The Pleasure of Tofu

No one can say exactly when and how this special food came into existence, but as an important source of protein, tofu is absolutely a blessing to vegetarians, a substitute for those meat lovers who wish to eat more healthily and economically. This ancient food is becoming increasingly trendy in our modern world. Despite all the different theories about its origin, general belief has it that tofu can be traced back more than 2,100 years. It was first invented by the Chinese, later taken to Korea, Japan, Vietnam and other East Asian countries. It is even said to have contributed to the spread and growth of Buddhism in the region as it greatly enriched the vegetarian diet of those monks or people who practiced it.

The taste of tofu itself is quite bland, but that leaves much room for all kinds of condiments and herbs. Plus with the different ways of preparing it - grilling, stewing, braising, frying, just to name a few - one can achieve a whole range of tofu dishes. It goes with all kinds of veggies, meat, and even fish. For example, one of the most popular Chinese dishes in the world, mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐), is cooked with tofu and minced pork, and then tons of Sichuan pepper. As much as we love tofu and love to share good food with others, we would definitely be offended if you asked to eat our tofu. In Chinese, the expression “to eat someone’s tofu”(吃豆腐, chi tofu) means to take advantage of someone, in most cases sexually. So much for today’s lesson.

Tofu is made from soybeans; therefore, it is also often referred to as bean curd. It can basically be divided in two main categories: fresh tofu and processed tofu. To further define it, there is fresh tofu, soft tofu (also known as silken tofu, juan tofu in Chinese: 绢豆腐) and firm tofu (lao tofu in Chinese: 老豆腐). It is with processed tofu that people’s creativity and imagination has come into full play. There is a long list of products made from processed tofu: dried tofu, pickled tofu, tofu skin, tofu bamboo, tofu thread, thousand-layer tofu, etc. In some regions, people even make an extreme form: they leave tofu in a humid chamber until it develops white mould! But among all these forms, the most “notorious” one is stinky tofu. 

There is a real controversy about stinky tofu in Chinese kitchens: For those who love it, they cannot get enough of it; for those who hate it, they can’t even bear the sight of it. It is actually a kind of fermented tofu to which ingredients are added to contribute to its distinctive flavour or odour. It is very often served as a snack at street food stands or as a side dish in restaurants. You should not be surprised if you see a group of people queuing up in front of a small vending counter in the street, waiting impatiently for their serving of freshly fried stinky tofu, with more different sauces than you can imagine to spice it up. This can be seen not only in most cities in mainland China, but also in Hong Kong and Taiwan. And although it is a pleasure and satisfaction for all those eager eaters, the strong odour (some people describe it as being like athletes’ socks, unwashed for weeks!) becomes quite outrageous for innocent passers-by when it mixes with all the other city smells… How unfair!

It is hard to explain why people like stinky tofu… but defenders will cleverly retort to Westerners who challenge them: Hey, what about your stinky cheese?! It smells like old shoes!! Actually there is a ring of truth to this: If you can enjoy a bit of blue cheese or green cheese, why not be brave and dare a bite of stinky tofu? Now before you throw your shoe at me, tell me the truth: Is it really yucky or quite yummy after all?