News > China > Stinky Tofu: And the Same To You Too!
 
Stinky Tofu: And the Same To You Too!
 
 
 

stinky-boy Stinky Tofu: And the Same To You Too! pictureWhat is stinky tofu and why is it such a popular treat in Taiwan, Indonesia and China?

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.

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.

stinky-tofu01 Stinky Tofu: And the Same To You Too! picture

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.

Is stinky tofu for you?

I guess that all depends.

How do you feel about perfume and deodorant?

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16 Comments »

Comment by STREET VENDOR HAN SOLO
2008-08-29 11:03:50

EWOKS EAT ROTTEN BUGS ON ENDOR!!! LooL361

 
Comment by asad baheri
2008-08-29 11:36:53

It’s not that bad once it’s fried, which is the way it is usually served in Taiwan. The smell is from it’s raw form once you fry it the smell is gone and all you are left with is a crunchy outside and a soft inside. Not bad at all.

 
Comment by Malabi
2008-08-29 12:03:15

It sure doesn’t look tasty on the picture. ^^

 
Comment by nobody
2008-08-29 13:46:34

Soy is the most vile thing that ever grew on the surface of this planet.

Comment by nobody
2008-08-29 15:16:28

And so are you!

 
 
Comment by Space Cowboy
2008-08-29 17:05:05

BLEEARGH
It looks like, um, human waste

 
Comment by emfajar
2008-08-29 19:47:06

wueeeekkkkss disturbing picture..

 
Comment by xavster
2008-08-29 21:03:43

better than stinky cheese :D

 
Comment by Paul
2008-08-29 22:49:15

Most street food in HK looks bad, and I’ve had my fair share since I have them every time I go back to Hong Kong (couple times a year) and I must say, they always taste better than they look.

Once I had to persuade a Kiwi friend to try some…. literally deep fried “pig intestine”, “Ox tongue” and “Pig blood”. Needless to say, it took a lot of explaining and persuasion.

Comment by MDeeDubroff
2008-08-30 02:16:50

Thank you for your thoughts on this.
I appreciate them.

 
 
Comment by Matty
2008-08-30 07:39:19

I enjoy Chou Dofu and I’ve never seen any as ugly as in that pic, mine is all a nice gold colour.
Either way it tastes nice, and other than the ones in that pic, look nice too.

 
Comment by I eat it all thetime
2008-08-30 09:44:39

That Hunan style looks great. I’d love to try it. I eat stinky tofu about once a week in Taiwan. Fried is the most common, but I prefer the spicy stinky tofu soup with duck blood pudding which you can find in most night markets. It’s one of the spiciest Taiwanese dishes.

 
Comment by hschia
2008-08-31 19:02:19

P-U! That pungent odour really smells worse than garbage. I wonder why numerous people enjoy eating it……

 
Comment by happy_grape
2008-09-06 19:22:38

I love this food!! It taste incredibly great! I have missed its flavour for a really long time.

 
Comment by ophoeng
2008-09-14 03:48:08

I once tasted the golden one chou doufu in one Hunan style resto at Guang-zhou, China, about 2 years ago, and I do love the taste. The smell is not as bad as they -who don’t like- said.

Trust me, you will love it once you tasted it.

To be honest, there is no exactly the same chou doufu in Indonesia. One that similar is called ‘tahu gejrot’ (originally produced by Ciledug-Cirebon area people), fried, served with crushed chilli, shallot and palm sugar in sauce of palm sugar + water, the smell is much lesser than chou doufu.

 
Comment by bonnie
2008-11-02 20:14:54

chou doufu smelt lousy but taste delicious!

 
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