Editing Iron Chef (section)

===Theme ingredients===
Featured ingredients tend toward the exotic and expensive. Many theme ingredients reflect the Japanese origin of the show—river [[eel]], [[tofu]], [[udon]]—though ingredients more familiar in the West, such as [[bell pepper]]s, summer [[sweetcorn|corn]], and [[peach]]es, are spotlighted, as well. In one episode devoted to [[asparagus]], the challenger boasted that he used over $1,000 worth of [[lobster]] (which he then discarded) simply to flavor his asparagus in this battle against Iron Chef  Morimoto.

Initially, a minimum of three dishes was to be prepared, although some challengers have finished only a single dish; four is the typical number. The record for highest number of dishes prepared for a battle was eight, first set by challenger Kenji Kaji against Iron Chef Michiba in "Battle [[Umeboshi]]".  Five (later six) servings of each dish are prepared, one each for the chairman and judges, and one for photography and presentation.