Thursday, July 22, 2010
Taiwanese cuisine, a dish feared by many, a mandatory gourmet experience for us.Where to start? Oh well, let’s find it first, not that many vendors sell it; how are we going to decipher the menus written in Chinese? Stinky tofu presents itself, not to worry, a block before, something like a sewage pipe has broken in the street. I’m not kidding, it’s intense and activates that subconscious reflex that says to your brain “don’t eat me”. Oh well, here we go, 20NT$, less than a dollar, 8 fierceful pieces of fermented (~rotten) soy material, deep fried and accompanied by a garlicky concoction, spicy sauce, a vinegary kimchee-like cabbage salad and a soy-saucey broth. There you go, first byte, not dreadful, soft glutinous texture, classic fried flavors and then, the payback…a mounting backend of, in order: cow’s manure dried hay stale matter In the end, not my favorite and definitely not for the squeamish. I still have some doubt on how it can be considered something to look for but I definitely survived the experience and will try again soon on a stick with extra scallions.

Taiwanese cuisine, a dish feared by many, a mandatory gourmet experience for us.
Where to start?

Oh well, let’s find it first, not that many vendors sell it; how are we going to decipher the menus written in Chinese?

Stinky tofu presents itself, not to worry, a block before, something like a sewage pipe has broken in the street.

I’m not kidding, it’s intense and activates that subconscious reflex that says to your brain “don’t eat me”.

Oh well, here we go, 20NT$, less than a dollar, 8 fierceful pieces of fermented (~rotten) soy material, deep fried and accompanied by a garlicky concoction, spicy sauce, a vinegary kimchee-like cabbage salad and a soy-saucey broth.

There you go, first byte, not dreadful, soft glutinous texture, classic fried flavors and then, the payback…a mounting backend of, in order:

  • cow’s manure
  • dried hay
  • stale matter

    In the end, not my favorite and definitely not for the squeamish. I still have some doubt on how it can be considered something to look for but I definitely survived the experience and will try again soon on a stick with extra scallions.

    4:26 pm →
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