BAMBOO BAKE-OFF: Gansu Panda Bursts Out of the Kitchen First While the Classic Giant Panda Stews

Chefs, aprons ON. Tonight's mystery box holds the cuddliest ingredient ever plated: the panda. The question on the ticket is simple. Which big panda is the most famous, the one that really says "big panda"? Four contenders are on the line, and the clock started less than a day ago.

Hold on to your ladles. Leading the kitchen right now is the "Gansu Panda" at 63% consensus, backed by 2 holders. A regional dish from Gansu beating the house classic? That's a bold opener. It smells of smoked bamboo and pure nerve.

Right behind it, glaring across the stove, sits the textbook giant panda itself, "Giant Panda (Ailuropoda", on 13% consensus with 10 holders. This is the comfort-food classic, the panda on every postcard. Losing early to a local variation will sting. Still on the menu: 2 other sides, which means the Qinling crowd and the Sichuan purists still have time to turn up the heat.

My verdict so far, and it's only the first taste: the Gansu plate is punchy and confident, the classic is well-made but hasn't wowed the table yet. Early leads in a fresh market can collapse like a cold soufflé, though. So far 14 unique traders have put $163,686 behind their opinions, and that's barely a pinch of salt. The pot is wide open.

These numbers come from live opinion markets on Morfi, where people back their opinion with real money. Think the classic deserves the crown, or that Qinling is the dark horse of the bamboo buffet? Join the market and plate your pick before the judges ring the bell.