Stinky Tofu

Ingredients

Tofu

• 500 gprepared stinky tofu, chòu dòufu, sold frozen or chilled in Chinese and Taiwanese shops

To fry

• oil, for deep frying

Pickled cabbage

• 300 gTaiwanese pickled cabbage, or make it with 400 g cabbage, 2 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 carrot

Sauce

• 3 tbspsoy sauce
• 2 tbspTaiwanese chilli sauce or chilli bean paste
• 1 tbspgarlic, minced
• 1 tspsugar
• 1 tspsesame oil
• 2 tbspwater

To finish

• chopped coriander
• sliced spring onion

To serve

• on a paper plate, with a toothpick

Directions

1. Make the pickled cabbage first, since it wants at least a few hours. Shred the cabbage and carrot finely, salt them, and leave them 30 minutes, then squeeze out the water. Squeeze it genuinely dry, or the pickle will be watery and dilute.
2. Toss with sugar and rice vinegar and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. It should be crisp, sweet and sharp, and it is not a garnish.
3. Mix the sauce ingredients and set them aside. Now pat the tofu completely dry with kitchen paper. Let it come to room temperature if it was frozen. Cut it into cubes of about 4 cm if it is not already portioned.
4. Keep the oil moderate rather than fierce. Stinky tofu needs time for the inside to heat through and puff, and at high heat the crust burns while the centre stays cold.
5. Stand back as they go in and use a splatter guard. Fry for 5 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally. It takes longer than plain tofu, and it is ready when the outside is deep golden, crisp and visibly puffed.
6. Lift the pieces out and drain them on a rack. Spoon the chilli sauce into and over each piece. Pile the cold pickled cabbage alongside, generously.
7. Scatter coriander and spring onion over. It must be eaten hot and within minutes, since it softens as it cools.

Technique

• Prepared stinky tofu is widely sold frozen in Chinese and Taiwanese shops.
• The Taiwanese fried version and the Hunanese black version are quite different dishes.
• It tastes considerably milder than it smells.

Substitutions

• There is no substitute, and the brined tofu is the dish.
• Frozen prepared stinky tofu, which is what most people use.

Variations

• Mala chòu dòufu, simmered in numbing chilli broth.
• Steamed with pork and chilli, in the Hunanese way.
• The black Changsha version.

History

Fermented tofu, soaked in a brine made from fermented vegetables, milk or meat brine over an extended period, developed across Taiwan and parts of mainland China as a way of preserving and transforming tofu through controlled fermentation, most commonly deep-fried and served with pickled cabbage and chili sauce. Its intensely pungent smell, often noticeable well before the dish itself is seen, results directly from the fermentation process, and the smell is generally understood among Taiwanese diners to belie a flavour experienced as far milder and more savory once the tofu is actually eaten. Stinky tofu remains one of Taiwan’s most famous and most internationally recognized street foods, particularly associated with night market culture.

Frequently asked questions

What is Stinky Tofu?

Stinky Tofu is a street food from Taiwan: pungent fermented tofu deep-fried, served with pickled cabbage and chili. Fermented tofu, soaked in a brine made from fermented vegetables, milk or meat brine over an extended period, developed across Taiwan and parts of mainland China as a way of preserving and transforming tofu through controlled fermentation, most commonly deep-fried and served with pickled cabbage and chili sauce. Its intensely pungent smell, often noticeable well before the dish itself is seen, results directly from the fermentation process, and the smell is generally understood among Taiwanese diners to belie a flavour experienced as far milder and more savory once the tofu is actually eaten. Stinky tofu remains one of Taiwan’s most famous and most internationally recognized street foods, particularly associated with night market culture.

How long does Stinky Tofu take to make?

Stinky Tofu takes 20 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Stinky Tofu?

Yes, within limits. There is no substitute, and the brined tofu is the dish. Frozen prepared stinky tofu, which is what most people use.

What is the most important thing to get right in Stinky Tofu?

Keep the oil moderate rather than fierce. Stinky tofu needs time for the inside to heat through and puff, and at high heat the crust burns while the centre stays cold.