Unlike the sweet renditions of douhua, or tofu pudding, found all around China, Shanghai’s douhua is conventionally eaten only for breakfast and in a savory format.
Dribbled with aged vinegar, soy sauce, and chili oil, a bowl is rounded out by a fistful of chopped scallions and cilantro. More elaborate versions arrive tableside, topped with pickled mustard tubers, crushed peanuts, dried shrimp, and fried mung beans.
The name translates to “tofu bloom.” Hot, fresh soymilk coagulates with cornstarch and calcium sulfate, giving the dish its signature silken texture. Before it’s pressed into the firm tofu found in supermarkets, the whey-surrounded curds “blossom,” absorbing the flavors and textures around them.
Ladled out warm and luscious, this trembly soy milk custard is delicate, mild, and earthy, enhanced by umami-rich accompaniments. The quintessential pairing, a fried youtiao —orChinese cruller — acts as ideal dipping fodder.
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