As the old Chinese saying goes, "there are three hardships in life, forging iron, sailing boats, and selling bean curd".In the central region of Zhejiang Province, there exists a kind of food that people can't resist—bean curd crust, among which the most famous one is in Pujiang Zhejiang Province, with a history of more than 1200 years and a successful registration for Intangible Cultural Heritage. Unfortunately, the traditional craft is facing its own dilemma—The no successor problem.
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In this small shaded workshop of less than 15 square meters, 12 large pots are placed. Zhang Meixian and Zheng Xiufeng, her husband, who are both in their seventies, are the owners of this small workshop and have been engaged in producing bean curd crust for more than 50 years.
"When we were young, we relied on this business to support the whole family, and it was like our golden beans. We've been doing this the whole time. Now that we're older, we would like our son to do the work, yet he feels it's too tough for him." Said Zhang Meixian.
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The soybean milk is loaded into 12 pots and heated at a in a stable temperature, which is controlled by their years of experience. These tools are not only the best witness of their decades of practice but also the necessity of making bean curd crust.
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"The condensation and picking of the crust may require skills. If the heat is not well controlled, the crust will be too chewy or too tender, and it will affect the taste. If the picking is not properly done, the crust will break and affect its appearance." Zhang Meixian explains.
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With a flexible bamboo strip stretched into the soybean milk, she gently lifts the oil film and lays it on another bamboo stick, and it is then inserted into a custom-made wooden frame to allow the bean curd crust to dry naturally. This is a move that Zhang Meixian has to repeat more than a thousand times when she makes them.
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Each time 40kg of soybeans are consumed to produce about 15kg of bean curd crust, with the price of 80 Yuan per Kg . The couple only makes it twice a week due to their old age. Excluding costs, they earn around 5,000 Yuan a month as a living allowance. Zhang Meixian says, "I am quite satisfied with my life and hope that there are younger generations who will join the industry and pass on the legacy of bean curd crust making."
Photo by Liu Jian
10/2022
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