🍽️ Stinky Tofu

Smells bad but tastes good, a representative Changsha street snack.

Changsha stinky tofu is Hunan's most famous street snack. Firm tofu blocks are fermented in a special brine until the skin darkens and aroma intensifies, then deep-fried to order until crisp, golden and puffed on the outside yet soft and juicy within. Each piece is slit open and filled with chili water, garlic and cilantro. It smells pungent but tastes deeply savory, with a shattering crust giving way to a steaming, tender center. Traditionally eaten right out of the fryer, it is a staple of Changsha night markets such as Nanmenkou and Pozi Street, best paired with iced jelly or sour plum drink.