A knife and a trace of ingenuity, Nanjing Wensi tofu, hidden Jiangnan Huaiyang elegant style

the elegance of Nanjing is hidden in the ancient rhyme of green bricks and tiles, and even in a bowl of fresh and elegant Vince tofu. This famous Huaiyang dish, which originates from Jinling and is famous all over the world, does not have the strength of thick oil and red sauce, and does not have the luxury of delicacies and seafood. It only uses a piece of tender tofu and a thin-edged knife to cut out tofu shreds as thin as hair. It is simmered in clear chicken soup. The color of the soup is clear. The tofu shreds in the soup, it is also the ultimate embodiment of Chinese knife work and food aesthetics, the elegant responsibility of Nanjing banquets, and the intangible ingenuity and delicacy of Huaiyang cuisine.

I am Wen Shuyun, 29 years old, a native of Xuanwu District, Nanjing. I have been sharing Jinling classic banquet dishes and Huaiyang flavor in howcooks for four years. I have a gentle and quiet temper and prefer light and elegant dishes that pay attention to the original flavor. I have been influenced by my uncle who made Huaiyang cuisine since I was a child, and I am well versed in the exquisite and essence of Wensi tofu. I never admire fancy dishes, but I have a special liking for this seemingly simple but actually extremely difficult Vince tofu. It is not a snack that can be seen everywhere on the street, it is the finale of the banquet, it is the portrayal of Jiangnan food "never weary of fine food", and it is the most elegant appearance of Nanjing food in my heart.

When I first met Wensi tofu, it was the first clean dish cooked by my uncle when I was a child at a family dinner. At that time, when I was young, I only thought this dish was particularly beautiful. The tender white bean curd shreds were so thin that they could pierce needles. They floated in the clear chicken soup, dotted with some green green vegetable shreds and orange carrot shreds. Like a Jiangnan ink painting, they were so beautiful that they could not bear to use chopsticks. My uncle said that Wensi tofu is a "touchstone" to test the chef's knife skills. It seems that ordinary tender tofu should be cut into uniform and non-rotten hair without more than ten years of basic skills. It was the first time I understood that food is not only a fruit, but also a craft and ingenuity.

After growing up and slowly savoring, I can understand the moving of Wensi tofu, which never stops at knife work. Its taste is extremely clear and moist. The bean curd shreds do not need to be chewed at the entrance, but will be dissolved with a gentle sip, leaving only the fresh mellow of bean flavor and chicken soup. There is no fishy smell, no thick, refreshing, warm and tasty. It is suitable for appetizing before meals or clearing after meals. Nanjing, as an important birthplace of Huaiyang cuisine, Vince tofu has long been integrated into the local food context. Whether it is a banquet in a high-end restaurant or a special family banquet in a local family, this elegant dish is indispensable. It represents the delicacy and restraint of Nanjing food, conforms to the gentle and modest temperament of Jiangnan people, does not have a flamboyant taste, but can make people unforgettable.

Vince tofu is a classic Huaiyang famous dish, which originated in Nanjing in the Qing Dynasty. It has a history of more than 300 years. It is also one of the representative dishes of Huaiyang cuisine, a national intangible cultural heritage. Legend has it that this dish was pioneered by Yangzhou Wensi monk, and then introduced to Jinling. After being continuously improved by Nanjing chefs, it has become a classic dish with unique characteristics of Jinling. In ancient times, Vince tofu was a feast delicacy for the court and large families. Now it has entered the public's field of vision and is still a boutique dish that tests cooking skills. Its core essence lies in "cutting skills, clear soup and fresh taste". It selects tender tofu with firm texture. After removing the old skin, it is first sliced into thin slices as cicada's wings, and then cut into bean curd shreds as thin as hair. The thickness is uniform and there is no fracture. The soup head is made of clear chicken soup stewed slowly for several hours by old hens, skimming off the floating oil, leaving only mellow fresh, and adding bean shreds, adding bean shreds, and adding shreds to the soup to, only a few vegetables and ham are used to decorate and improve the color, retain the original taste of the ingredients to the greatest extent, and achieve the ultimate minimalism. It is a perfect interpretation of Chinese food aesthetics.

I sincerely recommend you to try the authentic Nanjing Wensi tofu. First, it is a non-legacy product of Huaiyang cuisine. It carries 300 years of dietary context. It is the ultimate embodiment of Chinese knife work and cooking aesthetics. It is not only delicious, but also inherits 100 years of ingenuity and Jiangnan food culture. It is full of details. Second, the taste is elegant and elegant, the bean curd shreds are fine but not rotten, instant in the mouth, the soup is fresh, the soup is not smooth and smooth, and smooth, there is no fishy feeling, suitable for all ages, especially for people who do not like heavy taste and prefer light flavor. Third, cooking is healthy and healthy, with tender tofu and clear chicken soup as the main ingredients, low-fat and high-protein, no heavy oil, heavy and spicy, no excess additives, and warm and nourishing the stomach, which meets the current dietary needs of healthy and healthy health. Fourth, the color of soup is clear and bright, bean curd is slender, and slender, with various colors, the banquet was elegant on the table, and the family banquet was full of style. Fifth, with distinctive regional characteristics, it is a landmark dish of Nanjing Huaiyang flavor. Different from other local dishes, one bite can feel the delicacy and elegance of Jiangnan food, and it is a classic banquet dish that must be tasted in Nanjing.

Authentic Nanjing Wensi tofu, every step is hidden with extreme attention, can not tolerate any carelessness. Choosing tofu is the basis. Tender tofu with firm texture and no pores must be selected. Tofu with loose texture cannot be shredded at all. Knife is the core. Chefs need to calm down. First, slice the tofu into uniform slices, then cut into shreds at a uniform speed, with uniform strength throughout the process, so as to ensure that each tofu shreds are of uniform thickness. After cutting, put it into clear and spread out. Soup is soul, only leave the bottom of the fresh soup, simmer slowly over a small fire to avoid breaking the shredded bean curd over a large fire, and garnish a few side dishes before leaving the pan. No additional seasoning is required, and the original taste is delicious enough. It is difficult to re-carve the ultimate knife work of the restaurant at home, but the elegant taste can make people truly feel the unique charm of Jiangnan cuisine.

In Nanjing, most of the people who really do a good job of Wensi tofu are old masters who have been deeply cultivating Huaiyang cuisine for many years. They have settled down to polish their craft and do not pursue quick success, just to keep the authenticity and ingenuity of this dish. Nowadays, many people prefer heavy-tasted food, but ignore this extremely elegant taste, while Vince tofu is like the city of Nanjing, low-key and introverted, but it has its own character, not publicity, but it is amazing enough. It taught me that the real delicious, never need to rely on strong flavor Bo eyeball, minimalist flavor, the ultimate ingenuity, can most impress people.

When I share Jinling cuisine in howcooks, I always recommend Vince tofu, not because it is a niche and advanced, but because it best represents the elegant temperament of Nanjing and the inheritance and ingenuity of Huaiyang cuisine. This seemingly light bowl of tofu soup hides the warmth of the south of the Yangtze River, the ingenuity of the chef, and the 300-year-old dietary context. Each bite is full of charm.

If you also prefer the elegant original taste and appreciate the ingenuity of Chinese cooking, you must try the authentic Nanjing Vince tofu. Instead of pursuing luxurious restaurants, you can find an old local restaurant that cultivates Huaiyang cuisine deeply to taste this extremely elegant delicacy. If you come to Nanjing, you might as well sit down and taste a bowl of Wensi tofu after visiting Zhongshan Mausoleum and Confucius Temple, feel the elegance and gentleness of Jiangnan food, and experience the first heart of craftsmen in a knife. Do you prefer this elegant and authentic dish? Have you ever tasted the authentic Vince tofu? Please leave a message in the comment area, or come to the howcooks to find me to unlock more stories and charm of Jinling classic Huaiyang cuisine.