# E13 - The Transcendental Tofu Battle!
Source: [Crunchyroll](https://www.crunchyroll.com/watch/G0DUN3EQM/the-transcendental-tofu-battle)
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
**[00:02] Narration**
* A giant ship floats off*
* the shore of Shanghai.*
**[00:05] Narration**
* A cooking battle takes place*
* on the great warship pavilion*
**[00:08] Narration**
* between the Cooking Underworld*
* and the Guangdong chefs.*
**[00:14] Narration**
* The battle for a legendary utensil and*
* the life of Sanjie's father Master Tang Li*
**[00:19] Narration**
*currently stands at one to one.*
**[00:22] Narration**
* The final battle pits old enemies Mao*
* and Shao An against one another.*
**[00:29] Narration**
* In just over ten hours,*
* the fate of Shanghai,*
**[00:33] Narration**
* the booming City of Devils,*
* will be revealed.*
***SIGN*** True Cooking Master Boy
**[02:16] Xielu**
Hup.
**[02:19] Sanjie**
Dad...
**[02:23] Shirou**
It'll be okay, Sanjie.
**[02:25] Shirou**
Believe in Mao. Right?
**[02:28] Mao**
Don't worry, Sanjie.
**[02:30] Mao**
I'll make a tofu dish like
nothing you've ever seen.
**[02:35] Sanjie**
I'm counting on you, Mao.
**[02:38] Shirou**
But Mao, even if you start making
tofu now, will you finish in time?
**[02:42] Mao**
Letting the soybeans soak and absorb
enough water is the longest step.
**[02:47] Mao**
It takes about nine hours.
**[02:49] Mao**
I'll mash the softened
soybeans and boil them.
**[02:53] Mao**
I'll strain it through a cloth bag so
I can separate the soy milk from the pulp.
**[02:57] Shirou**
Sounds like it takes a long time.
**[02:59] Mao**
Then I'll add bittern to the soy milk.
**[03:01] Shirou**
Bittern? What's that?
**[03:04] Mao**
It makes soy milk coagulate into tofu.
**[03:07] Mao**
It's made from sea water.
**[03:09] Shirou**
Huh...
**[03:11] Mao**
When the bittern is uniformly
and gently mixed in,
***SIGN*** So Fluffy
**[03:14] Mao**
it produces a fluffy, unpressed tofu.
**[03:17] Mao**
I'll place that inside a mold box
and put a weight on it.
**[03:20] Mao**
Remove the mold while it's
underwater, and it's done.
**[03:25] Meili**
It's a lot of work, but you're
making it from scratch.
**[03:29] Meili**
I'm sure it'll taste good.
**[03:31] Mao**
All right. I'm done choosing
my soybeans and washing them.
**[03:39] Meili**
Mao, why don't you take a break?
**[03:41] Meili**
We'll keep an eye on this
while it's soaking.
**[03:44] Shirou**
She's right, Mao!
**[03:45] Shirou**
You'll need to save your strength so
you can knock out that huge jerk!
**[03:49] Xielu**
Yeah. He's absolutely disgusting.
**[03:52] Xielu**
Has he always acted like that?
**[03:55] Mao**
Yeah. He's always been that way.
**[03:59] Mao**
* We started arguing as soon*
* as he came to our shop.*
**[04:02] Mao**
*My mom often stopped us.*
**[04:05] Mao**
*That's not all, though.*
**[04:08] Mao**
* My mother, the so-called "Szechuan Fairy,"*
* taught him everything she knew.*
**[04:13] Mao**
*He's a Szechuan cuisine genius.*
**[04:14] Mao**
*Battling him is like going up against my mom.*
**[04:19] Mao**
It was just coincidence that I beat him
at the Chrysanthemum Tower.
**[04:23] Mao**
He senses it, too.
**[04:25] Mao**
That's why I want to settle
things for real this time.
**[04:29] Meili**
Mao...
**[04:31] Shirou**
C'mon, time for bed, everybody!
**[04:34] Meili**
I'll keep watch, too.
**[04:37] Meili**
This is all I can do for you.
**[04:41] Mao**
Thanks.
**[04:42] Mao**
In that case, I'll get some rest.
**[04:45] Meili**
Good night.
**[04:46] Mao**
Good night, Meili and Shirou.
**[04:49] Meili**
We need to do our part so Mao
and the others can rest.
**[04:53] Shirou**
Yeah.
**[05:00] Shirou**
It's so bitter.
**[05:01] Meili**
It's called kuding tea.
**[05:03] Meili**
Something this bitter should keep you awake.
**[05:06] Meili**
It's said to be effective
for losing weight, too.
**[05:09] Shirou**
Why don't you drink it yourself, then?
**[05:11] Meili**
Did you say something?
**[05:13] Shirou**
Ouch.
**[05:14] Shirou**
I didn't say anything!
**[05:18] Xiang**
Lord Shao An.
**[05:20] Xiang**
That boy suggested the ingredient.
**[05:22] Xiang**
Are you certain he doesn't have
some trick up his sleeve?
**[05:25] Shaoan**
Don't worry.
**[05:27] Shaoan**
I know everything there is to know
about tofu. It's my specialty.
**[05:30] Shaoan**
This is exactly what I wanted.
**[05:32] Shaoan**
I'm different now, Mao.
**[05:36] Shaoan**
I've surpassed Master Bei.
**[05:47] Meili**
Take this.
**[05:48] Shirou**
Ow!
**[05:49] Shirou**
Sis, more tea.
**[06:03] Meili**
Oh, no! Did I fall asleep?
**[06:07] Meili**
What is this powerful smell?
**[06:22] Shirou**
What? What is it, Sis?!
**[06:24] Meili**
The beans... the beans are...
**[06:28] Xielu**
What is it, Meili?
**[06:30] Meili**
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!
**[06:33] Meili**
We fell asleep, and then...
**[06:35] Meili**
The soybeans...
**[06:38] Sanjie**
Why are the soybeans being cooked?
**[06:46] Xielu**
What a smell!
**[06:48] Leien**
It's sort of...
**[06:51] Sanjie**
What? The soybeans are sticky...
**[06:55] Xielu**
Shirou, what did you put in here?
**[06:57] Shirou**
I didn't do anything.
**[06:59] Shirou**
Huh? This smell...
**[07:01] Shirou**
It's natto, right?
**[07:03] Mao**
Natto?
**[07:04] Shirou**
It's a health food my mom used to make.
**[07:08] Shirou**
People eat natto in the place
where my mom was born.
**[07:19] Mao**
They got us.
**[07:21] Mao**
This is rice straw.
**[07:23] Meili**
Rice straw?
**[07:25] Mao**
Shirou's mom said rice straw
has natto bacteria on it
**[07:30] Mao**
that causes soybeans to ferment rapidly.
**[07:31] Mao**
Someone threw this straw in the soybeans
while you two were asleep.
**[07:45] Xielu**
You've got ten hours left.
**[07:46] Xielu**
Even if you start now, you'll have
barely enough time to make tofu.
**[07:50] Leien**
You can't use those beans.
**[07:52] Leien**
What will you do, Mao?
**[07:53] Meili**
I'm sorry. If only we'd kept watch better.
**[07:56] Shirou**
I'm sorry, Mao.
**[08:12] Mao**
Thanks, Meili and Shirou.
**[08:14] Mao**
My mind feels clear after some sleep.
**[08:16] Shirou**
Huh?
**[08:17] Meili**
Mao?
**[08:18] Mao**
Just making tofu will take
everything I have.
**[08:22] Mao**
I see. Within disaster is the opportunity
to transform misfortune into bliss.
**[08:28] Mao**
Xiang!
**[08:31] Mao**
Thanks to you, I think I'll be able to
make the tofu dish of the century.
**[08:48] Sanjie**
It's time for the final battle.
**[08:54] Narration**
*After his defeat at the Chrysanthemum Tower,*
**[08:57] Narration**
* Shao An was permanently*
* stripped of his chef's title.*
**[09:02] Narration**
* Meanwhile, Mao became*
* the youngest Super Chef ever.*
**[09:08] Narration**
*The Szechuan cuisine battle of destiny*
**[09:10] Narration**
* between two students of*
* the same school begins now.*
**[09:15] Xiang**
* The countdown to the fall*
* of Shanghai starts now.*
**[09:18] Shaoan**
Mao, listen to this requiem
I've composed for you.
**[09:23] Shaoan**
My tofu trio.
**[09:25] Mao**
Tofu trio?
**[09:31] Hu**
Most impressive.
**[09:33] He**
It's as imposing as a wall of white marble.
**[09:38] Sanjie**
That's a bamboo knife.
**[09:44] Xielu**
He's no joke.
**[09:47] Xielu**
His tofu that's 10% soybeans and 90% water
is barely holding itself together,
**[09:53] Xielu**
and he cut that delicate
ingredient into perfect cubes.
**[09:56] Xielu**
He knows that any breakdown in form
will also break down the flavor.
**[10:02] Leien**
And he knows to use a bamboo knife
to avoid the smell of steel.
**[10:08] Shaoan**
Double Knives!
**[10:15] Gov**
His scorching spirit even burns away sweat!
**[10:18] Gov**
What a fiercely passionate chef!
**[10:20] Sanjie**
Mao...
**[10:21] Sanjie**
What?
**[10:23] Sanjie**
Damn it.
**[10:25] Sanjie**
Shao An is making so much progress.
**[10:28] Xielu**
Since Mao's tofu isn't ready,
he can't even begin cooking.
**[10:32] Hu**
Look. Shao An is...
**[10:36] Shaoan**
Double Pots!
**[10:38] Mob**
Shao An's making a noodle dish.
**[10:40] Mob**
He's making a starchy sauce
in the other pot.
**[10:43] Mob**
He's making tofu soba in a thick sauce.
**[10:45] Shaoan**
* Behold the reason why*
* I have surpassed Master Bei!*
**[10:53] Shaoan**
It's done!
**[10:57] Mob**
Wow! His noodles twist so
mysteriously and beautifully!
**[11:00] Mob**
Such a fragrant sauce.
**[11:02] Mob**
His tofu gleams like white diamonds!
**[11:06] Shaoan**
Not yet.
**[11:07] Shaoan**
You'll be truly surprised
once the tasting begins.
**[11:11] Sanjie**
Five more minutes.
**[11:13] Sanjie**
Even Shao An exercised extreme care
when cutting and cooking his tofu.
**[11:18] Sanjie**
You won't be able to do anything
with only five more minutes, Mao!
**[11:22] Shirou**
Believe in Mao, Sanjie.
**[11:26] Meili**
He's right. Believe in Mao.
**[11:28] Meili**
I'm sure he has a plan.
**[11:33] Meili**
Otherwise, he wouldn't be
wearing that expression.
**[11:46] Sanjie**
Hey, Shirou!
**[11:47] Sanjie**
You still think I should trust Mao?
**[11:51] Mao**
Now, then.
**[11:53] Mao**
It's time.
**[11:55] Sanjie**
Too slow, Mao!
**[11:57] Sanjie**
You may have finished your
tofu, but it's too late!
**[12:07] Mob**
He presented the mold to the judges?!
**[12:10] Both**
What?!
**[12:12] Xielu**
Does Mao intend to enter
using his freshly-made tofu?
**[12:17] Xielu**
But that's not going to cut it.
**[12:19] Zhang**
Only tofu? That's rough.
**[12:22] He**
Not only that, but it's still in the mold.
**[12:24] He**
It's too unrefined.
**[12:27] Mao**
I'll remove the mold now.
**[12:40] Mao**
Liu Maoxing's special Magical Panda Tofu!
**[12:45] Both**
Magical Panda Tofu?!
**[12:51] He**
The black and white are clearly divided.
**[12:53] Hu**
It's a giant tofu mille-feuille.
**[12:56] Mob**
What is that tofu?
**[12:57] Mob**
I can't imagine what it tastes like!
**[13:00] Xielu**
When did Mao make that tofu?
**[13:03] Leien**
What is it, even?
**[13:06] Xiang**
*Impossible!*
**[13:07] Xiang**
* His unpressed tofu was practically a liquid*
* before he poured it into the mold.*
**[13:11] Xiang**
* It shouldn't be possible for it to have*
* split into differently-colored layers.*
**[13:15] Shaoan**
* Competing using tofu as his only*
* ingredient is out of the question.*
**[13:19] Shaoan**
*No, this is* him *we're talking about.*
**[13:23] Shaoan**
*He must be hiding something.*
**[13:26] Zhang**
All right. Let's begin the tasting.
**[13:30] He**
Hold on.
**[13:32] He**
Serving up a whole block of tofu
and telling us to eat it is hardly sexy.
**[13:37] He**
At least cut the thing for us.
**[13:40] Mao**
That's not necessary.
**[13:41] Hu**
Not necessary?
**[13:44] He**
What do you mean, boy?
**[13:46] Mao**
This isn't just tofu.
**[13:49] Mao**
It's a tofu dish.
**[13:50] Mao**
And the magic begins now!
**[13:57] Zhang**
Impossible.
**[13:58] Zhang**
Cuts appeared in the tofu
that was just removed from its mold.
**[14:06] He**
Wh-What is this?!
**[14:09] Zhang**
There's a red soup beneath
the bamboo leaves.
***SIGN*** Magical Panda Mapo Tofu
**[14:14] Mao**
Liu Maoxing's special Magical
Panda Mapo Tofu is complete!
**[14:20] All**
It's mapo tofu.
**[14:23] Zhang**
The black and white tofu falls apart
on a bed of bamboo leaves.
**[14:26] Hu**
What a cute and fun dish.
**[14:29] He**
It's like my heart's been
transported to Szechuan,
**[14:31] He**
the homeland of pandas, where
the headwaters of the Yangtze River flow!
**[14:34] All**
So unbearably nostalgic!
**[14:40] Shirou**
Now this is what you call...
**[14:42] Sanjie**
...the magic of the century!
**[14:44] Xiang**
*What's going on?*
**[14:46] Xiang**
* How did simply removing the tofu*
* from the box cut it like that?*
**[14:49] Zhang**
All right. Let's taste it!
**[14:51] Hu**
I'm so curious to try Mao's dish.
**[14:54] He**
The two colors must taste different.
**[15:00] He**
*I'll start with the white.*
**[15:01] Xiang**
*The heat is the best part of mapo tofu.*
**[15:04] Xiang**
* Cold tofu he had no time*
* to cook can't possibly—*
**[15:06] He**
Hot!
**[15:07] Xiang**
What?
**[15:08] Gov**
How strange. It's more than warm enough.
**[15:12] Zhang**
Now, how does the black tofu taste?
**[15:20] Zhang**
Unbelievable. It's a sweet tofu.
**[15:22] Zhang**
No only that, but it's so mild and rich.
**[15:25] Mao**
It's my original sweet black tofu recipe
**[15:27] Mao**
made from mixing brown sugar
with rich black soybeans.
**[15:34] Hu**
So spicy!
**[15:36] Hu**
Now this is real, spicy Szechuan mapo.
**[15:40] Mao**
Exactly. Try eating it with the tofu.
**[15:50] All**
Happy sweat is pouring off
the judges like a waterfall!
**[15:55] Gov**
The spiciness of the chili burns my tongue.
**[15:58] Gov**
And the Szechuan pepper numbs the tongue.
**[16:02] He**
The sweetness of the black tofu draws out
the depth of the mapo's spiciness!
**[16:09] Zhang**
The cycle of red, white, and black attacks
with wave after wave of flavor!
**[16:15] Hu**
It truly is the magic of the century!
**[16:20] Zhang**
Everything about this dish is magical.
**[16:23] Zhang**
There are too many mysteries.
**[16:26] Zhang**
Tell us, Mao.
**[16:27] Zhang**
First, how did you turn
your slushy, unpressed tofu
**[16:30] Zhang**
into layers of black and white?
**[16:32] Hu**
Not only that, but it naturally fell apart
simply after removing it from the mold.
**[16:36] He**
And why was the tofu cooked?
**[16:39] Mao**
All my secrets lie in this mold.
**[16:42] He**
The mold?
**[16:43] Mao**
This is the secret behind the magic.
**[16:47] Zhang**
Threads are crisscrossing
the bottom of the mold.
**[16:52] Mao**
This is a special
raised-bottom box mold I made
**[16:54] Mao**
because I needed
to shorten the cooking time.
**[16:57] Mao**
First, I laid a sheet
of lard over the threads.
**[17:02] Mao**
I laid the black unpressed
tofu on top of that.
**[17:06] Mao**
Then I laid down another sheet of lard,
**[17:08] Mao**
and laid the white unpressed
tofu on top of that.
**[17:11] Mao**
After laying down more sheets of lard,
**[17:14] Mao**
I was ready to make my tofu mille-feuille.
**[17:17] Mao**
When the tofu was 80 percent coagulated,
I placed hot charcoal under the box.
**[17:22] Mao**
The mold served as a steamer,
and the lard sheets separating the layers
**[17:26] Mao**
melted over the heat
and seeped into the tofu.
**[17:30] Mao**
That completes the tofu mille-feuille.
**[17:33] Zhang**
So the black and white layers of tofu
were warm because of the lard.
**[17:38] Hu**
No wonder the tofu was cooked.
**[17:41] Hu**
The mold served as a steamer, as well.
**[17:44] Mao**
That's right.
**[17:46] Mao**
Once steamed, place a platter beneath
the mold and pull the mold upwards.
**[17:54] Mao**
The weight of the tofu
and thread cuts it into pieces,
**[17:57] Mao**
leaving the tofu on the plate.
**[18:00] Mao**
Finally, remove the bamboo leaves
and combine it with the mapo underneath.
**[18:06] Mao**
This completes the dish.
**[18:11] Zhang**
What an incredible idea.
**[18:13] Zhang**
Where did that idea come from?
**[18:16] Mao**
Someone secretly gave me an important hint.
**[18:20] Mao**
When I woke up this morning,
I found that my tofu had turned into this.
**[18:24] Mob**
What is that?
**[18:26] Mob**
That's a unique smell.
**[18:28] Mao**
This is natto, a fermented
tofu dish from Japan.
**[18:33] Mao**
When I saw this natto,
**[18:34] Mao**
ideas for producing my own
dish popped into my mind.
**[18:38] Mao**
The natto's threads
inspired the cutting method.
**[18:42] Mao**
Cutting the tofu using thread
leaves a perfectly textured surface,
**[18:45] Mao**
allowing the mapo flavor to
thoroughly blend with the tofu.
**[18:49] Mao**
Next, I used the sterilizing
effect of the bamboo leaves
**[18:52] Mao**
to prevent the remaining soybeans
from fermenting any further.
**[18:55] Mao**
Pandas eat bamboo leaves, and
pandas are from my home, Szechuan.
**[19:00] Mao**
And Szechuan's signature
tofu dish is mapo tofu.
**[19:04] Mao**
That certain someone gave me a great hint
when I was running out of time.
**[19:09] Mao**
I'm disappointed the soybeans
I had soaking in water were ruined,
**[19:13] Mao**
but I'm grateful that they created
the opportunity for me to create this dish.
**[19:23] Zhang**
Impressive! You amaze me, boy.
**[19:26] Zhang**
This dish is more than suitable
for the star dish of a banquet!
**[19:31] All**
Yes!
**[19:33] Xiang**
* I can't believe he turned*
* my interference in his favor.*
**[19:37] Xiang**
*What's going on inside this boy's head?*
**[19:46] Leien**
*I don't like it.*
**[19:48] Leien**
* How can he remain so calm after seeing*
* the impressive dish Mao produced?*
**[19:58] Zhang**
It's time to taste the final dish
in this three round cooking battle.
**[20:03] Zhang**
It's a shame you had to follow
the panda tofu, Shao An.
**[20:09] Shaoan**
Don't worry.
**[20:11] Shaoan**
My dish will send the judges
tripping through another world.
**[20:17] He**
It's tofu soba in a thick sauce.
**[20:20] Mob**
It's exactly what it sounds like.
**[20:22] Mob**
Where does Shao An's confidence come from?
**[20:36] Zhang**
This feeling... Could it be?
**[20:38] Hu**
Hold on.
**[20:39] He**
Sorry. Do you mind?
**[20:40] Zhang**
Hold on, you jerks.
**[20:48] Shirou**
What are those expressions?!
**[20:51] Shaoan**
This sight is the reason
I have surpassed Master Bei.
**[20:55] Shaoan**
This is the skill on display in my tofu trio!
**[20:59] Shirou**
The tofu...
**[21:00] Sanjie**
...trio?
**[21:03] He**
I can hear the sound
of three stringed instruments.
**[21:09] Gov**
The three melodies harmonize,
but each is different.
**[21:12] Gov**
Their rich sweet sounds
are playing on my tongue.
**[21:18] Gov**
They transform into a light snow
that melts together,
**[21:22] Gov**
then vanishes in the back
of my throat like mist.
**[21:30] He**
The earthy aroma spreads throughout my mouth
**[21:33] He**
and up through my nasal cavity.
**[21:35] He**
It feels like mist tickling
and dampening my throat.
**[21:39] He**
I see it.
**[21:41] He**
I see it shrouded in mists.
**[21:45] He**
The fertile land of Szechuan.
**[21:49] Shaoan**
*Mao, I've won this contest.*
***SIGN*** Next Time
***SIGN*** "Outstretched Hand"
***SIGN*** "Outstretched Hand."