Stinky Tofu

Back when I went to Hong Kong in June I got a warning from Elizabeth that I would likely smell the worst thing ever, and it was stinky tofu. Well, she was right, the smell quite literally stuck with me for two hours and I thought I was going to vomit. Not entirely surprisingly, stinky tofu has topped this list of the ten smelliest foods in Asia. Here’s how the describe the scent:

Asian street carts sell this dish–aged, fermented bean curd soaked in a putrid, inky vat as a midday snack. The marinade can be made from bamboo shoots, herbs and dried shrimp, all perfectly aromatic ingredients–except when it sits in room temperature for 14 days (or more). The smellier, the better, but even when served with a side of chili sauce, it remains doubtful that the rancid bean curd tastes any better than decaying bleu cheese sitting in two-day old garbage.

October 31, 2009