Coming to My Hoa tofu village on the days before Tet, we heard the bustling sounds of laughter, as if signaling the joy of the villagers in the busiest days of the year.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh said that she has been producing tofu for sale for more than 30 years. Although she is a younger generation, the production recipe was learned from the family of the “father” of this tofu dish, Mr. Chau Xuong’s family.
According to Ms. Thanh, to make delicious, crispy tofu skin, the workers must spend a lot of time, effort and perseverance. During the cooking process, the workers must watch the oven continuously to maintain the oven temperature at a certain range.
According to Ms. Thanh, after the process of grinding and squeezing the soybeans for juice, they are continuously boiled with firewood. Wait until the oven gradually cools down, then a layer of scum appears and is skimmed off to make tofu skin. On average, each batch of cooking lasts from 25 to 26 hours.
“In the months before Tet, the output is usually 1.6 – 1.8 tons, and during Tet, the number of finished tofu sheets increases from 2.4 – 2.6 tons, my furnace is constantly on fire. Workers take turns to produce quality tofu sheets,” Ms. Thanh added.
Also having a tradition of making tofu for more than 50 years, Mr. Le Thanh Tam said: "On the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2024, I have to increase the number of people to nearly 20 to carry out the steps of selecting, grinding beans, boiling cakes, arranging cakes...".
Ms. Nguyen Kim Mai, a worker in the craft village, said: "Every year, when Tet comes, workers like us earn 500,000 - 600,000 VND/day, double the usual amount, because we have to work overtime to produce enough tofu skin to deliver to customers."
Mr. Dinh Cong Hoang, Head of the Cooperative Group for producing bean curd in My Hoa commune, said that the craft village was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in April 2023, which is an honor and pride for the people working here.
According to Mr. Hoang, through recognition, the craft village will be known by many people, creating favorable conditions for market expansion... Currently, My Hoa tofu craft village still has about 33 households, creating jobs for more than 100 local workers.
According to Mr. Hoang, on average, this place produces about 2 tons of tofu every day, and during Tet, the village produces about 4 tons of finished tofu every day. Tofu products are currently favored by many customers in the Mekong Delta and many regions across the country.
“Over the past hundred years of establishment and development, My Hoa tofu village has gone through many ups and downs. We believe that in the future, My Hoa tofu village will develop more and more and become an attractive destination for tourists, thereby contributing to improving and enhancing the lives of local people and the local economy,” Mr. Hoang added.
According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vinh Long province, My Hoa tofu village started around 1912, when Mr. Chau Xuong's family started a family business making tofu. At first, this profession was only passed down within the family, then people in the area felt a love for this dish and came to ask to be taught the profession. Over time, the number of people making tofu increased and formed a fairly crowded craft village.
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