Dianjiang Stone-Milled Bean Curd

◎重慶市第十八中學校初2023 級27 班 龔子函 指導教師：黃忠雪

墊江石磨豆花的配方、制作，自有其歷史淵源和獨特之處。墊江石磨豆花中，米飯、豆花、蘸水密不可分,且調料豐富，多達十余種。

My hometown Danjiang is a small but beautiful county in the northeast of Chongqing.It is famous for a traditional Chinese dessert—Dianjiang Stone-Milled Bean Curd, also known as Dianjiang Douhua, which has a long history dating back to the Ming Dynasty.

It’s said that a poor man named Chen Yuanzhi was looking for shelter from heavy rain in Dianjiang County.He found a stone mill( 磨 坊) and decided to take shelter there.He accidentally found some beans, so he used the stone mill to grind them into fine paste( 糨 糊).Chen then mixed the bean paste with water and cooked it over fire.To his surprise, the mixture turned into a smooth and silky pudding-like thing, which he named “douhua”.He was greeted with fresh fragrance.

Here is one way to make Dianjiang Douhua.

First, high-quality beans are soaked in water for about 12 hours.

Next, grind the soaked beans in a stone mill.It is an essential tool in this process, as it helps to crush the beans while preserving their natural flavors and nutrients.

After grinding, transfer the resulting soybean paste to a cloth bag and squeeze out the soy milk.

Then, heat the soy milk in a large pot over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning.

When the soy milk reaches a near-boiling point, a coagulant(凝結劑) such as gypsum(石膏 ) or nigari(鹽鹵) is added to curdle the milk.

Once the mixture has curdled totally, put it into the bowl or mold(模子).

Finally, before serving, the tofu can be topped with various ingredients like sweet syrup, brown sugar, or chilly pepper and so on to enhance its flavor.

The special taste of Dianjiang Stone Mill Bean Curd have made it a popular dessert among locals and tourists home and abroad.If you come to my hometown, never fail to taste it.