Leiyang Rice Tofu

Leiyang Rice Tofu

　　Leiyang Rice Tofu has a long history, and to this day, there is a beautiful legend associated with it in Leiyang. It is said that during the time of Shennong, the god of agriculture, when he was developing the land, the Leiyang River frequently flooded, submerging the farmland and homes of the people along its banks, making life very difficult. With food and rice in short supply, in order to motivate the people to build dams and fight the floods, they ground the rice into a paste-like consistency and boiled it with water to make a gruel-like porridge to help the people stave off hunger. One day, the kitchen mistakenly poured lime water—similar in appearance to the rice paste—into the mixture, and they decided to discard it as a precaution. Shennong saw this and quickly stopped them. After all, post-flood Leiyang was full of refugees suffering from cold and hunger. Those dozens of pots of porridge could save so many lives. Shennong instructed everyone to pour the porridge into bamboo sieves to set. Before long, the rice paste congealed into a jelly-like solid. Shennong himself cut the rice jelly into square blocks, cooked them, and even led by example by eating some. Seeing this, the laborers also scooped it into their bowls. After eating, everyone found it melt-in-the-mouth and delicious. Later on, everyone began to make it this way, naming it “rice tofu,” though in some towns it is also called “mung bean cake.”

　　The preparation of Leiyang Rice Tofu is quite particular. High-quality rice is washed, soaked, then ground into a rice paste using a stone mill. Lime alkaline water is used as a “starter,” and the mixture is stirred while being cooked in an iron pot until it becomes thick and pasty. It is then poured onto pre-washed bamboo sieves to spread out evenly. Once cooled and set into a tofu-like texture, the process is complete. It is then cut into inch-wide squares using bamboo knives and rulers. When the water in the iron pot comes to a boil, the rice tofu is scooped in using a strainer, along with bright red pickled chili or oil chili, green scallions, white minced garlic, crispy pickled mustard tuber cubes, tangy aged vinegar, and dark soy sauce. When it comes to a boil again, the lid is lifted, and appropriate amounts of scallions, vinegar, and MSG are sprinkled in. Instantly, the aroma wafts through the air, making mouths water. The rice tofu is then scooped from the pot into bowls, steaming hot, with its tender yellow-green color set off by colorful garnishes—red, fragrant, green, and crisp—immediately teasing your appetite. The texture is soft and smooth, delicate, sweet, and fragrant, truly refreshing. After just a few bites, your taste buds, fully awakened by the chili, become especially sensitive. From the tip of the tongue to the entire mouth, there’s a warm, spicy sensation, and the umami of the broth is subtly amplified. The feeling is quite magical. It’s common to see diners sweating from the heat, feeling completely relaxed, yet still craving more. As they suck on their spicy, red mouths, they exclaim with lingering satisfaction, “So good, give me another bowl!”