Wensi tofu [Photo provided to China Daily]

It is said that the dish was created by a monk called Wensi during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

To prepare the dish, a small block of soft and tender tofu is shredded into more than 5,000 pieces.

Chefs feel rather than see what is being cut, especially because when they cut the tofu, they must do it with same frequency and at a fast speed, so that the cuts sound like a monk using a wooden fish during Buddhist rituals.

The shredded tofu, which can pass through the eye of a needle, is placed in water to fan out like a flower, and then poached in chicken stock before being served.