Yolanda‘s Favourite

Stinky tofu, which is actually a form of fermented tofu, is manufactured and prepared in a myriad of ways depending on the region where it is sold.
The strong odor is formidable to say the very least and not for the faint of heart. Stinky tofu is a very popular snack in East and Southeast Asia where it is easily found with no place to hide at night markets or roadside stands.

In Chinese cuisine ,Stinky tofu is made and consumed in different ways in various areas. For example, the dried stinky tofu made in Changsha and Shaoxing are both very popular, but they are made with different methods, as a result, the flavors are very different. The most famous shop for stinky tofu in Changsha makes the tofu with yellow soybeans marinated in seasoning. The stinky tofu sold in Tianjin is mostly made in the Nanjing style, with a mild aroma, while the tofu in Changsha is really heaven and spicy, which is usually fried and dipped in a mixture of usually coriander (U.S. ‘cilantro’), scallions, chili powder, pepper and oil. In Shanghai, stinky tofu is fried and sold on streets, typically served with either spicy or sweet sauces.

Different flavor stinky tofu in China

According to expert presentations, Changsha, is sold on the streets are deep-fried stinky tofu are not authentic, Huo Gongdian and Chengdu Garden Hotel is the stinky tofu, the real “origin” location.

Changsha stinky “great master” is an old cook ginger Erdie late, and his two disciples Di Chuan Sheng Liu Tao clouds and pure, respectively, “settle down” Huo Gongdian and Chengdu Garden Hotel. According to them, key to authentic stinky tofu is produced by fermentation of water from the mushrooms, fresh bamboo shoots, Liquor, Liuyang special lobster sauce made with running water (other places are stagnant water), Laonen appropriate blanks go through the fermentation of water tofu After soaking, use a small Zhashu simmered in the pan, and then drilling the end of trickle-down pepper, MSG, soy sauce, sesame oil and other condiments, Serve Jiaocui instead of paste, delicate but not too sweet, unique flavor of tofu. Is characterized by the beginning of this stinky smell smell smell smell fine aroma enticing, refreshing with a fresh white bean curd, fried bean curd aromatic crispy, not only who have been Mao Zedong, Peng, Hu and other party and state leaders praise, and the United States, Britain, France and other countries of the politicians, the media friends admiring Huogong Dian taste, the United States “food” magazine reporter has made a special trip came Changsha interview stinky tofu, so that the “smell” the name is far broadcast ocean.
authentic stinky production process has never been rumored, street stalls and thus a considerable portion of the stinky tofu was shoddy, not only very poor sanitary conditions, stinky tofu is also infected with the surface of the pigment harmful to human health, the majority of diners are never allowed to be “stinky” smell and cheap dizzy.

The words, “stinky tofu”, are a direct translation from the Mandarin term, “chou doufu”. Chou does not translate negatively, like stinky, and is considered a description rather than a judgment of the unmistakable odor.Usually marinated in a brine made from fermented vegetables for as long as several months, the potent marinade can also include greens, bamboo shoots, herbs and dried shrimp.Once, stinky tofu was a military staple for soldiers patrolling China’s borders.From a distance, it is said that rotting garbage is as close as one can come to describing the smell of stinky tofu. Some also say “baby poo” and “hellacious” come a bit closer.

Its flavor is very mild, and some claim it is similar to blue cheese (on non-garbage, pick-up days), Afficianados swear that the worse it smells, the better the flavor.Stinky tofu can be steamed, eaten cold, stewed or fried, which is the most common form of preparation. Usually served with a chili sauce on the side, the color of stinky tofu varies from golden fried to the black typical of Hunan-style preparation.

In Hong Kong, stinky tofu is a trademark street food along with fish and beef balls, which are deep fried and eaten with hoisin sauce. Sold by the bag, it is guaranteed to contain almost enough grease to oil a diesel truck.