While the chefs were preparing their dishes, each side would reveal a special ingredient that they hoped would sway the guests to vote for their respective dishes. The special ingredients could be anything from the focus of the recipe, such as a meat or vegetable, to a sauce or flavoring component. Though most of the special ingredients were found in often remote areas of Japan, some came from outside Japan, such as Mongolia, Korea, and even Scotland. In very rare and unusual instances, the special ingredients were not food items, but rather tools for preparing or serving the dish, such as a granite bowl from Korea, used in the preparation of stone-cooked bibimbap, or a special cast iron press used to make taiyaki. Each kitchen's special assistant would go to where the special ingredient was grown/raised/manufactured/harvested, to both procure the special ingredient and observe how it was produced.