Dianjiang Stone-Milled Bean Curd

◎重庆市第十八中学校初2023 级27 班 龚子函 指导教师：黄忠雪

垫江石磨豆花的配方、制作，自有其历史渊源和独特之处。垫江石磨豆花中，米饭、豆花、蘸水密不可分,且调料丰富，多达十余种。

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(凝结剂) such as gypsum(石膏 ) or nigari(盐卤) 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.