Ancient Foodie Survival Guide Chapter 14
Tled by Serena Love
Edited by Azure and unsaltedfish
Chapter 14: Tofu Pudding
The sweet vs. salty debate was one of the most infamous online wars. When it comes to eating, foodies would never yield, therefore, even though both the sweet and savory parties had been battling for several years, an agreement was still never reached.
Savory tofu pudding, topped with chopped scallions and bits of pickled mustard greens, drizzled with sauce and chili oil, and paired with a golden, crispy, and airy fried dough stick—such a simple combination was enough to make one’s day.
Sweet tofu, on the other hand, was more likely to attract those with a sweet tooth. The tender, piping hot tofu pudding was drizzled with syrup. It melted as soon as it entered your mouth, releasing a refreshing bean flavor. This combination made it both a staple and a dessert.
By this time period, brown sugar had already appeared. Made from natural sugarcane, it boasted a mellow and sweet flavor. The ‘Compendium of Materia Medica*’ once recorded that brown sugar “in solid form is like stone, in scattered form like sand; it is warm in nature, soothing to the spleen and easing to the liver,” noting its medicinal properties.
(TLN: The Bencao gangmu, known in English as the Compendium of Materia Medica or Great Pharmacopoeia, is an encyclopedic gathering of medicine, natural history, and Chinese herbology compiled and edited by Li Shizhen and published in the late 16th century, during the Ming dynasty.)
Jiang Shuyao made both to see which one fit the Old Madam's taste.
The Old Madam ate the uninspiring breakfast. Although she hadn't yet seen the two bowls of tofu pudding, she felt a lingering ache, causing her to feel awkward and uncomfortable throughout the meal.
Xu-shi stood by, attending to the Old Madam’s meal. Naturally, she did not need to worry about being caught stealing glances at that bowl of tofu pudding. That glistening white, quivering delicacy seemed to be topped with brown sugar. It looked even smoother and more tender than tofu itself; she couldn’t help but wonder what it might taste like.
Just the thought of the syrup mingling with that silken, piping-hot tofu pudding made Xu-shi’s mouth water.
As a dutiful daughter-in-law who had served her mother-in-law for many years, she naturally noticed the Old Madam’s discomfort. However, she had no intention of speaking up, much less helping Jiang Shuyao curry favor.
She glanced at the sweet tofu pudding, thinking how it wouldn’t taste good when it got cold.
As they pondered their own thoughts, someone suddenly rushed in from outside.
"Mother!" Xie Pei's voice was heard before she had even arrived.
She rushed in and found that the Old Madam was still eating breakfast, so she greeted her perfunctorily and approached with a smile.
The Old Madam spoiled her, and seeing this, said helplessly, "Why did you get up so early today?"
"Mother, have you forgotten? I'm going out to play polo with He Wanyao and the others today."
"You, you," The Old Madam poked her forehead, "I've never seen you not sleep in before."
Xie Pei shrank her head, dodging her mother, and said, "I just came to tell you, I'm going out right away."
"What's the rush? Have you eaten breakfast yet?" The Old Madam saw through Xie Pei, noticing that she had just gotten up. She guessed that she was just going to eat some pastries on the road to cushion her stomach.
"No..." Xie Pei replied reluctantly. She knew that her mother definitely wouldn't let her go without breakfast.
Sure enough, as soon as her voice fell, the Old Madam ordered people to set up a meal.
Xie Pei was in such a hurry that there was no time to wait for the maids to go back and forth to the kitchen to prepare meals. She saw two bowls of tofu pudding on the table and said, "I'll just eat this. What is this? I’ve never seen it before."
Xu-shi and the Old Madam were stunned, no one answered.
Seeing this, Xie Pei hesitated and said, "Is this edible?"
The Old Madam looked embarrassed and said, "It's not like that..."
"Then that's fine." Xie Pei was not particular about eating. After all, she had to drink a bowl of porridge, and she also had to eat a bowl of this. It was all the same.
She took the savory tofu pudding and put it in front of her, smelling the novelty, and said curiously, "Is this stewed tofu?"
The Old Madam said, "Something like that."
Xie Pei took a spoonful of tofu pudding and put it in her mouth, the tip of her tongue was burnt instantly. She opened her mouth subconsciously to breathe, but then she remembered her manners and quickly closed it.
The piping hot tofu pudding was extremely tender and smooth. Even before she chewed, it had already slid down her throat, all the way down to her stomach.
Xie Pei was stunned. The salty and fragrant aftertaste of the sauce lingered in her mouth, but she felt like she hadn't eaten anything.
When she looked up, she saw that the Old Madam and Xu-shi were looking at her again, puzzling her. What was wrong with them today? They were so weird.
She never liked to use her head, so she just asked, "This... isn't it eaten this way?"
Xu-shi shook her head and asked abruptly, "How does it taste?"
Xie Pei didn't care and took another spoonful while blowing. It took a few times before it was cool enough to be sent into her mouth.
Finally, she could taste it: hot, tender, and smooth—that was her first impression. It turned out that tofu could be made so tender, it was like water. It melted in the mouth and could be swallowed without chewing.
The simple taste of the sauce did not conceal the original refreshing soy aroma, it was both delicious and not too salty or greasy, suitable for early morning consumption.
"It's delicious." She nodded, mixing the tofu pudding and finishing it in no time. Her stomach felt warm and her whole body felt refreshed. She hadn't felt hungry just now, but now she felt like she had whetted her appetite.
After she finished eating, she wiped her mouth and commanded, "Send the cook who made this in the kitchen a reward.”
The Old Madam almost choked.
Xu-shi knew her sister-in-law's temper, so naturally, she didn't want to give an unpleasant answer.
Seeing that it's not good to stay silent like this, the nanny who was standing next to Xu-shi straightened up and replied, "Replying to the fourth lady, the Third Lady made it."
‘Third Lady?’
Xie Pei was stunned, "Who?"
She blinked, and reacted after a few seconds, her voice suddenly became sharp, "Jiang Shuyao made this?!"
She was busy making clothes, rewarding jewelry, writing letters, sending handkerchiefs, etc... She almost forgot this person existed.
The Old Madam didn't reprimand her for being unruly for saying her sister-in-law's name directly, but just explained. "This is indeed your sister-in-law's breakfast." In her heart, she didn’t quite believe that Jiang Shuyao made it personally either.
"If someone shows unwarranted kindness, they're either treacherous or thieves. Why did she send breakfast? Is there no cook in the main kitchen? Or does Mother really care about her bowl of food? Isn't it just tofu?" Xie Pei felt ashamed. She actually ate the breakfast served by Jiang Shuyao and praised it. Now that she had eaten it, she couldn’t vomit it out. It was really shameful.
The empty porcelain bowl was still in front of her, she wanted to say a few more unpleasant things but couldn't. Her lips opened and closed, she stood up abruptly, and said muffledly, "I'm going first. Mother, you eat slowly."
She ran away blushing, leaving Xu-shi and the Old Madam embarrassed.
The meal was indeed unpleasant, causing the Old Madam to lose her appetite, and she waved her hand for people to remove the food.
Xu-shi didn't need to stay here anymore, so she bowed and excused herself.
After leaving the hall, Xu-shi frowned slightly and looked at the back of the maid who had taken the meal away. The food eaten by the Old Madam would naturally go into the trash, but the bowl of bean curd was probably going to the maid of the main kitchen.
Xu-shi thought about that bowl of sweet tofu pudding, secretly thinking how much of a pity it was.
...
Xie Xun had lunch with his colleagues in the East Palace. He ate the meal absent-mindedly. A mouthful of shredded chicken made him think of last night's chicken wings, and a mouthful of rice made him recall last night's fried noodles.
The taste of these dishes was a bit weak. Even the finest ingredients were not flavourful. It was better to eat at home.
After Lin Cheng finished eating his share, he looked up and saw that Xie Xun still had more than half of his meal left. He asked with concern, "Boyuan, is there something on your mind?"
Xie Xun returned to his senses, shook his head, put down his chopsticks, and said, "It's just that I have a bad appetite. That's it."
Lin Cheng showed an understanding expression on his face and patted his shoulder sympathetically.
Among his peers, Xie Xun stood out as a paragon of youthful talent, personally appointed by the emperor as Tanhua Envoy*, accomplished in both the civil and martial arts. Gentle as a clear moon and pure as a fresh breeze, humble in conduct and upright in virtue, he well deserved the praise of being called a “man of broad learning and noble character.” His grace and bearing were unmatched; in all the capital, there was not a single young man who did not look up to him as a model.
(TLN: title for third placer in the imperial examination. Being appointed as the Tanhua Envoy not only must the man be talented in studies, he also must be good-looking.)
And yet, such a noble character had married that kind of woman. It was truly… Lin Cheng had seen Jiang Shuyao before. The woman’s attire was peculiar, her manners coarse; from head to toe, there was not a single thing about her that could be said to match Xie Xun.
Thinking about how Xie Xun had been married for over a month, and how he had to face such a wife every day, he was probably suffering daily.
He suggested, "After today's duty, we could invite some friends to the Zuixiao Building for a few drinks, what do you think?"
Xie Xun raised an eyebrow and shook his head, "Another day. I have something to do at home today, so I need to go back soon." Jiang-shi said that she wanted to have dinner with him, cough... Since he had agreed, there was no reason to let the other party wait.
Lin Cheng nodded, stopped talking, and patted Xie Xun's shoulder again.
Xie Xun was puzzled by the pat. He watched Lin Cheng leave dejectedly, and then glanced back at his shoulder, unable to understand what was going on.
…
After work, Xie Xun bid his colleagues farewell and rode home. When he arrived at the gate of Duke Xie's Mansion, the sky was still bright. After some thought, he decided not to get off the horse and strolled a few laps before returning to the mansion gate.
Even after dismounting, he strolled toward the rear courtyard at a leisurely pace. Halfway there, he happened upon his eldest nephew, Xie Ye.
"Third Uncle, have you had dinner and come out to digest it so soon?" Xie Ye, who had never seen his usually refined and dignified uncle out for an idle walk, found the sight rather novel.
Xie Xun’s already frosty expression grew a few degrees colder. Casting Xie Ye a glance, he resumed his usual poised stride and drifted away with quiet grace.
Xie Xun was angry.
Not angry with Xie Ye, but with himself. What was his guilty conscience for? He never did anything in this life that was not dignified. Didn't he just come back earlier than usual? Why was he delaying, afraid that Jiang-shi would think he was eager for her meal?
When he arrived at the courtyard, Xie Xun had already reflected on his thoughts, and his expression was natural and calm. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he smelled a strong fragrance.
Look, he didn’t come home too early. Dinner was already prepared.
The fragrance filled the entire yard. A greedy little maid put down the work in her hand and ran to the small kitchen to probe her head. Seeing Xie Xun coming from the courtyard gate, she was so frightened that she disappeared immediately.
Xie Xun was starting to feel uncomfortable again. Jiang-shi should be in the small kitchen. Should he go directly to the east wing to wait, or should he go to see her in the small kitchen?
He stood in the middle of the yard thinking.
There was a strong fragrance in the courtyard, yet the little maidservants jumped and ran away, until there was not a single maidservant left in the corridor. As the sun set in the west, the sunset glowed like a veil, hazy and gorgeous, coating the eaves and treetops with a layer of warm color.
Thinking of the deserted and orderly courtyard in the past, Xie Xun was a little at a loss.
So this was what married life was like: the glow of the setting sun, bowls of rice and soup, and the gentle warmth of ordinary life.
.
.
.
[T/N: Below videos, Sweet vs Savory Tofu Pudding, which one is better?]
Savory Tofu Pudding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOMvhBtDVQI
Sweet Tofu Pudding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sg1cydxKs8
If you enjoyed Serena’s work, buy her a ko-fi! 