"Thermal expansion and contraction?"

The food critic Taro Yamada was extremely curious about why the Ascending Dragon Dumpling moved and took on the "dragon raising its head" posture. A strong desire to investigate surged within him. He resisted the urge to continue eating and stared at the half-eaten dumpling, lost in thought.

'Shrimp naturally curl when cooked. Physiologically, a shrimp's abdomen is composed of seven interconnected muscle segments. When heated, these muscles rapidly contract and stiffen, causing the shrimp's body to bend inwards, forming a 'C' shape or an even tighter curl.'

'On the other hand, there's the deformation caused by protein denaturation... During heating, the fibrous proteins in the shrimp meat, such as myosin and actin, denature and form a solid network structure. This process triggers muscle contraction and curling.'

'...But that's not right! The shrimp in the Ascending Dragon Dumpling isn't a whole, live shrimp, but minced meat mixed with fatty pork.'

'The physiological muscle contraction doesn't exist. Relying solely on the deformation caused by protein denaturation...'

Taro Yamada felt that this alone shouldn't be enough to achieve the "dragon raising its head" effect. His gaze fell upon the two thin layers of dumpling skin.

'If it's not the filling, then it must be the dumpling skin!'

'Why are there two layers of dumpling skin? To create a richer and more complex texture?'

'That's a possibility, but if we consider the concept of thermal expansion and contraction...'

Taro Yamada wracked his brain. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and his eyes widened.

'Wheat skin and oat skin, two different materials for the dumpling wrappers, will have different rates of expansion when heated...'

'Guided by this, and combined with the protein denaturation of the shrimp... If that's the case, it might actually be possible!'

"That's right! It must be!"

Having figured it out, Taro Yamada felt as if the clouds had parted, and everything became clear. He opened his mouth and took a large bite of the remaining Ascending Dragon Dumpling. Uncovering the secret of the dumpling made it taste even more delicious!

"The chewy wheat skin and the coarse oat skin, combined with the springy and smooth texture of the filling, create an ultimate mouthfeel!"

"With every chew—"

"The sweetness of the fresh shrimp bursts forth unreservedly, sweeping over the taste buds like a tidal wave!"

"The rich flavor of the pork fat, melted by the heat, makes the shrimp's freshness even more pronounced, and the subtle spiciness of the white pepper at the end awakens all the taste nerves..."

"How can there be such a delicious dumpling!"

"What a blissful feeling!" Taro Yamada tilted his chin up, closing his eyes in enjoyment. As he savored the moment, his two dark, bushy mustaches twitched. His rather gentlemanly face was covered in sweat, and a strange flush had risen to his cheeks.

"..."

"Oh, oh—! So this is the Culinary Sage's glowing cuisine? It's too delicious!"

"An unparalleled delicacy!"

"But speaking of which, isn't this portion too small? Who sells dumplings by the piece? This is not enough at all!"

"Um... can I buy two more? I came all the way from Hokkaido by plane..."

"..."

To those who came to him pleading for more, Ryohei Tanaka could only spread his hands and explain that there were too many people in line. To allow more people to have a taste, this was the only way.

Although some were dissatisfied, they couldn't say much.

Some also asked if the dish would be added to the restaurant's menu. Ryohei confirmed that it would be available for a limited time.

...

The food festival was in full swing.

Although it was a Friday, the crowd was impressive, and the most bustling area was naturally the central square where Ryohei was located. Even at past noon, when the temperature rose to thirty-five degrees Celsius and the air shimmered and distorted in the heat, the crowd did not diminish much.

Ryohei was genuinely worried about people getting heatstroke, so he secretly asked Lucoa to gather a cloud overhead to block some of the sun. The organizers were also concerned and had staff distribute free ice water and had a medical team on standby.

Online, the food festival had become a hot topic with two trending hashtags, both contributed by Ryohei. People were constantly posting online that they would come to check it out in the afternoon or evening, knowing that he was only participating for one day.

In his office, the person in charge of the event was enjoying the air conditioning, sipping on a small drink, and eating food bought from the festival, grinning from ear to ear.

Come on, everyone, come on! The more popular it is, the better! The bigger the reputation, the better! The more successful the event, the bigger my bonus!

Let's go!

Meanwhile, in the central square—

"It's already noon, and there are still so many people." Yurine, holding a black parasol, walked gracefully to Yusa's side. A cool sensation washed over her, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

That's better!

"Yeah, I didn't expect it either," Ryohei said, turning to look at Yurine with a smile. "Congratulations on your summer vacation."

"I'll accept that congratulations," Yurine said with a snap as she closed her parasol, a smile playing in her eyes. "As soon as summer vacation starts, I feel so relaxed, as if a weight of hundreds of pounds has been lifted from my shoulders."

"Do you really have such a heavy burden during the school year?" Ryohei teased naturally.

"Ahaha—! Just kidding, I was exaggerating a little..." Yurine made a "little bit" gesture with her slender fingers. She then turned to look inside the shop, changing the subject. "Have you guys eaten yet?"

"Not yet." Ryohei was currently handling the cash register while Yusa was packing the orders. He paused and said, "Everyone else has gone to find food. Do you want to go for a walk with me later, or should I have them bring something back for you?"

"By the way, I asked Koorime to help bring some back," Yusa added, turning her head to smile gently at Yurine while her hands were still busy.

"Then I'll ask Jashin-chan to bring me something. It's too hot, I don't want to go out," Yurine said without hesitation, taking out her phone from her bag to call Jashin-chan.

"Ask her to bring some for me too," Ryohei said, looking at Yurine. It was too hot, and he didn't want to run around either. He just wanted to stay near the air conditioner, or the human-shaped air conditioner.

"Okay." Yurine gave Ryohei an "OK" gesture and then began giving instructions to Jashin-chan over the phone.

~~~

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