Dried Shredded Tofu with Dried Shrimps

Dried Shredded Tofu with Dried Shrimps

　　Dried Shredded Tofu with Dried Shrimps

　　The city of Nanjing has a unique method of preparing dried shredded tofu. These delicate yet firm, dry yet not crumbly shreds are all specially made by local tofu shops—cut finely, fragrant with sesame oil, and seasoned with high-quality soy sauce. Originally, Nanjing’s dried tofu dishes came in several varieties, such as those served in vegetarian broth or cooked with meat in meat fat. After the Republican era, new varieties continued to emerge. At mosques, you could find dishes like roast duck with dried tofu shreds and Dried Shredded Tofu with Dried Shrimps; at meat-based restaurants, there were varieties such as spring bamboo shoot dried tofu, shiitake mushroom dried tofu, crab roe dried tofu, and chicken dried tofu. But among the snacks, the Dried Shredded Tofu with Dried Shrimps from Yonghe Garden in the famous Confucius Temple area stands out as the best.

　　　In the past, snacks at Nanjing’s teahouses always started with dried tofu shreds. A Qing dynasty writer once wrote in a poem, “At the teahouse, guests are welcome, with extra-seasoned dried tofu heaped high,” showing that Nanjing’s dried tofu had long been famous. In those days, every teahouse in the Confucius Temple area served boiled dried tofu shreds. Yonghe Garden’s dried tofu was originally known for being “blanched,” but in reality, it combined boiling, soaking, and blanching—the goal being to eliminate the beany taste.<<望江南>Tea house snacks

　　The tofu used for “blanched dried tofu shreds” comes from specially made large white tofu blocks from tofu shops—each square piece about two and a half inches across and less than an inch thick. The tofu must be tender but not fall apart, dry but not tough. First, it is sliced into 36 to 42 slices, each thin as paper, then cut into shreds as fine as hair and fine enough to thread a needle. Hu Changrong, a famed Nanjing gourmet, taught his apprentices that the first lesson was knife skills—and the knife practice was slicing dried tofu shreds. Even well-trained apprentices could only manage 32 to 36 slices, which shows how refined and exacting the making of these unassuming tofu shreds is, from the precision of the cutting to the high standards of the ingredients. Master Yin Tianbao of Yonghe Garden took “blanched dried tofu shreds” to another level with shreds as fine as steel wires, once attracting numerous customers.

　　Dried Shredded Tofu with Dried Shrimps is cooked in original-flavor chicken broth, using premium dried small shrimps (known as "kai yang") thoroughly boiled, sprinkled with fine, tender yellow ginger shreds as thin as hair, and drizzled with small-ground sesame oil. The aroma is enticing, the taste appetizing—it's truly a standout among Nanjing’s dried tofu dishes.