Mazu Temple A-Hoe Tofu Pudding Introduction
Chen Yili (born in 1953) used to live off by setting nets (set nets) in the Lugang River. When shrimp farmers from Pingtung came to the area to breed shrimp, everyone quickly got into shrimp farming due to good profits. However, after a few years, the shrimp became diseased, and the bacteria from the shrimp ponds contaminated the rivers, making it impossible to farm species such as grass shrimp, tiger shrimp, and white shrimp. Eventually, Chen Yili gave up the nets and switched to selling douhua (tofu pudding) and cool drinks. The douhua sold by Chen Yili includes traditional douhua and three-color douhua. The three-color douhua features three colors: yellow, black, and white. The yellow is egg pudding, the black is chocolate pudding, and the white is milk pudding, which means that the three-color douhua is a combination of egg pudding, chocolate pudding, and milk pudding. Therefore, it is also referred to as three-color pudding douhua. The three-color douhua offers complex textures of sweetness, bitterness, smoothness, and tenderness, appealing to both adults and children. After selling for a while, Chen Yili discovered that traditional douhua is preferred by northern tourists, while locals favor three-color douhua and are less fond of traditional douhua, leading him to discontinue the production of traditional douhua and specialize in selling three-color douhua.
