Beimen Tofu Pudding Introduction
Lin Shih-hsiang (born in 1951) came to Beimen from Taipei to work with friends and married Wang Jin-xiang, becoming the son-in-law of Beimen. After marriage, to supplement the household income, he took over the tofu shop run by his younger brother in Taipei, who was planning to close it after many years. Lin Shih-hsiang purchased the tofu-making equipment and learned the production skills, thus starting the history of selling Beimen tofu for over 30 years. Lin worked during the day and made tofu and brewed red tea at night, allowing his wife to sell tofu and red tea while taking care of their children the next day. Wang Jin-xiang pushed the stall cart to sell their products in front of the old public office regardless of the weather. After the old public office was demolished, they moved to in front of the old police station, which was also eventually torn down and replaced by the Jinlu. They set up the stall next to Jinlu, and at that time, there was only one stall in the entire temple courtyard. Beimen tofu is available in both cold and hot varieties; during winter, both are sold, while only cold tofu is sold in summer. Traditional red tea is sold year-round. Initially, Beimen tofu had three flavors: red bean, mung bean, and sweet potato, but nowadays, red bean and pearl are the main flavors, with red bean being widely popular and selling well, while pearls appeal to the younger demographic. Nowadays, young people also enjoy red tea tofu and winter melon tofu. After the Yunlin Chiayi Tainan Coastal National Scenic Area Administration settled in Beimen, they made significant efforts to develop tourism in Beimen.
