Hairy tofu

Soy milk curdled and pressed — a blank page that takes on whatever it's cooked with.

What to do with it

Classics built on it

AnhuiHairy tofuBlocks of tofu left to grow a coat of fine white mould, then pan-fried golden and eaten with chilli sauce or braised in soy.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

Silken: Unpressed, custard-soft.
Soft: For mapo tofu and soups.
Firm: Pressed, for frying and stir-fries.

Knowing it

Where to buy: Chinese, Japanese or Korean grocers, fresh if you can.

Kitchens that keep it in

Anhui province, eastern ChinaAnhuiMountain cooking from old Huizhou: bamboo shoots, mushrooms and cured things, braised long and dark, with a taste for the fermented — stinky fish and hairy tofu.8 classics