Tofu Molding in Water

Making tofu by hand has been part of Chinese food culture for over two thousand years, traditionally traced back to the Han dynasty. Walking through a market in Luzhou, we came across a small tofu shop that has been running for over twenty years.

From a distance, tofu-making looks simple. But anyone who has worked in a kitchen knows how difficult it is to get it right, the shape, the texture, and the taste all depend on careful control. Here, the shifu uses bamboo sieves to gently gather and shape the curds, before pressing the top to level the tofu.

They offered us a bowl of fresh tofu soup. It was light, slightly sweet, and carried the clean flavor of soybeans. Something simple, but not easy to come by.