As we all know, Chinese food culture is extensive and profound, and the Chinese people have never stopped studying food. Some Chinese delicacies are famous for their “smell”, while others are famous for their “stinky” nature, such as Hunan’s stinky tofu. We all know that Changsha stinky tofu is a traditional Chinese folk snack. Now you can see stinky tofu being sold in almost all streets and alleys. And we all know that Changsha stinky tofu is not only smelly, but the entire stinky tofu is also black. So since stinky tofu is black and smelly, why do so many people still like to eat it?

01 Why is stinky tofu still so popular among people even though it is black and smelly?

In fact, the reason why Changsha stinky tofu is black and smelly is related to the production process of stinky tofu. When making this kind of stinky tofu, the tofu base must first be soaked in dissolved alum water. The main component of alum is ferrous sulfate, which plays an important role in the coloring of stinky tofu and the production of a special smell. After soaking the tofu base for a period of time, people will pour the prepared stinky brine in, soak it in the brine for a period of time, and then place it in a pan to drain and add seasonings. This is the stinky tofu we eat in our daily lives. Tofu.

02 Stinky tofu has been very popular in ancient times

Smelly tofu has actually been very popular in ancient times. According to legend, in the eighth year of Emperor Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty, Wang Zhihe, a scholar who went to Beijing to take the exam, failed in his career, so he stayed in the capital to find another way out, making some tofu and selling it on the street. However, due to the hot weather, some stinky tofu that has not been sold in time will easily go bad if there is no way to store it. So Wang Zhihe cut all the tofu into pieces and stored them in a salt vat to prevent them from spoiling.

Later Wang Zhihe decided to pick up the books and take the exam again, and forgot about the fact that there were still tofu cubes in the salt jar. After his second imperial examination, Wang Zhihe suddenly remembered this matter, so he quickly opened the salt vat to see what was going on. He found that the tofu had already become stinky. Wang Zhihe He thought that all the tofu was spoiled, but he thought it would be a pity to throw it away, so he tried a small piece to see if it was still edible. Unexpectedly, these stinky tofu tasted like a special fragrance, so Wang Zhihe decided to try selling these pickled stinky tofu, but he didn't expect it to be very popular with people.

03What makes stinky tofu so popular?

So what exactly makes Changsha stinky tofu so popular? In fact, people have mixed reviews about Changsha stinky tofu. Some people think that Changsha stinky tofu is unhealthy to eat and express doubts about the production process. But some people think it is a traditional Chinese delicacy and a very nutritious food. First of all, stinky tofu is popular among people not only because of its unique appearance and distinctive smell, but also because of its "intrinsic". Only those who have really eaten stinky tofu will understand the lingering fragrance of stinky tofu. .

Furthermore, although stinky tofu is just a snack, it itself contains high nutritional value. Stinky tofu itself is made from ground soybeans, and the protein and other trace elements contained in soybeans and tofu are naturally Not much. In addition, stinky tofu is also a reprocessing of soybeans, and this secondary processing will be more conducive to people's absorption of these nutrients. During the production process of stinky tofu, some of the protein contained in the fermented soybeans will be decomposed by microorganisms into smaller amino acids, which is very beneficial to the body's absorption. Finally, stinky tofu will produce some microorganisms during the fermentation process, and these microorganisms will also produce some vitamins and other substances when they grow. Needless to say, the importance of vitamins to the human body goes without saying.

It can be said that Changsha stinky tofu is a snack that looks ugly but is worth tasting. So have you ever tasted this kind of delicacy? Welcome to leave messages and interact in the comment area.