Mazu Temple A-Ngou Tofu Pudding Introduction
Chen Yi-li (born in 1953) used to make a living by placing fixed nets in the Lukang River. When aquaculture operators from Pingtung came to the area to raise shrimp, many locals joined in the profitable venture. However, after a few years, the shrimp became diseased, and the bacteria from the shrimp farms polluted the rivers. To this day, shrimp species like grass shrimp, banana shrimp, and white shrimp cannot be raised here. Chen Yi-li eventually abandoned the fixed nets and began selling tofu pudding and cold drinks. The tofu pudding he sells comes in two varieties: traditional tofu pudding and three-color tofu pudding. The three-color tofu pudding features three colors: yellow, black, and white. The yellow is egg pudding, the black is chocolate pudding, and the white is milk pudding. In other words, the three-color tofu pudding is a combination of egg pudding, chocolate pudding, and milk pudding, which is why it is also called three-color pudding tofu pudding. This three-color tofu pudding offers a rich variety of flavors—sweet, bitter, smooth, and tender—making it popular among both adults and children. After selling for a while, Chen Yi-li discovered that visitors from the north preferred traditional tofu pudding, while the locals favored three-color tofu pudding and were less interested in traditional tofu pudding. As a result, he decided to stop making traditional tofu pudding and focus solely on selling three-color tofu pudding.
