chinese snack: 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 Taiwan, Indonesia, and China, where it is usually found at night markets or roadside stands, or as a side dish in lunch bars.
It is perhaps interesting to note that the words "stinky tofu" is a direct translation of the Mandarin term chou doufu. However, the Mandarin word chou does not have the same negative connotation as the English word "stinky". Chou therefore serves mainly as a factual descriptor and not a judgment on the virtues of the odor. Occasionally chou is translated as "fragrant", but this too imposes a "pleasant" or "flowery" judgment on the term, which does not accurately represent the food either.

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 milk, vegetables, and meat 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, most say the flavor is surprisingly mild. However there are some that think otherwise. In fact, some have been so appalled by the taste that they couldn't so much as swallow it without bringing it all back up at once. Some few people have compared it to the taste of blue cheese. It has also been compared to foie gras. In some instances the taste has even been compared to rotten meat. It is said the more it smells, the 'better' its flavor.