《One Rice Conferring Gods 2》Ending: A piece of tofu opens up a new way to solve Chinese food

 Tencent Video’s food competition variety show - One Rice to Become a God - has come to an end in its second season.In the final, soy products were handed over to the chef. Deng Huadong completed a set of five dishes from light to heavy, from novelty to classic, and finally won the championship.He left the familiar Mapo Tofu until the end, becoming the highlight of the entire menu and concluding this season’s discussion on the inheritance and changes of Chinese food.

The order of presentation of the five dishes forms a complete rhythm.The appetizer first establishes the delicacy and freshness of the soy products, and the complex flavor gradually deepens. The numbing, spicy, fresh and fragrant flavors are finally concentrated in Mapo Tofu.The competition tests the completion of a single dish, and also requires the chef to arrange the taste like a narrative, so that the judges can follow his thoughts along the menu.

Mapo Tofu was born on the streets of Chengdu and initially served workers.Tofu, minced beef, chili and Sichuan peppercorns form a distinct flavor profile, with heat, fat and spice perfect for physical exertion in a humid environment.More than a hundred years have passed, and it has moved from bridgeside restaurants to dining tables across the country, and then into Chinese restaurants around the world.Different cities will adjust the spiciness, meat and side dishes. The names of the dishes are the same, and the specific methods always change according to the environment.

Deng Huadong faced limited ingredients and point presentation in the finals.There was a shortage of garlic seedlings at the scene, so he used onions and garlic to supplement the aroma. If Hanyuan pepper powder was not available, he chose pepper oil of suitable quality.He retained the taste direction of Malatang, crispy, crispy and tender, and cut the usually larger tofu into small pieces to create a version suitable for bibimbap and single-person tasting.

The focus of this dish lies on the crispy aroma of beef, the texture of tofu and the coating of gravy.Cutting the tofu into small pieces makes it easier to eat, and it also tests the heat. If you turn it too much, it will break. If the tofu is not thickened properly, the flavor will rise to the surface.After tasting it, Nicholas Tse lamented that he had re-understood what Mapo Tofu could look like.Familiar dishes are not decorated to look unfamiliar, but the detailed adjustments change the eating experience.

Program judge Vicky Zheng Yongqi said that the traditions of today and the future are created bit by bit by current creators.Put on Mapo Tofu, this sentence is particularly intuitive.The earliest practice itself came from local materials, and each subsequent spread also encountered new raw materials, equipment and diners.The chef needs to understand the most important taste memories of a dish and then decide which parts can be changed.

This season offers ingredients from 15 provinces, including a large number of Chinese geographical indication products.The program incorporates the altitude of the origin into the team battle design: the Gangba mutton at high altitudes has firm meat, the Dali black tiger palm fungus at mid-altitudes has a strong aroma, and the East China Sea mullet roe and Suzhou Gorgon fruit at low altitudes highlight the umami flavor.When geographical differences enter the same kitchen, chefs must first understand the characteristics of the ingredients and then find combinations.

The lens therefore extends from the cooking action to the mountains, rivers, climate and products.The vastness of Chinese food comes not just from the number of dishes, but also from different regions’ long-term responses to temperature, preservation and seasoning.Mutton, mushrooms, mullet roe and gorgon seeds cannot be processed with the same logic. The program turns this difference into a competition question, making it easier for the audience to understand why a dish has clear local characteristics.

In the deconstruction of classic dishes, eight homely and well-known dishes such as Kung Pao Chicken, Green Pepper Beef, and West Lake Fish in Vinegar were brought to the stage.The orthodox school emphasizes technique and taste, while the creative school tries to reorganize the form.Deng Huadong used the skill of dicing the Kung Pao Chicken, judged the crispiness of the peanuts by the sound, and then used one pot to complete the spicy lychee flavor. Traditional Kung Fu was fully demonstrated in front of the camera.

When young chefs work with green pepper beef, they break it down into mille-feuille peppers, beef kebabs and green pepper scones.A stir-fry dish is transformed into a set meal, with the order of entry, temperature and visual structure all altered.Such an attempt may lead to disagreements, but it allows the competition to generate real discussions: what taste cues are needed for a dish to remain recognizable, and to what extent can the shape and technique be changed to still remind people of the original name.

The “World Kitchen” later in the competition requires chefs to use both Chinese and overseas ingredients.Contestants need to understand two sets of flavor habits and cannot just replace exotic ingredients into familiar recipes.Fat, acidity, spices and heat are all recalculated, and the final dish needs to have a clear Chinese taste direction.As Chinese food goes overseas, we will continue to encounter similar choices.

A total of more than 240 dishes are presented throughout the season.Sichuan cuisine flavors, local products, classic dishes and cross-cultural combinations are put into different competition formats, so the cooking competition that the audience sees has a wider content.The old chef brings experience and stability, while the young chef emphasizes structure and vision. The two methods collide on the same stove. Besides the victory or defeat, there are still a lot of methods that can be discussed.

It's easy for food variety shows to stop at beautiful presentation and instant reactions. "One Rice Conferring Gods 2" further focuses on the knife skills, cooking conditions, origins and tastes.Viewers can see why the chef tweaks a dish and can judge whether it still tastes good after the changes.The tension of the competition is created by timing and elimination. What really makes the show linger is the specific answers given by each chef about Chinese food.

Deng Huadong completed the finale with Mapo Tofu, which also brought this season back to the most daily food.The price of tofu is ordinary, but there is a lot of room for change; Mapo Tofu is a household name and can still be reprocessed according to the scene.Tradition will leave new versions in every cooking. The understanding, choices and craftsmanship on the stove determine whether these versions can continue to be remembered.