Xiwuqi milk tofu

Xiwuqi milk tofu

　　Milk tofu, known in Mongolian as "Huru Da," is a common dairy product in the homes of Mongolian herders. Its flavor can be slightly sour or mildly sweet, rich in milky aroma. Herders love it and often soak it in milk tea to eat, or take it as rations on long trips—it quenches thirst and relieves hunger. It can also be made into pulled sugar milk tofu, which is soft, chewy, and stretchy, making it a distinctive delicacy at banquets. Milk tofu is divided into two types: raw milk tofu and cooked milk tofu.

The method for making cooked milk tofu is to take the milk serum left over from making milk skin, or the milk residue after extracting butter, and let it ferment for several days. Once the milk serum or residue solidifies into chunks, use cheesecloth to filter out excess moisture. Then, cook the solid part in a pot over low heat, stirring continuously, until it reaches a sticky consistency. Next, wrap it in cheesecloth and squeeze out the yellowish liquid. At this point, it can be molded into shape by pressing, or placed on a wooden tray and cut into various shapes with a knife. For raw milk tofu, the process involves fermenting fresh milk until it turns sour, then boiling it in a pot until the milk serum takes on the appearance of firm tofu. It is then squeezed in cheesecloth to remove moisture and molded into shape—milk tofu with a milky white color is considered best. Milk tofu can be eaten fresh, soft and delicate, and very delicious, or dried and stored for long-term consumption.