About This Dish
Youxian Dried Tofu (攸县香干, Youxian Xiang Gan) is one of the most famous tofu products in all of Hunan cuisine, originating from Youxian County in Zhuzhou Prefecture, just south of the provincial capital Changsha. Unlike soft fresh tofu or the spongy fried tofu puffs common in southern Chinese cooking, Youxian xiang gan is a firm, dense, pressed tofu that has been repeatedly cooked, wrapped, pressed, and lightly smoked or braised in soy until it takes on a deep mahogany skin and a satisfyingly chewy bite. It is sold across Hunan and increasingly across China as a regional specialty, often packaged and shipped as a souvenir of a visit to the province.
What sets Youxian dried tofu apart from other Chinese dried tofus is the purity and intensity of its bean aroma — a quality the locals attribute to the local soybeans, the soft mountain water of Youxian, and the long, traditional pressing process. The texture is firm enough to slice thinly without crumbling, yet tender enough to absorb sauces readily during stir-frying or braising. Its flavor is clean, nutty, and gently savory, with none of the bitterness that marks inferior dried tofus. This makes it one of the most versatile ingredients in Hunan cooking — it can be eaten cold in slices as a starter, stir-fried with pork and chilies as a main, braised slowly in soy and spice, or even grilled and brushed with chili oil as a street snack.
The most iconic Hunan preparation is stir-fried Youxian dried tofu with pork and chilies (攸县香干炒肉, xiang gan chao rou), a beloved everyday dish across Hunan households and restaurants. Thin planks of the dried tofu are stir-fried over high heat with slices of pork belly, fresh green and red chilies, garlic, and ginger, then coated in a glossy soy-based sauce. The tofu absorbs the rendered pork fat and chili aromatics, becoming savory and slightly chewy, while the pork crisps at the edges and the chilies provide a bright, fresh heat. Served with steamed rice, it is a study in Hunan farmhouse cooking — simple, bold, and built on the quality of one exceptional ingredient.
Youxian County sits in a belt of rolling hills with mild climate and clean, mineral-rich water — ideal soybean-growing country. Local soybean varieties are smaller and denser than commodity beans, with a higher protein content and a noticeably sweeter, nuttier flavor. Combined with the soft water and traditional pressing techniques handed down through generations of Youxian tofu-making families, the result is a dried tofu whose quality simply cannot be replicated elsewhere, no matter how closely the recipe is followed. This is why the name “Youxian xiang gan” itself is a protected geographical indication in China.
History & Cultural Background
The tofu-making tradition of Youxian dates back at least to the Ming Dynasty, when soybean cultivation and tofu craft spread across the agricultural counties of central Hunan. Youxian’s combination of high-quality local soybeans, soft mountain water, and a tradition of small family workshops made it a natural center for tofu craft. By the Qing Dynasty, Youxian dried tofu had become a recognized regional specialty, transported by river boat down the Mi Luo and Xiang rivers to markets in Changsha and beyond, where it was prized for its firm texture and clean flavor.
The craft evolved through several stages. Early Youxian tofu was a fresh, soft product eaten locally, but the need to preserve tofu for transport and storage led to the development of pressing and light smoking techniques. By repeatedly pressing the fresh tofu to remove water, then lightly cooking it in soy and spice, Youxian producers created a denser, more flavorful product that kept for days without refrigeration. Over time, the techniques were refined, and the modern Youxian xiang gan — firm, mahogany-skinned, slightly smoky — emerged as the definitive product in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the reform era, Youxian dried tofu became one of Hunan’s most successful regional food brands. Youxian County established protected-origin certification, and the name “Youxian xiang gan” is now recognized under China’s geographical indication system. The county hosts an annual tofu culture festival, and dozens of family workshops and larger producers now ship the product nationwide. For Hunan natives living elsewhere, a package of Youxian dried tofu is one of the most common food gifts from home.
In 2010s, “Youxian Xiang Gan” was granted Chinese geographical indication (GI) protection, meaning that only dried tofu actually produced in Youxian County using traditional methods can legally bear the name. Look for the GI mark on packaging — this is the surest guarantee that the tofu you are buying is the real thing, with the firm texture and pure bean aroma that define the dish.
Key Ingredients
The ingredient list for the classic stir-fried Youxian dried tofu with pork and chilies is short, but the quality of the tofu is the entire dish. Below is the ingredient set for the iconic preparation, plus the broader pantry of seasonings that define the Hunan tofu tradition.
The Star: Youxian Dried Tofu
- 400 g Youxian xiang gan
- Sliced into 3 mm planks, then rectangles
- Look for the GI mark on packaging
The tofu should be firm, mahogany-skinned, and smell cleanly of soybeans. Avoid dried tofus with a sour or chemical smell.
The Pork
- 150 g pork belly or pork shoulder
- Sliced thin, against the grain
- Belly preferred for rendered fat
The rendered pork fat coats the tofu and carries the chili and soy flavors. Lean pork works but is less authentic.
Chilies & Aromatics
- 4 fresh green chilies (qing jiao)
- 4 fresh red chilies
- 5 cloves garlic, sliced
- 20 g ginger, sliced
- 2 green onions, in lengths
Hunan qing jiao (green chilies) are mild and fresh, with a vegetal sweetness. Red chilies bring color and a sharper note.
Seasonings
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce (for color)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp broth or water
- Optional: 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Cooking Essentials
The technique behind stir-fried Youxian dried tofu with pork and chilies is built on three pillars: a brief blanch to refresh the tofu and keep slices separate, a high-heat sear of the pork to render its fat, and a fast toss of all ingredients with soy and broth so the tofu absorbs the sauce without losing its firm bite. Master these and the dish is on the table in under fifteen minutes of cooking.
- Slice and blanch the tofu. Cut the Youxian dried tofu into 3 mm planks, then into bite-sized rectangles. Blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain thoroughly. This refreshes the tofu, removes any residual brine from packaging, and helps the slices stay separate in the wok so they absorb the sauce evenly rather than sticking together.
- Sear the pork in batches. Heat the wok until it smokes, add 1 tablespoon of oil, and sear the pork slices in a single layer until the edges crisp and the fat renders, about 1 minute. Add the Shaoxing wine to deglaze. Remove the pork and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the wok — this fat is what will carry the flavor into the tofu.
- Bloom the aromatics. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the rendered pork fat. Stir-fry the ginger, garlic, and both fresh chilies for 20–30 seconds until fragrant and the chilies soften slightly at the edges. Do not let the garlic burn — it should be fragrant, not brown.
- Toss and glaze. Return the pork to the wok along with the drained tofu. Add light soy, dark soy, sugar, salt, and broth. Toss vigorously over high heat for 1–2 minutes until the tofu absorbs the sauce, turns glossy, and every piece is coated. The tofu should firm up slightly as it absorbs the sauce, not soften.
- Finish and serve. Add the green onions, toss once more for 10 seconds, and remove from the heat immediately. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil if using. Serve with steamed rice — the tofu should be firm and chewy, the pork crisp, and the chilies bright and just-softened.
- Skipping the blanch — packaged dried tofu often carries a slight brine that will throw off the seasoning. A 30-second blanch refreshes and seasons evenly.
- Overcooking the tofu — the goal is firm and chewy, never soft. Toss over high heat briefly — extended cooking turns it mushy.
- Using lean pork — the rendered fat is what carries the chili and soy into the tofu. Lean pork works but loses a layer of flavor — add a little extra oil if needed.
- Burning the garlic — add it to the wok only after the oil is hot but not smoking, and keep everything moving. Burnt garlic turns the whole dish bitter.
- Using generic dried tofu — only Youxian xiang gan has the firm texture and clean bean aroma that define the dish. Substitutes are fine in a pinch but the dish will not be the same.
Beyond the iconic stir-fry with pork, Youxian dried tofu shines in three other preparations. Cold-dressed (凉拌香干): thinly sliced and dressed with soy, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and chili oil — a refreshing starter. Braised in soy and spice (卤香干): simmered slowly in a master stock of soy, star anise, cinnamon, and rock sugar until deep mahogany and saturated with flavor. Grilled and brushed with chili oil (烤香干): a popular Changsha street snack, grilled over charcoal until blistered.