Tofu is a nutritious food with a long history, and is an important ingredient in many of the "Chinese special dishes" famous both at home and abroad.
I am amazed by the wisdom of people for using the same ingredient to make a variety of food. A piece of tofu can make different flavors, each with its own distinctive taste.
It is the combination of folk wisdom and nature's gift that creates all kinds of delicious tofu in Qiandao Lake.
Shanglu Tofu 商辂豆腐
Shanglu Tofu in Lishang Town is famous for its delicious taste. There is a story prevailing in Langfan Village, Lishang Town. It goes that Shang Lu, a prime minister of the Ming Dynasty who ranked first in all three tests of the imperial examinations, namely regional test, national test and palace test, often walked to Jiande to visit his maternal grandmother through the ancient Yaoling Path, when he was a child, and he liked the tofu in Langfan Village very much.
After he passed the imperial examinations and received the title of “zhuangyuan” as the first ranked candidate, and later became a prime minister, he often treated his colleagues with tofu from his hometown and all said it was very delicious. So far in Chun'an there are still rumors that it was because Shang Lu often ate tofu in Langfan Village that he ranked first in the imperial examinations and eventually became a great prime minister. Therefore the locals named the tofu after Shang Lu in memorial of him.
Shanglu Tofu is made in the traditional way, with beans being pulped in a stone mill, soy pulp being boiled in separate pots and nigari as the coagulant. It features a delicate, smooth and elastic texture and it tastes mellow and delicious. Thus, it is very popular.
Hairy Tofu 毛豆腐
Let's take a look at the hairy tofu once eaten by Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The origin of hairy tofu is said to be related to him. In the 17th year of Zhizheng reign (1357) in the Yuan Dynasty, after Zhu Yuanzhang conquered the city Bancheng, he led his troops northwards to Jixi and stationed in the Happy Forest (now Jixi Railway Station) in the south of the city. Civilians in this region often rewarded soldiers with tofu. And they sent too much than needed. It was hot and as time went by, wisps of white and brown hair grew out of it. To avoid wasting food, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered his men to fry the hairy tofu firstly and then braised it with various seasonings. As a result, specially flavored hairy tofu came out. After he came to the throne, he once served this dish to his idea men from Huizhou and later hairy tofu was passed back to Huizhou.
Afterwards, it was improved many times by generations of workshops to form the present special flavor. Zhongzhou Town of Qiandao Lake borders with Xiuning of Huizhou so there have been frequent folk exchanges between the two places. Therefore hairy tofu was also spread to Zhongzhou and has been prevalent so far.
There are three ways to eat hairy tofu. One is to fry it in a pan until both sides turn golden and crispy, and then add green onion and chili sauce. The second is to braise it. Firstly fry it until both sides are golden. Then braise it with the seasonings, and finally top it with chili sauce. The last is to spread chili sauce on hairy tofu and roast it directly on the fire. This brings people together around the fire for chatting or drinking wine. It is quite an enjoyment.
Immortal Tofu 神仙豆腐
The immortal tofu is even more remarkable. In Qiandao Lake, there is a kind of magical tree, which is named “immortal tree” or “tofu tree” by locals. As the name suggests, the leaves of the tree can turn magically into the immortal tofu. It is very amazing. The immortal tofu has a refreshing and pleasant taste. Researches show it has the effects of clearing away heat and toxins, reducing swelling and stopping bleeding and is a great choice for summer days.
People firstly remove the stems of the freshly picked leaves and clean them in hot water. Then soak them in cold water again. Wait until they are drained. Put them in a basin, knead and smash them by hand. Squeeze them in a tofu cloth and collect the green juice coming out. Then add the burnt ashes of the plant (alkaline water) to the juice and stir it evenly and put it in a cool place to let it curdle. Finally, a pot of jade-like emerald green immortal tofu appears in front of your eyes. It is often served as a cold dish, sliced and added with some sugar. Of course, some may add vinegar, garlic, chili, etc. to give it an “exotic” taste. But its tender and soft texture remains the same and your mouth will be full of its fragrance. It conquers the taste buds of every diner.