🍽️ Stuffed Tofu

Tofu stuffed with meat, a signature Hakka dish.

Stuffed tofu is the signature of the Hakka tradition of stuffing everything. Cooks cut soft tofu into squares, scoop out a small well in each, and fill it with a paste of minced pork, fish, mushroom and scallion, then either pan-fry and braise, or simply steam the parcels. The tofu turns golden, tender and soaked in savory juice, while the filling stays firm and fragrant; each bite offers both bean aroma and meat savor, often finished with a thin glossy sauce. Meizhou is a mountainous region where flour was once scarce, so Hakka people used tofu as a substitute wrapper for dumplings, creating this stuffed home flavor. It is both an everyday family dish and a must at festivals and welcome feasts, best eaten with rice, and stands as a small culinary monument to the Hakka migration story.