Stinky tofu

Stinky tofu
Deep fried version of stinky tofu
Chinese	臭豆腐
Literal meaning	stinky tofu
Transcriptions Gan - Romanization chhiu2 theu5 fuh Hakka - Romanization Tshu-theu-fú Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin chòu dòufu Min - Hokkien POJ chhàu-tāu-hū Cantonese (Yue) - Jyutping cau3 dau6 fu6

Stinky tofu or chòu dòufu is a form of fermented tofu that has a strong odor. It is a popular snack in East and Southeast Asia, particularly mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong and in East Asian enclaves elsewhere where it is usually found homemade, at night markets or roadside stands, or as a side dish in lunch bars rather than in restaurants.

Production

Unlike cheese, stinky tofu fermentation does not have fixed formula for starter bacteria; wide regional and individual variations exist in manufacture and preparation.

The traditional method for producing stinky tofu is to prepare a brine made from fermented milk, vegetables, and meat; the brine can also include dried shrimp, amaranth greens, mustard greens, bamboo shoots, and Chinese herbs. The brine fermentation can take as long as several months. Although stinky tofu is very popular in East and Southeast Asia, not many households prepare stinky tofu brine at home due to its strong odor, especially in metro-residential areas.

Even though the traditional method is still widely practiced by street vendors, modern factories often use quicker methods to mass produce stinky tofu. Fresh tofu is marinated in prepared brine for only a day or two, especially for fried or boiled cooking purpose. The process only adds odor to the marinated tofu instead of letting it ferment completely.

The nature of the stinky tofu production process makes it extremely difficult to pass government food regulation even in Asia. The diversity and lack of formulated methods also makes it nearly impossible for any government to regulate and inspect. In Asia, no stinky tofu factories were ever officially licensed or constantly monitored; in most cases, government inspection can only focus on the cooking procedure and ventilation.

In North America, stinky tofu is often "home-made" in cities with significant numbers of Asian immigrants. For example, some Asian tofu factories in Vancouver, Canada produce stinky tofu underground as a side-business to avoid government inspections.

Preparation

Mala stinky tofu.

Stinky tofu can be eaten cold, steamed, stewed, or most commonly, fried. It is often accompanied by chili sauce. The color varies from the golden fried Zhejiang-style to the black typical of Hunan-style stinky tofu.

From a distance, the odor of stinky tofu is said to resemble that of rotten garbage or manure, even by its enthusiasts. In some instances the taste has even been compared to rotten meat. In spite of stinky tofu's smell, most say the flavor is surprisingly mild. It is said the more it smells, the 'better' its flavor. Some few people have compared it to the taste of blue cheese. It has also been compared to foie gras.

History

According to the folk stories, stinky to-fu was invented by a person who named Wong Zi Wo (王致和)in the Qing dynasty. However the versions of the exact story are quite varied.

Soft Stinky to-fu:

Because of failing the imperial examination, Wong Zi Wo stayed in Beijing and relied on selling to-fu to make a living. One day, because of the huge quantity of redundant to-fu, he tried to cut the to-fu into small cubes and put them into an earthen jar. After several days, he opened up the jar and found out that the to-fu had turned into greenish and become extremely smelly. He tasted the “stinky greenish to-fu” and it was surprisingly delicious. And so he decided to sell those “stinky greenish to-fu” as a commodity in his shore.

Dried stinky to-fu:

During the KangXi period, Wong Zi Wo was a to-fu seller as well as a pig feeder. One day, he was making dried to-fu with an earthen jar. After he put all the seasonings in the jar, he was distracted by the pigs and forgot to close the lid, and so the white paint on the wall kept falling into the jar. A while later, after Wong Zi Wo had settled down all the pigs, the dried to-fu had already turned into the dried stinky to-fu.

The Taiwanese culture of eating stinky to-fu:

Deep fried stinky to-fu:

Deep fried stinky to-fu is a common dish in both Taiwan night markets and restaurants. And before the 90s hawkers even wandered around the street and peddled deep-fried stinky to-fu. In Taiwan, people usually eat the deep fried stinky to-fu with the local sweet and sour pickled vegetable in order to relieve the greasiness.

Spicy stinky to-fu:

Spicy stinky to-fu is a new cooking method of stinky to-fu in Taiwan. Because of the prevalence of spicy hot pot, Taiwanese people came up with a new idea of forming a rich-flavoured spicy hot pot soup base by using stinky to-fu, duck blood and Chinese sauerkraut as the ingredients. This innovative cooking method of stinky to-fu is really popular in the Taiwanese society nowadays.

Soft Stinky to-fu:

Soft Stinky to-fu commonly used as a condiment for rice, bread, congee or noodle. It can also be used as a seasoning for cooking.

Stinky to-fu shashlik:

Stinky to-fu shashlik is a popular cooking method of stinky to-fu in the Taipei Shenkeng province and many of the Taiwan night markets. After stabbing the bamboo stick through the stinky to-fu, the “yakitori” is then roasted on the charcoal with the roasted meat sauce. And because of the huge amount of seasonings, the unpleasant odour of the stinky to-fu shashlik is comparatively weaker. Therefore Stinky to-fu shashlik is always recommended for the people who try stinky to-fu for the first time.

Stinky to-fu in other cultures:

Hong Kong:

Unlike the diversity of stinky to-fu in Taiwan, in Hong Kong it is usually deep fried. And rather than eating the deep fried stinky to-fu with pickled vegetables, Hong Kong people usually enjoy the deep fried stinky to-fu with sweet sauce and chili sauce.

Mainland China:

The ways of eating stinky to-fu in different provinces of Mainland China are actually quite varied.

• Anhwei(安徽)

In Anhwei, the deliciousness of stinky to-fu mainly depends on its spiciness. The spicier it is, the more it suits the local favour.

• Beijing (北京)

Wong Zi Wo Stinky to-fu shop is a China time-honored brand in Beijing which famous for its soft stinky to-fu.

• Changsha(長沙)

The stinky to-fu in the Fire Palace Restaurant (火宫殿) is an “official representative” of the stinky to-fu in Changsha.

Regional

A stinky tofu stall in Keelung, Taiwan

Mainland China

Stinky tofu is made and consumed in different ways in various areas of China. For example, the types of dried stinky tofu made in Changsha and Shaoxing are both very popular, but they are made with different methods, and the resulting flavors are very different. The most famous shop for stinky tofu in Changsha, Huo Gong Dian, 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. In Shanghai, stinky tofu is fried and sold on streets, typically served with a spicy or sweet sauce. It is also served as a condiment to Congee, a kind of rice soup that is quite neutral in its own flavour, often as a part of a regular breakfast meal. In Chongqing, stinky tofu on the streets is usually fried and dipped in a mixture of, typically, coriander (cilantro) leaves, scallions, chili powder, Sichuan pepper and oil. Stinky tofu is also sometimes dipped in Sichuan spicy hot pots.

Taiwan

Stinky tofu is one of the most recognizable dishes in Taiwan. It is very commonly served on roadside stands and in night markets. It is usually served deep fried (often served drizzled with sauce and topped with sour pickled vegetables), grilled, or added to a Sichuan mala soup base (with solid goose blood.)

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, stinky tofu is a trademark street food, along with fishballs and beef balls. The street style is rather plain. It is deep fried fresh at hawkers' stalls and at dai pai dongs. It is sold by the bag, and is well-known for the tremendous amount of grease it contains. Hong Kong-style stinky tofu is traditionally eaten with hoisin sauce.

See also

• Hawkers