Located in Leshan city, southwest of Chengdu, Mount Emei provides not only delicate natural landscape, also delicious food choices, including the Shenshui tofu pudding, made of soybean grown on the mountain and the clear water from the Yuye Spring, also known asshen shui, meaning divine water in Chinese, for its high quality.

The soybean is an anonymous, old variety planted by local farmers in the middle mountain, of small size and rich aroma.

The Yuye Spring is located in front of the Shenshuige building, a Sichuan-style private garden from Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Gushing out from craggy rock faces, the spring runs all year round and has never dried, even in droughts, for more than 1,000 years. In summer, the water is cool and helps relieving the heat for visitors.

Mount Emei’s Shenshui tofu pudding has a soft, smooth texture and a subtle, refreshing taste, made of an old variety of soybean grown on the mountain and the quality water from the Yuye Spring. [Photo/WeChat account Emei517]

A brilliant combination of the two local treasures, the Shenshui tofu pudding has a tender, smooth texture and a subtle, refreshing taste. It is usually served with a dipping to enrich the flavor, which composes sesame oil, pepper, mashed garlic, and chopped green onion.

The traditional way to make the tofu pudding involves using millstones to crush the beans and firewood to boil the soy milk. And of course, the water from the Yuye Spring, or shen shui, is used in the process.

The most authentic tastes of this delicacy from the mountain can be found at the farm stays near the Shenshuige building. Different caterers offer varied flavors. Which one is the best depends on visitors’ personal tastes.