Gaozhuang Dried Tofu

Gaozhuang Dried Tofu

　　Gaozhuang Dried Tofu from Fenghuang, Zhangjiagang, dates back to the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty and has a history of over 100 years.

　　The production of Gaozhuang Dried Tofu is meticulous and unique, coming in both thick and thin varieties. It has a dark reddish color, a fine and solid texture, and is well-seasoned with five-spice flavors. It makes for a great snack or an excellent accompaniment to drinks.

　　　The production base of Gaozhuang Dried Tofu is located in Nangaozhuang Village, south of Fenghuang Town. For generations, villagers have made their living through farming. Starting more than a hundred years ago during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, they began making tofu and dried tofu manually during agricultural off-seasons. The long production history has made Gaozhuang soy products widely known. With a unique flavor and excellent color, aroma, and taste that stimulate the appetite, the finely made Gaozhuang Dried Tofu is dark soy-sauce red in color, rich with five-spice fragrance, tender, and delicious. Historically, it could rival Suzhou’s braised tofu. The production of Gaozhuang soy products involves ten processes, including grinding beans, filtering soy milk, boiling the milk, coagulating, settling, solidifying, lightly pressing, wrapping, heavily pressing, and unwrapping before boiling in a pot. Meanwhile, eight seasonings such as appropriate amounts of salt, sugar oil, monosodium glutamate, cinnamon, fennel, licorice, osmanthus, and spices are added. The secret lies in the boiling process. It has now developed into a series of products and an integrated business model, becoming a well-known vegetarian delicacy within dozens of miles. Gaozhuang Dried Tofu comes in both thick and thin varieties, has a dark reddish color, a fine and solid texture, and is well-seasoned with five-spice flavors. It makes for a great snack or an excellent accompaniment to drinks.

　　　　Currently, one-third of the residents in Gaozhuang Village are engaged in the production or sale of soy products, using traditional ancient processing techniques. Most production is carried out in small manual workshops, processing over 2,000 kilograms of soybeans per day. The main products include Gaozhuang Tofu, Dried Tofu, Soy Milk, and other related products. In addition to enjoying high local recognition, the products are also sold to Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Guangzhou, and other places, with annual sales exceeding 10 million yuan.