Chapter 84 Nanyue Tofu Casserole

Nanyue Hengshan is a famous Buddhist holy land in my country and one of the five famous mountains. It has a very important weight in the hearts of literati and inkmen. It is often remembered by those who travel in mountains and rivers. Li Bai and Du Fu both visited it. At the foot of Hengshan Mountain, there is a famous ancient town called Nanyue Town, where pilgrims from all over the world gather to rest and wait for the time to go up the mountain to pilgrimage.The most pilgrims are from July to August to November in the Gregorian calendar every year. People come and go, which is more lively than going to the market.The pilgrims who come to Hengshan Mountain are very pious. Apart from enduring the fatigue of boats and cars, they also have to purify their bodies and eat vegetarian food before going up the mountain to show their respect to the Nanyue Zhurong God.

Nanyue Vegetarian Vegetarianism began in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The first vegetarian food was mainly tofu. After thousands of years of development, there are more and more varieties and various ingredients, with a strong local flavor of Hengshan.Common Hengshan vegetarian dishes include tofu, Chinese toon, pepper, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, etc., which are very interesting.With the progress of the times, vegetarian food has developed to the stage of high-end fasting banquets. The major temples and restaurants in Hengshan are good at making it to meet the needs of tourists who come to Hengshan for pilgrimage.

There are many springs in Hengshan, and the quality is both high. There are 36 famous springs such as Pilu, Taiyang, and Hupao. Because of the good quality of spring water in Nanyue Town, the tofu made from Nanyue Town is very tender and smooth, and the taste is quite different from that of tofu in surrounding counties and cities.Nanyue residents make regular tofu, casserole tofu, tofu balls, sandwich tofu, cold tofu, fried tofu, stuffed tofu, spiced tofu, fermented bean curd, tofu flowers and other dishes based on the tofu they make at home. There are fried, stewed, steamed, boiled, and fried, and the taste is sour, sweet, salty, spicy, and fragrant.

Nanyue tofu has been handed down to this day. The most popular and local characteristic is Nanyue tofu stew, also known as Buddha's light, which is one of the must-eat delicacies for every guest who comes to Nanyue Hengshan. I have traveled and inspected Nanyue many times, but I have never eaten Nanyue tofu stew. I only heard the vivid descriptions from my friends.It was already in the winter of 2008 that I really ate authentic Nanyue tofu stew. I went to Nanyue with a food interview group to investigate food resources, and I just ate it in Nanyue Ancient Town by chance. At that time, friends from the media were waiting to interview the head chef at Nanyue Huatian Hotel. My Beijing friend Xu Qiang and I were free and wanted to walk around Nanyue Town to find the quiet charm and mysterious culture of Nanyue Ancient Town.We didn't hire anyone to lead the way, and we didn't have a map. We went to the wrong gate and came to the gate of Hengshan Mountain. We walked around in the forest and went down to the square under Wanshou Temple.The two of us were starving and didn't want to go back to the hotel for dinner, so we stopped by to find local specialties and walked into the streets of Nanyue Ancient Town unknowingly.

Tofu stew is a common dish that can be found all over the country.Nanyue tofu stew is different from ordinary tofu stew: Nanyue tofu stew is made of oily tofu, minced meat, shiitake mushrooms, and served in a sand bowl; ordinary tofu stew is made of tender tofu, minced meat, shrimp, egg white, dry starch, etc. It is white, tender and bright. The ancient town of Nanyue is quiet and ancient, and the blue stone road makes clanging sounds, and three or two couples come and go on the road, their sweet words are so low and elegant.I have a feeling of walking into the mountains, which makes me feel uplifted and secretly happy.On both sides of the street, there are many restaurants and storefronts with antique decorations, which have historical appeal.

I remembered the Nanyue tofu stew recommended by my friend, and wanted to take this opportunity to try it.I asked a few restaurants, and their specialties are tofu stew, but I couldn't find a time-honored brand.Xu Qiang advised me to just find a home to try, no need to bother. We chose a restaurant to sit down. There are a few simple tables in the shop, which are very different from the decoration outside.Looking at the menu again, the price of Nanyue Tofu Casserole is 26 yuan, which is indeed a bit expensive. After Nanyue tofu was put on the table, I didn't look carefully, it looked like fried tofu in boiled water.I got angry and got a little angry.The sand bowl for serving vegetables is also small, looking at the light yellow round handle, it is a bit petty.

I picked up the fried tofu in the sand bowl, and the soup on the tofu was already thick and viscous.In the mouth, it is completely different from ordinary fried tofu. The fried tofu skin is very soft and delicate, and there is no tough and hard feeling. The tofu inside is extremely tender, creamy and textured. The gorgon juice is mixed together, the taste is complex and changeable, and it is completely integrated.The thin, light yellow soup is very tasty and delicious. When mixed with rice, the taste is no less than that of abalone juice.I ate three bowls of rice in a row, and I kept admiring the taste of Nanyue tofu pot on the way.

Since I ate Nanyue tofu stew in Nanyue ancient town, every time I went to Nanyue Hengshan, I had to eat tofu stew in Nanyue ancient town to relish the taste of Nanyue tofu.