"Hmm?"
"I calculated it three times, and I didn't make a mistake."
"The five restaurants on that food street all saw a significant drop in their monthly revenue."
At this moment, at Totsuki Culinary Academy, Eizan Etsuya, who was tallying and statistics the bills of his various restaurants, his face gradually darkened.
As a genius in business operations, Eizan Etsuya had great faith in his own judgment and ability.
He had conducted many market surveys on that food street.
The final conclusion was that the geographical location was excellent, and the foot traffic was decent.
Among the many restaurants, only one Western restaurant called Harukatei had considerable strength.
After all, the Shopkeeper of that restaurant was a former Totsuki graduate, so naturally, she was not someone of his level to provoke. Fortunately, her personality was also relatively weak and she was content with her lot!
Therefore, he dared to operate five restaurants and snack shops on this food street at once!
"No!"
"The month before last, these five restaurants were already showing losses."
"Could it be because of that Izakaya?"
After a great deal of effort, Eizan Etsuya finally found the reason for the losses, his eyes flickering a few times.
He found it hard to believe that an Izakaya that only operated from 7 PM to midnight would have such a significant impact on the business of surrounding restaurants.
"Interesting. If that's truly the case, then the Shopkeeper of this Izakaya is quite a business talent!"
Finally, Eizan Etsuya clenched his fists, as if he had made some kind of decision.
…
Evening is the most poetic time of day.
After a day of busyness, the sun slowly began to descend, painting the sky golden, and not yet completely dimmed.
After the Autumn Elections' 60-person roster was announced, it naturally sparked discussion among everyone.
But.
Soon.
The preliminary round's cooking theme.
It was also officially sent by mail to each participating student.
Although there was still a long month until the start of the Autumn Selection Tournament, announcing the cooking theme at this time seemed a bit early.
But on one hand, the Autumn Elections was a major event.
Things like venue setup, ingredient procurement, selection of judges, and so on.
The sheer volume of work naturally made the Elite Ten, who were in charge of affairs, often feel strained. So, if the cooking theme could be announced in advance, it would give them time to prepare, plan, and set up!
On the other hand, it also allowed all 60 participating students enough time to prepare, diligently hone their culinary skills, and individually develop new curry dishes!
…
At this moment, in the Polar Star Dormitory.
Here, because Yukihira Soma, Tadokoro Megumi, Sakaki Ryoko, Yoshino Yuki, Marui Zenji, Ibusaki Shun, and others successfully made it into the 60 participating students.
Therefore, the atmosphere was harmonious and pleasant!
"Here it comes."
"Everyone, the preliminary round's cooking theme has been announced."
Yoshino Yuki, holding the letter high in her hand, rushed to everyone.
Then, under everyone's gaze, she opened the letter, only to find that the content on the white paper read one thing:
Curry!
Curry, by definition, is this:
It is a seasoning made from a mixture of pepper, turmeric, and fennel, yes, it's a seasoning.
Most curries in China and Japan indeed use curry powder, curry blocks, etc., made from spices like pepper, turmeric, and fennel, so this explanation seems correct.
However, in India, the birthplace of curry, there aren't many dishes called curry.
For Indian cuisine, what we call curry is less a seasoning and more a category of dishes, a way of cooking.
Therefore, curry is actually a very broad and vaguely defined collection.
Here, for now, it is defined as a seasoning influenced by India or countries that once colonized India, such as Britain and Portugal, made with various Asian spices, or a rich, thick-sauced dish made with such seasonings that goes well with rice!
Hmm, that explanation makes it a bit more accurate.
But historically, there were many Indian merchants in the Caucasus and East Africa, and local diets may have been influenced by curry to some extent.
In any case, setting aside various vague definitions, one fact that cannot be completely denied is:
For the culinary world, curry is indeed a very important thing!
…
"Oh my goodness!"
"I thought of many cooking themes."
"Things like Ramen, hamburgers, sushi, steak, and so on, but the preliminary round's cooking theme is actually curry!"
Seeing that the content of the letter was curry, Yoshino Yuki couldn't help but show an expression of disbelief.
"I'm doomed. I specialize in mild local dishes. A strong-scented preparation like curry doesn't suit me at all!"
Beside her, hearing that the theme was curry, Tadokoro Megumi almost felt her whole world collapsing.
"Curry, huh?"
"Does it specify if it's just a seasoning or a curry dish?"
Sakaki Ryoko rubbed her chin, quickly grasping the key to this cooking theme.
"No."
"It just says curry."
Yoshino Yuki flipped the white paper several times, then shook her head after reading it.
"It seems this cooking theme is not limited to seasoning; even making it into a curry dish is acceptable."
Sakaki Ryoko's bright eyes flickered a few times, and she said faintly.
"Is there a possibility?"
"That it's not limited to seasoning or dishes."
"As long as we use curry spices like turmeric, pepper, star anise, bay leaves, etc., in the process of cooking, that's enough?"
Beside them, Yukihira Soma felt that if it were simply seasoning and dishes, it might still be too specific.
"Eh?"
"Not seasoning, not even a curry dish, but… curry spices?"
Hearing this, Sakaki Ryoko and Yoshino Yuki exchanged glances.
…
"Ryoko, I think Sōma has a point."
"After all, the Autumn Selection Tournament is a grand annual event. If the cooking theme were limited to just seasoning or dishes, how would the 60 participating students compete fairly?"
"Take Tadokoro Megumi, for example; she excels at mild dishes, so this curry theme would definitely put her at a great disadvantage!"
"What's more, the judges for the Autumn Elections are all culinary world bigwigs. How could ordinary curry dishes satisfy them?"
After thinking, Yoshino Yuki directly stated her opinion.
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