Heqiao dried tofu. [Photo/IP Wuxi]

With its bright red color, it might remind you of children's favorite chocolate-flavored cookies from a distance — but this isn't Chips Ahoy, it's Heqiao dried tofu.

Located an hour's drive from downtown Wuxi in Heqiao town, Yixing, Heqiao dried tofu is a local specialty. It was designated as an intangible cultural heritage of Wuxi in 2007.

Whether it's a simple home-cooked dish like malantou mixed with Heqiao dried tofu, or pairing it with porridge or wine, it's all delightful.

Making Heqiao dried tofu requires an early start. By 8 am, the workshop is already filled with steam. Inside large vats are soybeans that have been soaked overnight, each one plump and round.

Tofu is molded into a round shape using rush grass bags. [Photo/IP Wuxi]

After washing, grinding, and boiling, you obtain rich, fragrant soy milk. While stirring it, evenly add brine. Let it sit until the tofu forms. Skilled workers quickly pour the curds into molds, then press and cut them into roughly square blocks of tofu.

These tofu blocks are packed one by one into rush grass bags, which give the dried tofu its distinctive patterns. As the blocks are pressed into the bags and the grass is tightened in a circular motion, the blocks naturally become round.

Following the final traditional pressing, the tofu gains a firm and resilient texture. After demolding, blanching, and slow braising overnight in a blend of aged soy sauce, brown sugar, and yellow rice wine, it becomes thoroughly infused with flavor, turning into its characteristic bright red color.