Hello, everyone, I'm Uncle Lao Shi, welcome to chat about food together. If you want to learn more about food making, please follow Uncle Lao Shi. Today I'm going to share with you:Huotoufu ().

Friends who have traveled to Huangshan probably have eaten a local specialty in the ancient town of Tianshi or in various restaurants – it's called 'Huizhou Huotoufu' ().Huizhou Huotoufu (), this tofu is usually deep-fried and eaten with seasonings, or it can be pan-fried and added with seasonings, broth, and soy sauce for a braised dish. The unique flavor of the fermented milk after it's cooked fills your mouth, and the crispy and tender texture combined with seasonings is simply delicious. Huizhou's unique geographical environment and humid climate have created this distinctive food.As one of the 'Top 10 Dishes in Jiangsu' recommended by 'China's Top Chef' (), anyone traveling to Huizhou will definitely order a piece to taste its unique flavor. 'Huizhou's scenery is remarkable, and 'Huotoufu () with long white hair' () refers to Huizhou Huotoufu ().

High-quality Huotoufu () has a white, fluffy long hair all over it, resembling the fur of a white fox, which is very cute. There are also black granules on the white hair, which are spores – they indicate that the tofu is mature. In Huizhou's humid climate, clever Huizhou people use moldy fungus to ferment tofu. This process converts soybean protein into various amino acids beneficial to the body, giving the tofu an exceptional deliciousness. This taste is the taste of Huizhou people's hometown.The origin of Huotoufu () is also related to the 'beggar emperor' Zhu Yuanzhang. Legend has it that in the late Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang and his troops stationed in Huishan County, Anhui. The local people brought water tofu to reward the troops. Because there was too much water tofu, it couldn't be eaten, and it was hot, so the tofu grew white hair. The 'beggar emperor' then asked the chef to deep-fry the tofu and cook it with seasonings, thus creating Huotoufu ().

Today, I'll share a home-style recipe for Huotoufu () with you, so you don't have to go to Huizhou to taste it – you can still enjoy this magical tofu. Huizhou Huotoufu () recipe:

Ingredients

500g old tofu, 3-4g moldy fungus, 60g cold water, a little baijiu (high-quality white alcohol)

Method

First, sterilize all the tools – pots, mesh screens, cutting boards, knives, spray bottles, bowls, and cheesecloth – with baijiu, ensuring complete sterilization. Then, cut the old tofu into 5CM*2CM or 2CM*2CM cubes or strips.

Second, put the tofu blocks into the steaming pot, leaving some space between them. Steam for about 5 minutes to sterilize the tools in the pot as well.

Third, take out the tools, leave a little cold water at the bottom of the steaming pot, put the tofu blocks on the mesh screen and don't move them. Let the tofu cool completely and dry the surface. Then, pour 3-4g of moldy fungus powder into a bowl, mix it with 60g of cold water until it's fully dissolved.

Fourth, filter the moldy fungus water through cheesecloth to remove impurities. Pour it into a spray bottle and evenly spray it on the tofu blocks.

Fifth, cover the pot with a lid. If the lid is transparent, cover it with a piece of cloth to block out the light. At a normal room temperature of 20 degrees Celsius in spring, ferment for 2-3 days. Wait until the tofu is covered with white hair before taking it out to eat.

Tips:

All tools should be sterilized with baijiu – especially baijiu, to ensure successful fermentation. You can buy moldy fungus from Mr. Ma Yun. Don't use soft, watery tofu – use old tofu. Steam the tofu and let it cool completely before spraying it with moldy fungus water. Don't spray too much moldy fungus water – just a thin layer is enough. Too much water will affect the fermentation and growth of the hair.

Place the tofu on the mesh screen, and use chopsticks to raise it slightly, leaving some space at the bottom, so that the tofu can grow hair on all sides. The temperature and humidity are important for fermentation, so don't lift the lid frequently. If the lid is glass, you can observe it through the cloth.

If the fermentation produces other colorful hairs, discard it – it means the sterilization is not thorough, don't eat it. When the white fluffy hair grows on the tofu, it's ready to eat. How to eat it is up to you. If you don't know how to eat it, you can private message Uncle Lao Shi or leave a comment. Uncle Lao Shi will reply to you one by one, or he will write a special cooking article for you to share Huotoufu ().

What do you think of Huotoufu () that I shared today? Do you have any comments or suggestions? Please leave a comment in the comment box and share it with Uncle Lao Shi!