🍽️ Yuba Banquet

Local yuba dishes: hotpot, cold, braised.

Xuchang in Henan is renowned as a quality yuba, or dried beancurd stick, producing area. Local soybeans are ground into milk, lifted into thin sheets and dried into glossy golden sticks with a firm, springy bite. A Yuba Banquet turns this single ingredient into a whole table of dishes: cold-tossed yuba is crisp and refreshing, braised yuba absorbs a rich sauce, and yuba simmered in hotpot turns soft and succulent, while stir-fried versions pair it with greens, wood ear and shredded pork. The banquet showcases one ingredient transformed many ways, highlighting both its natural bean aroma and its talent for soaking up accompanying flavors. Widely served in local restaurants and family feasts in Xuchang, it is a distinctive way for visitors to experience the soybean cuisine of eastern Henan, and goes equally well with rice or a drink.