What happened to the chou in choudofu?

photo from the village voice

Chou doufu at Sanxia laojie

What happened to the chou in choudofu (chodofu, chou doufu, 臭豆腐) and the stink in stinky tofu? Stinky tofu is a quintessential Taiwan night market snack--deep fried, fermented tofu served with pickled cabbage and spicy sauce. You don't need to look for the chou doufu vendors because the strong smell will guide you to the food. However, there has been a noticeable difference in the amount of stink in stinky tofu. Why?? I have been asking around and reading about this decline in tofu odor. Many street vendors report that complaints from neighbors have led them to change the amount of stench they are allowed to emit from their food stalls. There are also air pollution laws and fines that restaurants and chou dofu cooks need to deal with. Finally, many residents I spoke with believe that the reduction in chou is from a change in the fermentation process. Typically, stinky tofu is made by fermenting tofu in a brine made from fermented milk, vegetables, meat and sometimes dried shrimp, mustard greens, and bamboo shoots (click here for more information ). Because traditional fermentation methods can take several months, many people who prepare stinky tofu need a faster turnaround rate and shorten the process to several hours in order to produce more tofu for their customers. Hence, less stink in stinky tofu! The smell from stinky tofu is so strong that people who buy it are often banned from using public transportation and taxis. You can find stinky tofu at most night markets in Taiwan. There are also restaurants that specialize in different stinky tofu dishes such as Dai's House of Stinky Tofu. Surprisingly, the taste of stinky tofu is very different from the smell and the creamy inside and crunchy fried outside blends well with the cabbage and spicy sauce.