Alzuoqi Milk Tofu

Alzuoqi Milk Tofu

　　Alzuoqi Milk Tofu

　　Milk tofu, called "Hu Ruda" in Mongolian, is a common dairy product among Mongolian herders. Its flavor ranges from slightly sour to slightly sweet, with a strong milky fragrance. Herders enjoy eating it, often soaking it in milk tea or taking it on long journeys as provisions to both quench thirst and relieve hunger. It can also be made into candied milk tofu, prized for its soft, chewy, stringy texture and served as a delicacy at banquets. Milk tofu comes in two types: raw and cooked.

　　The method for making cooked milk tofu involves taking the leftover milk serum after making milk skin or the remaining milk residue after extracting butter, letting it ferment for a few days. Once the serum or residue solidifies into chunks, excess water is filtered out using cheesecloth. The solid part is then simmered over low heat in a pot while stirring 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 molded into shape or placed on a wooden tray and cut into various forms with a knife. 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. It is then squeezed in cheesecloth to remove moisture, molded into shape, and the best quality 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.