Doufu Nao
豆腐脑
English: Doufu Nao / Tofu Brain
Chinese: 豆腐脑
Pinyin：dou fu nao
Literal: Tofu Brain
Doufu nao (豆腐脑) is the creamiest, softest tofu you’ll ever taste - the wobble of an unset pannacotta, softer than crème caramel, silkier than silken tofu. It’s the gentlest way to wake up: a warm bowl of soy-milk pudding that’s only just crossed over into tofu territory. In Beijing, it’s a classic breakfast, usually topped with a salty soy-and-mushroom sauce that’s soothing but still satisfying.
I’m using the pinyin name here because the English translation - “tofu brain” - really doesn’t do this dish any favours. The name refers to the texture alone: what you’re aiming for is a soft, custardy set, no brains required. Making it at home is surprisingly simple as long as you can find the right coagulant. Gypsum, glucono delta-lactone (GDL) or nigari all work and give you that delicate, just-set texture you can’t get with standard tofu.
Like so many Chinese dishes, doufu nao comes with a North–South divide. Northerners insist on savoury toppings - soy sauce, minced pork, pickled vegetables, dried shrimp - while Southerners swear it should be sweet, with sugar syrup, red beans, ginger, tapioca pearls or condensed milk (and down south, it goes by douhua, or the more poetic “flowering bean”). The beauty of doufu nao is that it’s a blank canvas, equally happy to carry punchy savoury flavours or slide into dessert territory. I even like it plain - the warm, creamy soy-milk flavour is already delicious on its own.
Makes 1 litre doufu nao (serves 4-6)
Ingredients
For the tofu
1000ml soy milk (homemade is best)
Coagulant (choose one)
GDL: 0.3–0.4% of the soy milk’s weight
Gypsum: 0.4–0.5%
Nigari: 0.2–0.3%
For the sauce
1 tbsp oil or lard
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp ginger, finely chopped
10g dried shiitake mushrooms (2–3)
10g dried lily bulb (3–4 pieces)
10g dried wood ear mushrooms (2–3)
1 tbsp dried shrimp
1 tbsp light soy sauce
½ tbsp dark soy sauce
½ tsp vinegar
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp white pepper
Salt to taste
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
To finish
A drizzle of sesame oil
Chopped coriander and spring onion
Chili oil or pickled mustard greens (optional)
Method
A few notes
Use the best soy milk you can find (or make your own) as it really does taste better.
The first time I made doufu nao it didn’t set because I added the coagulant to a milk that was too hot, the second time, there was not enough coagulant; so although it’s simple to make - only two ingredients - you do need to be very precise with the amounts and temperatures.
Place the shiitake, lily bulb, and wood ears in a bowl. Boil 500ml water and pour it over. Let everything soak for 20 minutes.
Make the tofu. Pour the soy milk into a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat and let it cool to 80°C.
Sprinkle your chosen coagulant evenly over the surface, then gently stir to dissolve without breaking the milk’s surface too much. Cover the pot and leave it undisturbed for 15–20 minutes, until softly set.
Prepare the sauce. Remove the rehydrated mushrooms and lily bulb from their soaking liquid. Slice them, and reserve the soaking water — this becomes your stock.
Heat 1 tbsp oil or lard in a wok over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for about 20 seconds until fragrant.
Add the mushrooms, lily bulb, and dried shrimp. Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes.
Add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and white pepper.
Pour in the reserved mushroom stock and let it simmer for 3–4 minutes so the flavours combine.
Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer until the sauce lightly thickens - it should coat the ingredients but still be pourable.
Taste and adjust salt or vinegar.
The tofu should now be set. Spoon it gently into four bowls. Ladle over a generous amount of the sauce, then finish with a drizzle of sesame oil, chopped coriander or spring onion, and — if you want a punchier topping — a spoonful of chili oil or pickled mustard greens.
