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On the plate and in TCM, tofu works wonders
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ALONG with the rising temperatures, traditional Chinese medicine considers that the inner yang energy begins to augment in spring. In order to balance the cool yin and the hot yang energy, people should eat mild food to treat yin deficiency and try to avoid nourishing tonics as much as possible.
Tofu is typically a mild food due to its light flavor and is among the most popular choices for a spring menu that takes TCM into account.
According to TCM believes, tofu can help add inner moisture, produce saliva, benefit the circulation of qi or life energy, and clean the intestines.
Modern science also discovered that tofu can stimulate appetite and digestion, and helps treat osteoporosis and blood diseases.
However, gout and kidney diseases sufferers are not recommended to eat tofu since it contains purine, which could burden the organs and aggravate the disease.
The creation of tofu is believed to date back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) when people accidentally invented it while they were refining medicine.
Since then, a series of dishes containing tofu have become popular among home cooks and in restaurants.
Despite being particularly popular, mapo tofu is not recommended in spring due to its spicy taste, which is considered to boost the yang energy.
Shanghai Daily takes a look at the most common tofu dishes and introduces some mild versions, which you can savor in local restaurants.
According to historic documents, this tofu dish was served at the imperial court during the Qing Dynasty (1636-1911) and found favor with emperors by virtue of yummy, tender flavor. It was so named because multiple ingredients would be used during cooking, as eight-treasure was an idiom to describe many varieties.
Throughout the dynasties, many literati described its savory taste, though only few people really sampled it. Later, Hangzhou chefs adapted the recipe recorded in ancient books and turned it into a modern dish. Along with time, it evolved into a traditional Hangzhou dish.
The traditional food ingredients include tofu, egg white, lotus seeds, lily, chicken, ham, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, cabbage, preserved shrimp, beans, shelled melon-seeds and trepang. The ingredients are minced, except the ham, and then quickly stir-fried. Add water until the soup boils, and then add some starch to thicken the broth. Finally, sprinkle some minced ham on the top.
Where to eat:
• Huangfan’er Restaurant
Address: 53-57 Gaoyin St
Tel: (0571) 8780-1068
This is not only a popular dish, but also a chance for chefs to showcase their cutting techniques.
For Wensi tofu, a chunk of tofu is shredded into numerous hairline shreds that are not supposed to break during cooking.
In addition to tofu, other food ingredients like ham, vegetable, bamboo shoots and mushrooms are also cut into long shreds. These shreds are braised with seasoning and cooked before the tofu is added. This sophisticated cooking method is named after its creator — Monk Wensi, who lived during the Qing Dynasty.
Today, it epitomizes the Jiangsu Province cuisine and is popular in restaurants in the south Yangtze River Delta.
Where to eat:
• Hangzhou Restaurants
Address: 205 Yan’an Rd
Tel: (0571) 8708-7123
Crab is considered a “cool” food in TCM that alleviates skin dryness and lowers inner heat. The creamy, butter-like crab roe and tofu complement each other well and leave a clean feeling. The umami of roe with tender tofu provides diners with a palatable flavor.
Foodies consider roe as the tastiest part of a female hairy crab. It makes up nearly a third of the crab’s total weight.
The taste and texture of crab vary according to different varieties, while the Yangcheng Lake hairy crab is said to be the best quality crab. However, local restaurants usually replace the pricey Yangcheng Lake crab with ordinary lake crab.
Some small eateries use salty egg yolk to create a taste similar to crab roe.
In addition, minced shallot would be sprinkled on the dish to highlight the umami.
Where to eat:
• Love in December Restaurant
Address: 48 Qingchun Rd
Tel: (0571) 8106-5111
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