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A sidetrack: But how much did the world’s biggest piece of dry tofu cost to make?

 

Some of my recent blog posts have been, well, too serious. Just too heavy. So, I thought I’d lighten up. How light you ask?

Well, try over 4,000 pounds of dry tofu.

That’s right. In China, the world’s most populous country, you can never have enough of the good stuff.

So, now this: The world’s largest piece of dry tofu, which was unveiled in October 2008 at a dry tofu festival in Nanxi County in Sichuan province.

The masterpiece measured 13 feet by 13 feet, the China Daily reported, and weighed 4,092 pounds.

You might have spotted this photograph in my post about the annual Chinese Bean Curd Culture Festival, which wrapped up last month in Anhui province.

But the more I thought about this image, which appeared in the China Daily, the more three thoughts swirled in my mind:

 

• Yes, it looks delicious.
• You could make lots of dry tofu salad.
• How much money did this cost? 

 

Interestingly enough, the “why” question never entered my mind. As in:  Why would someone make such a huge piece of dry tofu?

I mean: Why not?

For years, humans have pursued making the world’s longest hot dog – especially in Shizuoka, Japan and Portland, Ore.

But the question that kept returning to mind centered around cost.

Of course, I don’t have access to the organizers of the world’s largest dry tofu effort.

I was unable to ask about basic production costs, labor hours, transportation and other expenses.

In one photo that I saw online, organizers used a crane to move the soybean cake.

So, I employed a bit of reverse engineering to the price question.

I based my dollar estimate on the retail price for a 9.9-ounce package of dry tofu that I buy in Seattle’s International District.

That’s about $2.50 before taxes. I rounded up to 10 ounces.

So, my dollar estimate for the retail price of the world’s biggest piece of dry tofu (if bought in Seattle in 2009 and excluding taxes):

 

• $16,368

 

Of course, presuming that my math is correct, what can you get for that amount?

That’s equal to two $8,000 federal tax credits that the U.S. government is offering to first-time homebuyers.

Or try this out: You like Toyotas?

Well, try out a new Toyota Matrix that has an online sticker price of $16,550. It’s pretty sleek.

 

 

Of course, I don’t want to detract from the honor, joy and prestige that this man, who led the effort to make this food, had in collecting his world’s record certificate.

 

 

Another question: If you are trying to set a world record, is cost relevant?

Perhaps, I should have started this post by saying: A belated congratulations.