Quanzhou Five-Spice Dried Tofu

Quanzhou Five-Spice Dried Tofu

　　Quanzhou Five-Spice Dried Tofu dates back to the mid-Tang Dynasty and has a long history. The production method involves placing water tofu pieces on a special flat grilling stove, where a low-temperature fire is kept at around 40 degrees Celsius. The tofu is grilled until it turns yellow, then taken off the heat and brushed while still hot with a savory five-spice powder. This five-spice powder is ground from seasonings such as an appropriate amount of salt, star anise, diced ginger, cinnamon, sand ginger, tsao-ko, and cloves. It comes in a powdery form and has a strong, fragrant aroma.

　　The tofu pieces brushed with the five-spice powder are then threaded onto specially made drying strings (made by stringing two counting beads with two hemp cords, with the dried tofu placed between the double strands of cord between every two beads. This process is repeated to link 20–30 pieces of tofu on a single string), and then hung in a ventilated area to dry naturally. After the entire process is complete, the resulting five-spice dried tofu, when held up to the light, appears translucent. The middle of the tofu is slightly thinner, about 0.8 cm thick, while the four edges are a bit thicker, approximately 1.2 cm thick.

　　The five-spice dried tofu is brightly colored, has a relatively long shelf life, is rich in nutrients, and features a unique flavor. It has become a famous local snack in Quanzhou, and there’s a folk saying: “Five-spice dried tofu goes well with rice—you’ll even scrape the bottom of the pot clean.”