A unique Anhui cuisine! Mao tofu and stinky mandarin fish

A few days ago, I went to Tunxi Song Dynasty Old Street with my chef friend to taste the specialties. We sat down in a small shop, and in a moment, the owner brought two plates of bright yellow and fragrant hairy tofu and stinky mandarin fish to the table. After tasting them, my friend and I said in unison: "It really lives up to its reputation, Anhui cuisine is unique!"

Hairy tofu

The shop owner introduced that Huizhou hairy tofu is very exquisite in production. It uses high-quality soybeans as raw materials. The carefully processed tofu has the characteristics of being as clear as snow, cut like jade, not spilling when dropped to the ground, and having both color and fragrance. When making it, first cut the fresh tofu into small pieces, soak it in the water of the ingredients for several hours, then pick it up, dry it in bamboo sticks, bamboo baskets or wooden frames, wooden boxes, sprinkle a small amount of refined salt, and place it in a cool and dry place. After about a week, a layer of inch-long hair grows on the surface of the tofu, which can be up to 3 inches long. The hair can be divided into tiger hair, mouse hair, rabbit hair and cotton hair.

Furry tofu is pan-fried until both sides are golden brown, and then served with spicy condiments. It can be eaten with soy sauce, rice vinegar, etc. Furry tofu can also be steamed, stewed, braised, or made into soup, and it tastes delicious. When tiger-hair tofu is pan-fried, its hair will stand up and the color will be colorful; rat-hair tofu will be slightly black when cooked; and rabbit-hair tofu and cotton-hair tofu will turn golden yellow under high temperatures.

Huizhou hairy tofu not only has a unique flavor, but is also rich in nutrients. It contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, etc. It also has the health functions of clearing heat, moisturizing dryness, promoting salivation, detoxifying, tonifying the middle, widening the intestines and reducing turbidity.

No wonder Huizhou Mao Tofu is not only made in shops, but can also be seen everywhere on the peddlers' poles in the streets and alleys. They have a frying pan on one end and Mao Tofu, sesame oil and chili sauce on the other. They knock on bamboo boards with their hands, and when tourists need it, they fry it. Foreigners also love it. There is a folk saying: "After eating Huizhou Mao Tofu, you won't vomit even if you slap yourself."

Stinky Mandarin Fish

When talking about stinky mandarin fish, my friend and the owner were like soulmates. My friend said that stinky mandarin fish (also known as stinky mandarin fish) is a famous dish with a history of more than 300 years. Legend has it that when Emperor Qianlong came to Huizhou Prefecture, the governor of Huizhou treated him to stinky mandarin fish. After tasting it, Emperor Qianlong praised it highly and said: "Stinky mandarin fish has been famous for a long time. I tasted it today and it is indeed true."

I was very curious, isn't fresh mandarin fish delicious when braised? Why make it smelly before cooking? My friend laughed and said that the "stink" of stinky mandarin fish was a blessing in disguise. In the past, Huizhou Prefecture was located in the mountainous area of ​​southern Anhui, with many mountains and little water. Fish and shrimp and other aquatic products had to be transported from more than 300 miles away. The fastest fish merchant had to travel for three or four days, and the fresh mandarin fish could not survive. In order to prevent the dead fish from deteriorating, the fish merchant had to buy some salt on the way to pickle it. When it arrived at Huizhou Prefecture, the "pickled fish" inevitably smelled. The chef made the best of a mistake and simply added some stinky tofu marinade when cooking the fish, and put ginger, sugar, chili, garlic, cooking wine and other condiments. Unexpectedly, a famous dish was created - stinky mandarin fish, which smells a bit stinky, but tastes fragrant, and the more you eat, the more delicious it is. This made the restaurants and restaurants in Huizhou Prefecture at that time like a treasure, and they launched it one after another.

When making it, the fresh mandarin fish is gutted, scaled and cleaned, then marinated with a small amount of refined salt, pepper and other condiments for one or two days, and then soaked in some special marinade for about a week to give it a special smell like stinky tofu. After the chef's careful cooking, the famous dish of stinky mandarin fish is ready. My friend mysteriously said that the key to the deliciousness of stinky mandarin fish lies in the formula and preparation of the marinade.

(The author Rui Hailin is a member of the China Science Writers Association)