My dinner tonight is quite unusual. It’s beancurd of the smelly sort! And I tell you, they’re simply tofu-licious! Really. Not one bit stinky. People who tell you that smelly beancurd or tofu reeks like dead rats, dirty drains or soiled diapers are just exaggerating and should have their olfactory system checked. Well, it does have a somewhat pungent taste but it’s certainly not foul smelling or tasting. But before I go on, let me just qualify that one man’s meat is another’s poison.

To me, the taste of the smelly tofu is exquisite. I first sank my teeth on this snack at Kaohsiung in 1997 and it was a takeaway for a KTV session. At that time, the taste didn’t appeal to me. But when I tried it a second time at the Shihlin night market in Taipei, I was hooked. Savour it when it’s served crispy and piping hot with the pickles plus sauces and the taste is just sooooo divine…

So you can imagine my delight when Zu brought home one packet of smelly tofu for supper one night. I never expected to find this delicacy in Singapore. Apparently this Mini Star Fermented Beancurd located at 795 Geylang Road which serves this scrumptious dish was originally from Chinatown Complex. The neighbouring stalls at Chinatown had complained about the smell and his stall was even vandalised. So the Hong Kong boss had to move shop to Geylang. Though the tofu isn’t as tasty as what I’ve eaten in Taiwan, it is still pretty yummy.

In case you don’t know, smelly beancurd is prepared by fermenting them with fish innards, salt, soy beans and some spices for a few days before they are removed and deep fried. Some have equate it to blue cheese, though I’m not too sure about that. I wouldn’t recommend it for the health or smell conscious. But for the rest who are adventurous with unique food and haven’t tried this, give it a go here.

Each piece of tofu costs $2 and I had four servings. Unfortunately, I couldn’t download the pictures I’ve taken…just too bad. To prevent any serious nose or arse bleeding issues, I suggest you gulp down a glass of eno fruit salt after eating too.