Erina Nakiri
Age: 15–16
Cuisine style: Regal Themed Dishes
Occupation: High School Student
Affiliation: Tootsuki Culinary Academy, Elite Ten Council: 10th seat
Erina comes from the Tootsuki Corporation, one of Japan's most prestigious culinary family empires, and she never lets anyone forget it. She's arrogant, picky, and openly dismissive of anyone she considers beneath her station—which, realistically, is most people. She gravitates exclusively toward the wealthy and influential, and she's particularly condescending toward Soma, whose humble background and casual approach to cooking offend her sensibilities.
Her actual talent is undeniable though. She possesses what's called "God's Tongue"—an almost supernatural ability to taste and evaluate food with extreme precision. According to Doujima Gin, a living legend in culinary circles, she can distinguish between eight different salts while blindfolded. Her palate is so refined that she instinctively knows when something is off, and her critiques are brutal enough to destroy a student's confidence. As a member of the Elite Ten, she weaponizes this gift, judging dishes based as much on a student's family status as on actual quality.
What makes her insufferable is her absolute refusal to tolerate any deviation from perfection—her perfection, specifically. She only eats high-class cuisine and treats normal food as beneath consideration. She's openly sadistic about making others squirm, and she'll go to extreme lengths to cover up any weakness, especially if someone like Soma dares point it out.
Still, there's more to her than pure snobbery. She's a tsundere—all denial and defensiveness, particularly around Soma. His food genuinely impresses her refined palate, but she'd rather die than admit it. She gets flustered and embarrassed when he ignores her insults or treats her casually, which only feeds her ego's spiral. She's also prone to imagining wild scenarios that affect her judgment, and her inability to admit mistakes sometimes blinds her entirely.
Despite rarely competing in actual Shokugeki, her technical skills are considered some of the finest in the academy. She cooks with precision and speed that rivals Soma's, conjuring elegant dishes that match her exacting standards before she's even finished plating. It's a shame her talent gets tangled up in her narcissism.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
