Tujia Pork Blood Tofu 土家血豆腐

Tujia Pork Blood Tofu (土家血豆腐) is a smoked cake of tofu, pig's blood and diced fat pork made by the Tujia (土家族) people of Zhangjiajie (张家界), Hunan. The Zhangjiajie Daily counts it among the Tujia cured foods (腊味, lawei) and traces its origin to the need to keep food for a long time.

How it is made

Tofu, pig's blood and diced fat pork are mixed with Sichuan pepper, tangerine peel and chilli, pounded, and pressed by hand into blood cakes (血粑, xueba). According to the Zhangjiajie Daily, the step that matters most comes afterwards: the cakes are laid on a bamboo sieve lined with rice straw and smoked for a long time on the rack (炕) above the fire. Once smoked, they are strung on bamboo strips and hung on the wall to keep drying in the air.

How it is eaten

Smoked blood tofu keeps from the start of the year to its end without spoiling. For that reason Tujia households have a supply to serve guests in every season. Before cooking it is washed and boiled until soft. It is then sliced and stir-fried with cured pork, or flash-fried in oil with garlic and chilli. It can also go into the Tujia pot dish sanxiaguo (三下锅) with Chinese cabbage and coriander. The Zhangjiajie Daily describes a distinctive texture, a strong aroma and a taste that sharpens the appetite and goes well with rice.

Where it comes from

Xinhua's Hunan channel names blood tofu among the Tujia specialities of Zhangjiajie, together with bitter melon stewed with fresh fish, Yuanguping cured pork (沅古坪腊肉) and fire-roasted aubergine. The writer of the Zhangjiajie Daily feature picks it as the one local snack Zhangjiajie has that is worth showing off.