The temperature in northern China has hit 40°C these few days. Unsurprisingly, my appetite took a hit too. And when your stomach lacks motivation, so does life itself.

“I think we should make a refreshing tofu salad.” I was suggested. Not a bad idea.

Searching on 7Fresh ( an online store buying fresh and organic food in China), we found a new tofu variety named “Baojiang tofu” (包浆豆腐) , originated and popular in Yunnan. Without any hesitation, we bought it delivered to home.

It looked almost like cubes of cheese—neat, compact, and softly gleaming. I was curious about what kind of silky center lay hidden inside its elastic skin. One thing was certain: it was perfect for a summer salad.

🥢 Main Ingredients

• 1 box of Yunnan Baojiang tofu (包浆豆腐)
• 1 Fresh lettuce
• 1 Provence tomato
• 2 fruit cucumbers
• 1 small piece of Sichuan-style cured pork (腊肉)

🥢 Simple Steps

1，Rinse the Yunnan tofu gently and soak it in salt water for 10 minutes.

2，Wash the lettuce, soak it briefly in salted water, then drain and set aside.

3，Dice the tomato into small cubes.

4，Peel the cucumbers and julienne them into thin strips.

5，Pan-fry the tofu cubes over medium heat until they puff up, develop a golden exterior, and feel full of air. Remove and drain.

6，Dice a small amount of the fatty part of the cured pork, and slowly fry it in a pan until it releases oil.

7，Making salad dressing: Add the diced tomato and cook over medium heat until the tomato soften and release its juice. Season with pepper, salt, and minced garlic, then stir and turn off the heat.

8. On a serving plate, lay down the lettuce as a base, then pile on the salted cucumber strips. Stack the golden tofu cubes on top, and spoon the tomato dressing over everything.

Tips

1，Yunnan Tofu might look a bit like traditional fried tofu puffs, but they’re quite different. The inside of Yunnnan tofu remains as airy as whipped cream, while the inner texture of fried tofu puff is more like gluten. And the outer skin of Yunnan tofu doesn’t turn tough after frying, but instead develops a very thin golden crust wrapping the sweetness of soy protein—something fried tofu puffs can’t quite replicate.

2，If you don’t have Chinese-style cured pork on hand, you can certainly try alternatives: make a tomato relish with good olive oil, or use a store-bought tomato sauce.

We truly love this dish. It’s a beautiful collision of Chinese ingredients and Western salad — And honestly, the variety and potential of tofu as an ingredient opening up all sorts of possibilities.