mouldy bean curd

　　Mouldy bean curd is one traditional snack of Huizhou (Current city Huangshan of province of Anhui). It is via a fermentation method of making the face of bean curd grow into white hair. After fermentation of bean curd, the vegetable protein grows into multi-amino acids, thus after cooking, it is so tasty.

　　There are a skin of thick pure and clean white hair wrapped around the best-quality mouldy bean curd, above which evenly dotted with black seeds named as “spore”, a token for mature mouldy bean curd. Mouldy bean curd is a famous vegetable cuisine in province Anhui, named as Huangshan mouldy bean curd, and Huizhou mouldy bean curd. Using mouldy bean curd made by Anhui as main ingredient, after fried, mixed with onion, sugar, salt, meat soup and sauce. When served, with pepper, very tasty and enticing. It adds appetites and a famous gourmet of district Anhui. Except deep fried, it is good for boiling in hot oil or roasting too.

　　Mouldy bean curd is a whole protein food which contains eight needy amino-acids with a ratio close to body needs. It has high nutritious values and good for decrease blood-fat, protect AC, predict angiocardiopathy. Additionally bean curd is good for aftercare, losing-weight and smooth-skin.

　　The key manufacturing ingredients for the dish is fresh water and beans. The bean is very round, without any bad and a completely green food. The water needs to be the mineral water with rich mineral, and taste sweet. The key manufacture step is to brine made by self-made fermented sour water. Though sour material can make the bean protein freeze, self-made fermented sour water can made the microbe little by little flow into as the seeds buried into Tofu while adding more and more self-made fermented sour water , then freeze. Grind the best quality bean and mineral water, while heating, while adding more self-made fermented sour water, freeze to syrup. Pour the freeze syrup into container with leakage, squeezed into shape. The bean curd is finished. Cut tofu into pieces and lies above the bamboo strip and put them into wet and gloomy condition, it usually takes 5 to 6 days for growing into hairy according to different temperature.

　　There is a fable regarding the Mouldy bean curd. It is once said Zhu, yuanzhang escaped to Huizhou, and ran to Xiuning, felt starving and asked for seeking food. Someone got the bean curd hidden in the grass, but the bean curd had grown into hair after fermentation. Without any other foods, the hairy bean curd had to been roasted above the fire and served to Zhu, yuanzhang. Unexpected the bean curd was very fresh and made Zhu, yuanzhang quite happy. After defeated the enemy, Zhu, yuanzhang asked the cook for cooking this dish for soldiers. Mouldy bean curd had been passed around since then.