When I was a child, in my hometown in the countryside, every time when the Spring Festival was approaching, the village would make tofu. Every household would make a table of tofu, and those who would give it away would give it away.
The contemporary glutton Wang Zengqi The old man commented on tofu like this:
"Without tofu, people's lives would be missing a big part."
The word "fu" in tofu is a homophone to the word "blessing" in happiness, so tofu represents praying for "blessing". The more beaten tofu at home, the more blessings it means.
Although living conditions are better now and ready-made tofu can be purchased in various supermarkets and markets, it does not taste so delicious. Until now, the tradition of making tofu has remained unchanged in rural hometowns. Handmade tofu is not only delicious and tender, fresh and refreshing, but also more nutritious.
"Having tofu to celebrate the Chinese New Year" is a must-have for every household. It is also a fond memory of those born in the 1970s and 1980s, and it is also a nostalgia that is remembered by those who are away from home.
Every year before the Spring Festival, every household will be busy "making tofu". The process of making tofu in rural areas is relatively complicated and very particular.
These are the soybeans soaked the night before. The soybeans must be soaked in water until they soften and swell. The soybeans generally used are grown at home, which are not only plump but also green and healthy.
Next, you need to put the selected soybeans into a stone mill and grind them into bean flakes. During the grinding process, you need to add water while grinding. Stop for a while after adding once, and then continue adding. The amount of water added each time must be controlled, otherwise the ground soy milk will be too thin.
Have you seen the ground soy milk? It is white and very thick. There will be a bucket below. During the grinding process, your hands get tired easily, so two people can take turns grinding.
Take a bowl of soy milk with sugar and drink it. The rich bean flavor is unmatched by any drink. Even if good soybeans are used as raw materials at home now, the soy milk produced by the soy milk machine cannot compare. This is why traditional and handmade products are always so authentic and irreplaceable!
After grinding the soy milk, put it in a large iron pot and boil it. The cooking process is also very particular. It needs to be cooked on a low fire. If the fire is too high, it will stick to the bottom of the pot. Pay special attention when the soy milk is about to boil. Be sure to hold a ladle of water or a spoon in your hand. The slowly rising foam will expand very quickly. You need to sprinkle some water on it to prevent it from overflowing the edge of the pot.
After the pot is boiled, they are all placed in this wooden box. At this time, some brine is needed. The most important thing is to order the brine! The heat of the paste and the intensity of stirring are both important. If you add too little, the tofu will be tender. If you add too much, the tofu will be old and astringent when eaten. So it is definitely a technical job. If done well, it can be said to be "the Midas touch of gold".
At this time, if you want to eat tofu, you can scoop some out and eat. For sweet food here, just add a spoonful of sugar. For salty food in some places, just add some salt and lard, and sprinkle a handful of chopped green onion for a fragrant taste! This was my favorite as a kid.
Press the tofu, scoop the formed tofu brains into the cloth baggage, of course the cloth baggage is placed in some places in the wooden box or in the basket. Finally, put a heavy object on the baggage or put water pressure in the basin, and the tofu is made like this. After pressing, use a knife to cut the tofu into small pieces.
After these processes, fresh tofu is released. It seems that the tofu we often eat is not so easy to make! But the tofu made this way is absolutely delicious.
In addition to soy milk and tofu, the whole process of making tofu also has many delicacies attached to it. For example, sun-dried tofu dregs is a delicacy, and fermented tofu is also a delicacy. We call it bean dregs cake, as well as soybean oil skin , tofu bubbles (oiled tofu), soybean gluten , etc. Not to mention stinky tofu and bean curd.Therefore, the wisdom of working people is really unlimited, and they never disappoint when it comes to food.
Tofu is a food with high quality, low price, rich nutrition and suitable for all ages.
But I believe that the taste of tofu in everyone's heart must be different. To me, tofu is like a feeling, a memory, and a wisp of nostalgia.
The tofu grinded by the folks has grinded out the pure and mellow delicacy of the world, the love of the older generation for their children, and the unforgettable memories and nostalgia.
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