Analyzing what’s so special about the infamous cuisine :Stinky Tofu
What to expect in this article:
- What is Stinky Tofu?
- What are the three main components of the Stinky Tofu and why are them so special?
After watching the Netflix TV series of “The Final Table”, I just can’t be too amazed about how those talented chiefs composed the recipes, processed everyday ingredients (well, some of them are definitely not the ones you can have or get in your backyard or the neighborhood supermarket) and transformed them into the mouth-watering cuisines. This show really inspired me to put more thoughts on the food I ate!
Why Talking about Stinky Tofu?
Stinky Tofu is one of the most famous Taiwanese street food (also in China and other places) that gets both praise and blame. Coincidentally, my friend from Hong Kong just visited Taiwan and mentioned it few days ago. He said that whenever he passed by the Tofu stand, he hesitated and always could not make up his mind to get one. To convince him to at least taking a bite, I got the idea to write this article.
Stinky Tofu in a glance:
Though there are few different ways of how a Stinky Tofu is prepared and presented, the following part of the article will be discussing and focusing on the most common one: the deep fried Stinky Tofu. There are three main components in the deep fried version of the dish: the tofu, the dipping sauce and the pickled cabbages.
A. The tofu and a few questions about it:
What do we Taiwanese like the fermented Tofu? Why can’t we make a Stinky Tofu with the ordinary tofu?
The tofu is mainly prepared by fermenting the ordinary tofu. The fermentation process will not only break the protein structure of the tofu, making the surface of it filled with tiny holes, but it will also make it stink, which is how the dish gains its “reputation”.
From my perspective, there are several different reasons why fermented tofu is irreplaceable in this dish. The most important one may be about the texture. Due to the fact that fermented tofu has looser inner structure compared to the original one, it absorbs more oil while being fried, which makes the dish crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. Besides, how can a tofu without the smell called the Stinky Tofu! (I do believe the smell actually gives the dish special marketing advantages to attract its diners!)
B. The dipping sauce and something about it:
What’s the dipping sauce? What is its role in the dish?
Typically, the sauce consists with soy sauce, mashed Garlics, a little amount of sugar (to balance the brackish flavor of the soy sauce), Chili pepper and Starch.To make the sauce even more delicate, sometimes Chicken broth, Oyster sauce (enhance the freshness of the sauce), chopped Spring onion and Parsley (give the sauce special aroma) are added into the sauce. Many venders use their sauce recipe as their unique selling points and it does affect how the diner think and feel about the dish at the first bite.
C. The pickled cabbage and what it has come into play:
Why pickled cabbage is a must-have in this dish?
The origin of making pickles (it is called as Sian Jyu in Chinese back in the old days) can be dated back to hundred or thousand years ago around the world when it comes to preserving easy-rotten vegetable through the winter. Normally it is made with Cabbage (or Cucumber ), shredded Carrots, mashed Garlics, Salt, Rice Vinegar, Sugar and a touch of diced Chili Peppers.
There are divergent opinions in why Stinky Tofu is served with pickles. What I believe is that it creates a perfect balance in taste. The previous two components offer the diners with fantastic textures and flavors. However, the greasiness of the fried tofu may be the “noise” in the harmony concert held in your palate. This is how pickled cabbages comes into play. Its acidity puts a fresh twist on the whole dish and its crunchiness diversifies the overall texture of the course.
Altogether, these three components makes Stinky Tofu so unique, luring yet scary at the same time.
It does not just stop here
Yes, I originally just wanted to introduce the dish in other perspective by break down the dish to its ingredients. However, I also think it is a great opportunity for me to practice the design thinking/ user experience research. In the following article, I would like to define the customer journey map of a Stinky Tofu service and try to put myself in the advisor’s shoes to make the whole dinning experience better.
As a writing beginner, I know there is much to be improved. However, if you like my article and would like to encourage me to writing more, please comment or give me some applauses! Thanks!
