Pan-Fried Tofu

Pan-Fried Tofu

　　Pan-Fried Tofu is a famous Shandong dish. The finished dish is deep yellow in color, neatly shaped, delicious in flavor, and rich in nutrition. The earliest dishes in the "pan-fried" series originated in the Shandong region. As early as the Ming Dynasty, pan-fried tofu appeared in Jinan, Shandong. By the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, this dish was elevated to a court cuisine. It later spread throughout Shandong and then to Tianjin, Beijing, and Shanghai.

　　　"Pan-frying" (锅塌) is a unique cooking method in Shandong cuisine. It can be used for fish, meat, tofu, and vegetables. This dish features layers of ingredients stacked like delicate little boxes—exquisite, neat, and elegant. Its characteristic lies in the tofu being marinated in seasonings, dipped in egg wash, pan-fried, and then gently simmered in chicken broth. It becomes extremely flavorful and can also be referred to as "stuffed pan-fried tofu."