Jieshou Tea-Dried Tofu

Jieshou Tea-Dried Tofu

Jieshou Tea-Dried Tofu is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Jieshou Town is located just north of Gaoyou and is one of the town's historic districts. Since it lies at the boundary between Gaoyou and Baoying counties, the point where the two jurisdictions meet, it is called "Jieshou," meaning "the head of the boundary." A must-try in Jieshou is the "Chen Xilou" Five-Spice Tea-Dried Tofu. This tea-dried tofu is flat and round, with a soy-sauce red exterior and a slightly yellow interior. It has a delicate texture and offers a rich, lingering flavor that is fragrant and delicious. Legend has it that when Emperor Qianlong traveled to the south of the Yangtze River, he passed through Jieshou and caught the aroma wafting from the shore. Upon inquiry, he learned it was the fragrance of cooking Five-Spice Tea-Dried Tofu. After tasting it, the emperor was highly impressed. From then on, Jieshou Tea-Dried Tofu was listed as an imperial tribute and became famous far and wide.

　　　　The Chen Xilou Tea-Dried Tofu Factory is said to have been continuously producing tea-dried tofu for 300 years. The current owner of the factory is Wang Caifu. In late January 2007, a reporter visited the Chen Xilou Tea-Dried Tofu Factory located on the east bank of the Grand Canal and was taken to the production workshop for a tour. There, in a spacious courtyard, stood four rows of dozens of large soy sauce vats, each as tall as an adult’s chest, filled with dark brown soy sauce that quietly brewed its rich aroma under the warm winter sun. The owner explained that all the soy sauce used to make their tea-dried tofu is traditionally brewed by hand using the oldest methods. After brewing, the soy sauce is further simmered, resulting in an extremely concentrated liquid used to soak the tofu and infuse it with flavor—ten pounds of regular soy sauce yields only one pound of this aged brine. The scene reminded the reporter of scenes from the once-popular Korean drama “Dae Jang Geum”—in truth, China’s history and craftsmanship in making soy sauce are in no way inferior to Korea’s. When playfully asked if anyone buys soy sauce from his factory, the owner shook his head repeatedly: “I don’t sell it. It’s only for making our tea-dried tofu. Unless it’s someone very close who insists, I won’t. Hand-brewed soy sauce has such a rich flavor!”

　　　　The soy sauce vats in the courtyard are a sight to behold, but watching workers craft the tea-dried tofu by hand is also fascinating. Several female workers use copper ladles to scoop out “tofu curd” from the large vats, skillfully filling small cloth pouches, which they then twist closed by hand and neatly arrange on wooden boards. About 80 small pouches can fit on a single board. After stacking ten boards, male workers layer them and apply pressure to squeeze out moisture from the tofu curd. Then the pouches are removed, and the tea-dried tofu begins to take shape. Further steps include whitening, deodorizing, boiling, and flavor infusion. Each small piece of tea-dried tofu goes through 20 processes, while premium versions undergo an additional four. Owner Wang proudly said, “Back when General Secretary Jiang Zemin visited Yangzhou, our premium tea-dried tofu was served to French President Chirac!” It is also said that during a visit to Yangzhou, 1 and his wife Lao An had Chen Xilou Tea-Dried Tofu as part of their cold appetizer platter, and they even asked for an extra serving as an exception.

　　　　According to the owner, the deliciousness of Jieshou Tea-Dried Tofu comes not only from its time-honored manual techniques but also from recipes passed down from earlier generations. During production, ingredients such as fennel, cloves, and cinnamon are added, along with a unique traditional Chinese medicinal herb called “dill seeds” (莳萝), which lends the tofu a distinctive fragrance not found elsewhere. “Dill seeds” appear to be the seeds of a certain plant. The reporter tried chewing a few and indeed experienced an extraordinary burst of aroma. According to records: Dill seeds have a pungent and warm nature, are non-toxic, and their fruits contain volatile oil, mainly composed of carvone and limonene. They are known to aid digestion, dispel wind, and promote lactation, and are used to treat symptoms such as infantile flatulence, vomiting, hiccups, abdominal coldness, and poor appetite. In Shandong Province, dill seeds are used as a cooking condiment, but the clever people of Jieshou use it as an ingredient in tea-dried tofu, thus infusing the snack with both flavor and therapeutic benefits. During the Qing Dynasty, Jieshou Tea-Dried Tofu was offered as an imperial tribute. It won awards at the West Lake Exposition in both 1911 and 1927. Legend says Emperor Qianlong even inscribed a plaque for it, bearing his signature and seal. Elders in Jieshou recall seeing the plaque, which was once kept at the Jieshou Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Unfortunately, during the Cultural Revolution’s campaign to “smash the Four Olds,” the plaque disappeared without a trace.

　　　　Jieshou Chen Xilou Tea-Dried Tofu was first established in 1658 as a small tofu workshop. Over time, the craft was refined, its reputation grew, and the operation expanded. Before the public-private partnership, the owner employed around ten people to produce the tofu—an already significant scale at the time. After the partnership, the Chen Xilou Tea-Dried Tofu Factory was renamed Chen Xilou Sauce and Vinegar Food Factory and came under the management of the Jieshou Supply and Marketing Cooperative. In 2001, Wang Caifu purchased the Chen Xilou Sauce and Vinegar Food Factory and renamed it again as the Chen Xilou Tea-Dried Tofu Food Factory. The owner is very optimistic about the future of Jieshou Tea-Dried Tofu, believing that even this small product can serve as a symbol of Gaoyou. Over the years, he has invested nearly 1 million yuan in expanding the factory, but due to financial constraints, he is currently unable to scale up production. He is actively seeking partners to help bring the product to larger nearby cities.

　　　　When leaving the Chen Xilou Tea-Dried Tofu Factory, the reporter encountered several Gaoyou natives returning home for family visits. They made a special trip to the factory to buy hundreds of pieces of tea-dried tofu, saying it was a popular gift among friends. This gave the reporter pause for thought—if Jieshou Tea-Dried Tofu can maintain its traditional flavors and exquisite craftsmanship while also adopting modern marketing strategies, its future is sure to be “boundless.”

　　　　Sunset slants along the canal’s edge, the fragrance of Jieshou Tea-Dried Tofu lingers still. Within its taste lie both sweetness and savor—may you savor it well.