Pingjiang sauced dried bean curds

Pingjiang sauced dried bean curds have a long history and a unique flavor. They are local flavored specialties of the Changshou town along the Miluo River. They were the favorite of Zeng Guofan, general of Hunan Army of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Pingjiang Changshou sauced dried bean curds, also called salted skin bean curds are golden yellow, are soft and are delicious in taste. In the 7th year under the reign of Emperor Xianfeng of Qing Dynasty, He Weifeng, a tavern boss of Changshou town, happened to find that the dried salted skin bean curds (thin sheets of bean curd) gained from leftover soups had peculiar tastes.

He was inspired and began to stew the skins of soya-bean milk in soy sauce. He dried them with charcoal fire and finally came up with sauced dried bean curds. In the 1940s, the Changshou town had five workshops producing sauced dried bean curds. They were He’s Duozhen by He Weifeng, Duofu by Wu Shangqing, Yiduofu by Zeng Cixing, Henry by Yu Shugao, and Fang shengyuan by Fang Yunshan.

There are many other versions on the origin of sauced dried bean curds among the people. It was said that Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty had visited the town in ordinary dress. After eating the bean curds, he exulted and praised it as a wonderful snack of Hunan. According to another legend, a student of Hunan province went to Beijing to take exams in Qing Dynasty.

At the final imperial examination, the Hunan student talked of specialties of the province, particularly the fragrant bean curds. The emperor heard and asked to have it sent to the imperial court. Having tasted it, the emperor was satisfied and often sent officials to fetch it by riding fast horses day and night.

The sauced dried bean curds, which are produced with particularly chosen materials, are condensed green food. The soya beans used are those planted in the local fields with full seeds. The water soaking the beans are deep-well spring water which are pollution free and rich in minerals.

When the soya bean milk is made, the chef slowly spoons up the bean milk into a jar. He then puts the soya bean milk into the squeezing box for soya bean slices that are 20cm thick and one inch in square. The marinade for the bean curd is made in a pot. It is composed of 36 condiments and some traditional Chinese medicines, including anise, fennel, cinnamon, cassia barks and bruised ginger.

The most important part of the marinade is the soy sauce, which should be made of soybeans fermented over 49 days. The colored smoked bean curds are then soaked in a chicken soup pot. The last process is to roast the bean curds in a charcoal fire. Camphora wood and consumes wood are preferred to make a slow fire. It is essential to keep the heat controlled for oven-roasted as the bean curds might be burnt, while less-roasted, they are soft without tenacity.

When finished roasting, the bean curds should be soaked in fragrant sesame oil that is squeezed from oak trees. In this way, the pitch-black, shiny and fragrant "five-spiced dried bean curds" are made. They are of "bean flavor, soy sauce flavor, chicken meat flavor, roast flavor, or sesame flavor".