What is the origin story of stinky tofu? Why does stinky tofu smell?

Stinky tofu is fried in oil, and the delicious taste is unforgettable when you put it in your mouth. Those who like to eat it like it very much, while those who don't like to eat it are afraid to even smell it. Today we share with you an interesting story about stinky tofu, I hope you like it.

Contents of this article

1. The origin story of stinky tofu

2. Why does stinky tofu smell?

3. How to make stinky tofu

The origin story of stinky tofu

It is said that Zhu Yuanzhang was born in poverty. Once he was so hungry that he picked up expired tofu discarded by others, fried it in oil, and stuffed it into his mouth. The delicious taste was unforgettable. Later, he became a commander and won the war all the way to Anhui. In his joy, he ordered the whole army to eat stinky tofu to celebrate, and stinky tofu became widely known.

There is another folk legend about the origin of stinky tofu. It is said that during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, a man named Wang Zhihe from Anhui made a living in the capital by making tofu. Once, during the hot summer, he cut the tofu into small pieces, put them into a jar, added a lot of salt and pepper, and then sealed it for preservation. Later, as time went by, Wang Zhihe forgot about it. When he opened the jar, it smelled extremely bad and the tofu turned blue-black. He curiously tasted it and it tasted delicious. In this way, stinky tofu was born.

There are three main types of stinky tofu: Changsha stinky tofu, Shaoxing stinky tofu, and Beijing Wangzhihe stinky tofu.

There is a kind of deep pit stinky tofu in Taiwan. It comes in a large piece, is not fried, tastes sour, and has a texture similar to old tofu.

Why does stinky tofu smell bad?

Stinky tofu is a common snack. The reason why it smells so bad is mainly because in the process of making stinky tofu, it is soaked and fermented in stinky brine for a long time. The longer the soaking and fermentation time, the stronger the smell. After frying, it will form a special stinky fragrance, so it is not that the tofu itself is bad.

How to make stinky tofu

First wash the tofu and cut it into equal-sized cubes. Then soak it in the prepared brine. The taste depends on the individual's marinating time. Then scoop it out and fry it in a frying pan until both sides are golden. Then put it on a plate and sprinkle with pepper, chili pepper, shredded ginger, salt, etc. and mix well.

Prepare ingredients: tofu, salt, ginger, white wine, pepper, chili pepper, and brine.

1. First, wash the tofu and cut it into small squares.

2. Dip the tofu cubes in wine and then marinate them in the prepared brine. The taste is mainly determined by the marinating time.

3. Then scoop out the marinated tofu and fry it in a pan. Then put it into a plate and sprinkle it with pepper, chili pepper, shredded ginger, salt, etc. and mix well. You can get fragrant and delicious stinky tofu.