Chapter 222: Form Is No Different from Emptiness, Emptiness Is No Different from Form (1 / 2)
Little Bai Ze’s eyes were filled with the image of the chef cooking shredded dried tofu.
This “shredded tofu,” you see, is made from tofu sheets cut into fine strips—it’s a specialty of Yangzhou cuisine.
The crown prince crouched beside him, enthusiastically explaining, “Let me tell you, good shredded tofu has to be made from Yangzhou’s dried tofu. It’s thin, resilient, and absorbs flavors exceptionally well. Tofu from other places just lacks the same depth. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to bring it here, so we have to settle for dried tofu from the capital, which is a real pity.”
“But I specially brought back the best chef in Yangzhou for this dish. He can slice a single piece of dried tofu into thirty-six strands, each as fine as a horsehair. Ordinary chefs can only manage sixteen, and the most skilled ones barely reach twenty.”
Xu Yanmiao watched the chef skillfully transform the tofu into delicate strands, soaking them twice to remove any beany odor. Then, the strands were tossed into a pot of rich, oil-skimmed broth. The tofu absorbed the essence of chicken soup before the chef added finely sliced ham, bamboo shoots, silverfish, wood ear mushrooms, button mushrooms, seaweed, egg crepe, and chicken strips. The dish was cooked and simmered repeatedly, allowing the eight flavors to seep into the tofu.
“I’m telling you,” the crown prince said, wiping the corner of his mouth, “this is the most common preparation. Since it’s your first time trying it, we went with this version. There are other variations like crispy fish in gravy, crispy fish with soy, crab roe, kidney flowers, and chicken skin—all excellent. My personal favorite is adding shrimp and scallops—one word: fresh!”
Xu Yanmiao could only nod along.
When the soft, flavorful shredded tofu dish was finally served, Xu Yanmiao devoured a full bowl in no time. Not satisfied, he even lifted the bowl to drink all the soup.
The crown prince, more restrained, poured himself a cup of strong tea. He alternated between sipping tea and eating tofu, his actions deliberate and refined.