Stinky Tofu

Back when I went to Hong Kong in June I got a warning from Elizabeth that I would likely smell the worst thing ever, and it was stinky tofu. Well, she was right, the smell quite literally stuck with me for two hours and I thought I was going to vomit. Not entirely surprisingly, stinky tofu has topped this list of the ten smelliest foods in Asia. Here's how the describe the scent:

Asian street carts sell this dish--aged, fermented bean curd soaked in a putrid, inky vat as a midday snack. The marinade can be made from bamboo shoots, herbs and dried shrimp, all perfectly aromatic ingredients--except when it sits in room temperature for 14 days (or more). The smellier, the better, but even when served with a side of chili sauce, it remains doubtful that the rancid bean curd tastes any better than decaying bleu cheese sitting in two-day old garbage.