glanced at her secretly, seeing that she had taken a liking to Zane's... cooking, couldn't help but smile knowingly!

Immediately, she also couldn't wait to scoop up a spoonful of steaming hot seafood rice and began savoring its deliciousness.

Suddenly, the whole tavern fell into a kind of inexplicable tranquility.

Only Taki and Sonoka were eating seafood rice, making slight "chirping" noises.

In the past years, every September during the fragrant rice season.

The Sueca area of Valencia would host the grand seafood rice "Yulin Festival," namely: the Sueca International Seafood Rice Competition.

This competition, which gathered experts in the seafood rice world, was often highly professional, with all contestants being professional chefs.

Therefore, rather than calling it an international seafood rice competition, it was more like a touchstone.

And as a graduate of Totsuki, Taki won the championship of this competition last year, her name resounding far and wide!

Of course, because she excelled in a somewhat niche Western cuisine!

So even though she was talented, her dishes were often not understood by many.

Even.

Her dishes.

Most people still didn't like them.

Because the taste and texture of this Spanish cuisine often clashed with the local Japanese flavors.

Coupled with her lack of innovation, unable to develop dishes with Japanese flavor, she eventually had to go to Spain and run a Western restaurant called "Taki Amarillo" there!

"So that's how it is."

"After mixing the broth and seasonings first, then pouring in the rice and flipping it slightly to flatten the bottom of the pot without moving it anymore!"

"It seems that this method is to prevent starch from seeping out of the rice grains, while also making it a bit softer."

"Hmm?"

"The way the scallops and clams are handled seems a bit..."

Towards the end, Taki was somewhat puzzled.

She carefully observed the entire plate of seafood rice again, then suddenly had a kind of enlightened feeling and couldn't help but say, "The shells of the scallops and clams, compared to the fried small yellow croaker and shrimp heads, really don't matter much!"

"In the past, my method was to take the meat from the raw ones, add it before serving, letting the juices naturally enter the rice."

"As a result, this plate of seafood rice indeed filtered the broth of them, added it to the soup base, then sprinkled the cooked meat on the rice, with the shells just for presentation!"

"It's amazing, why couldn't I think of this point?"

In short.

A thousand words, just one sentence:

A seafood rice dish with a unique style like Zane's, is rare in the world!

At the same time, Sonoka on the side also analyzed, couldn't help but say, "Besides the seafood being well handled, the texture of the rice is smooth and chewy!"

The texture is similar to the japonica rice from the northeast of Tiantao, and this type of long-grain rice cooked into seafood rice, can absorb the juice and have distinct grains, perfect for the taste of our Japanese!"

"Combined with those seafood, the deliciousness of the whole dish almost made me lose control!"

"Hmm!" "As for the choice of rice."

"I indeed didn't use local Spanish rice, but instead used the japonica rice from the northeast of Tiantao."

Zane nodded in response.

In his view, the enthusiasm of the Spanish people is largely reflected in food.

For example, unlike many European countries' table cultures that focus on enjoying their own portions, they share food with everyone, a culture that is particularly evident in seafood rice.

In Spanish restaurants, single portions of seafood rice are rare, more common are portions for two, four, or even more people.

And since the rice for seafood is first partially stir-fried, then a little broth is added slowly, cooked slowly, this cooking method is completely different from using a rice cooker, naturally resulting in a different taste.

Therefore, seafood rice is not meant to be "undercooked," but should have a firm texture, otherwise, it would taste like a pot of seafood porridge!

So the biggest problem lies in the choice of rice!

Due to the round shape of japonica rice grains, hard texture, and pure white color.

When cooked, the rice is glossy, sweet, and exudes a rich fragrance, making it the most suitable for making seafood rice.

Moreover, the crispy fragrance at the edges of the pot, along with the moist and savory rice in the middle, and the firmness of the "undercooked" rice are just right, perfect for slow chewing when paired with fresh seafood!

Food can stimulate imagination the most, evoking the flavors in our memories.

After quickly finishing an entire plate of seafood rice, not feeling satisfied yet, Taki picked up a glass of white wine unique to the Valencia region and took a sip.

The wine liquid was a transparent amber color, giving off an air of elegance and composure just from its appearance!

Upon tasting it, the wine was smooth and sweet, with a hint of boldness.

Moreover, the richness of the wine aroma, even the aftertaste was refreshing and mellow, making one want more.

Gradually,

Taki entered a certain state.

Seeing rays of sunlight sprinkled on the bullfighting arena, the crowd's cheers were continuous.

Bang!

The copper gong chimed.

Everyone was boiling with excitement!

Following that, a bullfighter, Taki, entered the arena in an elegant manner, wearing a red dress that accentuated her prominent chest.

Facing her was an angry-looking spotted iron horned bull, like a wild beast losing its sanity, ready to charge at her.

"Come on!"

"Let me see your strength."

Transforming into a bullfighter, Taki waved the red cloth.

Immediately, the fierce bull, with a fierce momentum, surprisingly charged towards Taki at lightning speed.

The scene fell into intense anticipation, waiting for a miracle to happen.

Taki remained calm and composed, a slight smile on her lips, not hiding her confidence, believing that with her experience she could dodge the bull's attack.

Finally,

It charged!

The spotted iron horned bull finally rushed over!

She tried to dodge skillfully but unexpectedly couldn't avoid being knocked over by the bull.

The impact was so strong that she immediately foamed at the mouth and rolled her eyes, her consciousness seeming to drift away in that moment.

"Ah!"

"What... what's happening to me?"

Suddenly, Taki snapped back to reality, uttering a low murmur involuntarily.

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