Thanks to investment in machinery to improve productivity and build product brands, tofu-making households in Tra Lam are earning good incomes and maintaining their traditional profession for many generations.
According to the village elders, the tofu making profession in Tra Lam appeared around the 16th century thanks to the teachings of Zen master Chuyet Chuyet, abbot of two pagodas (But Thap Pagoda and Phat Tich Pagoda).
The special feature of Tra Lam tofu is that it has a block shape and is much larger in size than regular tofu.
Thanks to this size, Tra Lam tofu does not break, does not have a sour taste, and does not become watery after a long time, still retaining the aroma and fat of soybeans.
The name humpback bean comes from the fact that in the past, the bean pressing process had to be done twice, with a rudimentary mold, so when stacking 2 layers of small beans to compress into a large bean cover, it was often not enough, creating a slightly distorted (humped) shape.
Nowadays, people can make large molds that can compress tofu covers weighing 500-600 grams, making them feel firm in the hand and producing tofu covers with golden skin.
Tra Lam bean production used to be purely manual. Recently, the application of machinery in production such as boilers, grinders, etc. has helped increase the average output by 3-4 times. According to statistics from Tri Qua Ward People's Committee, in 2023, Tra Lam bean output sold to the market reached about 562.5 tons, with a total revenue of 13.5 billion VND.
Mr. Nguyen Ta Thang, a large-scale bean producer in Tra Lam, said: “Making bean curd is a rather hard job with many stages. However, with the desire to preserve the profession left by our ancestors, we always try to make delicious bean curd sheets that are well received by consumers.
Tra Lam tofu, Tri Qua ward, Thuan Thanh town (Bac Ninh province) has unique characteristics that are popular with customers.
Tra Lam tofu is made in the same way, but each family has their own experience to create a unique flavor. According to Mr. Thang, his family makes 40-50 kg of soybeans every day, and if someone orders, they can make more.
From dawn, his family is busy preparing the stages of grinding, cooking, molding... to be able to sell in time for noon and afternoon. After deducting expenses, his family has an income of about 15 million VND/month. In addition, there are also households such as Mr. Pham Thanh Dam, Mr. Nguyen Van Luong, Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh... who make 70-100 kg of beans per day.
Mr. Nguyen Van Phiu, Secretary of Tra Lam Party Cell, shared: "In recent years, local bean production has clearly shifted.
Previously, up to 90% of households in the village combined raising pigs and growing tofu, and wastewater was discharged directly into the sewers along the road, causing serious environmental pollution. Since the outbreak of African swine fever, livestock production using waste from tofu production has also decreased sharply, with the total herd in the village remaining at around a hundred, and many households have switched to other occupations.
The whole village now has about 70 households making tofu professionally for sale. Although the number of households producing tofu has decreased, thanks to the support of machinery, the output still meets the demand and especially the environment in the village has improved significantly.
The locality also invested in upgrading the drainage system and roads to facilitate trade and production in the craft village. In addition, we mobilize and propagate people to improve food hygiene and safety, build prestige associated with brand building."
It is known that, in order to develop traditional occupations, the Department of Science and Technology of Bac Ninh province supported the locality to implement the project of branding and protecting intellectual property of Tra Lam beans and in 2020, this product was officially recognized by the Department of Intellectual Property (Ministry of Science and Technology) with a certification mark.
The brand goes hand in hand with guaranteed quality, Tra Lam tofu is basically sold out as soon as it is made, not only in the regional wholesale markets but also with orders from all over the provinces and cities such as: Hanoi, Hai Duong, Hung Yen.
Many tourists who know the Thuan Thanh area also try the soft, fragrant, ivory-white tofu and buy it as a gift, contributing to promoting this rustic specialty. That is also the motivation for households to continue the production process, preserving the quintessence of Tra Lam tofu making, contributing to diversifying the typical cuisine of Kinh Bac.
Source: https://danviet.vn/dac-san-cua-lang-co-nay-o-bac-ninh-la-loai-dau-phu-bi-gu-can-mot-mieng-mat-tan-ca-dau-luoi-20241019235541119.htm
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