Sun Dian Hot Tofu

Sun Dian Hot Tofu

　　Sun Dian Hot Tofu is a specialty of Sun Dian Town, Xiangcheng City, Zhoukou, Henan Province. Also known as "Big Hoop Tofu," it gets its name from being pressed using a hoop mold. It is characterized by its tender, refreshing texture and chewy, delicious taste.

　　Locals in Sun Dian often say, “A day without hot tofu makes the whole body uncomfortable,” while visitors exclaim, “Once you’ve tried Sun Dian Hot Tofu, you’ll want to stay forever.”

　　According to Xie Fangyin, an experienced tofu maker in Sun Dian Town, tofu was invented by Liu An, the King of Huainan during the Han Dynasty, and later spread to the Sun Dian area of Xiangcheng. Through continuous improvements by local artisans, the unique production style of “Sun Dian Hot Tofu” gradually took shape and flourished during the Southern Song Dynasty. Legend has it that during the Southern Song Dynasty, the famous anti-Jin general Yue Fei fought against the Jin army in the Jianghuai region and was warmly welcomed by the locals wherever he went. One day, when the Yue Family Army passed through the Sun Dian area of Xiangcheng on their way to Chenzhou, the local people offered their finest goods to support the troops. Tofu makers worked through the night to prepare fresh tofu as a reward for the Yue Family Army. After tasting it, Yue Fei highly praised the tofu, which further inspired his soldiers to fight bravely and achieve consecutive victories. As a result, Sun Dian Hot Tofu became widely renowned. After hundreds of years of development, Sun Dian Hot Tofu has now reached its peak.

　　The water used in making Sun Dian Hot Tofu is carefully selected. The water in this region is of high quality, rich in minerals and trace elements, making it an excellent source for tofu production. Many tofu artisans have left Sun Dian to sell hot tofu elsewhere, but the tofu they make is far less delicious than that produced locally.

　　The production process of Sun Dian Hot Tofu is meticulous, involving dozens of manual steps such as bean selection, soaking, grinding, filtering, boiling, gypsum coagulation, and hoop pressing. Bean Selection: Involves removing moldy or damaged beans and selecting only plump, high-quality soybeans. Soaking: The soybeans are soaked in clean water, usually overnight, and must be soaked in groundwater rather than tap water. Grinding: The soybeans are crushed and ground into a paste using a stone mill. Filtering: The ground soy milk is filtered through a fine mesh to remove bean dregs, typically by shaking the mixture for about two hours. Boiling: The filtered soy milk is heated and boiled for about 10 minutes before gypsum is added for coagulation. Hoop Pressing: The coagulated tofu is pressed into a round shape using a large hoop mold. This process results in a chewy, smooth, tender, and refreshing hot tofu. The tofu made by the Xie Chuanwen brothers from Zhuzhuang Village is so firm that it can be sliced and tossed by hand without breaking — a true marvel.

　　Sun Dian Hot Tofu is unique in the way it is eaten: it must be consumed hot, served with chili as a condiment. Its spicy and refreshing taste grows on you the more you eat.

　　Today, Sun Dian Hot Tofu is loved by more and more people and has become a renowned local delicacy. There are now over 200 tofu processing households, producing more than 500 pieces of tofu daily, with over 400 people employed in the industry.