April 24, 2009 - Dou Hua -- a Favorite Dish
Where I live, dou hua is very, very common. Most every street has a dou hua shop where you can see the huge stainless steel bowl, steaming on its charcoal burner at the front of the restaurant.
Dou Hua is a type of soft tofu. The watery soup it is boiled in can be drunk as well. But since tofu has no flavor, you add a lot of spices. Here's a typical set up -- sort of a flavoring buffet. You choose what spices and oils you want and serve them into your bowl. Options include -- minced garlic, chopped cilantro, salt, MSG, pepper, numbing spice, flavored oils, sesame oil, green onions, dried pepper flakes,
and of course fresh hot peppers!
I was at a rural villa type of place and saw people making dou hua, so of course I snapped some photos. I was a little late on the process, so I missed the first steps. But I asked the cook, and she told me that the soy beans are cooked and mashed and then strained through a cloth. I'm not sure why they are straining it through a basket as well. What could the basket catch that the cloth didn't? I didn't notice that until I got home. Now it's too late to ask.
Then the resulting liquid is boiled until it curdles into dou hua. Did you know that tofu is basically soy cheese? We Westerners eat dairy cheese, but Chinese people eat soy cheese. Quite interesting. When people here ask me what cheese is (because they pretty much don't have any clue), I tell them it's like tofu made from milk.
I didn't like tofu until I'd been in China for a few years. It's one of those things that grows on you. The more you eat it, the more you like it. Now I crave dou hua! It's especially good for women, and I know when I'm eating it, I'm doing something good for my body.
Comments
April 24, 2009 - I love tofu!
Posted by prayingmother
Oh, I want to come try this! I love tofu. I haven't tried it Chinese style really. My friends are Japanese and I love, love, love the way they fix it, but I think theirs is a lot firmer than the Chinese tofu. They just season it with garlic, soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil and then put it on their salad. It really is yummy. I promise!
Rhonda
April 24, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by drewsfamilytx
What is numbing spice?
I absolutely love tofu! It is so good in soups or just sliced, pan fried, and topped with soy sauce (with crushed red pepper flakes). Mmmm...
April 24, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
I'm drooling. I absolutely love the dou hua in China. The ones here in the States just aren't the same. I haven't had dou hua for years and years. Now I'm envious.
Lois
http://dinghome.net
April 24, 2009 - Cool!
Posted by deedeeuk
This is cool! Thanks for sharing how it is made. I don't really like tofu very much, but I do have a scoop of protien powder that I make into a milkshake for breakfast every morning.
April 24, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Keeley
That was fascinating! Thank you so much for sharing.
April 24, 2009 - Interesting
Posted by Anonymous
I would try this dish...especially if I could put all the toppings on :)
I don't usually like tofu. It is sort of like plain yogurt. I know they both are good for me but I just can't get past the texture for some reason.
Your posts are always interesting Jimmie.
Barb-Harmony Art Mom
April 25, 2009 - love dou hua!!
Posted by amanda wu
Our dou hua here is sweet!! It is dessert! Peanut dou hua is my favorite. I also LOVE it with a bit of lemon. But you can also get chocolate and other flavors too.
How interesting that it is eaten "salty" and spicy there . . .
amanda
http://amanda47.blogs.com
April 27, 2009 - Tofu
Posted by Anonymous
I am a vegan, so tofu is an integral part of my diet. I love freezing firm tofu before cooking it, as it gives it an entirely different texture (some people say that it's more meatlike). I season it with oregano and soy sauce, and make it into a sandwich. Otherwise, a good tofu stirfry is great!
April 28, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
Maybe they put a basket underneath just in case the cloth gets dropped. I could see that happening to me and then I'd have to start all over! Just a thought! :)
I enjoy reading and seeing pictures of your daily life. Thanks for sharing!
