The history of tofu pudding

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Liu An, the grandson of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, was named King of Huainan. He likes to attract talents and talents, and there are often thousands of diners under his door. In order to solve the problem of eating for so many people, they made use of the salt-producing conditions in the Huaihe River basin and used brine as coagulant to invent tofu. During the Three Kingdoms period, tofu production technology spread to Yizhou (including Sichuan and Chongqing today), and it was very popular in Jinchuan area of Jiangyang County (now Luzhou City) (now Fushun County). Because it is also an important salt-producing area, there is a salt well rich in salt. At the same time, it is located in the subtropical zone, with fertile soil and good rainfall and light conditions, which is suitable for soybean growth. Fushun is very popular because of its salt production and frequent business contacts with surrounding areas. The catering industry is extremely developed, and tofu, a fresh food, is naturally put on people's tables. By the time Fushun County was established as salt in the second year of Emperor Tianhe in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the salt output here had already ranked first in Jiannan Road (equivalent to parts of eastern Sichuan and Chongqing). With the increase of manual workers, residents and businessmen in salt industry and the convenience of land and water transportation, the demand for tofu food has greatly increased. In an accidental situation, some guests waiting for dinner really didn't have the patience to wait for the tofu to be shaped and then processed into dishes, so when they saw the tender tofu still simmering in the pot, they ran to the kitchen and asked the shopkeeper to sell it to them. Because it is not completely solidified, they can't fry it, so they have to dip it in salt and water to make a meal. Tofu pudding Figure 2 People are pleasantly surprised to find that this way of eating is more delicious than fried old tofu. As soon as the "tender bean curd" spread, it spread to the people. During the period of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Chongqing in Sichuan became the political, military, economic and cultural center of the whole country, and its population increased sharply. Fushun County, located in the lower reaches of Tuojiang River in southern Sichuan, is the main channel from Yunnan and southwest Sichuan to Chongqing by land, and also the transportation line for domestic sugar and Neijiang sugar plus Zigong salt to be transported to the inside and outside of the province through Tuojiang River, and business travel is very lively. At this time, Liu Xilu, the owner of a tofu shop in Dongmen, Fushun County, was good at learning from others' skills in making tofu and constantly groping for improvement, and finally formed his own set of "secret recipes". The tofu made is as white as jade, tender as pulp, tender but not old, tender and not tender, and has a delicate taste. Even the pit water is sweet and delicious. Liu Xilu has been exploring and researching for a long time, and has formed a unique flavor of pickled tofu-Bazin pickled pepper. Just roll the hot tofu into the water and put it in your mouth, and it will be fascinating.