There are three beauties in Taian City of which the local people are proud: Chinese cabbage, tofu and Taishan spring water. Li Bai and Du Fu, two great poets of Tang Dynasty, had visited Taishan (Mt. Tai) for many times and tried out all sorts of dishes made from the three beauties.
Taishan tofu has a history of more than two thousand years. Tofu (豆腐) in Chinese implies the meaning of “All are happy”, and is also the symbol of happiness.
Snow-white and tender, Taishan tofu has some characteristics, such as high yield, high elasticity, delicious flavour and rich nutrition, and it is not easy to become hardened and broken after a long time cooking.
Furthermore, the groundwater used to make Taishan tofu comes from the springs of Taishan Mountain, which is known as “magic water of Taishan” for its freshness and sweetness. Hence, Taishan tofu is also called “magic tofu of Taishan”.
The particular making process of Taishan tofu includes simple grinding, fine grinding, cooking, adding gypsum, and shaping.
The concrete making method of Taishan tofu:
Simple grinding. Press the high-quality soybeans into soybean grits by the use of a stone roller which are produced in the North and carefully chosen.
Fine grinding. Put the soybean grits into water for half a day, grind them into milk in a stone roller, and squeeze the soybean milk out from the soybean milk bag.
Boiling the soybean milk. Put the soyabean milk in a large iron pot, boil the soybean milk by burning the fruit tree branches, and pour the boiled soybean milk into a big vat with the ladle.
Adding gypsum. Adding gypsum into the big vat of soybean milk. The white power on scale is gypsum, the key to turn soy milk into tofu.
Shaping. Put a piece of cloth on the bottom of the wooden bean curd mold, pour the jellied bean curd into the mold, cover it with a cloth, put the board on it, and press it with a stone.
泰山豆腐
泰安有三美：白菜、豆腐、水，指的就是泰山豆腐，泰安白菜和泰山泉水。李白和杜甫曾多次上泰山，并品尝”泰安三美“，有诗曰“游山不来品三美，泰山风光没赏全。”
泰山豆腐迄今已有两千多年的历史，豆腐寓意“都福”的意思,是福气的象征。
泰安豆腐好吃，做法也颇有讲究，制作经过分为碾糁、磨浆、煮浆、下膏、成型。泰安豆腐色白如雪，鲜嫩如乳，看着水汪汪且有弹性、久煮不老不碎、营养丰富等特点；还因所用的地下水来自泰山岩体裂隙流出的泉水，甘甜清冽，被古人誉为“泰山神水”；再就是出豆腐率高，非常神奇，故被称为“泰山神豆腐”。
泰山豆腐的制作工艺是:
- 碾糁。精选北方优质黄豆,在石碾上压成豆糁;
- 磨浆。将豆糁放入水中浸泡半天后,在石磨上磨制成浆,然后经过摋豆浆包挤压出浆;
- 煮浆。将豆浆放在大铁锅里,用木柴最好是果树枝子烧煮豆浆,将煮熟的豆浆用瓢浇入大缸内;
- 下膏。将浇入大缸内的豆浆“下膏”,让豆浆凝固成豆腐脑;
- 成型。将木质的豆腐模具底部铺上一块布,将豆腐脑倒进模具里,上面再盖上布,放上木板,用石头压住。
图一 黄豆
第一步，碾糁。精选北方优质黄豆，在石碾上轧成豆糁。(1. Simple grinding)
图二 磨浆
第二步，磨浆。将浸泡后的豆糁在石磨上磨制成浆。（2.Fine grinding）
图三 煮浆
第三步，煮浆。将磨好的豆浆放在大铁锅里煮。(3. Boiling the soybean milk)
图四 下膏
第四步，下膏。将浇入大缸内的豆浆下膏。(4.Adding gypsum)
图五 成型
第五步，成型，将豆腐脑放进木制的模具内，然后用石头压。(5.Shaping)
口感鲜嫩的泰山豆腐做成了。
Now we have made it!
Taishan tofu tastes more fresh and tender. Welcome to China, welcome to Taishan.
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