Keen-eyed consumers of the Cambridge-based Chang Shing Tofu may have been surprised to see a Stoughton address listed on recent packages, rather than the brand’s longtime East Cambridge location.
After more than 25 years in Cambridge, and 10 years before then in Somerville’s Union Square, Chang Shing Tofu will officially say goodbye to the area in a couple weeks, though much of its production has already moved to Stoughton.
“We tried to make Cambridge work as long as possible,” said Jenny Dao, operations manager at Chang Shing Tofu and daughter of the company’s founders. “It’s hard to manufacture in Cambridge. The trucking in and out is difficult, and there’s no real room for expansion.”
While much of the tofu maker’s operations will stay the same – including most of the markets and restaurants that carry its wares – the company’s storefront at 37 Rogers St., will no longer sell wholesale directly to consumers.
Rather, Cantabrigians will need to get their tofu fix at any number of local markets, including Daily Table, Pemberton Farms or Reliable Market. Chang Shing also sells to many of Greater Boston’s Asian supermarkets, such as C-Mart in Chinatown or Super88 in Allston.
At Daily Table in Central Square, Chang Shing Tofu remains the only tofu brand the company carries. Georgia Ferguson, Daily Table’s director of procurement, said the company remains the cheapest option for the company and consumers.
“Chang Shing Tofu has been a part of our business from early on,” Ferguson said. “They’ve just really cared about our mission and always stuck with us.”
The tofu brand was Daily Table’s only supplier made directly in Cambridge. Though the city was once an industrial hub, Chang Shing is one of the last few food manufacturers left.
Where we’re headed
Jason Alves, executive director of the East Cambridge Business Association, said it’s sad to see another manufacturer leave, but he knows it’s a positive change for Chang Shing Tofu.
“It’s just an indicator of change,” Alves said. “I think a manufacturing place like that shows where our roots are and where we came from.”
The factory is now bordered by upscale housing. “It seems to be the direction the neighborhood is heading,” Alves said.
“To have something that’s made here in Massachusetts is really great,” Ferguson said. “As an organization, we like to keep our procurement dollars in the state.”
Traditional methods
Though the new Stoughton facility will increase the level of automation in Chang Shing’s process, the methods will remain largely the same: “We still do it the old-school way,” Dao said.
That way is the traditional “kettle” method, in which the soy milk and curds are coagulated in a kettle, poured into a mold, wrapped in cheesecloth and pressed to drain. Dao said other methods that national brands use can leave the tofu chalky or crumbly.
“It retains the best flavor and the best texture,” Dao said. “It’s chewy, but still tender.”
Outgrew the space
Chang Shing Tofu had been looking to move out of the Cambridge space for several years as the operation grew and the 16,000-square-foot space was no longer sufficient. Now in a 55,000-square-foot space in Stoughton, Chang Shing will look to expand its production. Dao hopes the new facility will allow expansion into new regions, beyond New England.
For local restaurants and small markets in Cambridge, Chang Shing connected them with food distributors who could truck the product from Stoughton.
“It is where we started and where we grew up, so we’re very protective of our old customers,” Dao said. “We’re doing everything we can to make sure they can still get the product.”
Though she’s excited by Chang Shing’s future, Dao, who lives in Cambridge, said the move is a little “bittersweet” too. After three decades in the region, Dao and her parents have seen customers grow up before their eyes.
“It’s been our home,” Dao said. “We’ll miss it – there’s nothing like Cambridge.”
This post was updated April 27, 2024, with comment from Jason Alves.
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