🍽️ Jianshui Grilled Tofu

Well-water tofu grilled till puffed.

Jianshui Grilled Tofu is the signature snack of Jianshui Old Town in Yunnan; Jianshui is famous for tofu curdled with well water. Small cubes of tofu made from local well water and soybeans are grilled on a charcoal iron rack until puffed and golden, turned as they cook. Fresh off the grill, the tofu is crisp outside and tender inside with a hollow puffed center, eaten dipped in a sauce of dried chili, Sichuan pepper, soy sauce, fish-mint (zheergen) and cilantro—spicy and addictive. It is the star of Jianshui street stalls, where vendors sit on small stools grilling cube by cube and selling by count. One bite each, generously dipped, best captures the street-life atmosphere of the slow small town in southern Yunnan and is a must-try when visiting Jianshui.