Stinky Tofu

chòu dòufu - I'm not kidding when I say that the actual Chinese name and translation is "stinky tofu." This specialty food is perhaps one of Taiwan's most notorious. The fermented tofu is smelled long before it is seen. It smells somewhat like the sewers of Taiwan, but all locals enjoys this strange food to the confusion of many tourists. It can be found at the night market food stalls, regular day food vendors, or in small restaurants. There are three styles of cooking to prepare stinky tofu. The most common is to fry it, the second is to cook it on a grill, or cook it in a spicy "ma-la" 麻辣 broth. The stinkier the tofu the longer it has been fermented.

Fried Stinky Tofu

The fried version which is most common is crispy and served with pickled cabbage and a choice of both a spicy sauce or a mild soy sauce like dipping sauce on the side. It can be found almost everywhere, restaurants, food stalls, etc. Side note: before buying an order of stinky tofu, go to the stall with the most people because you can almost guarantee that that stall will be the best. Also it is important to note the oil in which it is fried in. If the oil is clear/clean looking it should be safe to eat. However, if the oil is dark or does not look like it has been replaced in some time, I would avoid buying from that particular stall.

Grilled version

My personal favorite is the grilled style. It is juicier and served on skewers with pickled cabbage stuffed inside. This type used to be more common but now I've only seen it available at night market food stalls. Which is unfortunate because this style is my favorite because it has the most flavor in my opinion :). It also allows for a spicier kick depending on the vendor's sauce selection.

Mala style

The mala soup style version is VERY spicy. Mala is an oily spicy numbing sauce made from Sichuanese peppercorn, chili pepper and various spices simmered with oil.This type of stinky tofu is soaked and cooked in this broth. It's spicy-ness numbs the tongue and mouth. The texture is somewhat crumbly but still firm as tofu should be. I also like this version very much, but I definitely do not suggest it if you can't handle spicy.

Although the smell can be a total turn off, once you like it, you're hooked for life and want it to be stinkier for a better taste. This food needs to be given two chances before you knock it. I'll admit that the first time I ate it I was not a fan. I even gagged a bit, but after a break and trying it again, I grew to love it! The taste is really strong and kind of gross at first, but when you take the second bite, that's when the flavor kicks in and you start to enjoy it. I definitely recommend trying this food as it is a Taiwanese specialty ;) .