Stinky Tofu, 臭豆腐, Take 1 and 2

A few weeks ago, I announced on FB that the only reason for coming to Taiwan this Summer was to eat Stinky Tofu. For most Westerners, soybeans can already be a foreign concept not to mention this deep-fried fermented soybean tofu, served with pickled sour cabbage, chili, garlic mash and sweet sauce.

For some, Stinky Tofus can be a piece of heaven and smell fragrant and sweet. For others, they are truly smelly, wafting a long distance to find the noses that despise them. I don’t know what makes us different (childhood food training and olfactory exposure?) but I do know that you are missing out big time!

Longs story short, I am on a quest to find my most favorite Stinky Tofu and fulfill the purpose of my stay in the next four weeks. Here are my first two tries.

Take 1

This was from the Golden Beach of Danshui, a small city north of Taipei, 新北市淡水黃金海岸。It was bad. It was not stinky, not smelly and completely tasteless. Where is the garlic mash, man? I had very high hopes for my first encounter and I ended up not finishing it. Blah.

Take 2

This was from a place I visited fours years ago, near the Taipei Teaching University, 國立台北教育大學, on Wolong Street, 臥龍街。The photo looks worse than Take 1 but sure tasted a lot better. On a scale of 1 to 10, I will give it a 5. Too saucy, not crispy enough, the pickled cabbage was just mediocre. But the owner of the stall was very nice and eager to please.

I must say I am disappointed by my two tries. The quest goes on… There is still the night markets and the place near my stay last year.

For all the ladies who want to lose weight, my formula last summer was stinky tofu and Mr. Brown’s coffee for brunch, work while sitting on my behind all day, bubble tea and a tall glass of icy mango smoothie in the late afternoon, lots of physical activities and sweats before dinner, and at last a “light” dinner consisting of a big bowl of noodle soup with all the helpings! Went home to NY at least seven pounds lighter without meaning to lose weight. Do I hear some converts?