Inner Mongolia milk tofu

Inner Mongolia milk tofu

　　Inner Mongolia milk tofu

　　Milk tofu, called "huruuda" in Mongolian, is a common dairy product among Mongolian herders. It is made by coagulating and fermenting milk from cows, sheep, or horses. The product resembles regular tofu in shape, with flavors that can be slightly sour or sweet, and a strong milky fragrance. Herders enjoy it greatly, often soaking it in milk tea or taking it on long journeys as provisions — it quenches thirst and satisfies hunger. It can also be made into pulled milk tofu, which features a soft, chewy texture with long, unbroken strands, making it a popular delicacy at banquets.

　　Milk tofu comes in two types: raw and cooked. To make cooked milk tofu, the leftover milk serum from making milk skin or the milk residue after extracting butter is left to ferment for several days. Once the serum or residue solidifies into chunks, excess water is filtered out using cheesecloth. The solid part is then gently simmered in a pot while being stirred until it reaches a sticky consistency. It is then placed back in cheesecloth to squeeze out the yellowish whey. At this point, it can be pressed into molds or cut into various shapes on a wooden tray. For raw milk tofu, fresh milk is fermented until it turns sour, then boiled in a pot until it takes on the appearance of firm tofu. The whey is then squeezed out using cheesecloth, and it is molded into shape. The best milk tofu has a milky white color. Milk tofu can be eaten fresh — soft, delicate, and very delicious — or dried and stored for long-term consumption.

　　The taste of milk tofu varies depending on its thickness. Thick pieces are soft with a rich milky flavor, while thin ones are richer, melt in the mouth, and are particularly sweet. Over time, milk tofu hardens and cannot be eaten directly, as doing so might break your teeth instantly, turning you into a toothless "old man" or "old woman." Therefore, before eating, it should be softened with hot water or steamed, or grilled until tender.

　　On the grasslands, there isn’t always enough fresh milk for herders to make dairy products. Some herding households have few cows or suffer from drought and poor pasture, resulting in low milk production, which makes it impossible to produce milk tofu promptly. In such cases, herders usually store milk for later use. However, due to limited conditions in pastoral areas — with no refrigeration — they simply boil the curdled milk slightly and store it in containers, a practice called milk storage. When there is enough raw material, herders take out the stored curds and make their preferred type of milk tofu.

　　Milk tofu is very filling and is commonly eaten by soaking it in milk tea, with fried rice, or with cooked beef or mutton. On a daily basis, it is consumed with fried rice and milk tea, and it serves as a great provision when herding or traveling.