Wangzhihe

Wangzhihe dates to 1669, early in the Kangxi reign. As the story goes, an Anhui scholar named Wang Zhihe, stranded in Beijing after the imperial exams, made tofu to get by and, by accident, brined a batch into fermented tofu — the start of the trade.

Wangzhihe is famous for fermented tofu (furu) and "stinky" tofu — pungent to the nose but savory on the tongue — a humble everyday relish in old Beijing, its name all but synonymous with the food itself.

Its furu starts from tofu blocks, fermented with mold, then salted and aged with assorted seasonings into a smooth, savory-sweet relish; the red and the "green" (extra-pungent) varieties each have their own character, all hinging on the control of fermentation.

A China Time-Honored Brand, Wangzhihe's fermented-tofu brewing technique is inscribed as national intangible cultural heritage — a standard-bearer for Beijing's fermented foods.