Tofu Pudding

Douhua (dòuhuā, literally 'bean flower', called dòufu fā in Cantonese) is fresh soy milk coagulated at the point just before it sets into firm tofu — the texture is barely-there, quivering and spoonable, somewhere between warm yoghurt and a custard that has not quite set. It is one of the oldest processed soy foods in Chinese culinary history, predating firm tofu by several centuries in some accounts.

The production is straightforward: dried soybeans are soaked, ground with water, strained and brought to a simmer. A coagulant — calcium sulphate (gypsum) in the southern tradition, or sometimes magnesium chloride (nigari) — is stirred in. The soy milk curdles gently and is ladled into the serving vessel before it can contract further.

The great regional divide is sweet versus savoury. Northern China — Beijing, Shandong, Sichuan — serves douhua with savoury toppings: a drizzle of soy sauce, sesame paste, chilli oil, pickled vegetables, dried shrimp and sometimes a spoonful of braised minced pork. Chengdu's version leans heavily on the chilli oil, making it a full snack in itself. Southern China and Taiwan prefer the sweet version: warm douhua in a shallow pool of rock-sugar ginger syrup, osmanthus syrup or sweetened red bean. The argument over which version represents the 'correct' preparation is a source of reliable regional food argument in China.

Freshly made douhua from a tofu shop — poured directly from the pressing frame within hours of production — has a mild, clean soy flavour and a custard-like delicacy that commercially packaged silken tofu never replicates. It is fundamentally a morning food, available at tofu shops from early morning until the batch sells out.