Changzhi Tofu Dishes

Changzhi Tofu Dishes

　　Tofu is a common dish among the Chinese people, with many ways of preparation and consumption, whether raw or cooked. It can be cooked alone or with other meats and vegetables, and tastes delicious in all cases. Whether stir-fried, braised, pan-fried, simmered, stewed, deep-fried, steamed, or stuffed, the final dish always has its own unique flavor. According to relevant sources, hundreds of different dishes can be made using tofu. The Qing Dynasty’s "Suiyuan Shidan" states: "When tofu is well-seasoned, its taste surpasses that of bird's nest." The Japanese call tofu "Tangfu," and in the book "Japan and China Over Two Thousand Years" by NAKAMURA Shintaro, it is mentioned that "those who make tofu in Japan regard the monk Jianzhen as their founding ancestor."

　　 "Empress Dowager Tofu" was originally called "Imperial Palace Tofu." It is a famous dish introduced by Ma Wen, deputy director of the reception center at the Changzhi Military Sub-district, from his hometown of Chengde in Hebei Province. Since this dish was a must-have in Empress Dowager Cixi’s meals in the palace, and it is also said that she was from Changzhi, the Changzhi County Hotel renamed "Imperial Palace Tofu" to "Empress Dowager Tofu." Legend has it that during the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty, Yulan, the adopted daughter of Huizheng, the magistrate of Luzhou Prefecture, was selected to enter the palace. She often accompanied Emperor Xianfeng on hunting trips to Chengde in Hebei. One day, when it started to rain, the emperor’s party took shelter in a roadside tofu shop. They encountered freshly made tofu, steaming hot and fragrant. The owner broke off several large pieces of tofu with his hands, placed them in a small basin, and poured pickled radish leaf sour vegetables over them. The empress found it tasted like the flavors of her hometown in Luzhou Prefecture and was very pleased. After returning to the palace, she asked the imperial kitchen to prepare a portion of sour vegetable tofu for her every day. Later, the imperial kitchen renamed "sour vegetable tofu" as "Imperial Palace Tofu."