Rich and fragrant Dong Tao turmeric beans

In Dong Tao commune (Khoai Chau), there is a unique tofu product with a fragrant, rich flavor that anyone who eats it once will remember, that is turmeric tofu.

The finished turmeric bean has a beautiful light yellow color, is rich and fatty, and is a refreshing and rustic dish. From turmeric bean, people often process it into delicious and nutritious dishes such as: boiled beans, fried beans with tomato sauce, fried beans with lemon fish sauce or shrimp paste, tomato bean soup, fried beans stir-fried with pork belly...

Fresh turmeric is sliced ​​and mixed with soybeans to make turmeric beans.

The profession of making turmeric tofu in Dong Tao commune has existed for a long time. According to the households working here, making turmeric tofu is not too complicated but must be done through many stages, taking a lot of time. The main ingredient is carefully selected soybeans, then soaked in clean water to the right temperature (about 5 hours in summer, about 8-10 hours in winter). After soaking, drain the beans, cut the turmeric into small slices and mix with the beans in a ratio of about 5kg of beans mixed with 150 grams of fresh turmeric. The next step is to put the beans and turmeric into a blender, grind them into a liquid powder. From the resulting powder mixture, use a squeezer to separate the pulp, take the soybean water, then simmer in a steamer to slowly cook the milk. After the bean water boils, pour out the sour water (fermented bean water from the day before) and salt, which is a catalyst for the bean water to precipitate into young beans. The young beans are scooped into a mold lined with thin cloth and pressed out the water so that the bean pieces form smooth cakes. Finally, transfer the beans from the mold to a clean tray to complete a batch.

If in the past, the stages of making turmeric beans were completely manual, in recent years, many stages of making beans have been replaced by machines such as: grinding machines, squeezing machines, bean boiling boilers replacing manual boiling with coal and firewood stoves. Thanks to machines, bean makers have a much more leisurely life, with only a few steps that need to be done manually such as: sour mixing, wrapping, pressing...

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thoan, one of the famous turmeric bean producers in Dong Tao Dong village, said: I have been doing this job for 32 years. In recent years, I have invested in more machines and equipment, learned new techniques, and combined traditional techniques, so that the products are always of guaranteed quality. On average, my family produces about 75 - 125 kg of finished turmeric beans per day, selling them for 25,000 VND/kg, after deducting expenses, the profit is about 300 million VND/year.

Sourning - one of the stages of producing turmeric beans

Not only earning income from the main product of soybeans, workers also take advantage of by-products such as soybean water, soybean residue, soybean curd... to use as animal feed, which reduces costs, helps animals grow quickly, and has delicious meat quality.

The main market for turmeric beans is in the province. Ms. Do Thi Huong in Hanoi said: Every time I have the opportunity to go through Dong Tao commune, I buy turmeric beans to enjoy and as gifts...

Chairman of Dong Tao Commune People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Quyet said: Last August, the Provincial Council for Appraisal of Craft Village Recognition voted and agreed to propose the Provincial People's Committee to consider recognizing the craft village for Dong Kim bean curd craft village in Dong Tao commune. Currently, Dong Kim bean curd craft village has 103 production households, creating jobs for 145 workers, with an average income of nearly 8 million VND/person/month. In 2023, the village's revenue will reach over 104 billion VND. To develop the craft village, in the coming time, we will encourage people to invest in modern machinery to increase productivity, product quality, ensure food safety, environmental sanitation, and at the same time link up to find output for products...

Making turmeric tofu is a popular dish on every family's dinner table. Although it requires hard work from morning to night, it has contributed to bringing in a good income for many households in the commune.

Huong Giang

Source: https://baohungyen.vn/ngay-thom-dau-nghe-dong-tao-3177121.html