Phoenix Hezha

Phoenix Hezha

　　  Hezha is a highly favored dish among the Tujia people in Fenghuang Ancient Town, Zhangjiajie. It is made by simmering soybean flour mixed with chopped greens over low heat. The dish is delicious, easy to swallow, and highly nutritious.

　　  Hezha, also known as Lazy Bean Dregs, is a common everyday dish in mountainous areas of southwestern Hubei such as Enshi, where the local Tujia people call it Lazy Tofu. The Tujia people in Enshi have 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.” As eating Hezha became no longer a luxury reserved for festivals, many restaurants began serving it as a signature dish.

　　  In the folk songs of the Tujia people, there are these lines:

　　  Use chili as salt, and celebrate the New Year with Hezha, wearing the same pair of pants for decades...

　　  These lines exaggerate the hardships of Tujia life before liberation. Among them, “Hezha” refers to a common home-cooked dish of the Tujia people.

　　  Making Hezha is relatively simple, though the initial “grinding” stage is labor-intensive. Therefore, the Tujia people refer to making Hezha as “grinding Hezha”—soaking soybeans until swollen, then grinding them into soy milk on a stone mill. The soy milk is then diluted with water, brought to a boil in a pot, and chopped greens are added before boiling again, resulting in a pot of milky-green Hezha. This shows that “grinding Hezha” is much easier than making tofu, which is why the Tujia people also call it “Lazy Tofu.”

　　  Hezha has several great qualities: First, soybeans are rich in protein and greens are rich in vitamins, so Hezha is highly nutritious; second, its flavor is unique—light and slightly milky, making it enjoyable time after time; third, while corn, the Tujia people’s staple grain, is coarse, the soupy texture of Hezha goes down smoothly with just a slurp.

　　  In the hot summer, a bowl of Hezha quenches thirst and cools the body. It can also be left to ferment for a few days—what the Tujia people call “sour Hezha.” Its tangy taste tingles the nerves in a pleasantly refreshing way, making it even more thirst-quenching and cooling. In winter, sour Hezha can be cooked vigorously over a wood fire with local chili peppers, lard, salt, garlic, and other seasonings. Once it reaches a certain stage, it can be eaten as it cooks, offering a flavor quite different from spicy tofu or stinky tofu.

　　  Because Hezha is easy to make, highly nutritious, and delicious, the hardworking Tujia people are particularly fond of it. During busy farming seasons, they “grind” a pot of Hezha and, after hours of work in the fields, can reheat it for a quick and satisfying meal. A single pot can feed a family for several days.

　　  In rural primary and secondary schools in Tujia villages, boarding students often have only one main dish and one side dish. The staple is cornmeal, and the side dish is Hezha. The reason is that Hezha is nutritious, tasty, and simple to prepare—perfect for meeting the needs of the school community. Thus, it’s fair to say that Tujia children grow up drinking Hezha.

　　  The health and intelligence of Tujia children owe a great deal to Hezha.

　　  Today, the Tujia people no longer need to “grind” Hezha the traditional way, as rural areas now have electric mills that can produce the required soybean flour in just minutes (whereas a stone mill takes one to two hours). Moreover, pre-packaged soybean flour is available in markets, making it easy to prepare Hezha at home.

　　  Nowadays, the Tujia people no longer rely on “Hezha to celebrate the New Year.” On New Year’s Eve, the reunion feast includes chicken, duck, fish, and meat, along with various stir-fried, boiled, fried, and deep-fried dishes. But aside from these, there’s usually a bowl of Hezha. After enjoying a hearty meal of meat and fish, a bowl of light Hezha cuts through the greasiness, refreshing both body and mind.