Baishuiyang Tofu

Place of Origin

Baishuiyang, Linhai, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China

Description

The distinctive feature of Baishuiyang tofu is its rich soybean aroma with a smoky flavor. Although it is essentially tough tofu, its water content is higher than that of regular tough tofu, resulting in more and larger pores in its internal structure. Its texture falls somewhere between tough tofu and frozen tofu. Therefore, some chefs suggest breaking it apart by hand rather than cutting it with a knife. Due to its unique texture and smoky flavor, Baishuiyang tofu is particularly suitable for cooking with broth.

Technical Aspects

The reason why Baishuiyang tofu has a rich soybean aroma with a smoky flavor is related to the concentration of the soy milk used in its production process. The soy milk used is thicker than the one commonly used in standard tofu production. Thick soy milk can enhance the soybean aroma, but it also means that it is prone to scorching the bottom of the pot during cooking. While "scorching the bottom of the pot" is usually a problem that needs to be solved, it has become a specialty of Baishuiyang tofu, imparting a unique smoky flavor to the finished product. Additionally, Baishuiyang tofu is essentially tough tofu made with a bittern coagulant, but because it retains more moisture during pressing, its appearance resembles a freshly steamed fluffy bun. Its structure is not as firm as regular tough tofu and lacks resilience. Therefore, it only requires a short time to stew to achieve a texture similar to frozen tofu, which typically demands a long cooking duration for regular tough tofu.