Datong Hot and Cold Tofu Pudding

Datong Hot and Cold Tofu Pudding

　　Datong Hot and Cold Tofu Pudding is a traditional snack passed down through generations among the people of Datong and even the wider western part of Jialing District.

　　Ingredients and preparation: This snack is made from peas as the main ingredient, along with over ten types of supplementary foods or seasonings such as cured pork, oil, rice tofu, peanuts, soybeans, celery, scallions, garlic, preserved mustard tuber, pickled mustard tuber, dried radish, winter vegetable, Sichuan peppercorn powder, chili powder, and monosodium glutamate. These are processed together to create the final dish.

　　The preparation process is as follows: first, the peas are soaked until swollen, then ground into pea milk, filtered to remove residue, and the starch is settled out. The starch is then mixed with water and boiled until cooked, after which seasonings are added to complete the dish.

　　Features: It has a soft and smooth texture, a fragrant taste, is rich in nutrition, and easy to digest.

　　Characteristics: "Eating hot tofu pudding" is a long-standing tradition among the people of Datong and the wider western Jialing area. "Datong Hot and Cold Tofu Pudding" has a unique flavor, enjoys a great reputation, and is deeply loved by many.

　　Speaking of hot tofu pudding, it is said to have a history of over 300 years. Legend has it that during the final days of Zhang Xianzhong’s rule over Sichuan, he suffered a defeat and passed through Datong. He encountered a man surnamed Feng, who was asked to prepare a meal within 15 minutes so they could continue their journey. The Feng family was very poor, with no rice or flour, only homemade pea flour. In a moment of desperation, they poured the pea flour into a pot of hot water and stirred it hastily, then added some chili, salt, ginger, scallions, and garlic as seasonings. They quickly served up a large bowl. Unexpectedly, Zhang Xianzhong and his men found it extremely delicious and kept praising, "This hot tofu pudding is really tasty, so good!" From then on, Datong Hot and Cold Tofu Pudding began to spread among the people. Over hundreds of years of continuous refinement, "hot tofu pudding" has become an iconic local delicacy.

　　Though called "hot tofu pudding," it naturally has a steaming quality. However, it is not so hot as to be unpalatable—in fact, it is served at a moderate temperature, with a soft and smooth texture and a fragrant taste. Still, when you first encounter hot tofu pudding, you might be skeptical about this seemingly "muddled and miscellaneous" snack, wondering if it’s really as delicious as the legends say. Only after trying it do you realize how incredibly tasty it is, and you also come to understand that things shouldn’t be judged solely by appearances. In fact, in Datong town and the nearby villages, hot tofu pudding is an essential dish on the dining table. Walk into any restaurant, big or small, and you’re sure to find it on the menu. When friends get together and casually walk into a eatery, a steaming bowl of "hot tofu pudding" is both hearty and satisfying. Any restaurant or tavern that doesn’t serve hot tofu pudding would be considered lacking. In the Nanchong western region, almost every household knows how to make it, and it suits all ages and tastes. Today, Datong Hot and Cold Tofu Pudding has become an indispensable dish when hosting guests.

　　Nowadays, Datong Hot and Cold Tofu Pudding has gained quite a reputation as a snack not just in Jialing but throughout Nanchong. Though there is no unified recipe, standardized ingredients, or registered trademark for promotion, in the towns of the Nanchong western region, hot tofu pudding remains one of the key attractions for visitors. Locals are especially proud of it and often confidently tell city dwellers: “Welcome to our Datong to try our hot tofu pudding!”

　　Datong “hot tofu pudding” is delicious, but few people actually make it themselves. Aside from the difficulty in getting the consistency of the tofu pudding just right when cooking it at home, the complex mix of seasonings also makes it easy to miss something. And yet, it is these seasonings that define the dish’s deliciousness—the absence of any one element can ruin the taste. As a result, many residents of Nanchong city specifically drive to Datong just to have a bowl of it with friends before heading back home. Once, while investigating what goes into the seasoning mix, I visited a well-known local restaurant that serves hot tofu pudding. There I saw a large spread of cured pork, rice tofu, peanuts, soybeans, celery, scallions, garlic, preserved mustard tuber, pickled mustard tuber, dried radish, winter vegetable, Sichuan peppercorn powder, chili powder, monosodium glutamate... and more. That’s when I finally understood why some people would rather drive a long way to eat hot tofu pudding at a Datong restaurant than try making it at home.