Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 255: Chapter 184: Ancient Stone Clam, Goose-necked Barnacle

He tentatively touched it with his tongue.

Other than the saltiness of the seawater, there was no particular flavor.

Braving a small bite, he found the meat softer and more tender than he expected, with a fine, fibrous texture.

The overall taste was sweet and savory, with a familiar feeling.

"..."

"Crab!"

"Yes, this flavor... it’s a bit like king crab legs!"

His eyes lit up. He never imagined this bizarre-looking little creature would taste like this.

’No wonder people risk their lives to harvest this stuff, and why its market price is so high.’

’They’re probably just curious and want to try something new.’

"This stuff would be perfect to sell at a seaside restaurant. Tourists on vacation are always looking to try novel foods. It could be a great gimmick to attract customers."

Tossing aside the rest, his interest was suddenly piqued, and he began harvesting large quantities of these ’parasites’ from the reef.

Besides the Goose-necked Barnacles and Green Mussels, he also gathered over a dozen Stone Clams.

As the tide receded further, more and more ’parasites’ were revealed on the exposed reefs.

A single glance revealed a dense swarm, at least ten thousand of them.

Lin Chen sucked in a sharp breath, completely stunned by the sight before him.

’This must be the kind of breathtaking sight only a truly natural ecosystem can produce, right?’

He didn’t take too many, just enough for about two meals.

’With this kind of thing, it’s safest to eat it fresh right after harvesting.’

"Lin?"

Suddenly, a woman’s unfamiliar voice called out from not far behind him.

Lin Chen froze and turned around, confused.

He saw a woman in camo pants, her tanned, slender midriff exposed, looking at him with a delighted expression.

Today was the seventh day of the competition, and it had already rained twice, yet this woman looked surprisingly clean. Only her hair was soaked from the rain, clinging to her top and jacket.

"You’re Lin, right? Oh my god, I can’t believe I actually ran into you! Hello~!"

"I am," Lin Chen nodded coolly. "And you are?"

"My name is Erica, contestant number 21. I’m your fan!"

"Huh?"

Lin Chen looked utterly baffled. "A fan? To be able to participate in this competition, you must have way more wilderness survival experience than me."

"That’s true," Erica nodded without hesitation, holding up a finger. "I’m 25 years old. My father works for the forestry bureau, and I started living with him in the forest when I was 10. So I have about 15 years of wilderness survival experience."

"I work as a wilderness guide, just like Daniel."

’Only 25, but with 15 years of wilderness survival experience?’

’Holy cow, this girl is practically a younger version of Andre!’

’It’s much harder for a woman to survive in the wild than a man. Not only has she endured, but she’s done so for such a long time.’

’This girl is definitely a strong competitor!’

’And the fact that she’s also reached the coast means her plan is likely similar to mine and Andre’s.’

"With so much experience, you must be joking. All my actual survival experience has been gained on the show. I just have a lot of theoretical knowledge stored up."

"No, no, no, that’s not what I mean."

Erica beamed, her pearly white teeth sparkling in the sun. It was obvious she brushed them daily.

"While I do have a lot of experience in wilderness survival, my personal hobbies are food and cooking."

"The biggest headache for me when working in the wild is having to eat all this bland, awful food. But after seeing your performance in Alaska, I realized you can actually make delicious dishes in the wilderness."

"I haven’t tried your food, but I have been to the White Whale. The dishes there, after being adapted, taste almost identical to what you’d find in most restaurants. Some dishes weren’t even changed much at all. So I figure the original, unadapted versions must have been pretty good too."

"The conditions in the wild are so primitive and limited, yet you can create dishes comparable to those from a restaurant. I truly admire that. I want to learn from you. How do you come up with these things? Why can’t I think of them?"

’She’s a fan of my cooking?’

Lin Chen scratched his head. ’This girl’s priorities seem a bit strange.’

’We’re here for a survival competition. Logically, the focus should be on survival, but she wants to learn how to cook?’

’Then why don’t you just go work in a restaurant kitchen or attend a cooking school!’

"It’s actually very simple. When you’re guiding clients in the wild, don’t you often spot useful plants that normal people would miss? It’s determined by your profession. I’m a chef, so I have more experience in this area. It’s natural for me to think about how to use various ingredients to create dishes."

"I know," Erica said, her big, clear eyes wide. "That’s what I want to learn! I can’t think of these things on my own, so if you make a new dish, can you teach me how?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Isn’t it obvious?"

Lin Chen pointed his finger and made a sweeping gesture at their surroundings.

"We’re in the Wild Survival competition right now. My cooking skills allow me to enjoy some happiness in the lonely days ahead. It gives me something to look forward to, so life doesn’t get too boring."

"We’re competitors. If I teach you my methods, wouldn’t I just be creating an enemy for myself?"

"Is that so?"

Erica tilted her head and said without a second thought, "But I’m not your competitor."

"Hm?"

Lin Chen was taken aback. "What do you mean? You’re not here to win?"

"Nope," Erica smiled brightly, casually wagging a finger.

"My dad’s job at the forestry bureau pays okay, and my own income is pretty good too. Besides, my mom is very rich. She spends more than two hundred days a year flying all over the world. The prize money from this competition isn’t even enough to cover the allowance my mom gives me each year."

"..."

Lin Chen’s mouth twitched, and he couldn’t stop himself from giving a huge eye-roll.