Smell smelly and eat more and more popular, Changsha stinky tofu, hidden in Hunan city fireworks soul

as long as Changsha is mentioned, almost everyone will think of the stinky tofu that is famous for the first time. Walking in the streets and lanes of Changsha, you can always smell a unique fermented aroma. At first glance, you feel strong and special, but when you smell it carefully, it is full-bodied with bean curd. The fried tofu pieces are crisp and wrinkled on the outside, soft and porous inside. You can pour them with secret sauce, chopped pepper, garlic and coriander, and bite them in one bite. The soup is bursting out, crisp and tender on the outside, fresh and spicy. This seemingly inconspicuous street snack, from the market stalls to the whole country, has become a landmark snack in Hunan and even the whole country. It is the smell of fireworks engraved in the bones of Changsha people, and it is the Hunan flavor that countless diners never forget.

I am Chen Xingyao, 29 years old this year. I am a native of Changsha's old city. I have been sharing Huxiang city snacks and homely flavors in aifoodnews for four years. I have a bright and warm temper. I grew up in fireworks in Pozi Street, Taiping Street and South Gate. I go to school with the aroma of stinky tofu every day. I follow my grandmother to eat snacks in the old street. I have a preference for Changsha stinky tofu. I don't like over-packaged online red delicacies, but I only love these old tastes hidden in the streets and down-to-earth. Stinky tofu is a snack that I have not been tired of eating since I was a child. It is Changsha's city taste card and the most healing fireworks taste on the streets of the city.

Changsha stinky tofu, which is often called "stinky dried bean curd" by local people, is the most representative traditional snack in Changsha. It has a history of hundreds of years. It is said that it originated in the Qing Dynasty and has been handed down to this day with its unique flavor. It has become an indispensable part of Huxiang's food culture. In the memory of old Changsha, stinky tofu has never been a high-end banquet dish, but a civilian delicacy at stalls in the streets and lanes. The stall owner pushing the car set up a pan of oil. The tofu pieces rolled and bubbled in the hot oil. After being fried, they poked holes into the sauce. The aroma drifted all over the streets. No matter the elderly or children, they would buy a box on the way to school and between shopping. They ate while walking, simple and satisfying.

In my memory of childhood, what I look forward to most is to let my grandmother take me to the old stinky tofu stall at the south gate after school. The stall owner is an old master who has made stinky tofu for decades with authentic craftsmanship. White tofu made from black beans or soybeans is soaked and fermented in a special stinky brine. The brine is an ancestral formula and is naturally fermented with raw materials such as mushrooms, winter bamboo shoots, white wine, and lobster sauce. It has no harmful additions and has a mellow flavor. Soaked bean curd embryo, put it into a hot oil pan, slowly fry it with a small fire until it is blackened and crisp on the outside and fluffy and porous inside. After removing the oil control, use chopsticks to gently poke a small opening, pour the secret sauce cooked in advance, sprinkle chopped chili, garlic powder, scallion and dried radish, and an authentic Changsha stinky bean curd is ready.

The freshly prepared stinky tofu looks dark and inconspicuous, but the entrance is amazing. The outer skin is crisp and not hard, the inside is soft and tender, and the holes are filled with fresh, spicy and sweet sauce. After one bite, the soup instantly bursts in the mouth. The stinky fragrance is perfectly blended with the fresh fragrance. The spicy degree is moderate, the salty fragrance is tasty, and there is no astringent taste. The more chewing is more fragrant, and one can't stop. When I was a child, I always felt that how could this seemingly "smelly" snack be so delicious? I didn't understand it until I grew up. This unique flavor is the fireworks of old Changsha, the old craftsmanship handed down from generation to generation, and the straightforward and free taste of Huxiang people.

The core essence of authentic Changsha stinky tofu lies in "marinated, fried and fresh juice", which is obviously different from stinky tofu from other places. Changsha stinky tofu embryo is black, with crisper skin, softer inside and rich sauce flavor. It pays attention to "smells smelly and tastes fragrant". The "stinky" of stinky tofu is not peculiar smell, but the unique bean fragrance after natural fermentation of brine. High-quality stinky tofu has no pungent and strange smell, only mellow fermented fragrance, which is also the key to distinguish whether it is authentic or not. Today, Changsha stinky tofu has long gone out of Changsha and has become a well-known national snack in the snack streets of major cities across the country. However, the most authentic taste is still hidden in the street stalls in the old city of Changsha. It is the old taste precipitated by the years and cannot be compared with any repetition.

I sincerely recommend you to try the authentic Changsha stinky tofu. First, it is an iconic representative of Hunan cuisine. It carries Changsha's hundreds of years of market culture and dietary heritage. It is the symbol of Changsha's urban taste. It eats not only snacks, but also Hunan's fireworks and human feelings. Second, the taste is unique and unique, crisp outside and tender inside, the holes are full of sauce, smelly and fragrant, fresh and spicy, the flavor level is rich, and it is unforgettable after eating. Third, the market is full of fireworks, there is no delicate plate, there is no complicated etiquette, the street is bought and eaten, casual and cured, is the most down-to-earth civilian delicacy; Fourth, the degree of adaptation is extremely high, whether it is shopping for appetites, afternoon tea, or wine for dinner, it is especially suitable, and the taste can be adjusted according to the preferences, suitable for all ages. Fifth, the price is close to the people, the ingredients are homely, but the unique flavor conquers the national diners and becomes a well-deserved national snack.

With the development of the times, many old stinky tofu stalls still stick to the traditional craftsmanship, insisting on making tofu embryos and natural fermented brine by hand, not cutting corners, not simplifying the process, and keeping the classic taste of old Changsha. Today, Changsha's Pozi Street, Taiping Street, South Gate and Wenmiaoping can still find countless authentic stinky tofu stalls, each of which hides the memory of old Changsha and the warmth of fireworks in the land of Hunan. Whether it is a local Changsha native or a foreign tourist, when you come to Changsha, the first snack you must eat is always stinky tofu. It has long been integrated into the blood of Changsha and has become an irreplaceable taste.

When I grew up, I walked through many cities and ate stinky tofu from many places. Either the skin was not crisp, the sauce was weak, or the brine tasted not straight. I could not eat the local flavor of Changsha. Every time I go back to Changsha, the first time I get off the high-speed rail, I will go straight to the old street stall, buy a box of stinky tofu that has just come out of the pot, and the familiar taste will come on my face, and all the tiredness will be smoothed. This is the taste of hometown, the homesickness engraved in the bones.

I share Huxiang cuisine in aifoodnews, and every time I recommend Changsha stinky tofu, not because of how expensive it is, but because it best represents Changsha's market fireworks and best reflects the unique charm of Huxiang diet. It does not have a gorgeous appearance, but with its unique flavor, it has become the heart of countless people, hiding the warmth of the market stalls, hiding the persistence of old craftsmanship, and hiding the memories of youth from generation to generation.

If you also love the smell of fireworks in the market and the delicious snacks, you must try the authentic Changsha stinky tofu. If you have the chance to come to Changsha, you may as well stroll along the streets of the old city, find an old stall, taste a stinky tofu that has just come out of the pot, feel the delicious smell that belongs to Hunan alone, and experience the enthusiasm and fireworks of Changsha. Do you like to eat stinky tofu? What is the most unforgettable street food? Welcome to share your comments in the comment area, or come to the aifoodnews to find me to unlock more stories and eating methods of Huxiang city cuisine.