Mixed Tofu & Mugwort
蒿子拌豆腐
English: Mixed Tofu & Mugworth
Chinese: 蒿子拌豆腐
Pinyin：haozi ban doufu
Literal: Mugwort mixed with tofu
This is a humble Northern Chinese dish, the sort of thing that appears on tables in early spring, when young mugwort shoots are at their most tender and fragrant. It tastes of the countryside - of foraging baskets, simple kitchens, and the pleasure of eating what’s fresh and close at hand. Tofu and mugwort feels wholesome and unshowy, a small celebration of clean, natural flavours after a long winter.
Mugwort is not a vegetable I ever encountered growing up in the UK, yet in China it’s a deeply familiar wild herb, valued as much for its medicinal qualities as for its flavour. I mostly knew it first from the faintly herbal steam of a foot bath before a massage, but on the plate it is gently bitter, aromatic, and unmistakably green.
Paired with tofu, that bitterness is softened and rounded out. The tofu is blanched, then carefully mixed - by hand or with chopsticks - so it breaks into soft chunks rather than a paste. The mugwort threads through it, turning the whole dish pale green and creamy, finished simply with salt and a drizzle of nutty sesame oil. It’s a cooling, quietly satisfying cold side dish, one that feels both nourishing and deeply calm.
If mugwort is hard to come by, spinach makes a perfectly respectable stand-in - different, but still very good.
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
200g young mugwort (artemisia) shoots (蒿子)
200g soft or medium tofu (北豆腐)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Method
Prepare the Artemisia. Pick through the mugwort shoots, removing any tough stems.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Blanch the mugwort for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until wilted and fragrant.
Immediately transfer to cold water to stop cooking, then squeeze out excess moisture gently and chop finely.
Prepare the tofu. Cut the tofu into small cubes, you don’t need to be too accurate as it’s going to break apart. Briefly pour boiling water over the cubes, then drain well, this firms up the tofu.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, salt, minced garlic, sesame oil, and vinegar.
In a large bowl, combine the chopped mugwort and tofu cubes, using chopstick (or your hands), gently rotating and mashing the tofu as you go. You don’t want a paste, but a chunky dish.
Pour over the dressing and gently toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning and finally sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve cold or at room temperature.
