Kaofu

Kaofu (Simplified Chinese: 烤麸; Traditional Chinese: 烤麩; Pinyin: Kǎofū) is a Shanghainese cold dish of porous wheat gluten (baked or steamed gluten sponge) braised in a sweet-savory soy sauce with peanuts, wood ear mushrooms, and sometimes daylily—standard on Shanghai Food cold-plate spreads.

Characteristics

Gluten is spongy and sauce-soaked; flavor is mild sweet-soy typical of Benbang / Shanghai home cooking. Usually served at room temperature.

Ingredients (overview)

Wheat gluten sponge (kaofu), soy sauce, sugar, oil, peanuts, wood ear, optional dried daylily and five-spice. Related gluten dishes exist elsewhere but this braise is the Shanghai icon.

History and culture

Benbang cold dish identity on Shanghai Food and nearby Jiangsu Food tables; often appears with drunken chicken-style cold starters at family banquets.

Serving and variations

Cold appetizer with rice wine or as part of a cold platter. See Shanghai Food and Drunk Chicken.

See also

• Shanghai Food
• Jiangsu Food
• Drunk Chicken
• Buddha's Delight
• List of dishes (A-Z)