Pork and tofu are two of the most common ingredients in Chinese households, appearing on the dining table every few days. However, buying them at the wrong time may result in disappointment if you end up with food that’s no longer fresh.
There’s an old saying among the people: “Don’t buy pork in the morning, don’t buy tofu in the evening.” At first, this may sound confusing, but it is actually practical wisdom rooted in everyday life experience. Let’s break it down and see why.
1. Why You Shouldn’t Buy Pork in the Morning
Most people assume that food bought early in the morning is fresher. Vegetables, for example, are usually harvested the night before or at dawn, while meat is brought from the slaughterhouse early in the day. That’s why many shoppers head to the market first thing in the morning.
However, the saying warns against buying pork too early. Here’s why:
- Leftover meat from the previous day: Vendors rarely sell out perfectly every day. Unsold pork is often mixed with the fresh batch and pushed to early customers, especially in warm weather when it’s at risk of spoiling.
- Timing of slaughter in the past: In earlier days, pig slaughtering was entirely manual—catching, scalding, butchering. Even if the work started at 3–4 a.m., it usually wasn’t finished until around 8 a.m. This means that if you went shopping too early, the pork you bought was likely leftovers from yesterday.
- Smart timing to buy pork: The best time is between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. By then, most of yesterday’s leftovers would be sold (or spoiled enough to be easily spotted), leaving mainly fresh meat from that day.
2. Why You Shouldn’t Buy Tofu in the Evening
Making tofu is labor-intensive, involving soaking, grinding, boiling, and coagulating soybeans. Traditionally, tofu makers began their work around midnight and finished by 6–7 a.m. for morning sales.
This means that:
- Morning tofu is the freshest. It has just been made and has the best taste and texture.
- Tofu spoils quickly. In hot weather, it begins to sour and turn sticky by midday. By late afternoon or evening, it may already be spoiled and inedible.
- Then vs. now: Today, tofu production is more mechanized. Supermarket tofu is stored in chilled cabinets, so it stays fresh longer. But in traditional markets, vendors often lack refrigeration, and tofu still spoils quickly.
How to check freshness: Smell for sourness, and touch it—if it feels slimy, it’s no longer fresh. Buying tofu earlier in the day is always safer.
Conclusion
The old saying “Don’t buy pork in the morning, don’t buy tofu in the evening” is more than just folk wisdom—it reflects the realities of how food was produced and sold in traditional markets. While modern refrigeration has changed things, the principle of buying pork mid-morning and tofu early in the day still holds true when shopping at open-air markets.
Next time you head to the market, remember this tip—it could save you from bringing home something stale!
