Stinky Tofu in Hong Kong

Do you know there is a street food in Hong Kong that stinks…literally?

Of course I am talking about stinky tofu. What else?

Stinky tofu is usually prepared by being put it inside brine made with fermented milk, vegetables and meat. While the full fermentation process can take up to months, stinky tofu sellers nowadays would simply have the tofu fermented a few days just to add the odor.

Technically speaking, stinky tofu is not a “Hong Kong” street food because it came from China (perhaps invented during Qing Dynasty?). And the way it is served varies from place to place. Some are served cold, some steamed and some stewed. In Taiwan, it is served with pickled vegetables. And in Hong Kong, we have it deep-fried.

Those who hate stinky tofu will tell you that it smells like rotten plants and sewage.

Those who like it (like me) will still tell you that the smell is strong…but at least I find it to be quite pleasant. So, let’s say you have overcome the fear and conquer that foul stench, you finally decide to put that smelly brick into your mouth. What do you think it will taste like?

The answer is…absolutely nothing. Sorry to disappoint you if you are expecting something extraordinary. But no matter how stinky it is and how greasy it looks from the outside, it’s still a piece of tofu on the inside. You will probably feel like you are chewing a piece of foamed plastic which is surprisingly tasteless. That is why the Hong Kong style stinky tofu is served with sweet sauce and chili sauce, though some stinky tofu lovers claimed that good stinky tofu should taste like sewage as well…I think I would pass on the “good” one…

Too bad you don’t find many snack stalls selling stinky tofu today. In the past, you are bound to find this delicacy if you visit those street food-filled areas, either sold by roadside food stalls or hawkers, and you really can smell it from a few streets away. But people nowadays are just weaklings who complain how stinky tofu takes away their right to breathe fresh air…Filthy stinky tofu haters.

Jokes aside, the government really has some tight regulations on selling stinky tofu, so your best bet on finding the snack would be places like Mong Kok and Temple Street.

…Have you been holding your breath the whole time?

Come on… If compared with those made in other places, stinky tofu in Hong Kong isn’t that stinky.

Now catch your breath before you faint.