Zizhong Luquan Tofu

Zizhong Luquan Tofu

Zizhong Luquan Tofu is a geographical indication protected product.

　　Zizhong Luquan Tofu is a renowned specialty from Luquan Town, Zizhong County, Neijiang City, Sichuan Province. It is made by the locals using high-quality mountain spring water and soybeans, ground together with a stone mill, and then coagulated using traditional brine techniques. The tofu is known for being fine, white, tender, and smooth.

　　Zizhong Luquan Tofu is made by soaking high-quality soybeans in natural mineral water, grinding them with a stone mill to make soy milk, then heating and coagulating it with brine. The tofu boasts four key characteristics: fineness, whiteness, tenderness, and smoothness. When combined with various seasonings, it can be cooked into spicy, hot, and numbing tofu delicacies such as boxed tofu, pocket tofu, catfish tofu, and tofu buns. The locals also produce unique-flavored and portable dried tofu and fermented tofu bricks as local travel souvenirs, which are beloved across the country. As early as the Ming and Qing dynasties, it had already become a unique delicacy of Bashu. In those days, the ancient town was bustling with merchants, and its five-li-long street was a lively market both day and night. Luquan Tofu not only boosted the local economy but also enriched the culture of the ancient town. Luquan Tofu, along with the world-shocking Luquan Conference, has been immortalized in history, shining through the ages. TUU

　　Luquan Town is located in the western part of Zizhong County, Sichuan Province, about 51 kilometers from the county seat and 25 kilometers from the Chengdu-Chongqing Expressway. It is a provincial-level historical and cultural town and one of China’s Top 100 Ancient Towns with a History of Over a Thousand Years. Luquan lies at the junction of Zizhong, Renshou, and Weiyuan counties, hence the saying “standing with a foot in three counties.” According to the “Salt Law Chronicles,” “Zizhou Luquan Well, an ancient salt well, was established during the Qin Dynasty.” Luquan well salt has a history of over 2,200 years and won a gold medal at the Paris World Expo in 1925.

　　With the continuous development of the salt industry, tofu also emerged. More than 2,100 years ago, Liu An, the King of Huainan, lived in seclusion in Luquan, dedicated to researching the art of immortality. Once, he ground soybeans into soy milk and mixed it with salt brine (bittern) for alchemy. Although he didn’t succeed in making an elixir, he accidentally produced tender and delicious tofu.

　　The Ming Dynasty poet Su Bingheng wrote a poem titled “Ode to Tofu”: “Passed down from Huainan’s finest method, the skin peels off to reveal the essence. A round of snowflakes, soaked in an earthen jar with the moon’s shadow inside; a golden knife slices through jade-like purity without flaw. Who knows the true taste within? Mostly found among monks and Taoists.” The poem also says: “Plant beans beneath the southern hills, where frost-kissed pods stay fresh. Grind them into flowing jade-like milk, steam and boil them drawing from clear springs. Their color purer than earthy cream, their taste beyond the five grains to convey.” TUU

　　Through long-term research and development, Luquan Tofu has become a distinctive and unique local delicacy. With the growing tourism industry in the thousand-year-old town of Luquan, the tofu has gained great popularity among food-loving travelers, further highlighting its cultural, artistic, and economic value.

　　The production area of Luquan Tofu covers the current administrative region of Luquan Town, Zizhong County, Sichuan Province.