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Stinky tofu

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Stinky tofu
Stinky tofu served in Guilin, Guangxi
Place of originChina
Region or stateEast Asia
Main ingredientsfermented tofu
Stinky tofu
Chinese臭豆腐
Literal meaningstinky tofu
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinchòu dòufu
Gan
Romanizationchhiu2 theu5 fuh
Hakka
RomanizationTshu-theu-fú
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingcau3 dau6 fu6
Southern Min
Hokkien POJchhàu-tāu-hū

Stinky tofu (Chinese: 臭豆腐; pinyin: chòu dòufu) is a Chinese form of fermented tofu that has a strong odor. It is usually sold at night markets or roadside stands as a snack, or in lunch bars as a side dish, rather than in restaurants.

Production

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

The traditional method of 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.[1] The brine fermentation can take as long as several months.

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 purposes.[2] The process only adds odor to the marinated tofu instead of letting it ferment completely.

Preparation

Blackened, Hunan-style stinky tofu

Stinky tofu can be eaten cold, steamed, stewed, or, most commonly, deep-fried, and it is often accompanied by chili sauce or soy sauce. The color varies from the golden, fried Zhejiang-style to the black, typical of Hunan-style stinky tofu.[1]

From a distance, the odor of stinky tofu is said to resemble that of rotten garbage or smelly feet.[3][4] Some people have compared it to the taste of blue cheese,[5] while others have compared it to rotten meat. It is said that the more it smells, the better its flavor.[1][4]

History

According to a Chinese legend, a scholar named Wang Zhihe (王致和) hailing from Huang Shan in Anhui Province invented stinky tofu during the Qing dynasty.[6][7] After failing the imperial examination, Wang stayed in Beijing and relied on selling tofu to make a living. One day, having a huge quantity of unsold tofu on his hands, he cut the tofu into small cubes and put them into an earthen jar.[8] After several days, he opened up the jar and found out that the tofu had turned greenish and become extremely smelly. Initially perceiving the tofu to taste extremely foul, he found out that it was surprisingly delicious so he decided to start selling it at his store.[9] The stinky tofu that Wang Zhihe invented gained popularity and was later served at the imperial Qing Dynasty palace.[4] The Empress Cixi later named the delicacy "imperial green cubes".[7]

Chemical analysis

A 2012 chemical analysis found 39 volatile organic compounds that contributed to the unique smell and taste of fermented stinky tofu. The main volatile compound was indole, followed by dimethyl trisulfide, phenol, dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl tetrasulfide.[10]

Around the world

A stinky tofu stall in Keelung, Taiwan
A vendor preparing stinking tofu at Xincheng Night Market, Hualien

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 made using different methods, and the resulting flavors are very different.[11] Huo Gong Dian (a stinky tofu shop in Changsha) makes the tofu with yellow soybeans marinated in seasoning.[12] The stinky tofu sold in Tianjin is made mostly in the Nanjing style, with a mild aroma. In Shanghai, stinky tofu is fried and sold on the street, typically served with a spicy or sweet sauce much like the Shaoxing variety. It is also served as a condiment to congee, often as a part of a regular breakfast meal. In Chongqing, stinky tofu on the street 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 pot. In Beijing, there is a form that is sold in jar as a curd.

Changsha-style stinky tofu
Sichuan-style (Málà chòu dòufu) numbing spicy stinky tofu

In Anhui, the perceived deliciousness of stinky tofu depends mainly on its spiciness: the spicier it is, the more it suits the local favor.[13] Chinese legend says that stinky tofu was invented by a man from Anhui province, and indeed it is common to attribute the creation of tofu dishes in general to Anhui cuisine, as Anhui is seen as the birthplace of tofu.[14]

Changsha, Hunan

Stinky tofu is a symbol of Changsha street snack, also called "Chòu Gānzï" by local people. [15]Changsha stinky tofu is famous of its spicy flavor. Different than Sichuan stinky tofu, Changsha-style has black crackling. Changsha stinky tofu is made from brine composed of winter bamboo shoot, koji, and shiitake mushrooms. After the surface grow white hair and wait it turning to grey, stinky tofu is ready to be fried. Chopped mustard, chili, and shallot are regular toppings on Changsha stinky tofu.[16]

Nanjing, Jiangsu

There is one famous kind of stinky tofu in Nanjing, called "Gaochun stinky tofu". It has different kinds of brine than Changsha style stinky tofu. The brine needs to be made of rotten pickles and its stinky smell will be very natural. Similar to Changsha-style stinky tofu, it also has black crackling. [17]

Sichuan

Sichuan's stinky tofu also has spicy flavor. However, its flavor has a stronger taste of Zanthoxylum, called "Málà" (麻辣) in Mandarin Chinese. Málà is Sichuan's flavor for almost all kinds of food, “là” means spicy and “má” refers to the addictive numbing and tingling sensation caused by Sichuan peppercorns.[18] Sichuan-style stinky tofu does not need to be deep fried in the oil, so it does not has black cracklings. It needs to be stirred fried and boiled with different kinds of spices.[19]

Taiwan

In Taiwan, stinky tofu is commonly found at stalls in night markets. Taiwanese stinky tofu can be found fried, steamed, cooked in soup, but is most commonly found in its fried version[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Xiaomi, Tan (2 June 2006). "Stand back! Stinky tofu chain stores arrive in Shenzhen". Shenzhen Daily. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013.
  2. ^ 臭豆腐秘密基地 直擊製作過程!. 華視新聞網. 8 October 2009.
  3. ^ Nguyen, C. Thi (10 November 2011). "The Find: Stinky tofu restaurant may find converts". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 15 September 2018. Tofu King has opened a second eatery in Arcadia, which is good news to those seeking the Taiwanese, deep-fried fermented dish. [...] But this is not a masochist's stinky tofu. This is a subtle, carefully controlled, artful bit of fermented snackery. The stuff is almost delicate. If blue cheeses and stinky tofus are the foods that smell like feet, this stinky tofu smells like Natalie Portman's feet — at least in a fanboy's imagination. [...] The original Rowland Heights branch of Tofu King reigns over a small shopping mall alleyway food court. [...] The original branch is still around and is still tops for old-school Chinese night-market, street-food charm, but for maximum culinary pleasure, follow Mel Chang to the new Arcadia branch.
  4. ^ a b c Ku, Henry (13 December 2013). "Stinky Tofu in Seattle: Why You Should Try This Strange Snack | Henry's Taiwan Kitchen". HenrysTaiwanKitchen.com. Archived from the original on 31 December 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2019. Some say it smells like dirty socks, while others say its stench is akin to that of rotting cheese, dirty garbage, or manure. [...] Stinky tofu fans claim that the more stinky the tofu, the tastier it is. [...] Stinky tofu is said to have its roots in the southeastern maritime areas of China. According to legend, a tofu vendor named Wang Zhi He invented stinky tofu during the Qing dynasty. He had a lot of unsold tofu, so he cut it into small cubes and put it in a jar for several days. The tofu fermented and turned a greenish color. He tried the smelly tofu and found that it tasted delicious, so he decided to start selling it at his store. [...] Henry's Taiwan Kitchen is a leading Taiwanese restaurant with locations in Seattle, Washington and Tempe, Arizona. Get your stinky tofu fix and sample other authentic Taiwanese dishes at Henry's Taiwan Kitchen!
  5. ^ Lennox, Craig (28 January 2010). "Chou doufu: the origins of stinky tofu". Global Times. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  6. ^ Ezrati, Or (23 October 2012). "This Wonder, This Miracle, This Stinky Tofu". Haaretz.
  7. ^ a b "Stinky Tofu (Chou Doufu-臭豆腐)". ChinaDictionary.net. 29 January 2015.
  8. ^ "Kaleidoscope: Food Culture: Wang Zhihe Fermented Bean Curd". kaleidoscope.cultural-china.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  9. ^ Fredericson, Colin (23 June 2016). "Stinky Tofu: The Chinese Dish That Smells Awful, but Tastes Heavenly". Vision Times.
  10. ^ Liu, Y; Miao, Z; Guan, W; Sun, B (26 March 2012). "Analysis of Organic Volatile Flavor Compounds in Fermented Stinky Tofu Using SPME with Different Fiber Coatings". Molecules. 17 (4): 3708–3722. doi:10.3390/molecules17043708. PMC 6268145. PMID 22450681.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  11. ^ Maston, Tiana (2 May 2018). "Stinky Tofu- The Healthy and Easy Way". Yum China. Retrieved 16 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Watson, Matthew. "The ULTIMATE Chinese Food Tour: Fiery Palace stinky tofu in Changsha". Retrieved 16 April 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "Yahoo雅虎香港". Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  14. ^ "Stinky Tofu in Chinese Food Wiki". Retrieved 4 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ "长沙臭豆腐". 百度百科.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Yuan, Xiwei (28 September 2018). "The difference between Changsha stinky tofu and Shaoxing stinky tofu". Zhifure. Retrieved 24 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ "臭豆腐（中国特色传统小吃）". 百度百科. Retrieved 27 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ Lin, M.Paramita (12 June 2018). "Stinky tofu is a celebration of the beautiful stank". The Takeout. Retrieved 27 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "臭豆腐（中国传统特色小吃）". 百度百科. Retrieved 27 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ Horton, Chris (19 November 2017). "Where Stinky Tofu Is at Its Malodorous Best". New York Times. Retrieved 1 May 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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