Tofu Balls

Tofu Balls

　　Tofu Balls

　　The Bama Panyang River originates in Fengshan County, where the Shouyuan Cave in Sanmenhai is the headwaters of the river. Among the Zhuang people in Fengshan, there is an indispensable delicacy during festivals or wedding banquets — the Zhuang-style Tofu Balls. They are shaped like oranges, symbolizing joy and reunion.

　　Preparation: The main ingredient is water tofu, but the process of making water tofu is extremely complex and quite particular. The water tofu must be handmade using gypsum as a coagulant, which gives the tofu a delicate fragrance and a smooth texture. Mechanically produced water tofu cannot be used to make good tofu balls. Here's how the tofu balls are made:

　　1. Take several pieces of water tofu, drain the water first, then place them in a clean basin and mash them into a paste. Next, prepare the filling, which is made similarly to the filling for dumplings.

　　2. Mince fatty and lean pork together, take a bowl of purple glutinous rice or a zongzi (sticky rice dumpling), chop washed Chinese chives, fry one or two liang (50–100g) of peanuts, remove the red skins and crush them. Add one to two pieces of fermented tofu, an appropriate amount of pepper, salt, and MSG, then mix all the above filling ingredients evenly.

　　3. Take the prepared tofu paste, spread it flat on your palm, place the filling in the center, then close the tofu paste around the filling to form a round ball about the size of an orange.

　　4. The finished tofu balls can be deep-fried, pan-fried, or steamed. However, among the Zhuang people, they are usually fried in vegetable oil, most commonly using Fengshan’s specialty green food — camellia oil — for frying. Fry until golden brown, and they are ready to eat.

　　This dish is delicious, fragrant, and leaves a lingering aftertaste in the mouth.