In recent years, Dengcun town in central China’s Hubei Province has promoted a standardized production system for local fermented bean curd, a Chinese condiment consisting of a form of processed and preserved tofu, in addition to creating a unified brand that helps boost the sales of the specialty food.

Photo shows fermented bean curd. (Photo/Zhang Guorong)

Thanks to these efforts, the annual sales of fermented bean curd in the town has reached 60 million yuan (about $9.4 million). The town also set up a cooperative for fermented bean curd, creating over 200 direct jobs and more than 1,300 temporary jobs for local residents.

Located deep in the mountains in Yiling district of Yichang city, Dengcun boasts a 200-year history of producing fermented bean curd. The local residents have a tradition of making the specialty food during the winter season. The traditional craft contains a series of procedures, including grinding soya beans to make tofu, fermenting little tofu cubes and mixing them with chili powder, and then wrapping them in cabbage leaves. The craft was included on the list of intangible cultural heritage of Yichang city.

Workers wrap fermented bean curd in cabbage leaves. (Photo/Zhang Guorong)

A worker puts fermented bean curd into a jar. (Photo/Zhang Guorong)

A worker displays fermented bean curd. (Photo/Zhang Guorong)

A worker puts fermented bean curd into a container. (Photo/Zhang Guorong)

A worker puts fermented bean curd into a container. (Photo/Zhang Guorong)