A bowl of beancurd, accompanied by the fish-flavored secret sea pepper dipping sauce, and a bowl of down-to-earth rice, a new day has begun. Master Wang at the next table is also a frequent visitor here. He works in various construction sites all the year round, making everyone desperately earn money. This kind of food with red inside not only brought him abundant energy supply, appetizing and refreshing taste stimulation, but also injected fresh vitality into his new job.
This is an ordinary alley in Zigong market, one-way, narrow and short, and even a little tight when passing by; But it is a place where many taxi drivers are willing to drive specially to eat.
Almost all the storefronts on the side of the alley are marked with the sign of "Fushun Tofu and Tofu". There is no gaudy facade to attract business, and a few board tables are spread out in the small open space in front of the store, which is the beginning of business. The big iron pot on the stove is steaming, and the milky tofu brain is humming a little song in the pot, which is emitting its unique fragrance all around.
Tofu pudding is not prominent among many bean products. Northerners like to eat bean brains and drink bean juice, while southerners like to eat tofu and make dried tofu; People in China in different areas have their own unique understanding and handling methods of food transformed from soybeans in various ways.
Fushun tofu brain is famous for its characteristics of "white as snow, soft but not old, tender but not fragrant, fragrant but not scattered" and occupies a place in Sichuan cuisine.
Mr. You, who opened a shop here 16 years ago, has developed from a small shop to today, and almost all the shops in the whole street are his family. The catering business has always been difficult to do, and the old shops that can persist for more than ten years often rely on consistent good quality.
Even if he has become the owner of several stores, it is the bounden insistence of the boss to get up before dawn every day and order tofu pudding. Because a pot of tofu pudding is old and tender, it is all in his fingers.
There is no essential difference between tofu, bean curd brain and bean curd brain, and they are all distinguished through the efforts of freezing point; There is no absolute difference between the bean curd here and the bean curd elsewhere, but the boss said that if we want to do business under the banner of "Fushun bean curd", we must work hard on the "point" of "brine" to make a pot of real Fushun bean curd.
At what temperature, at what speed, the brine is injected into the soybean milk, how to stir the tofu that is forming, and finally how to let it stand and transfer ... are all key points.
The origin of Fushun tofu pudding is actually very interesting. According to legend, Fushun County is a county with "the most salt wells", which attracts many foreign businessmen because of the prosperity and development of salt industry.
One day, a businessman who came to sell salt came to a local restaurant for dinner. Because he had no patience to wait, he ran to the kitchen to rush the food. When he saw that the tofu he ordered was not yet formed and was steaming slowly in the pot, he was anxious and asked the shopkeeper to sell it directly to him. Because it is not completely solidified, it is difficult for chopsticks to pick up this "tender tofu". Naturally, it cannot be fried. So the shopkeeper told the chef to prepare some salty pepper water for the guests to dip in for the next meal.
After eating this bite, not only did it not smash the signboard of the restaurant, but it also made the guests full of praise. Compared with fried old tofu, this kind of "tofu" tastes more delicious.
After the guests left, the shopkeeper was inspired. On this basis, he repeatedly studied the technique of "salting", found the right freshness, and then improved the formula of dipping water, which finally made people endless and memorable.
You see, it is as white as milk curd, and it can be broken when you break it; Like flowing paste, it is crystal clear, delicate and moist. Let the "meat of Tanaka" soybean, which is rich in various protein and amino acids, grind its bones and muscles with a stone mill and quench its qualitative change with a cauldron to become liquid soybean milk; Then put in brine, separate out the essence, and after a wonderful hand of time, fall into the iron pot and roll out snowflakes. The cooking of a bowl of authentic "Fushun Tofu Bean Flower" is not as simple and naive as it seems ~!
Eating tofu pudding is also particular. You have to take advantage of the heat, fill a bowl all over the floor, gently pick up a small lump with chopsticks, and move it trembling into the dipping dish. Let ruddy spicy oil and green fishy smell blend into bright innocence.
Stir it again, file it into the bowl a little, and soon your mouth will be full of rice. The pith bean curd adheres to the slightly rough rice. Through chewing and stirring, the thick mellow flavor of beans and the slightly sweet taste released by starch after preliminary digestion are mixed together and overflow between the lips and teeth, and all of them think that this simple food is delicious on earth.
Anyone who loves tofu pudding knows that the delicious taste of Fushun tofu pudding lies in dipping it in water.
The boss said, "I'm not bragging. My bean curd dipped in water is absolutely suitable.". For ten years, even the fish fragrance has not been out of stock, and it must be guaranteed to be supplied all year round. "
At this time, the waiter in the shop jokingly said, "that's not right ~ our boss closes the door every day to dip in water." Unique secret recipe, never spread ~! "
The boss smiled and interrupted the man: "where are you so mysterious?" It is nothing more than doing it more seriously and truly. "
The traditional and authentic Fushun tofu pudding dipped in water is completely handmade Chili sauce. Boil the first-class dried pepper with clear water to Microsoft, pour it into a mortar and mash it with a heavy hammer; Add salt, spices and other auxiliary materials, drizzle with 45% mature clear oil, and stir thoroughly. Successfully made a can of spicy Chili sauce.
This is just the bottom material of tofu pudding dipped in water, and you have to add fresh Chili sauce prepared in a similar way. Pick a small dish, pour a little soy sauce, then pour a layer of boiled pepper oil, sprinkle a pinch of chopped green onion and a pinch of white sesame seeds, and finally grab a handful of shredded fish, and you will become an authentic "tofu companion".
"It's been many years, and I've been insisting on making tofu pudding rice here!" The boss said with emotion.
"More than ten years ago, I opened a small shop. At first, I didn't know if I could do it well. All I know is that I am bored. Up to now, several storefronts in this street are mine, which is by no means opportunistic. Many foreigners, especially those from Chengdu and Chongqing, are looking for tofu pudding rice in Zigong and our home. There are still many people going out. I will take time to eat a bowl (tofu pudding) when I come back from the Spring Festival. I am coming ~ The holiday business is even hotter than this! "
"That you didn't want to open a shop in other places, make the scale bigger? ! "
"Yes, now my son and nephew have come back to learn from me. But I can't go because it's a root. My cold dishes, stir-fried dishes and steamed vegetables here are all delicious, but no matter how many dishes people order here, they can't do without that bowl of white and tender tofu brain ~ "
This is the complex of Zigong people obsessed with tofu pudding rice. Whether they are born and raised in this city or displaced in other places, they always have a pure heart for tofu pudding rice.
Here, no matter how big the business is, the You family selling tofu pudding rice will never forget that the spread of word of mouth depends on the old customers who have been here for many years, and they will never forget that the quality of business is ultimately loyal to the original intention of inheriting food.
As the saying goes, "A bowl of tofu pudding is innocent, and half a cup of spicy oil is prosperous". The embodiment of Zigong people's rich life also comes from the simple satisfaction of sticking to and enjoying traditional food. ...