Editor’s Note: This article is produced in collaboration with the Chongqing Institute of Foreign Studies as part of a series of ongoing reports exploring the city’s abundant resources in intangible cultural heritages.

“The soybeans come in round, and I make them into tofu for income. It is a dicker but makes big money for me.” This tale is always told by a man from Huangjia Town, Chongqing, who has been making grey tofu (Huidoufu) for 31 years.

In the words of the senior, grey tofu looks like tofu falling into plant ash, which has no attractive appearance but enjoys a great flavor and tastes crispy outside and tender inside. Comparing with ordinary tofu, we do not need to worry about grey tofu’s freshness. Grey tofu turns mouth-watering with the function of salt and time. The most important step in making grey tofu is to add bittern into the already filtrated soy milk. When tofu is curded, it should be evenly coated with plant ash, which has certain permeability and antiseptic effect, can absorb the moisture in tofu, and isolate the air reacting with the protein on the surface of tofu so that the gelatinous protein condenses further and forms a hard shell. 

The plant ash is herbal, as is told by the senior; herbs cure diseases. Herbal ash is added to absorb the moisture in tofu further, and the heated herbal ash coats tofu again and evaporates the remaining moisture. Meanwhile, the unique fragrance of herbal ash penetrates tofu. The air poles in tofu get expanded because of temperature. The well-prepared grey tofu comes loose in texture and cotton ball shape, and cellular eyes appear once separated. Herbal ash can also effectively isolate the air from the protein on the surface of tofu, which can further condense the gelatinous protein, thus forming a hard shell. Therefore, grey tofu wasn’t characterized by freshness, tenderness, and fragility like white tofu.

Preparing grey tofu into soup serves as the simplest way to enjoy it. Grey tofu is like a sponge, absorbing soup and tasting dense. Soup will burst out, and fragrance will linger on your mouth once you bite it. That is the most favorite taste of Tujia People.

A small piece of grey tofu carries the taste of mountains, of wind, and of time. As time goes by, the combination of affection for hometown and nostalgia brings a unique taste to Tujia People. What this piece of grey tofu carries is not only the taste but also the homesickness wherever you go! As is said in Food-sickness, homesickness is one’s sentimental attachment to the taste of his hometown. No matter how far one is away from his hometown or how different his accent becomes, he still clings to the taste of his hometown.

So far, grey tofu has been conventional arts and crafts of Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, Chongqing, China, which is prevalent in Huangjia Town, Langxi, Runxi, Daya Township, and its neighboring provinces in the southwest of Pengshui County. The traditional handicraft of intangible cultural heritage is facing the danger of being lost in generations due to its complicated processing, tough working conditions, and meager profits.

(The original article comes with a Chinese version authored by Cao Yinyin (advisor/Ran Hongqing) as well as an English version translated by Tang Kun (advisor/Li Ya), and was later narrated by Zhang Jingdan (advisor/Ren Yi), all of whom are students (and teachers) from Chongqing Institute of Foreign Studies.)