Day 7 : Stinky Tofu

Would you eat something that smelled like animal feces? Well, walking along the street, we caught a stench ... that akin to horse dung or something similar. Some of us pinched our noses. Yes, the smell was that offensive and would just singe your nose hair!

Earlier on, MH asked us whether we had tried stinky tofu.

Yes, in Taiwan! I answered enthusiasticaly.

But MH insisted that we try Hunan's stinky tofu. It was different , he said. Hunan's stinky tofu was in the least appealing colour for food - black! Dare you?

So since we came across a stall that evening, we thought it was the our last chance to try this street food , that some people would consider as a delicacy.

"Come have some smelly tofu! Very delicious!" The vendor uncle promoted.

The uncle deep-frying the black squares of smelly tofu ... in the pot next to the wok were more smelly tofu simmering in a clear broth. Right in front of the uncle were the condiments he used to garnish the tofu.

 See the abominable black mouldy tofu ...

We decided to try a bowl ....

Powerful stuff here : A bowl of stinky tofu, RMB5.00 

As soon as we placed a bowl, the uncle poked the tofu from wok and placed them in a polystyrene bowl. He then ladled some clear broth from the pot to douse the tofu squares. As garnishing, he spooned some chopped pickled mustard, chilli sauce, and some chopped Chinese celery over the dish.

It was then the Fear Factor moment .... and that was to eat the tofu!! I poked a tofu with a skewer, brought it to my mouth, and ate it whole. As I chewed on the tofu, the juices burst .... and I detected a prominent flavour of pickled mustard, coupled with chillies, refreshing celery. The stinky tofu? Well ... the taste was not revolting at all despite the smell!

I could actually go for a second helping! Well, no doubt it's an acquired taste, but once you get past the fetid smell, it CAN be quite addictive! I could really learn to love this street snack. :)