This is a magical process.
However, with the addition of a little brine, a pot of soy milk gradually coagulates into flocculent tofu.
It was the first time that Butler Sun and the aunties had ever seen this traditional handmade tofu making process.
They watched in amazement.
Lin Zhou took out his own temperature-controlled tofu box from the tofu stall this week and opened it.
The eldest brother lined the box with a layer of gauze, poured in the cooked, fluffy tofu, tied it up, and then put on a heavy lid.
When tofu is squeezed, the water is filtered out and the shape is set.
However, you don't need to press out all the water. Once it's shaped to the right texture, release the weight, and a pot of steaming hot tofu is ready.
The smell of tofu in the air was so strong that even the housekeeper and the others could hardly concentrate on their work; it was truly unbearable.
I've never tasted tofu so delicious before.
The rich aroma of soybeans wafts around your nose, making it impossible not to keep your attention.
After the tofu had set, Lin Zhou began making the dipping sauce.
Hot tofu itself has little flavor and can be eaten plain, but it tastes much better with seasonings.
Crushed chili peppers, crushed garlic, and various seasonings are mixed with hot oil, and the aroma of the dipping sauce immediately overpowers the bean flavor of the tofu.
This spiciness isn't overpowering; rather, it's a fresh, spicy aroma that permeates the air. Paired with sesame seeds, minced garlic, chopped green onions, soy sauce, and other flavors, this dipping sauce seems like it would taste great with anything.
"Alright, let's try it."
Lin Zhou was also very curious about the taste of the hot tofu.
This was his first time trying to make tofu by hand.
Although the process was tedious, it was strangely quite therapeutic.
Now, when you open the lid, you can still see the tofu inside the box emitting steam.
The piping hot tofu remained at that same temperature inside the box; this tofu box is truly amazing!
Lin Zhou felt like a stray dog.
I'm always amazed by the high-tech gadgets at the system's booths.
It looks so ordinary, no different from a roadside stall, but only the user knows the real story.
Therefore, Lin Zhou generally doesn't allow others to interfere when it comes to setting up a stall.
Butler Sun and the others were very sensible; they knew that Lin Zhou liked to set up a stall and liked to do things himself.
They might help with cleaning at most.
After Lin Zhou finished speaking, he turned around to get a long knife specifically for cutting tofu. When he turned back, he saw Butler Sun and the aunties standing in a row next to the tofu box, holding bowls in their hands.
He can pick up a bowl faster than he can pick up a knife.
Lin Zhou took the bowl from Steward Sun, made a cut on the tender tofu, casually sliced it a few times, and poured on the dipping sauce.
A serving of hot tofu is now ready.
Aside from the slightly complicated process of making tofu, setting up a stall is quite easy.
A whole box full of snow-white tofu, trembling slightly, white and tender, like a box of white jade, it looked so tempting that you wanted to keep it all.
When topped with chili sauce, the white jade is adorned with red and green garnishes, making it very appetizing.
The white color made the chili oil in the water appear even redder, almost dazzlingly bright.
The tender tofu, cut into pieces, along with the dipping sauce, is picked up and carefully put into the mouth.
I didn't dare to use too much force in my hands, for fear of accidentally breaking the tofu.
It's worrying to look at.
Only when a whole piece of tofu was put into my mouth did my heart finally settle down.
The next thing you feel is the slightly scalding temperature of the tofu, making you want to open your mouth wide and breathe on it to cool it down.
But it was also very perfunctory.
After a few casual breaths, I was drawn in by the savory aroma in my mouth and couldn't resist biting into the tofu and chewing it.
The tender tofu releases its exquisite aroma the moment it touches your teeth.
Hot tofu, fragrant chili peppers—one bite and it feels like your whole body is being warmed up.
Shu Tan couldn't help but sigh.
The chili peppers were very flavorful, and the tofu was hot enough, or rather, scalding hot, but its tender and smooth texture, which made it so delicate that it would crumble at the touch, was truly amazing.
I didn't dare to bite too hard.
"This is so delicious! I've never had such good tofu before."
"This is somewhere between firm tofu and soft tofu, with a slightly moist texture and a very rich bean flavor, but without any beany taste. Instead, it's very fresh, tender, and sweet."
Despite the burning sensation that traveled from her mouth to her stomach, Butler Sun finished a piece of tofu, her eyes shining as she described the taste to everyone in amazement.
Whenever Lin Zhou makes something delicious, the first people to try it are always the people around him.
Then everyone gathered together to taste the food and discuss the flavors.
This is the most enjoyable thing.
Aunt Fang immediately took the hot tofu that Lin Zhou handed over, and upon hearing what Butler Sun said, she couldn't wait to pick up a piece of tofu and put it in her mouth.
Good heavens, the scalding hot tofu made her face contort in pain. She chewed it while grimacing, still eagerly starting to eat.
Aunt Xu could tell from their expressions that the tofu was very hot. When she took the tofu, she carefully blew on it twice before starting to eat.
Based on their experience, Lin Zhou served himself a bowl, set it aside to cool, and planned to eat it later.
Make a different kind of dipping sauce when you have some free time.
Sesame paste, chive sauce, chili.
A spoonful of special sesame sauce, chive sauce, and chili sauce is poured over the white tofu.
Red, white, green, and the deep yellow of sesame paste.
The steaming hot tofu intensifies the flavors of the sauces.
Stir it a little, and the aroma becomes even more intense; it's so irresistible that you can't help but want to eat it.
Lin Zhou couldn't resist any longer. He felt the tofu was no longer so hot, so he quickly picked up a piece and ate it.
In an instant, the smooth and tender texture of the tofu amazed him.
I've never had such tender tofu before. Paired with the sauce, the aroma of sesame and peanuts spreads in my mouth first, followed by chopped chives made into chive sauce, with a hint of chive spiciness, which is very addictive.
The flavor of chili peppers is even more captivating.
This sticky chili sauce is different from the dipping sauce for chili oil. It's made by crushing salt and chili together, and the resulting chili sauce sticks to the tofu. With each bite, you get a mouthful of sauce and tofu.
Tofu seems to have an all-encompassing function; it's delicious on its own, but when topped with various fragrant sauces, the taste is truly amazing.
Once you get hooked on it, you can drink the tender tofu straight from the bottle without even using chopsticks or a spoon.
The tofu seemed eager to be eaten, quickly sliding into the eater's mouth. It melted in the mouth with little chewing, and the diners wanted to enjoy the slightly hot texture and the pleasant sensation as it slid down into their stomach.
The heating in the room was on full blast, and after finishing a bowl of tofu, I was sweating profusely on my back.
But I still couldn't resist having another bowl.
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