Pickle-Water Soft Tofu 酸菜豆花

Pickle-Water Soft Tofu (酸菜豆花) is a Guangyuan (广元) preparation in which sour liquid from local pickled vegetables sets soy milk into soft curds. The Guangyuan Local Chronicles Centre also describes these curds in a breakfast rice porridge with the same vegetables.

How it is made

Soybeans are finely ground to make unfiltered soy milk, which is boiled and strained to remove the solids. The strained milk returns to the pot, and the sour pickle liquid is added gradually. Its acidity makes the soybean protein gather into curds. Tying these curds tightly in gauze and leaving them overnight produces the related sour-water tofu.

How it is eaten

For the porridge, the curds and the remaining soybean liquid are separated. The liquid is brought to a boil with rice, Guangyuan pickled vegetables and a little salt. The curds are added just before eating. The Guangyuan Local Chronicles Centre identifies this porridge, alongside the city’s cold rice noodles, as a regular breakfast.

Ingredients

The pickles use fresh seasonal leaves, including small Chinese cabbage, mustard greens and outer cabbage leaves; sweet-potato leaves are another option during dry weather. The chopped leaves are washed, partly boiled and drained, then placed in a jar with old sour liquid or fresh rice cooking water.