🍽️ Hairy Tofu

Tofu with hair-like mold, delicious after pan-frying.

Hairy tofu is a specialty of old Huizhou, today's Huangshan area in Anhui. Blocks of tofu are left on straw or bamboo trays to develop a layer of white mold, whose varied growth is part of the flavor. Pan-fried slowly in rapeseed oil until golden, the outside crisp and the inside soft, it is eaten with chili or fermented bean sauce. The tofu is savory with a gentle fermented note and a crisp-tender contrast. A humble preserved food in old Huizhou homes and street stalls, it now appears as a signature small dish along Huangshan's Tunxi old street and Huizhou ancient town, surprising curious visitors with its straightforward depth.