Stinky tofu (臭豆腐; chou doufu) is a fermented bean curd that stinks. It’s an iconic Hong Kong street food and can be found at some other places in China and Taiwan.
It’s not easy to find stinky tofu in Hong Kong these days; luckily we still managed to spot (or smell) some eateries selling it around Ladies Street in Mongkok (旺角) when we visited Hong Kong in October 2007.
Stinky tofu stall in Mongkok, Hong Kong
This was my first try on stinky tofu (in any places)… the smell stunk but not as bad as expected. Most people who tried it before would suggest that it smells bad but taste ok (or good), and it’s quite true. It’s a bit salty but it’s edible… no way near as bad as how it smelled.
On positive note, Hong Kong style stinky tofu is normally deep fried and had a crunchy texture on the outside, while spongy in the inside… it’s nice.
It’s an adventurous experience, but I don’t think I would ever become a stinky tofu fan… I don’t mind trying other styles of stinky tofu though when I spot it somewhere else.
