A Huizhou specialty of mold-ripened tofu: firm tofu is left to ferment until a coat of fine white mycelium grows over it, then pan-fried in shallow oil until the surface blisters into a wrinkled, tawny crust — the "tiger skin" of the name — and finished in a soy-and-scallion braise. Frying and braising turn the soft, mold-ripened block savoury and complex: crisp-edged and golden outside, creamy and faintly cheese-like within. It is served hot, often with a dab of chilli paste, a famous taste of old Huizhou.
Hairy tofu is a fermented bean-curd tradition of the Huizhou region in southern Anhui, where the damp hill climate suits the mold. Folk tale links it to Zhu Yuanzhang, the future Ming founder: as the story goes, while on the run near Xiuning his men found some hidden tofu already grown over with mold, grilled it for want of anything else, and he found it delicious — later ordering army cooks to make it. The legend is told for colour rather than as record; the dish is more honestly a thrifty country way of preserving and transforming tofu, and the craft is listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage.
A crackle as the fork breaks the wrinkled tiger-skin crust, then a soft, almost custardy interior. The flavour is savoury and rounded — the sharp note of fresh tofu mellowed by fermentation into something deep and faintly funky, closer to a young soft cheese than to plain bean curd. Soy and scallion lend a salty-sweet gloss; a smear of chilli paste cuts through the richness. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan.
Fermentation does the transforming. Cut tofu is salted and left in a cool, humid place for a few days; airborne Mucor molds settle and grow, sending out the fuzz of white mycelium that gives the dish its name. Their proteases break the tofu's soy protein down into free amino acids — including tyrosine and other savoury, glutamate-rich compounds — which is the source of the deep umami and cheese-like aroma, along with added B vitamins. In the pan, shallow frying drives off surface moisture and sets the protein into the blistered, tawny tiger-skin crust through browning; the soy braise then seasons the soft interior. By the look of the fuzz, cooks even grade it into "tiger", "mouse", "rabbit" and "cotton" furs.
Variations
The classic Huizhou way is to pan-fry then braise with soy and scallion; some shops simply deep-fry the blocks and serve them with a chilli dipping sauce, others grill them over charcoal as a street snack. Heat ranges from a gentle savoury braise to a sharp chilli finish, and the depth of flavour rises with how long the mold has been allowed to grow.
On the Palate
Where Tiger-Skin Hairy Tofu sits in the Chinese flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 3
How it's made
7 steps · 2 days
- 115 min
Cut firm tofu into thick slabs, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set on a cloth-lined tray in a cool, humid place.
- 22880 min
Leave a few days until an even coat of fine white mold mycelium covers each piece.
Watch outLeave it until an even coat of fine white fuzz covers each piece — patchy or grey-green growth means it's off; you want clean white mycelium.
- 35 min
Heat shallow oil in a pan and lay in the hairy tofu pieces.
- 410 min
Pan-fry over medium heat, turning, until both sides blister into a wrinkled, golden-tawny tiger-skin crust.
Watch outPan-fry until both sides blister into a wrinkled tawny crust — that tiger-skin wrinkle is the sign the surface has set; a smooth pale face means it's underdone.
- 53 min
Add minced ginger and a splash of soy sauce, with a little sugar and water.
- 68 min
Braise briefly so the seasoning soaks into the soft interior and the liquid reduces to a gloss.
- 72 min
Scatter with scallion (and a dab of chilli paste, if liked) and serve hot.
