Text/Wang Qian
"Opening remarks
Most cuisines are fission spectacles produced by the combination and collision of different ingredients, if you look at the encounter of ingredients in terms of human feelings, some are amazing natural fits, some are touching encounters, and some are shocking meetings and hate nights. The fame of Tangchang tofu milk is the gastronomic miracle that people and food have contributed to under a coincidence. ”
A journey for the taste buds from 30° north latitude
Whether you are willing or not, life is urging us to take steps, or travel in full gear, or fatigue, or walk casually, from departure to landing, from the migration of individual life to the transportation of ingredients, the hurried footsteps of people and food have never stopped, every stop, will light up the stove, waiting for us is either rich or simple steaming food.
Along the 30° north latitude of the earth, there are many magical natural mysteries and countless amazing ingredients. Sunny morning and evening fog, rainy and cloudy mountains, Chengdu Dayi County's Tangchang is just at the 30 ° north latitude line, located in the middle of Heming Town and Xinjin County Wujin Town, the birthplace of the Taoist famous mountain and the Dujiang Irrigation District in the mouth of the mouth, the geographical location is unique feng shui advantage is obvious... Under the moisture of the subtropical monsoon climate and the blessing of the diverse terrain and landforms, Tangchang enjoys a unique natural environment and geographical climate advantages, where the climate is mild and humid, the precipitation is abundant, there is no summer heat, no severe cold in winter, the temperature difference is small, the humidity is large, the animals and plants are rapidly multiplying here, and the microorganisms are growing madly here, these microorganisms provide an excellent environment for the deep refining of tofu milk.
Rely on the mountains to eat the mountains, rely on the water to draft water. Surrounded by dense forests in the mountains, Tangchang has a rich re-accumulation of yellow mud paddy soil, rich in a variety of organic nutrients; the Xiejiang River on the irrigation side, under the infiltration of thousands of years of snow water, has a natural "Gaoxiang Ancient Well" spring water rich in a variety of trace elements beneficial to the human body, the water quality is weak alkaline, and the fertile soil has nurtured the industrious people for generations. Sowing crops according to the material is the basic skill of every villager, every time the mango planting season, the people of Tangchang will plant soybeans on this fertile land, from sowing to fertilizing, from seedlings that break out of the soil to fruit-laden pods, in the months of sunshine bathing and rain irrigation under the soybeans finally ushered in the harvest season, the tiredness of life into the joy of harvest, a golden bean grain is about to move towards their next mission.
The plump bean grains are rich in more than 40% protein, which are screened to remove impurities, soaked in pulp, extracted okara after the pulp, packed and squeezed evenly, made into tofu blanks, tofu blanks in tangchang unique to the weak alkaline water under the action, soybeans in the non-water-soluble protein into water-soluble protein, showing a unique taste. The unique fine thorn strips growing on the beach within 300 meters of the xiejiang river are excellent accessories for processing tofu milk, and the fine thorn strips are cleaned, crushed, mixed, and then accompanied by watercress, mash, peppercorns, cinnamon, star anise, male ding, female ding, tangerine peel and other dozens of seasonings and Chinese herbal medicines and other materials, through the traditional process into the cellar fermentation (traditional process fermentation is divided into pre-fermentation and late fermentation two steps), a variety of microorganisms involved in fermentation, of which the main role of microorganisms is mucormycete, The protease it produces can hydrolyze the proteins in tofu into peptides and amino acids; the lipase it produces can hydrolyze the fats in tofu into glycerol and fatty acids. After a few months, the unique taste and flavor of Tangchang Tofu Milk is made, which is rich in nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins, amino nitrogen and sugars, which help promote digestion and enhance appetite. A collision of physical and chemical reactions, a crystallization of time and wisdom, and finally a feast for the taste buds.
Convey the taste and tell the story of food and people
Each dish is not just a dish on the table, it is a story of food and food, food and people. Behind The Tofu Milk of Mou Ding is the fateful meeting of Chen Yuanyuan and the Tofu Milk under the clutch of sorrow and joy; behind the Tofu Milk of tangchang, it is the life of the Tangchang people who meet the life of tofu milk under the grinding of life. As early as the Ming Dynasty, there was already a tradition of families brewing tofu milk in their own workshops in tangchang villages.
Some people say that the delicious Tangchang tofu milk in the world is simply a gift from heaven, temperature and humidity, water and soil, technology and raw materials, these necessary conditions for making high-quality tofu milk are just right here, like a natural. However, this gift from heaven is even more inseparable from the wisdom of the Tang people.
As soon as Tangchang Tofu Milk is mentioned, the story about TanJi Tangchang Tofu Milk will come to mind. According to legend, the founder of Tan Ji Tofu Milk is a woman, because her husband's family name is Tan, so everyone calls her Tan Da Niang. Tan Da Niang is skillful, likes to make sauce, especially good at making tofu milk, she has a cousin who is a master in Chengdu Taiwan Province, she loves to eat the tofu milk she made since childhood, Tan Da Niang loves her cousin, every time she goes to the city, she has to bring him some. Later, the Taiwan adults suffered from malaria, a few days of tea and rice did not think, the master heard the news of the special gift of its tofu milk, the Taiwan adults suddenly felt the aroma, appetite increased greatly, after that, the taiwan must eat every meal, and to entertain guests, guests also praised Aunt Tan's tofu milk, competing for fame. Over time, it has spread widely, and the number of buyers has been called "Tangchang tofu milk" by the Chinese, and "a piece of cake, appetizing and strengthening the spleen, and enhancing appetite" has become a good comment on Tangchang tofu milk by many diners.
By chance, let Tan Da Mama and TangChang tofu milk become a good story, whenever people talk about Tangchang tofu milk, they will not forget Tan Da Niang and her own affairs, sometimes, the relationship between food and people is so wonderful, I don't know whether people have achieved food, or food has made people. Regardless of whether Tan Da Niang and TangChang Curd Milk are full of different legends, one thing is certain, the migration of people has contributed to the encounter of food, and the clutch of food has witnessed the gathering and dispersion of people, and the gathering and clutching have contributed to the spread of Tangchang tofu milk. At that time, Huguang people often went to Dayi to run business, and were attracted by Tangchang's trade and golden port, not only established the Huguang Guild Hall here, but also lost the opportunity to purchase Tangchang tofu milk to return to their hometown, over time, Tangchang tofu milk became famous and became a household name "next meal". In the 5th year of the Republic of China, Tangchang tofu milk was respected by merchants and transported to all parts of Chuankang, enjoying a reputation inside and outside Sichuan. Since 1979, Tangchang Tofu Milk has been rated as a high-quality product by the Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce and the Sichuan Provincial Economic Commission for many consecutive times. In 1983, it was again rated as a high-quality food of the Provincial Food Association, and on April 15 of the same year, in the selection of high-quality food and famous products of the national commercial system held in Beijing, Tangchang Tofu Milk won the Quality Product Award.
Nowadays, more than a hundred years have passed, Tangchang Town has also experienced vicissitudes in the change of history, those trends that once flourished have long been buried in the dust, but the tofu milk of Tangchang has become more and more brilliant in the baptism of time, and the Tangchang people who dare to be the first have experienced a long exploration, so that Tangchang curd milk has finally become a great landmark product.
Deep in the taste buds, the inseparable love affair of curd milk
Tofu milk, in our impression, should be a sparse and ordinary light meal, but it is such a simple meal, but it is full of countless scenes and stories of life. Adults leave home, drift away from home, taste the tofu milk of their hometown again, have you ever been moved to cry for a moment!
In the past, tofu milk was called "mud tofu" or "mud ash dumpling" by the locals in Tangchang, which means that it is soft and tender like white mud, as delicious and delicious as Shuzhong incense stick, which not only pins everyone's beautiful yearning for life, but also contains countless human feelings. At that time, because of economic conditions, tofu milk is not available to everyone, many people will choose to make their own tofu milk, choose their own harvested soybeans, and make them into their own favorite taste and appearance. In the simple furnishings, a journey of taste wonders begins to appear, the taste is strong or light, the color is dark or light, all with the unique taste and mellow aroma of the Tang Dynasty people. When the toiling villagers return from the fields, when the children return home from school with school bags, what awaits them is a meal of tofu milk and fragrant rice that blends the local customs, the family laughs and talks, and the purity of life and the warmth of family affection erase the tiredness on their faces and make them look forward to it.
A hearty meal marks the beginning of another journey, the era of inconvenient transportation, people travel far, will carry food that can be preserved for a long time, tofu milk has become the best choice for Tangchang people, tofu milk is not only used to feed the stomach, but also the taste of home that adults and children are used to. More than 20 years ago, children would carry a can of tofu milk made by their mothers and embark on the journey of studying alone, seemingly lonely road, because of the existence of a can of tofu milk, and became warm and flavorful. More than 20 years later, that wave of children has long grown up and gone their separate ways, and perhaps we can no longer remember the specific stories that happened around us, but those feelings that have long been rooted in the depths of memory have become an inseparable love affair over time.
Nowadays, all kinds of tofu milk are everywhere, and what can make you cry in an instant can only be the taste of hometown and relatives. Not only is it a kind of condiment for cooking, but it is also a feeling that changes with personnel for a longer time, as if in a moment, you can directly take you back to the place where you grew up, with the diffusion of taste, instantly reproduce the scene of your childhood mother packaging a can of tofu milk before we travel, a group of classmates around the tofu milk mouth of the picture, as if it happened yesterday, but can not be touched.
Every short stop is to take a longer road, when embarking on a journey again, walking a long or short road, eating simple or hearty dishes, the migration of people and food, never stops, and only the pure taste and the inseparable love can be retained.
Written by /Wang Qian Photo Editor/Wang Qian
Editor-in-Chief/Morning Dawn Editor/ss Design/ss