“Smells like hell, tastes like heaven!” celebrity chef Martin Yan said Friday at the bustling Sunset Night Market. He was referring to stinky tofu — the divisive street food that originated in China — encouraging everyone to give it a try.
As a representative of the San Francisco Standard, I had valiantly agreed to partake in the market’s stinky tofu eating contest, competing alongside Kristen Sze from ABC7 KGO, Ken Ho from the Chinese-language Sky Link TV, and Warriors announcer Franco Finn. The first to eat six pieces would be proclaimed the winner.
The idea came from Supervisor Joel Engardio, whose husband is a Taiwanese immigrant. The couple love stinky tofu, particularly at the Raohe Street Night Market in Taipei, and wanted to create a similar vibe in San Francisco.
Stinky tofu is popular across Asia, but Taiwan is its biggest fan. The distinctive odor comes from the brine in which the tofu is fermented. The proprietary recipe can include vegetables, herbs, tea leaves, shrimp, milk, or meat.
Depending on the preferred level of stink, the process can take up to a couple of months. The tofu can then be prepared in numerous ways, but the most popular method is to fry it.
More than 10 years ago, I tried stinky tofu in Hubei Province, China, and it was terrifying. Admittedly, this was a hardcore level of stinky tofu — it was black and covered in layers of what looked like coal ash or fur.
Back at the Sunset Night Market, the stinky tofu for the contest was provided by Spices, the popular Sichuan restaurant in the Inner Richmond. The owner told me the dish is a “secret menu” item, made only for those in the know.
After fermentation and deep-frying, the light-yellow crispy tofu, which had been packed in to-go containers, had black spots on the surface. The rotty, garabage-y smell was already starting to spread.
The competition began.
I reluctantly picked up a few pieces and put them in my mouth. The smell was pervasive; the taste, initially, was slightly salty but acceptable. I poured garlic sauce on to see if that would help. As I bit down on the crispy, creamy tofu, the stench burst into my nose.
I gagged down five pieces, but Finn and Ho had already stuffed down all of theirs. What had started as a peaceful competition had turned cutthroat quickly. Sze and I quietly put down our tofu and applauded.
Sze said she lost the competition because she was “savoring” the tofu — that she actually enjoys eating it, describing it as stinky in a beautiful way.
“As someone who grew up eating it, I think it smells like flowers in the field,” Sze said. “It smells like fine wine.” I could not agree.
I said goodbye to Sze and ran to a boba shop for a large cup of mango-peach milk tea, gulping it down, hoping to wash away the smell. Half an hour later, I burped, and that stink filled my mouth once again.
Where to eat stinky tofu
Most restaurants don’t serve stinky tofu because of its malodorous qualities. It’s often best consumed in the open air as street food. But if you’re feeling adventurous, here are some places, from San Francisco to Foster City, where you can give it a try.
Spices 老湘记
(available on the secret menu)
291 6th Ave., San Francisco
Woohao Chinese Restaurant 好好食
(available on the secret menu)
427 Gellert Blvd., Daly City
Joy Restaurant 名厨
1489 Beach Park Blvd., Foster City