臭豆腐 Stinky Tofu

Pinyin: chòu dòu fǔ

A common street food in Shanghai that you may not be able to see, but you can certainly smell from a mile away. The premise behind the dish is that the tofu has been aged much like say brie cheese. The moldy tofu is then deep fried and served. Dipping sauce, almost always spicy and often times sweet is provided. When served on the street it cost a couple of Kuai for about four pieces, restaurants are of course more expensive.

The key to this dish lies in the name though, because it is stinky, stinky and nasty smelling is more accurate. Think rotting gym socks, or boiling sewage, or very strong well aged cheese. If you aren't careful and can ruin your appetite. Shanghai locals rave over the stuff, in my opinion it's just OK. If you are in Shanghai it's a must at least once, but eat it fast and then get it off the table so you can enjoy the rest of your meal.