When it comes to Taiwanese cuisine, stinky tofu is
undoubtedly my favorite dish. People either love or hate it because of the bad
smell. Westerners even list stinky tofu as one of the most notorious Taiwanese
food. On the contrary, I consider that stinky tofu is a delicious dish, and its
smell is aromatic.
Crispy
outside and tender inside, stinky tofu is juicy. In addition, it is usually
served in a palatable sauce. Once you eat this dish, you will not easily forget
its distinctive flavors. I often buy stinky tofu which is usually sold by the
street vendors in the night market; however, many stinky tofu places can also
be found in the rural regions and towns. You may smell the strong odor and find
these vendors from a distance.
Actually,
stinky tofu is not very difficult to make. The traditional method for producing
this dish is to prepare in brine made from fermented ingredients, such as dried
shrimp, bamboo shoots, and Chinese herbs. It is commonly prepared by deep fried
and cut into bite-sized quarters. Here is a website shows you how to make stinky tofu by yourself: http://about-chinesefood.com/cookbook/self-made-stinky-tofu-700/ Furthermore, this dish is usually severed with pickled
cabbage. For me, pickled cabbage is a requisite for this dish because it tastes
sour, sweet, and delicious.
In brief, I
love stinky tofu very much because of its special flavor. Whenever I think of
this dish, it always makes my mouth water. Stinky tofu is one of the most
well-known dishes in Taiwan, and it is also popular in Taiwan’s night markets.
I hope more foreigners could try eating this dish because it is not as
unpalatable as all that was said about it.
