Tofu skin village in Xuan Loc

In Xuan Loc commune, Dong Nai province, a craft village specializing in tofu skin production has taken shape, with nearly a hundred workshops currently in operation. Having existed for decades, this traditional craft has become an effective production model contributing to local economic development.

The An Loc Tofu Skin Facility in Xuan Loc commune has invested in an automatic sheet-pulling machine, enabling the production of wider, thinner sheets of tofu skin.

Benefiting from its location in an industrial province with a large consumption market, the traditional craft village continues to expand not only in the number of production facilities but also in attracting many young investors. They boldly introduced machinery into production, moving in an industrial direction, reducing labor and lowering production costs, aiming to expand the reach of the village’s products.

A long-standing craft

According to several tofu skin craftsmen in Xuan Loc commune, the craft of making tofu skin appeared in the locality in the 1990s. Initially, only a few small-scale workshops operated. Thanks to the stable income this production model provided, there are now around one hundred workshops active in the area.

This trade provides a more stable, higher-income alternative to agricultural production, such as growing rice, corn, and other crops. Tofu skin making is a traditional manual food-processing craft. Using soybeans as the raw material, the product is produced through meticulous manual processing. The beans are soaked in water until soft, then ground and filtered to extract soy milk, which is then cooked and allowed to settle to form a thin tofu skin. The artisan then lifts this tofu skin film and hangs it on poles to dry or dries it with heat.

According to tofu skin makers, this traditional manual craft is highly labor-intensive. In particular, the stage of firing the stove to cook the soy mixture is crucial because it determines whether a batch of tofu skin succeeds or fails. In the past, tofu skin makers mainly used firewood, sometimes in combination with charcoal. Among the various stages, the stove operator played an especially important role and carried out the most physically demanding work, requiring extensive experience.

Hoang Van Hoan, owner of the Mai Lan tofu household business in Tan Tien hamlet, Xuan Loc commune, said, "Many years ago, I learned the craft from my relatives. Because it provides a stable income, my relatives and many families in the area have followed suit, and over time, nearly 100 workshops have been established. Some long-standing facilities have expanded their production scale two to three times compared to the past.”

According to Hoan, the tofu skin craft village is most active during the Lunar New Year and the seventh lunar month, when demand for vegetarian products rises sharply, and workshops operate day and night to meet the surge in market demand. This village’s offerings have also gradually diversified, including dried tofu skin sheets, fresh sheets, dried sticks, thick sheets, vegetarian rolls, vegetarian beef rolls, etc.

The tofu skin craft in Xuan Loc has proven to be an economically effective model for many production facilities and households in the commune, creating jobs and contributing to local development.

Modernizing a traditional craft             

In recent years, many tofu skin workshops in Xuan Loc commune have boldly introduced machinery at various stages of processing to reduce labor costs and standardize production on a larger scale, meeting the increasingly high and diverse market standards.

Making tofu skin with steam boilers reduces hardship for workers. In the photo: A tofu skin worker at the An Loc Workshop in Xuan Loc commune.

Specifically, in the past, during the stage of cooking soy milk over wood-fired stoves, workers had to endure harsh conditions, standing beside stoves and pans of hot soy milk in smoky, stifling heat to skim the soybean film from the surface and hang it on poles to dry. They also had to keep a close watch on the fire to ensure it burned evenly. After switching to steam boilers, the heat source became stable, eliminating the risk of scorching associated with wood-fired stoves, allowing the tofu skin to form more quickly and ensuring greater product consistency. In particular, this solution has significantly reduced labor, increased productivity, and made the craft far less physically demanding than before. Some workshops have invested in automatic tofu skin pulling machines, enabling them to produce wider sheets with a much thinner texture. This initiative is also the product line currently favored by the market.

The advantage of using machinery-based production lines and replacing traditional wood-fired stoves with steam boilers is increased productivity. The products achieve greater uniformity, better appearance, and improved control over food safety standards. Moreover, this model makes it easier for workers to learn and practice the craft without the long training period required by the traditional method. In the past, artisans needed experience to manage stove temperatures and timing for skimming the soybean film. The traditional craft demanded skill, patience, and dexterity.

Hoang Van Hoan shared, "Initially, I did not intend to pursue this trade long-term because it was too physically demanding. However, after exploring the potential of applying machinery, I decided to open my own workshop, aiming to modernize the traditional craft.”

Young craftsmen like Hoan are driven by the ambition to overcome the limitations of manual production through technology. With machinery, products are made faster, in larger quantities, and at lower costs, benefiting both producers and consumers. This approach also enables the traditional craft to better meet current market demands.

Le Thi Hien, owner of the An Loc Tofu Skin Facility (Viet Kieu hamlet, Xuan Loc commune), said that the traditional method of grinding soybeans with stone mills and cooking soy milk over wood-fired stoves was very labor-intensive. Switching to a steam boiler for cooking soy milk has shortened production time, made the cooking process less strenuous, and created a cleaner environment with far less smoke and dust than before. In particular, her workshop has now invested in an automatic tofu skin pulling machine that produces wider, thinner sheets. This new product line is increasingly popular in the market. Using machinery saves labor and shortens production time. Her facility complies with production procedures that ensure food safety and hygiene.

According to Hien, the An Loc Workshop has registered its trademark, invested in packaging and labeling, and obtained food safety certifications. As a result, the workshop’s products are not only sold in traditional markets but are also distributed to supermarket chains and restaurants across provinces and cities nationwide.

Despite the integration of machinery, tofu skin producers in Xuan Loc remain committed to preserving the traditional flavor of their products. This commitment is ensured by maintaining core processing steps and timing while placing increasing emphasis on food safety and hygiene.

By Binh Nguyen - Translated by Minh Hong, Minho