Yulin Tofu

Yulin Tofu

Yulin Tofu is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Renowned both at home and abroad, Yulin Tofu is known for its snow-white, tender, and delicate texture, delicious flavor, rich nutrition, and affordability, making it the top local dish of Yulin. Visitors from afar consider tasting Yulin Tofu a delightful experience.

　　Yulin Tofu has a long history. As far back as the Ming Dynasty, the ancient city of Yulin was one of the nine key frontier towns along the Great Wall. With the expansion of the city and the increasing population of soldiers and civilians, the scarcity of non-staple foods in the frontier region led residents to make tofu using the peach blossom water from the Puhui Spring. The resulting tofu was snow-white, tender, and delicate, with an aromatic and delicious taste—quite different from tofu made elsewhere—and it gradually became an indispensable daily food for both soldiers and civilians.

　　Yulin Tofu is made from high-quality soybeans and “peach blossom water,” and the coagulation process uses sour whey, resulting in tofu that is white, tender, soft, fine-textured, and delicious. When Emperor Kangxi visited Yulin, a local famous chef served this dish. Its delicious, tender flavor earned high praise from the emperor, who named it “Fragrant White Jade Slices with a Red-Mouthed Green Parrot.” Since then, its fame has endured through the ages.

　　Historical Origins

　　　　As a traditional health food, tofu has a history of more than two thousand years. “The method of making tofu originated with Liu An, the King of Huainan in the Han Dynasty.” In his quest for an elixir of immortality, Liu An gathered thousands of alchemists on Bagong Mountain to discuss immortality, practice alchemy, and write books. While attempting to cultivate elixir sprouts using soybean juice, the soybean juice accidentally mixed with gypsum, resulting in the creation of smooth and tender tofu. Although Liu An did not succeed in making an elixir, he invented tofu. Later, the technique of making tofu spread to the public and became widely used. Through generations of promotion, inheritance, and refinement, tofu has now become a globally recognized health food, charmingly integrating into world culinary culture and gaining acceptance and popularity worldwide.

　　The invention of tofu by King Liu An of Huainan is documented in many historical texts. The Ciyuan (a Chinese encyclopedia) states: “It is made from beans. The method involves soaking the beans, grinding them into pulp, removing the residue, boiling the milk, and coagulating it with brine in a pot. Another method involves using gypsum powder in a vat. It is said to have been created by Liu An, the King of Huainan in the Han Dynasty.” The authoritative British Encyclopedia, Volume 2, page 690, mentions: “The technique of making tofu originated in China during the Han Dynasty.” Historical sources such as Ancient Shouchun Miscellany, Qin Spring Cultural and Historical Materials, Huainan Historical Tales, Zhoulai Past and Present, Bagong Mountain Past and Present, Cai Chu Past and Present, Luo Jian Chronicles, Anhui Tourism, Shenxiu Bagong Mountain, and The Famous Historical and Cultural City of Shou County all contain written records of Liu An’s invention of tofu.

　　Yulin Tofu has a long history, although the exact time of its origin remains to be verified. As far back as the Ming Dynasty, the ancient city of Yulin was one of the nine key frontier towns along the Great Wall. With the expansion of the city and the growing population of soldiers and civilians, the scarcity of non-staple foods in the frontier region led residents to use the “peach blossom water” from the Puhui Spring to make tofu. The resulting tofu was snow-white, tender, and delicate, with an aromatic and delicious taste—quite different from tofu made elsewhere—and it gradually became an indispensable daily food for both soldiers and civilians.

　　In 1518 (the 13th year of the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty), Emperor Wuzong (Zhu Houzhao) visited Yulin and stayed at the Kaige Tower. Local officials offered him tofu, which he found extremely satisfying, praising it as superior to what was available in the capital. During his stay in Yulin, he ate it every day. From then on, Yulin Tofu gained fame throughout the capital. When Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty visited Yulin and tasted spinach braised tofu, he composed the verse: “Fragrant white jade slices with a red-mouthed green parrot.” Upon returning to the capital, Kangxi one day recalled the delicious dish he had enjoyed in Yulin and ordered the imperial chefs to recreate it. The chefs were at a loss until someone was sent to Yulin to investigate, only to discover it was “spinach braised tofu.” Thereafter, Yulin Tofu became even more famous throughout the country.

　　According to records, the “Tofu Lane” in Yulin City became famous for being the earliest place to make tofu. In 1948, there were 25 traditional tofu workshops in Yulin City. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, in 1956, private workshops were merged into public-private partnerships, organizing individual producers whose production income was turned over to shops, known as the “Tofu Industry Shop.” In the 1960s, the traditional production of Yulin Tofu gradually became semi-mechanized, and by the 1970s, it had fully transitioned to mechanization, leading to the gradual disappearance of traditional production techniques. In 1983, the “Yulin Soy Product Factory” was established but dissolved in 1996. Yulin Tofu, coagulated with sour whey and made using unique techniques, is a genuine green food, renowned throughout the city and even in Xi’an, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, and Ningxia.

　　According to relevant data, there are more than 300 tofu workshops in the urban area, employing over a thousand people, producing approximately 70,000 jin of fresh tofu daily. About two-thirds are sold locally, and one-third is sold to surrounding areas. In August 2005, “Hongyu Tofu” successfully achieved mechanized production, yielding 1,500 jin of tofu per hour—an output ten times higher than manual production. To meet market demand and the needs of the people, the region is vigorously promoting the production of tofu products. Tofu producers are researching and promoting aspects such as preservation, shape retention, packaging, sales, transportation, variety, and hygiene quality. New, technology-driven “Yulin Tofu” brands will become even more prominent.

　　The protected geographical indication area for Yulin Tofu includes the current administrative region of Yuyang Town, Yuyang District, Yulin City, Shaanxi Province.