Dried beancurd stick
Dried sticks of soy milk skin: the film that forms on simmering soy milk is lifted, folded and dried into brittle golden rods. Soaked soft and added mid-to-late in the boil, it half-melts into the pot, releasing a gentle soy creaminess that thickens and mellows the broth, the signature body of pepper and pig's stomach soup and beancurd-ginkgo sweet soup.
TCM properties
Nature · neutral Flavour · sweet、bland Meridians · lung、spleen、stomach
Traditional food therapy
In Cantonese food therapy beancurd stick is used to moisten the lungs and ease dryness while nurturing the stomach, hence its place in autumn sweet soups.
Cautions: read first
- Not for people with gout (soy products carry purines).
- People with kidney disease should watch their protein intake.
Preparation
Soak in warm water until soft and snip into lengths; it dissolves easily in soup, so add it partway through rather than at the start.
Origin
Made all over China; the beancurd skin of Shiping in Yunnan has a long-standing name. AU Asian grocers stock Yunnan Shiping cut yuba and yuba sticks
Availability in Australia
Easy to find
