The taste of "stinky tofu" in the world

In general, it is impossible for two antonyms to describe a thing at the same time, but stinky tofu is an exception. For foodies who love "this bite", stinky tofu can not only make people addicted, but also the unique taste of fragrant and smelly, smelly with incense, and fragrant smell, which perfectly interprets the meaning of "arsenic cream of the other, honey of my".

As a unique diet, stinky tofu can be described as "notorious" in China, although there are many varieties, but strictly speaking, there are only two categories, namely "fermented stinky tofu" and "non-fermented stinky tofu". The former is represented by Beijing stinky tofu, Anhui edamame tofu and Yunnan stinky tofu, while the latter is represented by Changsha stinky tofu.

Beijing Stinky Tofu: The Imperial Gift of "Green Fang"

"Stinky tofu - soy sauce tofu, Wang Zhihe - stinky tofu!"

If you have seen a movie that reflects the old Beijing, you may be able to hear such a shouting sound, and the word "rotten" will drag a long tone, and finally become a soft voice of "hair". Beijingers are accustomed to calling red tofu milk "sauce tofu" and stinky tofu milk "stinky tofu". Wang Zhihe stinky tofu is also called "Green Fang", although there are many stinky tofu in the country, but only Wang Zhihe's stinky tofu has such an elegant title. Who let the family be given a royal name!

It is rumored that during the Kangxi Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty, Wang Zhihe, a native of Anhui, went to Beijing to take the examination, but the result was that he fell behind, and he had no choice but to exhaust his entanglement and could only stay in the capital. In order to make a living, Wang Zhihe, who had made tofu at home when he was a child, started a tofu business. One day, the tofu was not sold out, it was the heat of the summer, he was worried that the tofu was rotten, so he cut the tofu into small pieces, with salt, pepper and other condiments, and marinated in the jar. After waiting for futian to remember this, he hurriedly opened the small tank, and a smell came to his nose, and the tofu block had turned blue. He tasted it curiously, and felt that it had a different flavor, and the neighbors were all surprised after tasting it. Since his career was hopeless, Wang Zhihe simply opened a "Wang Zhi and South Sauce Garden" and sold stinky tofu.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Wang Zhi and stinky tofu were introduced to the court and were favored by Empress Dowager Cixi. At that time, the imperial dining room had to prepare a plate of stinky tofu poured with fried peppercorn oil for Empress Dowager Cixi every day, and it had to be bought from Wang Zhi and Nan Sauce Garden on the same day. But sometimes it was late to go, or to catch up with Wang Zhi and the suspension of business inventory, the eunuchs had to use the rest to replace. But Empress Dowager Cixi was not easy to fool, once during a meal, she deliberately hid a grain of pepper between two pieces of stinky tofu, and the next day when she ate, she looked at it, and the peppercorns were still there, and the result could be imagined. Since then, the eunuchs have had to go to Wang Zhi and Nan Sauce Garden for convenience to ensure that they are not mistakenly "used". Empress Dowager Cixi felt that "stinky tofu" was indecent, so she gave the name "Qingfang".

Where do the "incense", "smelly" and "cyan" in Wang Zhihe stinky tofu come from? "Fragrant" is because there is a mold in stinky tofu that can produce proteases that break down proteins and form extremely rich amino acids, making them delicious. "Odor" is mainly caused by hydrogen sulfide gas produced by proteins during the decomposition process. Salt, cold water, etc. used in pickling will make the molded tofu blocks appear blue after late fermentation.

Older Beijingers may remember that in the 1960s and 1970s, stinky tofu was sold in a shop with chopsticks, for 2 cents a piece. Unlike Changsha stinky tofu, Wang Zhi and stinky tofu cannot be fried and are mainly used as pickles. Although it is a supporting role on the table, Beijingers have found the best taste partner for it - fried steamed bun slices and fried nest head slices. Smear stinky tofu on top of the hot steamed bun slices and take a bite, the texture is crisp and the aroma is overflowing, it is a perfect match! Writer Wang Zengqi once wrote such a story in the book: an old man living in the United States has always wanted to eat stinky tofu in Beijing in his later years, but the stinky tofu cannot be flown on the plane, and the old man ends up with indescribable nostalgia.

Huizhou's first monster, tofu long hair on the top dish

Huizhou in southern Anhui has a kind of human delicacy that only exists here, and people use a smooth phrase to describe it: "Huizhou's first monster, tofu long hair and fine dishes." "This is Anhui's well-known vegetarian cuisine at home and abroad - edamame tofu.

Edamame tofu is also called moldy tofu, and Beijing stinky tofu, edamame tofu is also fermented stinky tofu, but it is not a small pickle on the table, but the same as non-fermented stinky tofu, to be fried and eaten. The biggest difference between edamame tofu and other stinky tofu is that it has a layer of "white hair", which is divided into rat hair, tiger fur, rabbit hair, cotton hair and so on according to the color and length. Laymen only see a layer of hair, while foodies can see the "doorway": rat hair tofu is slightly dark; tiger skin hair tofu will stand up when it is under the oil pot, the color is colorful; rabbit hair and cotton hair tofu will show a beautiful golden yellow.

The most common way to eat edamame tofu is to fry it in oil and then serve it with a hot sauce. The fluff on the tofu will make the tofu taste quite layered when it is hot, the skin is crisp and tough, the inside is soft and sticky, and the smelly tofu flavor and the spicy spice of the hot sauce are skillfully integrated into a perfect taste. The tofu is fried on both sides until slightly charred and then braised, and the sauce is fragrant and full of raw flavor, which makes people addicted. So the folk proverb says: "Eat edamame tofu, hit your mouth and don't spit it out." ”

It should be said that the reason why edamame tofu is so delicious is due to the wisdom of Chinese. The production environment of edamame tofu is very harsh, and it can only be made by mold fermentation under conditions of temperature of 18 °C and humidity of 50% to 55%. Clever Chinese guide the microorganisms forward on the fermentation road with care and patience. When a layer of uniform, fine white silk hair grows on the surface of the tofu, it indicates the birth of this new food. The white silk hairs are the hyphae of mucormyces, and the protease it secretes degrades soy protein into small molecules of amino acids, thus giving tofu an unusually delicious flavor.

According to legend, the birth of edamame tofu is related to the Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, and there are two versions of the legendary story.

One version says that when zhu Yuanzhang was a child, his family was poor and his relatives died, so he had to work in the rich man's house, herd cattle during the day, and grind tofu with the long-term workers at night. He was diligent and the long-term workers liked him. Later, Zhu Yuanzhang was driven out of the house by the rich man, and the long-term workers took pity on him, often stealing some meals and fresh tofu and hiding them in the haystack in front of the temple for Zhu Yuanzhang to eat. Once, Zhu Yuanzhang delayed for a few days before going to the temple, pulled open the hay, found that the tofu was covered with white hair, reluctant to throw it away, he thought of getting some oil to fry, did not expect the taste to be fresh and mellow, and then he often used this method to make tofu to eat. Later, Zhu Yuanzhang defected to the Red Turban Army and was promoted to deputy marshal, and he ordered the chefs of the army to cook edamame tofu. After becoming emperor, fried edamame tofu became a must-have dish in the imperial dining room.

Another version of the story tells that Zhu Yuanzhang was defeated in Huizhou and had no food to eat, and his entourage found tofu abandoned by the people and had deteriorated into long hair in a broken temple, so they put it on a charcoal fire and roasted it. Unexpectedly, the roasted tofu tasted excellent, and Zhu Yuanzhang was very happy. After turning defeat into victory, he ordered the chefs accompanying the army to make edamame to treat the three armies, and since then edamame tofu has spread in Huizhou.

However, the story is only a story, and relevant researchers believe that "Huizhou edamame tofu" appeared during the Ming Dynasty. In the book "Pengli Night Talk" by Li Rihua, a Ming Wanli jinshi and a native of Zhejiang, there is already a record of Huizhou people making and eating edamame tofu: "The people of Yixian like to rot in summer and autumn, so that the color changes and hair, and when it is wiped off, it is slightly dried." Burned in boiling oil... Decanted, cooked with other things, the clouds have the smell of dark fish. Li Rihua, who had been an official to a servant shaoqing, had also roamed Huizhou, and his description of "Huizhou edamame tofu" should be credible.

"I haven't eaten edamame tofu, not counting huizhou." Friends who have eaten edamame tofu in Huizhou may have noticed that whether it is at the feast of the star-rated hotel or in the Huizhou restaurant on the corner of the street, Huizhou edamame tofu is a cube-shaped neatly arranged in the plate, each of which is the same size, the length, width and height are almost 8×2×1 cm.

Such a size is not arbitrary, 8×2×1 cm is the specification of the ancient Huizhou gold bar, coupled with the characteristics of edamame tofu outside the yellow and white inside, eating edamame tofu is not only full of food, but also can beg for a rich mouth color that swallows gold and silver. So, who can not love edamame tofu?

Black Classic: Changsha Stinky Tofu

Compared with the fermented stinky tofu such as Beijing stinky tofu and Huizhou edamame tofu, the non-fermented stinky tofu is soaked in stinky brine. Because of the different products and eating habits of different places, the preparation methods of non-fermented stinky tofu are also different, of which the most famous is the "Changsha stinky tofu" in Hunan.

Changsha stinky tofu is called "stinky dried" by the locals, and the thick black color is the main feature of Changsha stinky tofu. Ingredients such as winter shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and liquor that make stinky brine are available all over the country, but there is one ingredient that is unique to Changsha, that is, Liuyang tempeh. It is this unique tempeh that has made Changsha stinky tofu the "black classic". Liuyang tempeh is used to make the "soul of brine" of Changsha stinky tofu, and then accompanied by spices such as mountain gardenia, fragrant leaves, peppercorns, star anise, etc., so that the taste of the salted stinky tofu is rich and mellow. The marinated stinky tofu is "hugged" by hot oil, the skin is charred and crisp, the skin is tender, the skin is burnt but not paste, tender but not greasy, smells strange and smells, and it is very delicious to eat. If you add a little more Hunan people can not do without the pepper, that delicious and spicy, although it is a snack, but worthy of the "taste of the world" reputation.

Everyone knows that Changsha stinky tofu is a special business card of Changsha cuisine, but do you know the story of "stinky tofu in the fire palace - smells stinky and eats fragrant"? It is said that some celebrities once went to Hunan to collect folk information, and finally decided that the stinky tofu in the Fire Palace was the most authentic. The stinky tofu here is first fried slowly over a warm fire, and then a small hole is inserted in the tofu to facilitate the taste, and then poured with special chili sauce, sesame oil, etc., forming a unique "black as ink, fragrant as mellow, tender as crisp, soft as velvet" fire palace characteristics. It can be said that this post-break phrase circulating in Changsha constantly repeats the "supreme" status of the fire palace stinky tofu in Changsha stinky tofu. Former US President George W. Bush also tasted this delicacy at the Fire Palace when he was the director of the Liaison Office in China, and wrote down in his notes that "stinky tofu is one of the famous dishes of the Changsha Fire Palace."

In fact, the original name of Changsha stinky tofu was not "stinky tofu", but "fried tofu". As early as the beginning of 1938, Changsha's "Observation Daily" had reported: "Fire palace, eating, drinking and playing with the door, fried tofu is the most famous." According to the "Changsha Diet Chronicle", Changsha stinky tofu originated from Xiangyin County, and the stinky tofu in Changsha Fire Palace was brought from Xiangyin by a person named Jiang Erpa.

The stinky tofu process made by Jiang Erda is very exquisite, the soybean grains are fresh, and the brine soaked in stinky tofu is even more elaborate. At that time, his stinky tofu shop was opened under the archway of the Fire Palace, which was not only of high quality, but also of good geographical location, so the stinky tofu he sold was deeply loved by the citizens. After the death of Jiang Erpa, Jiang Erjiao (Changsha dialect, an honorific title for elderly women) took over and continued to run a business of making stinky tofu.

After the public-private partnership in 1956, the Fire Palace became a state-run restaurant and did not sell stinky tofu. Jiang Erjiao's stinky tofu shop was not a fire palace restaurant at that time. Later, the Fire Palace Restaurant successively sent 3 employees to learn from Jiang Erjiao. In the end, Jiang Erjiao himself was also invited into the Fire Palace and became a regular employee of the Fire Palace Restaurant. Today's Fire Palace has become a well-known "Chinese time-honored brand" at home and abroad.

As for why "fried tofu" became "stinky tofu", the old employees of the Fire Palace said that it was shouted out by some young people in the Fire Palace in a fight, and later wrote on the snack water sign. Although the name of "stinky tofu" is not very good, it is really loud to shout. In this way, "stinky tofu" did not go away, and "fried tofu" withdrew from the stage of history.

Stinky duels are inseparable

For many people, as long as they hear the 3 words "stinky tofu", they will think of Changsha's stinky tofu for the first time. In fact, in our vast territory, many places have a food called "stinky tofu", which should be one of the best-selling traditional snacks in China, and stinky tofu in different places also has different characteristics.

Shaoxing stinky tofu

When it comes to Shaoxing stinky tofu, it is impossible not to mention its brine. The production method of this brine is extremely complex, not only to pickle fresh vegetables to ferment naturally, but also to continuously add various spices during its pickling and fermentation process. There is no time for a few years to call it "good halogen", it can only be called "clear halogen".

▲Shaoxing stinky tofu

Nanjing stinky tofu

Nanjing stinky tofu is divided into two kinds, one is gray and tender stinky tofu, and the other is dried stinky tofu with tile ash. The former method is to fry the gray and tender tofu in oil until golden brown, pour chili sauce, sesame paste, garlic juice, coriander, spring onion, ginger and other spices to eat, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, very tasty. Gray stinky dried tofu is generally cut into small pieces skewered in bamboo skewers and then fried in the pot, and the frying time is longer to fry through, the smell is also easy to spread out, and so the dried tofu skin is flooded with small bubbles, the color turns black when it can be fished out, brushed on the sauce while hot to eat, fragrant and crisp, soft and tough, very delicious.

Located at the southern end of Nanjing, Gaochun District is known as nanjing's "back garden", and there is a different kind of stinky tofu here, which is very special. First make water tofu from soybeans, then press the water tofu into dried tofu, and then put the dried tofu into an altar filled with brine and soak it. The brine is made with pickle juice left over from the following year. After the jar is sealed, it is buried in the ground, and it can be taken out after a few days, when the dried white tofu has become a green and inky stinky tofu, and it is very fragrant after frying. Unfortunately, this stinky tofu is difficult to find authentic in the market.

Taiwan stinky tofu

Taiwan's stinky tofu originated from the mainland, it is said that it was brought by Li Mingchuan, a veteran of Hunan in 1949, and then gradually formed today's Taiwan stinky tofu after continuous improvement, the color is not as black as Changsha stinky tofu, but the smell is more intense. When eating Taiwanese stinky tofu, it is best to accompany a special kimchi, kimchi is marinated with cabbage, it is crisp and refreshing, sour and sweet, and it can also be drizzled with chili sauce, sesame oil, garlic juice, etc., and the taste is fresh and crisp.

▲Taiwan stinky tofu

Fujian Hakka stinky tofu

In Liancheng County, in western Fujian Province, local Hakka people like to collect snow water in the winter and put it in the tank, and in the summer of the following year, they put straw ash and condiments into the snow water and use this as a brine to soak fresh tofu. After a day or two, the tofu is fished out, washed, sprinkled with salt, and then poured with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic paste, chili sauce, and chopped coriander, and it becomes a delicious side dish. Perhaps baptized by snow water, this Hakka stinky tofu is still a summer delicacy, which has been passed down from generation to generation.

Hubei Dawu stinky tofu

Dawu stinky tofu is a special snack in Dawu County, Xiaogan City, Hubei Province, this moldy tofu may be the most stimulating stinky tofu for the taste buds, so in Dawu County, there is a "bowl of stinky tofu on the table, eat two bowls of rice for meals". Daigo stinky tofu is made in a unique way, first of all, the white tofu is cut into large pieces and boiled in boiling water, then drained and cut into small pieces, evenly placed in the utensils, placed in the sun, when the tofu is dried around until it is slightly yellow, and then the layer of straw is stacked in the basket and let it mold. In about a week or so, white fluff will grow on the tofu blocks, which will become the favorite stinky tofu of the people of Daigo Prefecture, people like to steam food, and also like to mix with salt and paprika, and the unique musty smell is really appetizing.

Guizhou dafang stinky tofu

The stinky tofu making process in Dafang County, Guizhou is very detailed. Grind the soy milk well, filter, point into bean blossoms, filter out the water, wrap it in a small piece of white cloth with a length of about 8 cm and a thickness of about 2 cm, lay flat on the wooden board, press the stone block, squeeze the water clean, and then remove the white cloth, smear with salt, 5 stacks of stacks to stand for 2 hours, and then in the prepared wooden cabinet box a layer of straw layer by layer of tofu code 4 layers, cover the cabinet lid, keep the room temperature at about 25 ° C, take out after 3 days, bake with charcoal