Snack · Fermented & fried

Mao Doufu (Hairy Tofu)

📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

The fuzzy white coating covering each block is a living mold, deliberately cultivated for days — the tofu is meant to look furry, not spoiled.

Fresh tofu is inoculated with a mold culture and fermented until white, hair-like filaments grow across its surface, then pan-fried with scallions and chili until crisp.

Why it's made this way: The region's humid, subtropical climate around Huangshan suits the mold fermentation, used in Anhui since at least the Qing dynasty.