Do you like Stinky Tofu? I like it so much! People either love or hate it because of the strong smell and flavor. However, we all know that the more it smells, the better it tastes for the ones who enjoy.
Stinky Tofu is a popular dish in Taiwan, as well as in China and South Asia. It is so popular in Taiwan and it often gets picked up by international travel or cooking shows. Stinky Tofu is usually sold by the street vendors in the night market; however, many specialty stinky tofu places can also be found all over Taiwan. Walking on the streets; you would have no problem finding these vendors from a block away by its smell!
Have you ever wondered how stinky tofu is made? It is made by marinating fresh tofu in brine produce by fermented ingredients, such as, dried shrimp, bamboo shoots, or Chinese herbs. The deep fried takes place after the marinating. It may take 2-3 deep frying processes. The first 10 minutes is the deep fry to make the marinated tofu well cooked. Before serving, a 30 second deep fry would make it very crispy outside and soft inside after they are sliced. Some places are offering the 3rd deep fry after they are sliced to give an extra crispy outside.
The spicy paste, chili oil and other secret sauces are added on the top. The marinated sweet and sour cabbage is also added on the plate. The steam stinky tofu dish is prepared often in restaurants and is a popular dish as well. I also love that dish!
Because of the extensive deep frying and prolonged marinating process, Stinky Tofu may be as an unhealthy snack. However, as long as you are not going to eat it often, there should have no health concern and this applies to all deep fried food. Stinky Tofu is something I won’t miss when I visit Taiwan!
Here is a short video clip showing the deep fried stinky Tofu in “A-Quan Stinky Tofu” near Taipei Train Station. The tasty sweet and sour cabbage is inside the white container! Give a try if you have not had the Stinky Tofu and let us know what you think of it…
![Voted](http://www.go-traveling.idv.tw/other/top-taiwan-blog-1.jpg")
10 comments:
the best stinky tofu i've had is from Fong Jia night market in taichung. i've only been there once so i can't recall the name of the vendor, but it was totally awesome! definitely going back again!
Not sure if I had it yet. I'm like many Canadian-born or American-born Chinese: they eat alot of stuff which they don't always know what it is because no one is around to tell them in English what it is.
As I kid, I do remember fermented tofu as a flavouring condiment. One buys it from the store in a jar. Only need a small amount of it for flavouring. I guess the closest fit is it's like miso paste, but the Chinese version.
@Dennis- Fong Jia night market is a very popular night market. If you do find out the name of that vendor, please let us know. I do like to try their stinky tofu~~ Thanks!
@Jean-Ha! I think sometimes is good to eat some local delicacies without knowing the names, such as "black tofu", "chicken butt"... They taste so good! Fermented tofu is another popular item to go with the rice soup. Now, it also is the dipping paste for the hot pot!
I love it! I actually don't find it that strong compared to some French cheese, such as blue cheese. I eat a lot of tofu, it's quite healthy and if prepared correctly, it's very tasty.
I only had it once...
My first and last one.
It's not very popular in Malaysia either, I think.
But people there like chicken feet! Ha ha...
I can eat a ton of stinky tofu :) Smell pretty bad but taste great! Have you tasted stinky tofu with kimchi? Amazing COMBO!
@Zhu- Good for you! I love tofu and tofu products as well. I think I am eating too much tofu actually. In fact, the stinky tofu now does not have the strong smell as before, but they still taste awesome as before. It is still my favorite!
@Londoncaller- I have a couple of friends who can handle stinky tofu once only too. I like chicken feet, especially the smoked one~~
@Shloke- Nope, I have not, but I don’t mind trying. Stinky tofu with Kimchi- this combination will be HOT!
Stinky tofu is quite common in China as well, I had some for the first time when I was visiting Beijing a few years ago. I can't say that I liked it at the time (although it was better then some of the more unusual dishes I tasted), but now I find myself craving it again.
@ China Trave Guide--Thanks for sharing your experience! I know many of them could not stand the smell of Stinky Tofu; however, after a several bites, it has became their favoriate dishes!
Tem cheiro de esgoto ou produto da diarreia. Não consegui chegar perto e perdi o apetite de comer até outra comida. Chega embrulhar o estômago. Isto senti em varias ruas de Taipei e outros lugares de Taiwan.carlos hantke
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