The Canon

Century Egg with Tofu

皮蛋豆腐zh

Also: Pidan Tofu, Preserved Egg Tofu, 皮蛋豆腐, pídàn dòufu

A cold Chinese appetizer of silken tofu topped with diced alkaline-cured century egg, dressed with soy, sesame oil, chilli oil and scallion.

Identity criteria

  1. 1Cold silken (soft) tofu as the base, served chilled
  2. 2Century egg (pidan) — alkaline-cured duck/chicken egg with translucent black white and creamy dark yolk
  3. 3No cooking; an assembled cold dish
  4. 4Dressed with savory soy and aromatic sesame/chilli oil
  5. 5Finished with fresh scallion and often a touch of vinegar

Components

Base

Silken tofuessentialCold, soft, served as the bed

Protein

Century egg (pidan)essentialAlkaline-cured egg, diced over the tofu; the defining element

Fat

Sesame oilessentialAromatic finishing oil

Acid

Black vinegaroptionalOccasional brightness

Seasoning

Soy sauceessentialSalty umami dressing

Chilli oiloptionalCommon heat and color

Garnish

ScallionessentialFresh aromatic topping

Technique

Cold assembly (no cooking)
Preserves the silken texture and the cured egg's character
Alkaline curing (of the egg, pre-made)
Transforms the egg into the jelly-like, pungent pidan that defines the dish

Form & serving

Served
Plated cold, egg over tofu
Temperature
Cold
Portion
Shared starter
Pairs with
Congee · Rice · Cold beer · Tea

Character

Flavour

umamisavorycreamypungent

Texture

Silky soft tofu against jelly-like, creamy century egg

Eaten

A cooling cold appetizer eaten before or alongside a meal, especially in warm weather, across Chinese households and restaurants.

When

year-round · summer

Variations & related

Regional variations

  • With pork floss · China / Taiwan

    Topped with rousong for texture

  • Extra chilli oil · Sichuan-influenced

    Spicier dressing

Related dishes

  • pairs-with Congee

    Century egg is also a classic congee topping

  • sibling Cold tofu with soy and scallion

    Same cold-tofu appetizer format without the egg

Substitutions

  • Chilli oil → Plain sesame oiladmissible

    Mild non-spicy version

  • Century egg → Regular boiled egginadmissible

    Removes the cured pidan that defines the dish entirely

  • Silken tofu → Firm tofuinadmissible

    Loses the signature delicate, creamy contrast with the egg

Common mistakes

  • Substituting a normal egg and losing the dish entirely
  • Using firm tofu instead of silken
  • Serving warm rather than chilled

Provenance

A classic Chinese cold appetizer pairing silken tofu with century egg, eaten across China and the wider Sinophone world.

References

  1. 1.Chinese home and restaurant cuisine

Confidence: high