Shixiang Tofu 石象豆腐
Shixiang Tofu is featured among the local specialties of Henan.
Shixiang Tofu (石象豆腐) is the bean curd of Shixiang (石象镇), a town in the south-east of Changge (长葛市) in Xuchang (许昌), Henan. The Xuchang Morning Post (许昌晨报) names two local brands, Getian Shixiang Tofu (葛天石象豆腐) and Changzhuang Tofu (常庄豆腐), the second from Changzhuang village (常庄村), whose tofu-making technique is on Henan's provincial intangible cultural heritage list.
Where it comes from
Changzhuang lies where Shixiang meets neighbouring Guqiao (古桥), with Jian'an District (建安区) to the south. It is a provincial 'traditional village', known for its old cypress grove, traditional buildings and tofu-making. Changge historical records put the village's tofu at more than 130 years old. Its making technique entered Xuchang's municipal intangible heritage list in 2013 and Henan's provincial list in 2022.
By the 1980s Changzhuang tofu was sold in Changge city and the surrounding towns, and around 2000 more than 40 households in the village worked in tofu-making. Today a village soy products company, Changzhuang Bairun (常庄白润), leads production and also makes tofu skin and wheat gluten.
Flavour and texture
The Xuchang Morning Post sums up the qualities that won Changzhuang tofu its buyers in the 1980s: fine and tender in texture, springy, glossy, with a fragrant aftertaste.
How it is made
The beans are now ground by large machines. The soy milk is cooked with a combination of steam and direct fire, which shortens the cooking time; the Xuchang Morning Post says this makes the tofu more fragrant.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and fact-checked against them on 2026-09-24. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.
Image credits & notes (1)
- Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片A similar preparation is pictured; the local version may differ. 同类菜品参考照片，当地做法可能不同。Photo: Archon6812 · CC BY-SA 3.0Resized for the web; the photo itself has not been edited. Thumbnails may show a cropped view.
