Red Mushroom Tofu Head

Red Mushroom Tofu Head

　　Red Mushroom Tofu

　　In Renju Town, Pingyuan County, Meizhou City, there is a unique traditional local food called "Red Mushroom Tofu." This red mushroom tofu is made using tofu dregs—the leftovers from tofu production. The dregs are spread on bamboo trays and left in a cool place. After a few days, a layer of bright red fungus grows on the dregs. When this red mushroom tofu is cooked in a soup with pork liver and lean meat, it becomes incredibly delicious and is an indispensable dish during local festivals and when entertaining guests. It is said that only the water, soil, and air of Renju can cultivate this type of red mushroom tofu.

　　Recently, the selection event “Delicious Guangdong – Searching for Guangdong’s Top Ten Traditional Food Towns,” organized by the Guangdong Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the Guangdong Folk Artists Association, and others, announced its results. Pingyuan Red Mushroom Tofu Head was honored as one of the “Hundred Traditional Snacks of Guangdong.”

　　Red Mushroom Tofu Head is a specialty of Renju Town, Pingyuan County. It features a red exterior with white flesh, a delicious taste, and a texture that is sweet, chewy, and tender. It serves as a flavorful accompaniment to meals.

　　Regarding the origin of Red Mushroom Tofu Head, there is a fascinating legend in the Renju area. Renju was formerly known as Haoju, meaning “the place where the wealthy live.” Legend has it that during a summer wedding banquet hosted by a rich landlord, a large amount of tofu was made, and the resulting tofu dregs were placed in an idle room by a laborer. Since they weren’t promptly fed to the pigs, after two or three days, red fungus began to grow on the dregs. The landlord saw this and thought the laborer had wasted pig feed, so he ordered the worker to eat the fermented dregs. Left with no choice, the laborer cooked and ate them. To his surprise, he found them quite tasty. Seeing how much the laborer enjoyed it, the landlord also tried some and found it sweet and delicious. Both master and servant were puzzled and shared the story with the locals. The clever villagers conducted continuous experiments based on this principle, eventually developing what is now known as handmade Red Mushroom Tofu Head. Everyone marveled, “This is truly turning waste into treasure.”

　　Legend aside, Red Mushroom Tofu Head is indeed made from tofu dregs. The people of Renju take fresh tofu dregs and continuously stir-fry them over low heat in a wok until the dregs are dry enough to form clumps without any moisture. They are then transferred to bamboo trays lined with red mushroom leaves (also called large maple leaves), tung leaves, or banana leaves. Once slightly cooled, the mixture is leveled and slowly pressed down with a spatula. Then, previously made Red Mushroom Tofu—functioning as a “fungus mother” (also known as a starter culture, which accelerates the red fungus growth, but is not absolutely necessary)—is added. The first step of the process is complete.

　　The bamboo trays filled with the tofu mixture should be placed in a clean room. In summer, white fungus will appear the next day, gradually turning into red fungus. Once one side of the tray is fully covered with red fungus, the tray is flipped to let the other side grow, and the lining leaves are removed. When both sides are fully covered with red fungus, the product is ready to eat or sell. This usually takes about three to four days. In winter, due to the cold weather, the pressed tofu mixture must be kept in a greenhouse to ferment and grow red fungus. For households without a greenhouse, covering the trays with cotton-padded clothing or blankets can help retain warmth and still produce red fungus, though it may take one or two days longer than in summer.

　　Before liberation, overseas Chinese from the region would steam and sun-dry Red Mushroom Tofu Head and have it brought to Southeast Asia by traveling merchants so their fellow townsmen could use it to make soup. It became very popular among overseas Chinese.

　　Those who leave their hometowns often long for the taste of Red Mushroom Tofu made back home. But it’s nearly impossible to carry it elsewhere, as the fermentation period from fresh to spoiled is extremely short. Moreover, tofu dregs mixed with red mushroom spores must ferment in open air—only then will the red fungal hairs grow lush and vibrant. They absolutely cannot be sealed or stored in containers, because once the fermenting spores are bagged or canned, they quickly “die,” and once the spores die, the tofu dregs spoil soon after. So even if you buy it at the market, you should open the package as soon as possible to prevent the spores from dying and the tofu from going bad—otherwise, you’ll end up tasting plain tofu dregs rather than the red mushroom flavor.

　　In short, Red Mushroom Tofu Head can be boiled, steamed, used in soups, baked, or dried and eaten. As a type of plant-based fungus, studies by medical experts suggest it has anti-cancer properties. Red Mushroom Tofu Head enjoys a long-standing reputation in the Hakka regions of Meizhou and among overseas Chinese communities.