When the clock hit nine in the morning, the two chefs were already in the kitchen, waiting for their training under Shen Lingqing’s guidance to start. The young director was now dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black slacks. She regarded the two chefs that were older than her with a blank expression on her face.
She was standing on the other side of the kitchen counter on which two bowls of steaming hot soup were served in front of the two chefs.
“For starters, I want you to perfectly recreate this clear soup. You may use any ingredient you deem appropriate in the pantry and fridge. I’m giving you one hour,” Shen Lingqing announced.
The two chefs glanced at each other and nodded. At the same time, they brought up the soup bowls to give it a taste. The broth was slightly clear with a few egg ribbons, which told them that there’s at least an egg in it. However, there was no indication of what ingredients had been used in the soup.
There was a hint of fragrance that teased their noses, but it wasn’t enough to let them distinguish what they needed. They found it very familiar, but they could not put a finger on it.
As they allowed the soup to hit their tongues, it was at the perfect temperature. The familiar taste of egg and cabbage spread through their mouth, which was very welcoming. There was a slight freshness that they could taste, which lingered on their taste buds as they swallowed a mouthful.
Liu Jinfei only had a spoonful, but he was shocked from the impact by the soup in his mouth. This had the perfect balance of taste and layers he had never tasted ever since he became a chef. He looked at Shen Lingqing in a daze and then back at the soup bowl in his hand.
Such a simple soup, but it was enough for his mind to be blown from its taste!
The saltiness of the soup was weak, and even though sugar wasn’t used in it, Liu Jinfei caught an aftertaste of sweetness coming from it. Was it from a cabbage?
“Please take note of the different layers of flavors you could find in it. It would help you understand that a perfectly seasoned and well-balanced dish is what set the SY Holdings’ chain of restaurants apart from the other restaurants.” They heard Shen Lingqing say.
Liu Jinfei took another spoonful, and this time, he decided to allow the soup to linger a little longer in his mouth. At the second tasting, he was able to taste the distinct and familiar flavors of garlic, onion, and ginger. As he swallowed, a faint taste of sesame reached his senses.
He was sure now. It was a variant of a Cabbage Egg Drop Soup. Liu Jinfei mentally took note of the taste he was able to identify. At once, he placed his soup bowl back on the counter and started rummaging the fridge and pantry to get the ingredients he needed.
Lin Xiao followed shortly and placed a pot over the stove, heating a vegetable stock in it while he started chopping the vegetables he collected. Such a simple dish yet with an intricate flavor, he thought.
How did Director Shen manage to produce such a spectacular soup?
The next twenty minutes was filled with silence, but both chefs managed to finish at the same time as they served their soup bowls for Shen Lingqing to taste.
Shen Lingqing took a sniff of Lin Xiao’s bowl and shook her head.
“I’m sorry, Chef Lin. There’s one critical ingredient you are missing. I suggest you taste the original soup again and see what you’ve missed.”
She didn’t bother to give the soup a taste and moved on to Liu Jinfei’s soup to do the same. She gave it a quick sniff, but this time, she lifted her spoon and gave it a small taste.
Liu Jinfei held his breath and wondered if he was able to hit the mark on the first try, but the way Shen Lingqing’s brows furrow together told him that he had also failed.
“While you got most of the ingredients right, Chef Liu has failed to balance the layers of the flavors. You also used the wrong kind of pepper for this soup.” She sighed and returned to her seat.
“You only have half an hour remaining to redo the soup. Please pay attention carefully and correct your mistakes.” She reminded them.
Both chefs didn’t take her criticism personally and tasted the soup Shen Lingqing presented to them and the ones they had made. Sure enough, there was a huge difference in it.
Liu Jinfei repeated the steps he did earlier. Only this time, he pondered about the kind of pepper Shen Lingqing used in her soup base. She said that he was correct with his assumption that there was a pepper in it, but he had used the wrong one.
His eyes scanned the different kinds of peppers on the shelves before his eyes widened in recognition. How could he miss that? Sure enough, the young director didn’t bother to use black pepper on her soup, and he didn’t get that distinct taste and aroma coming from it.
His hand reached out and took the white pepper on the shelves. White peppers had a more potent flavor than black ones. Black pepper was richer and bolder instead. It also had a lot of heat, along with a strong aroma. For someone who had a milder palate, white pepper was best. The flavor of it was light, earthy, and simple.
There were a number of reasons one might choose to use white pepper over black pepper. If one wanted to get the flavor without the heat or color of black pepper, he or she should use white pepper instead. It made sense to Liu Jinfei why Shen Lingqing had chosen to use it.