Mazu Temple A-eh Tofu Pudding Introduction
Chen Yili (born in 1953) used to sustain himself by placing nets (fixed nets) in the Luermen River. When aquaculture operators from Pingtung came to this area to raise shrimp, many people rushed to start shrimp farming due to high profits. However, within a few years, shrimp diseases emerged, and the bacteria from shrimp farms flowed into the rivers, polluting the environment. To this day, species like grass shrimp, banana shrimp, and white shrimp cannot be farmed here. Ultimately, Chen Yili gave up on net fishing and switched to selling tofu pudding and cold drinks. The tofu pudding he sells includes traditional tofu pudding and three-color tofu pudding. The three-color tofu pudding comes in three colors: yellow, black, and white. The yellow one is egg pudding, the black one is chocolate pudding, and the white one is milk pudding. In other words, 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. Three-color tofu pudding offers a variety of flavors—sweet, bitter, smooth, and tender—which appeals to both adults and children. After selling for a while, Chen Yili discovered that traditional tofu pudding was more popular with tourists from the north, while locals preferred three-color tofu pudding and were less fond of traditional tofu pudding. He then decided to stop making traditional tofu pudding and focused solely on selling three-color tofu pudding.
