The Most Famous Snacks of Anhui, Representative Dishes of Hu Cai Cuisine, and Featured on CCTV’s ‘A Bite of China’
When talking about tourism in Anhui, the well-known Huangshan Scenic Area, the traditional Hui architecture, and the ancient villages of Hui, these are all the most representative tourist destinations in Anhui. However, in addition to the famous scenic spots, the food in Anhui is also unique and distinctive, and it can be said that everyone knows Hui cuisine, but have everyone truly understood Hui cuisine? Of course not, most people only know Hui cuisine as one of China's eight cuisines, and is a local specialty of the ancient Hui state.
Hui cuisine originated in the Hui state during the Southern Song Dynasty. Due to the rise of Hui merchants during the Ming and Qing dynasties, this local flavor gradually entered shops and gained widespread influence, once ranking first among the eight cuisines. Anyone who truly understands Hui cuisine should know that Hui cuisine's biggest characteristic is using local ingredients. Everyone who travels to Anhui for tourism has tasted Hui cuisine, such as Huizhou Mao Doufu (), braised stinky mandarin fish, pickled mandarin fish, and Huangshan stewed pigeon – these are representative dishes. Today, let's take a look at Huizhou Mao Doufu.
Mao Doufu is made by artificially fermenting tofu, resulting in a layer of white (mó máo) growing on the surface, hence the name 'Mao Doufu'. Those unfamiliar with it may think it's similar to stinky tofu. Stinky tofu and Mao Doufu are completely different delicacies. The (mó máo) on Mao Doufu is actually a type of edible fungus, similar to dried shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms, which is formed through natural fermentation. It doesn't add any seasonings or preservatives and is rich in amino acids, vitamin B12, and other nutrients. In contrast, stinky tofu is created by soaking a mixture of broth and seasonings. Stinky tofu has a strong pungent smell, which Mao Doufu doesn't have.
Mao Doufu gained popularity after being featured on CCTV's 'A Bite of China' (). It has become a favorite subject for many large media outlets, such as CCTV4's 'Walking Into China' (), Anhui's televised 'Civilized China' (), Tourism Channel's 'Civilized China' (), Haikou Channel's 'Times Taste' (), and Anhui Channel's 'Helpful Girl' (), as well as Sichuan Channel's 'Taste from afar' (), all of which filmed Hui region's Mao Doufu.
In fact, the origin of Mao Doufu has a legend, which you can learn about if you're interested. There are many ways to eat Mao Doufu, and pan-fried is a way to best showcase the original flavor in a simple and rustic way.
During this experience, we participated in a fun and humorous pan-fried Mao Doufu process at Cloud Hui Cuisine. A small official () carried a (dànzi) to make Mao Doufu for each guest on the spot, and he also specifically explained that Mao Doufu must be pan-fried using tea seed oil to maintain the original flavor. Once the oil is hot to 80% temperature, the Mao Doufu is fried until both sides are golden yellow, and then served with homemade chili sauce.
When traveling to Hui, if you don't eat Mao Doufu, it's like coming to Hui for nothing. You can see Mao Doufu's figure everywhere in Hui. Mao Doufu is not only a famous dish but also a famous snack. We recommend tasting it when you visit this area.
