Stinky tofu

Stinky tofu  is a form of fermented tofu, which, as the name suggests, has a strong odor. It is a popular snack in East and Southeast Asia, particularly China, Taiwan, and Indonesia where it is usually found at night markets or roadside stands, or as a side dish in lunch bars.

Preparation
Wide regional and individual variations exist in manufacture and preparation. Most typically, it consists of tofu, which has been marinated in a brine made from fermented vegetables for as long as several months. The brine can also include dried shrimp, amaranth greens, mustard greens, bamboo shoots, and Chinese herbs.

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 spite of stinky tofu's smell, the flavor is surprisingly mild. Some have compared it to the taste of blue cheese. It is said the more it smells, the better its flavor. Many foreigners, and even many Chinese and Taiwanese people detest stinky tofu, particularly on first encountering it.

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 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.

Hong Kong
This has been another one of the street trademark food along with fishball and beef ball. The street style is rather plain. It is deep fried fresh at street hawker stalls and sometimes dai pai dong. It is purchased by the bag, and is well known for the grease and oil. It goes with hoisin sauce as the tradition.

Taiwan
In Taiwan, stinky tofu is also served with goose blood in a Sichuan mala soup.