Xiangyun Tofu

Xiangyun Tofu

　　The “Southwest Silk Road” is a renowned ancient trade route. Along this historic path, nestled at the junction of Shuimu Mountain — one of the Buddhist sacred sites in western Yunnan — and the natural wonder Tianhua Mountain, lies an old post station called Tianma. This otherwise unremarkable village, blessed with uniquely pure water and abundant soybean production, has seen its villagers largely take up tofu-making as their trade, earning it the title of Xiangyun’s “Number One Tofu Village.”

Tofu production in this village dates back to the Ming Dynasty. Thanks to the distinctive local water quality and centuries of refined craftsmanship, the tofu produced here is fine-textured, snow-white, delicious, and boasts a long-lasting aftertaste, with a wide variety of types. As a result, Tianma tofu has gained fame far and wide. To this day, the local saying “Mafang tofu — no need to overcook it” remains a common phrase among Xiangyun folks. “Overcook” (多督), in the local dialect, means “over-boil,” highlighting that Tianma tofu requires little cooking to absorb flavors.

Tianma tofu can be prepared in numerous ways: pan-fried tofu, stewed tofu, spicy tofu, pickled tofu, fried puffed tofu, braised tofu, scallion stir-fried tofu, steamed tofu, cold tossed tofu… as well as tofu skin, shredded tofu, and fried fermented black beans. When visiting Tianma, it may be impossible to sample all these delightful tofu dishes, but you must try a bowl of fresh tofu pudding (douhua): served in a blue-and-white porcelain bowl, the snowy-white fresh tofu is topped with more than ten condiments including mustard, preserved winter vegetables, sesame oil, ground peanuts, walnut kernels, prickly ash oil, shredded ginger, mashed garlic, pepper, and chili sauce… Just the sight of it is a feast for the eyes, and the taste is truly unique to Xiangyun. According to some sources, fresh tofu also offers health benefits such as nourishing yin, cooling the body, calming the nerves, cooling the blood, and detoxifying.