So-called "egg-infused tofu pudding" is made by cracking an egg into a bowl, then ladling boiling hot tofu pudding from a pot into the bowl, constantly stirring with a spoon to create egg flowers that are evenly integrated into the tofu pudding.
Add a spoonful of chili oil, chopped pickled vegetables, and top with small pieces of steamed beef. This makes a very authentic Ermei tofu pudding.
Aunt Zhao picked up a spoon and stirred from the bottom up, thoroughly mixing the toppings with the egg flowers and tofu pudding until they were perfectly blended.
The aroma of the steamed beef immediately wafted out with the steam.
"Gulp." Zhou Momo swallowed loudly beside her.
"Don't you like sweet tofu pudding? Why are you swallowing?" Aunt Zhao looked at her with a smile.
"Hmph, I just love sweet tofu pudding!" The little one hugged her hands and looked away.
"Slurp." Aunt Zhao scooped up a spoonful and fed it to her mouth, a satisfied smile on her face. She nodded and said, "Mmm, this is the taste, very authentic, exactly the same as the one I ate at in town when I was a kid."
"Sister, you're from Ermei too?" The boss's wife looked at Zhao Tieying with a hint of surprise.
"Yes, I'm from Heishui Village, Tianjing Commune." Zhao Tieying nodded with a smile. "Your tofu pudding is excellent, I've had it here twice already."
"We're from Suishan Town, we're even from the same hometown!" The boss's wife, beaming with pride after being recognized by her fellow townsmen, said with a smile, "The authentic recipe is definitely top notch! Here, let me add an extra serving of steamed pork intestines for you to try."
"Oh, sister, no need, no need, that's enough." Zhao Tieying quickly waved her hand.
"Don't be so polite, you don't need to pay extra." The boss's wife directly placed the small steamer basket on top of Zhao Tieying's bowl, covering it with a layer of steamed pork intestines, and didn't forget to say to Zhou Miao and his son Zhou Yan, "You should also try our steamed pork intestines, the taste is really quite good."
The father and son nodded eagerly.
Under the boss's wife's determined gaze, Zhou Yan picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of steamed pork intestines. The intestines were an enticing amber color, glistening with oil, and coated in rice flour.
Putting it in his mouth, the soft, chewy intestines and the smooth rice flour intertwined in his mouth, rich yet not greasy, soft and refreshing, fragrant and full-bodied—truly delicious!
"Delicious! The heat control and seasoning are just right. Absolutely perfect." Zhou Yan nodded in approval.
"I think so too." Zhou Miao agreed after taking a bite.
The boss's wife smiled smugly and asked, "Would you like some ka bing (a type of flatbread)? Our ka bing is very fragrant, and our customers love it when filled with steamed pork intestines and steamed beef."
Aunt Zhao smiled and said, "Two, one with pork intestines and one with beef."
"Sure, I'll make them for you." the boss's wife replied, happily going back to make the ka bing.
Aunt Zhao was from Ermei, her hometown was at the foot of Mount Ermei.
Zhou Yan's memories of his maternal grandmother's house were vague. Little Zhou had only been there two or three times, remembering large tea plantations.
Her maternal grandmother was a short, elderly woman. Her maternal grandfather had passed away many years ago, and he had two uncles.
They lived not far away, but they didn't visit each other often.
"Mommy, let me try some for you." Zhou Momo leaned closer, gazing at her expectantly, her big eyes filled with longing.
"It's a little spicy, you can only have a small bite." Aunt Zhao used a spoon to scoop a little chili oil from the side, wrapped it around a piece of steamed beef, and fed it to Zhou Momo.
"Aww~" The little one opened her mouth and took it in one bite, chewing happily, then began: "Shh~ Shh~~ Delicious! But a little spicy!"
"Here, sweetie, your sweet tofu pudding." The boss brought over Zhou Momo's tofu pudding and placed it in front of her.
The tofu pudding was pure white, with less than a third of it being a thick starch paste.
This was the first time Zhou Yan had ever seen sweet tofu pudding like this in Jiazhou.
Zhou Momo was getting to eat the special version, being cute certainly gave her an advantage.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Zhou Momo called out, picking up her spoon and starting to eat. She slurped and slurped, one bite after another, not forgetting to look up and exclaim, "So sweet! So delicious!"
The owner rubbed his hands together, his smile growing even brighter.
It's alright, the sweet tofu pudding is only sold to her!
Zhou Yan and Comrade Old Zhou's tofu pudding arrived too.
Zhou Yan's was topped with steamed pork intestines, but the portion... seemed a bit too much?
It practically filled the bowl, completely unlike his impression.
He glanced up at the boss's wife next door, arms crossed, looking utterly unconvinced.
He got it!
It's a business war!
Zhou Yan picked up his chopsticks and stirred the tofu pudding from the bottom up. Niu Hua Tofu Pudding's specialty is a base of sweet potato starch and a spoonful of beef broth. When the sweet potato starch is turned over, it is immediately covered with the starch paste and tofu pudding dyed red by red oil, and each soybean and steamed pork intestine is garnished on top.
Rather than tofu pudding, Zhou Yan felt it was more like... tofu pudding noodles?
He slurped up a mouthful of "noodles" first.
The sweet potato starch, coated with starch paste and tofu, are smooth and bouncy, with a rich texture and an amazing flavor!
The numbing spiciness, savory aroma, hint of vinegar, and a touch of sweetness created a rather complex seasoning flavor, somewhat similar to the seasoning for cold chicken dish.
Zhou Yan ordered the extra spicy version, so the spiciness was more pronounced, but not a dry spiciness, it was a fragrant spiciness. The delicious beef broth further enhanced the tofu pudding.
It tastes amazing!
Even better than the Niu Hua tofu pudding he remember.
He tried a piece of steamed pork intestines with rice flour. It was soft, chewy, and spicy, with a wonderful aroma. The rice flour was a bit coarser than the Ermei faction's, giving it a slightly different texture, but it was delicious!
No wonder she dared to challenge the Ermei faction head on, she's an elder from the Niu Hua faction!
Zhou Yan's slurping of tofu pudding was so enticing that even Zhou Momo, who was engrossed in her tofu pudding, couldn't help but look up at him.
"Don't even think about it. Your Guo Guo is eating the extra spicy version. One bite and you'll cry." Aunt Zhao ruthlessly shattered her illusions.
Zhou Momo turned to look at Comrade Old Zhou.
Comrade Old Zhou hadn't mixed his tofu pudding yet. Seeing her looking over, he smiled and used chopsticks to put two fried dough sticks in her spoon.
"runch, crunch!
The little one chewed with a satisfying crunch, continuing to eat with great enjoyment.
Comrade Old Zhou also began to bury his head in his tofu pudding.
Jia Jiang style is a return to simplicity, featuring classic thickened tofu pudding with added toppings. After mixing, one bite offers a delightful interplay of crispy, soft, and smooth textures, accompanied by a sweet, sour, spicy and numbing flavor. Every mouthful is bursting with toppings, making it an excellent choice.
The Ka Bing (a type of flatbread) arrived quickly.
The owner kindly cut it in half for them, so each person could eat half.
The Ka Bing is somewhat similar to a Rou Jia Mo. The small flatbread, slightly golden after being pan fried, is split in half and filled with steamed beef or pork intestines. It's plump and reveals the filling when cut open.
"Eat it while it's hot! You can ask for more if you want." the boss's wife said with a smile.
"Okay." Aunt Zhao replied, handing Zhou Momo half a steamed beef Ka Bing, blowing on it to cool it before giving it to her so she could eat it herself.
The steamed beef with rice flour has a milder flavor, with a slight spiciness, which Zhou Momo likes.
Zhou Yan wanted the other half of the steamed beef Ka Bing.
He took a bite and found the crust of the Ka Bing to be soft yet chewy. Inside, it was filled with tender and steamed beef with rice floor. The texture and flavor were superb, and it became more and more fragrant with each chew. It was truly delicious.
After finishing, he added a bite of tofu pudding and the combination was simply divine!
It was a bit small, and it was all gone in two bites and leaving him a little hungry.
Since it was a rare treat to eat in town, Zhou Yan didn't want to just eat crispy Ka Bing. He glanced around and spotted a shumai shop with a "Hai Hui Yuan" sign, his eyes immediately lighting up.
"You guys enjoy your meal. I'll go buy two baskets of shumai." Zhou Yan said, getting up and walking over.
Jiazhou's shumai is a famous local snack, quite different from what most people imagine.
Hai Hui Yuan is a must eat for Zhou Yan everytime he visits Jiazhou. The shumai has a thin crust and generous filling, served with a bowl of Kelp Chicken Soup. If he'd had a late night drinking, a bowl of this in the morning would be incredibly comforting.
He never imagined this shop had been located on Dong Da Street for over forty years ago. It has two storefronts, with tall stacks of steaming bamboo steamers puffing out of the doorway. There were already quite a few customers sitting at the small tables inside the shop and outside.
This isn't even peak dining time yet, which shows how good the business is.
Zhou Yan glanced at the price list.
Fresh pork shumai: 0.35 yuan/basket; Chicken shumai: 0.35 yuan/basket; Three delicacies shumai: 0.35 yuan/basket; Beef shumai: 0.5 yuan/basket.
Zhou Yan stepped forward, and an older woman immediately asked with a smile, "Young man, want some shumai?"
"Auntie, two baskets of fresh pork shumai. We sit over there and eat Ermei tofu pudding." Zhou Yan said with a smile.
Later at Hai Hui Yuan, his favorite dish was fresh pork shumai. As a chef, he couldn't imagine what chicken shumai would taste like, and as for beef, he'd eaten too much lately and didn't want to eat it.
"Okay, I just steamed two baskets. I'll bring them to you. I can come and collect the steamers myself later." The auntie replied with a smile, and immediately brought down two small baskets for him. She picked them all into one basket with chopsticks, making sixteen in total, filling it to the brim.
Zhou Yan took out a yuan and handed it over. He then took the steamer, the thirty cents in change, and two red oil dipping dishes from the auntie's hand. He carried it back to the table and placed it in the middle.
"Wow, is this bok choy?" Zhou Momo had already finished her sweet tofu pudding. She looked up and saw the shumai that had been placed down, and her eyes lit up immediately.
Jiazhou's shumai have paper thin, almost translucent wrappers filled with a generous amount of meat. Unlike steamed buns, they don't seal inwards. Instead, they unfold like lotus leaves, resembling a small bok choy.
"Everyone says this shop's shumai is delicious. I've been to Dong Da Street several times, but I've never tried it." Aunt Zhao said with a smile, picking one up for Zhou Momo first: "Here, have one first."
Zhou Momo reached out and pinched the lotus leaf edge, exclaiming excitedly, "So pretty!"
Then she opened her mouth wide and took a bite.
The paper-thin wrapper burst open in one bite, releasing a burst of juicy meat. Inside was a flavorful pork and scallion filling, the meat chopped into pieces, slightly fatty, with glistening juices dripping from Zhou Momo's lips.
The little one's eyes lit up!
One bite and it was all meat!
Soft and fluffy!
It's so delicious!