Tujia Ash-Wrapped Tofu

Tujia Ash-Wrapped Tofu

　　Tujia Ash-Wrapped Tofu

　　In the northern part of H沿河 Autonomous County—specifically in Houping, Tangba, Ketai, and Xinjing—Tujia mountain villagers have preserved an ancient traditional soy-based food craft known as ash-wrapped tofu. At first glance, it looks dull and gray, and you might not know what it is. But after being repeatedly rinsed clean with water, each piece turns a golden yellow, round-eyed and bulging, quite pleasing to the eye. Once boiled in a soup pot, it tastes fragrant on the outside and tender inside, with a rich and lingering flavor. Unlike fried tofu, this traditional food does not use cooking oil, yet its taste is uniquely more distinctive than that of fried varieties. Its preparation method is also different from the norm.

　　First, select high-quality soybeans and soak them in water for three hours. Use mountain spring water to grind the beans into slurry with a stone mill, then filter out the residue. Boil the soy milk, let it cool, and coagulate it into tofu curds using homemade sour soup. Pour the curds into a tofu mold lined with filter cloth, cover with the mold lid, and press with stones to squeeze out excess liquid and firm the tofu. Once the tofu is removed from the mold, cut it into 3-centimeter cubes. Next, heat up firewood ash (or alternately, straw ash), buckwheat stalk ash, or tung nut shell ash in a wok until it’s about 80% hot. Add the cubed tofu and stir-fry together with the hot ash for around 30 minutes. The tofu will expand from the heat. Remove it from the wok and spread it out to cool in a winnowing basket. Before eating, thoroughly rinse the tofu to clean off any ash. Any leftovers can be strung up in a palm-bark bag and hung in a ventilated area, where they can be stored for over a year. This dish can be used in soups or hot pot—just be sure to cook it a bit longer. Whether way, it ends up with a crispy, fragrant outer layer and a tender, delicious interior with a long-lasting aftertaste, making it an essential dish when Tujia people entertain honored guests. When eating, let it cool in a rice bowl for a moment, then dip it in a sauce made of roasted chili water before taking a bite to avoid burning your tongue.

　　In 2001, when the Mayanghe Black Leaf Monkey Conservation Bureau applied for national-level protected area status, it hosted experts and scholars from both China and abroad. Everyone who tried this authentic and unique local dish sang its praises. One American friend, after eating heartily, gave it a big thumbs-up and exclaimed: “Tujia Ash-Wrapped Tofu, OK!! OK!”