Quality from passion
Coming to the tofu skin production village with a history of more than a century in My Hoa commune (Binh Minh town, Vinh Long province) on the days before Tet, we encountered a busy, bustling atmosphere.
Mr. Doan Minh Canh, owner of a tofu skin production facility in My Hoa commune, said his family has been in this business for over 100 years. Previously, his family could only produce a few kilograms a day, but since applying modern technology, the output on the days before Tet has increased to 300 - 400 kilograms, which is still not enough for consumption.
Mr. Canh smiled and added that although the production is in large quantities, the quality is still guaranteed, maintaining the reputation of My Hoa tofu village.
"According to family experience, product quality depends largely on the source of soybeans. If you buy a source that is not of good quality, it will affect the entire production batch. Another important factor is watching the fire when cooking the beans," Mr. Canh added.
Sharing about the process of making tofu skin, Mr. Dinh Cong Hoang said that this job is quite hard because it requires continuous operations such as watching the fire, scooping and drying the tofu skin. The processing process is quite simple but requires skillful and careful hands to be able to make the desired product.
According to Mr. Hoang, each kilogram of soybeans produces about 350 grams of tofu. If for personal gain, additives are added that affect the quality of the product, it will have negative impacts on the reputation of the craft village and the health of consumers.
"Therefore, predecessors and tofu makers must devote their heart and soul to each product to preserve the reputation of the craft village," Mr. Hoang added.
Apply new technology but do not change the taste
Nowadays, manufacturing facilities are increasingly focusing on investing in improving not only product quality but also packaging design and packaging and preservation so that products are increasingly spread widely in the market.
Mr. Le Thanh Thuan - Head of Binh Minh Town Economic Department - said that the locality has gradually supported the application of science and technology in production, to ensure quality and preserve the characteristic flavor of the product.
"The locality will support people in accessing loans to expand production scale. At the same time, the locality will also support people in trade promotion to expand the consumption market," Mr. Thuan added.
By maintaining its traditional identity and developing in a sustainable direction, the tofu craft village will continue to exist and develop in the long term, contributing to the socio-economic development of the locality.
Currently, My Hoa tofu skin craft village has about 30 households producing it. In 2023, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially recognized the tofu skin craft as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage under the category of traditional handicrafts.
