Zhangguan Hezha

Zhangguan Hezha

　　Hezha, also known as lazy tofu. The Tujia people of Enshi have a deep affection for hezha, especially during times of war and chaos when food was scarce. Hezha saved many lives, giving rise to the folk saying, “Use chili as salt, and celebrate the New Year with hezha.”

　　In Enshi, there are many ways to eat hezha, among which Zhangguan Hezha is typical for making hezha hotpot. Zhangguan Hezha gets its name from a small town in Xuan'en called “Zhangguan.” It involves cooking the hezha and then coagulating it slightly to make it drier. Fresh broth is added along with pork, young chicken, eggs, and other ingredients to create a series of hezha hotpots such as fresh meat hezha, young chicken hezha, and egg hezha. The version made by an elderly woman surnamed Huang in the town is the most famous and authentic.

　　Enshi Zhangguan Hezha gets its name from a small village called “Zhangguan” in Xuan'en County. The selection of soybeans and the production process of Zhangguan Hezha differ from other types of hezha. Without pressing or coagulating, the hezha can form a clear broth on its own. It has a tender, smooth texture, with a spicy but not harsh taste, and a rich aroma without being greasy—offering a long-lasting flavor.

　　The method of making Zhangguan Hezha: Wash the soybeans, soak them in water until swollen, then grind them together with the water in a stone mill turn by turn. Boil the mixture over a fire, then add freshly chopped radish leaves and boil again to produce a pot of milky-white hezha with a slight green tint. This shows that “grinding hezha” is much simpler than making tofu—no filtering, no pressing, and generally no coagulating, which is why the Tujia people also call hezha “lazy tofu.” The nutritional combination of hezha is also very scientific. The protein in the soybeans pairs with the vitamins and minerals in the radish leaves, achieving a balanced diet effect.

　　Zhangguan Hezha is made by coagulating the cooked hezha slightly to make it drier, then adding fresh broth along with pork, young chicken, eggs, and other ingredients to create a series of hezha hotpots such as fresh meat hezha, young chicken hezha, and egg hezha.

　　The authentic Zhangguan Hezha restaurant in Enshi has developed over thirty years relying on its traditional, meticulous handmade production techniques, healthy Tujia green cuisine, and systematic, standardized management. It has become a widely known Enshi delicacy, earning the honor of one of the Top Ten Famous Dishes of Enshi Prefecture. Zhangguan Hezha has also been recognized as a well-known trademark of Enshi Prefecture.