Changsha Stinky Tofu (Black Fried Tofu)
Looks like black charcoal! The smell is strong fermentation! Excellent umami when eaten!
Description
Different from Taiwan's brown stinky tofu. A specialty of Hunan province (Mao Zedong's hometown). Fermented in a special brine until it turns 'pitch black'. Deep-fried, pierced, and flooded with a fiery garlic-chili broth.
Restaurants serving Changsha Stinky Tofu (Black Fried Tofu)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Pitch-black Stinky Tofu
- Frying oil
- Garlic
- Chili
- Coriander
- Soy sauce
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Prepare a secret fermentation brine (Lu Shui) made by fermenting shiitake, bamboo shoots, soybeans, 'tea leaves', and even 'snails' for years until it turns pitch black and reeks like a sewer.
- Soak pressed tofu in this black brine for days until the core turns jet-black (or deep blue-black).
- Deep-fry the black tofu in very hot oil until the surface puffs and becomes rock-crispy (the frying process emits an intense odor that carries for dozens of meters).
- Stab a 'hole' in the surface of the freshly fried tofu with chopsticks.
- Pour a fiery broth of garlic, chili, cilantro, soy, and vinegar directly into the hole until it sizzles.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Intense fermented ammonia odor、Fiery broth
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Irreplaceable - completely unique)
Pairing
Cold Beer / Milk Tea(to ease heat)
Trivia
[Hardcore] The ultimate embodiment of 'Smells foul, tastes fragrant'. Loved by Mao Zedong. Walk the streets of Changsha, and the smell of frying black tofu assaults you every few meters.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Served in a small paper bowl. Bite into it, and from inside the jet-black crispy crust, the fluffy tofu releases a massive explosion of 'ammonia funk and fiery garlic broth'.
Allergen
Soybeans, Wheat (Soy sauce)