Huogongdian Stinky Tofu

Place of Origin

Huogongdian, Changsha, Hunan, China

Description

Huogongdian stinky tofu appears in cube shapes, with an exterior as black as ink and an interior retaining the original color of tofu. It emits a sulfide-like odor, hence the name. It is typically cooked with the deep-frying method. The fried stinky tofu has a crispy exterior and a tender interior, offering a combination of the original tofu flavor and the savory aroma of the marinade.

Technical Aspects

The key technique for Huogongdian stinky tofu lies in the fermentation of its marinade rather than the fermentation of tofu itself. The basic ingredients of its marinade include broth made from douchi (a type of fermented soybeans), shiitake mushrooms, fresh bamboo shoots, and daqu (a type of fermentation starter used in alcohol production). After mixing these ingredients, the mixture needs to ferment for at least two years, during which the solid components in the ingredients are completely broken down and transformed into liquid. Afterwards, the newly made marinade is blended with aged marinade before it is suitable for marinating tofu in the following step. It is this process, similar to the traditional sourdough method in bread-making, that ensures that each batch of marinade retains the genetic characteristics of the first-generation marinade. After the marinade is prepared, the tofu itself only needs a very short time to marinate in the marinade, typically just a few hours.