Baipu Tea-Flavored Dried Tofu

Baipu Tea-Flavored Dried Tofu

　　The origin of Baipu “Sanxiangzhai” Tea-Flavored Dried Tofu (abbreviated as Baipu Tea-Flavored Dried Tofu), has a history of over 300 years and is a long-renowned traditional flavor local specialty of Nantong. “Baipu Tea-Flavored Dried Tofu” is made from high-quality soybeans and a variety of spices. It contains high-quality proteins that are easy for the human body to digest, as well as essential vitamins B1, B2, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and also unsaturated fatty acids not found in animal-based foods. This compensates for the nutritional shortcomings of meat dishes and is extremely beneficial for supplementing human nutrition. The dried tofu is deliciously fragrant, rich in chewiness, attractively colored, square and thin in shape, unique in style, economical, and widely famous, making it very popular among the public.

　　The origin of “Sanxiangzhai”: According to the “Rugao County Annals,” in the year 397 AD (the first year of the Long’an era), Emperor Jin Andi Sima Dezong had already designated Baipu as part of the “Putaotown area,” which has a history of over 1,600 years to date. “Baipu Tea-Flavored Dried Tofu” was first made during the Qing Dynasty’s Kangxi era. A man surnamed Tu from Huzhou opened a dried tofu shop on the northern street of Baipu, named “Sanxiangzhai,” also known as “Tu Sanxiang.” The northern street of Baipu was a key north-south transportation route with bustling commerce. There were numerous shops such as oil cake and grain stores, imported goods shops, water pipe tobacco stands, various restaurants, dessert shops, fish markets, and teahouses, attracting many merchants, peddlers, and locals. Every morning, businessmen, residents, elders, and peddlers enjoyed sitting in the teahouses, chatting about business and tales while sipping tea and nibbling on Tu’s dried tofu. Because it resembled the color of tea and paired excellently with premium tea, it was named “tea dried tofu.” By the 35th year of Kangxi’s reign (1696), the tea dried tofu produced by “Tu Sanxiang” had fine processing techniques, premium ingredients, and a soft yet firm and chewy texture. It was delicious and considered excellent in color, aroma, and taste. The brand name was embossed on the tofu, adding a distinctive touch. It was praised as a unique delicacy of Baipu.

　　When Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty traveled to the south of the Yangtze River, local officials specially selected “Sanxiangzhai” Tea-Flavored Dried Tofu as a tribute for the emperor to taste. Qianlong was very pleased after trying it and, upon hearing that it was exclusively produced by this shop, personally inscribed the words “The One and Only” as praise. Tu was overjoyed to receive the imperial calligraphy and had “The One and Only” made into a gold-lettered plaque, which he hung in his shop. With the imperial recognition of “The One and Only,” the fame of “Sanxiangzhai” Tea-Flavored Dried Tofu spread across the regions of the Yangtze River. Subsequently, the business of “Sanxiangzhai” Tea-Flavored Dried Tofu flourished even more, and branches were set up in Tongcheng for operations. The “Putao Annals” compiled in the 21st year of the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty recorded: “The soybean curd product of Puzhen is an unparalleled delicacy, commonly called tea dried tofu, meaning it can be eaten with tea. It is well-known far and wide. This shop indeed has its own closely guarded secrets, but it also benefits from the compatible local water and soil. Attempts to branch out to Chongchuan produced products that could never match the taste here.” This record explains why “Sanxiangzhai” later failed to establish a production workshop in Tongcheng.

　　Traditional production method of Baipu Tea-Flavored Dried Tofu: The delicious taste of Baipu Tea-Flavored Dried Tofu mainly comes from the careful selection of ingredients, refined processing, meticulous operation, and unwavering attention to detail. To check the quality of the dried tofu, people often fold it diagonally, and it never breaks, while exuding a rich fragrance. The public praises it by saying, “Once you enter Sanlidun, you can smell the fragrance of the dried tofu,” showing how enticing its aroma is. The traditional production process of Baipu Tea-Flavored Dried Tofu can be summarized in the following steps: soaking beans, removing bean skins, grinding beans, extracting soy milk, boiling soy milk, coagulating soy milk, wrapping, pressing, peeling, boiling again, and tying, with a detailed breakdown of twenty-one procedures.

　　Traditional processing of Baipu Tea-Flavored Dried Tofu not only involves many steps, but each step also requires strong technical skill, directly impacting the product’s quality. Take boiling soy milk as an example: the fire must be strong, and the faster it boils, the better. A slow fire can easily cause the milk to become watery, negatively affecting both quality and yield. When the boiled soy milk is taken out of the pot and poured into a vat, it is essential to adhere to the step of “sieving,” to remove any leaked bean residue that escaped through the fabric during extraction. This increases the purity of the soy milk. Doing so:

　　(1) The fewer floating residues in the soy milk, the stronger the chewiness of the resulting dried tofu.

　　(2) Dried tofu with strong chewiness is less likely to break during the boiling process, resulting in higher finished product yields.

　　(3) Dried tofu with strong chewiness can withstand longer boiling, absorb more flavors, and deliver better taste. As for the boiling process of the dried tofu itself, having all the seasonings ready and using them appropriately is another crucial step in maintaining the quality of this renowned specialty. The seasonings used in boiling include white pepper, fennel, cloves, refined salt, monosodium glutamate, and homemade triple-summer soy sauce, especially the latter, which needs to be boiled until thick and fragrant. In addition, there are specific operational requirements and technical essentials in selecting soybean varieties, soaking time, changes in temperature and seasons, and boiling methods. (Nantong)